The Sisters of Providence is a Catholic religious congregation that performs charitable works and spreads Catholicism. Founded in 1843 by Bishop of Montreal Ignace Bourget, the Sisters of Providence sought to continue the work of their foundress, Emilie Gamelin, who spent the majority of her life helping the poor and needy. The Sisters were in high demand as there was few social services available in mid-nineteenth century Quebec and often struggled to meet demands. In 1886, the Sisters established their first missions in western Canada at St. Mary’s Hospital in New Westminster, British Columbia. From there, the Sisters became involved in missionary work in western Canada.
During the Residential School System, the Sisters often worked as teachers and caretakers at several residential schools across Canada. At these schools, the Sisters collaborated with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who often were principals and school administrators. In 1969, the Government of Canada took complete control of the Residential School System. Some of the Sisters stayed on to continue their work as government employees. The last residential school closed in 1996.
During the 1990s, the public became more aware of the impacts of residential schools. This led to an increase in litigation against the Government of Canada, which culminated in the creation of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) in 2006. IRSSA outlined the process by which residential school litigation was carried out in addition to creating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). As of 2019, the Sisters still send missions across the globe.
1890-2013