Les Soeurs de l'Assomption de la Saint-Vierge de Nicolet was founded in 1853 at St. Gregoire-le-Grand, Québec. The Sisters’ hometown was heavily connected to the Acadians, and was the reason why the Sisters decided to name themselves after the Acadians’ patron saint, the Lady of the Assumption. The congregation quickly increased in size and outgrew its convent, which prompted the Sisters to move to Nicolet in 1872. In 1891, the Sisters were given the the opportunity to establish convent and day schools as far west as Alberta. They accepted this opportunity as they used education as a mean to not only educate, but spread Catholicism. During the Residential School System, the Sisters worked with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate at three schools in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The three schools were Ermineskin, Hobbema, and Thunderchild.
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.
1893-1998