History of the
Benedict Labre House.
To dream.
The history of the House dates back to 1952. The House was founded by Tony Walsh and was under the influence of Dorothy Day*. The Benedict Labre House was, at that time, a shelter for a dozen older men he had met on the streets. In response, Tony Walsh created a refuge on the upper floor of 418 de La Gauchetière Street. In 1955, the group started the newspaper Unity. The contributors to the paper were Tony Walsh, Father William Power, Marjorie Conners, David Marvin, Murray Ballantyne, John Buell, and Leo MacGillivray. That same year, the organization moved from de La Gauchetière Street to 122 Duke Street for a few months before finally occupying its present location on Young Street.
At the time, Griffintown was a neighborhood that housed both the Patricia and the Benedict Labre House on Murray and Young Street. Griffintown was occupied by dilapidated houses filled with low-income families. The area was densely populated. Consequently, finding people in need was not difficult. Over the years, the House has been transformed. Gerry Pascal, Director in the '70s, participated in various pan-Canadian movements to acquire a critical and grounded view of the assistance provided to homeless people. Well into the 1980s, Gerry Pascale lived on the 3rd floor of the building. He was fed from the House's food and redistributed the goods received, the majority being donations from the community.
In the 1980s, due to deinstitutionalization and the economic recession, the need for homelessness grew. During this decade, the House became a day center, with students living on the 3rd floor in exchange for volunteer work. Over time, the services adapted and evolved into the organization we know today.
*Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, and Catholic convert. After her conversion, Dorothy lived a Bohemian lifestyle before becoming a well-known social activist. She later became a crucial figure in the Catholic Worker Movement. She gained a national reputation as a political radical, perhaps the most famous female radical in the history of the American Catholic Church.
Structure.
We launched a new chapter in the history of The Benoit Labre House in 2019. We moved! The new location, 4561 Notre-Dame W., allowed us to reach a different clientele while still serving our previous visitors on Young Street. As well, we moved to offer a better place of intervention. This location change has allowed us to increase our capacity.
In 2020, the House welcomed new faces on its team to respond to the growing needs of its community. The team now includes, several full-time day workers, a group of night workers, and a solid administration with several members managing the operations taking place.
The Benedict Labre got a new look in November 2020. The logo change marks the beginning of a new phase for the resources. This phase includes the arrival of new employees, the contribution of additional financial support, more services, and an increase in opening hours and days.
Adapt.
To meet growing needs and provide enhanced services to its visitors, Maison Benoît Labre has undertaken the adaptation of its facilities. In 2022, construction of the new space began, and the official move took place in the spring of 2024. The new building, located near the Atwater Market, now features 36 apartments spread across 3 floors, each offering a private room with community support. This housing program complements our regular range of services.
Additionally, the entrance to the day center is now accessible from Atwater Street. The day center is open 7 days a week, offering not only existing services but also universal accessibility to all of our services.
