Description of Historic Place

The Vibank Convent is a Municipal Heritage Property occupying a 7030 square-metre parcel of land in the Town of Vibank. The property features a two-storey brick building complted in 1923 surrounded by landscaped grounds.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Vibank Convent lies in its association with the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church in Saskatchewan. The early twentieth-century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand settlers to the province. To meet the spiritual and educational needs of these newcomers, several religious groups established parishes, schools and training facilities in Saskatchewan. The Ursulines, an order of the Roman Catholic Church, established their first convent in Vibank in 1919. Following a fire at the Ursuline convent in Grayson Saskatchewan, the province’s only Ursline Motherhouse was relocated to Vibank and a new convent facility was erected. Completed in 1923, the convent also served as a girls school and dormitory. The building remained a Motherhouse until 1953 and served as a school and convent until 1977.

The heritage value of the Vibank Convent also resides in its architecture. A substantial building in size, proportions and materials, the two-storey brick building presents a simple elegance, consistent with its function and with other religious facilities built in the province during the period. Notable exceptions to the austere nature of the building are the religious carvings and other elements that define the entryway and the extensive wood trim located throughout the building and the pink stained glass windows in the sanctuary.

Heritage value also lies in the landscaping of the grounds. The grounds were a place of quiet religious contemplation and were decorated with well-groomed lawns, concrete walkways, statues and a small shrine. Surrounding the grounds is a stand of conifer trees which add seclusion to the property and distinguish the grounds from the surrounding landscape.


Source:

Village of Vibank bylaw 92-5.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Vibank Convent resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those architectural elements which reflect the substantial nature of the building, including the regular window pattern, projecting cornice, flat roof line and projecting portico;
-those elements which reflect the religious nature of the building, including carvings, ornaments and furnishings;
-those elements which reflect the educational role of the building, including signage, furnishings and room layout;
-the interior wood trim and decorative windows in the sanctuary;
-the layout of the grounds, including statues, shrine and pathways.