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Orphanages

I just happened across a listing for Orphanages across Canada while searching for something else. I thought compiling a list would be great help to those of you searching. Quite a few of these Orphanages, Institutions, Residences and Homes for children have been closed -- some for many years -- and it's tough to get information on a place if you can't find it. I hoped, by hopefully being able to supply a name, years of operation and the city it was located, you'd at least know where to start.

I have no idea how accurate or thorough this list is. It's been compiled from dozens of different sites.

I try to update this list as often as possible. There's so many without any information so, obviously, I can't do them all at once. If you know an Orphanage, open or not, that's not listed here, or see one that is here but has missing or no information, please let me know via my guestbook. Any information you might have about any of these places would be greatly appreciated!! Some are very difficult to find on the internet, but I'm working on it. I want to keep this [and ALL my pages] as up-to-date and accurate as possible. Thanks!!

For a listing of all Child-Care Institutions for Manitoba, Canada, please go here
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For a listing of all Aboriginal residential schools in Canada, please go here
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  ALBERTA

Edmonton Orphanage
the ex-service men's home. Was in operation as an orphanage in 1918.
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Ermineskin

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* Father Lacombe's Home for Children
a Catholic orphanage located in St. Albert, Alberta, by what's known as the St. Albert Trail. The orphanage was built near the Sturgeon River.
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Fort Chipewyan

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Fort Vermillion

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Good Shepherd

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Legoff

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Morley

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The Northern Regional Treatment Residence
Peace River, Alberta. 1977-
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The Provincial School for Mentally Defectives (now known as The Michener Institute)
1923.
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The Provincial Training School and Deerhome Institution
Red Deer, Alberta.
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St. Mary's
Seventy children from ages one to fifteen, cared for by a group of nuns and an ex-prize fighter, housed in an old firehouse-turned police station-turned St. Mary's Orphanage. Not sure when it officially opened, but was in operation in 1951. Early in 1954, a new orphanage was built, St. Mary's Salesian School at 137th Avenue, due to fire hazards with the old one.
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The Westfield Diagnostic and Treatment Centre
1967-
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  BRITISH COLUMBIA

Arden Park Youth Ranch
located near Clinton.
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The Boys and Girls Club of Vernon
British Columbia.
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The Children's Foundation
British Columbia
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Good Shepherd Convent
operated orphanages in White Rock BC, Waverly NS, and Manitoba.
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Jericho Hill School
British Columbia
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Jericho Provincial School for the Deaf
1962-1994. The institution also cared for blind children until 1979. Jurisdiction was transferred from the Ministry of Education in 1994 to the Ministry of Social Services.
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*B.C. Protestant Orphans' Home
was located at the peak of King's Road in Victoria, British Columbia. 1873-present, but 1969 the building was converted into a daycare center. It raised more than 1600 orphans by the time it closed. There are about 800 of these orphans still living who say it was a great opportunity to be raised here [THE ONLY ONE OUT OF 1000'S I'VE READ ABOUT THAT CAN SAY THAT!!]. Most of the records are still held at the Cridge Centre. There's a book called "The Home" which tells much of the history of the Cridge family and of the orphanage. Email at Linda Zwick or call her at (250) 995-6402 to order a copy.
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Loyal Protestant Association Orphanage
Vancouver BC. This was an orphanage from 1928-1970 and closed its doors as a home for children in 1983.
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St. Ann's Academy
There are two on Vancouver Island; one in Victoria, BC and the other in Cowichan, BC. They were both run by the Sisters of St. Ann's, a teaching order of Catholic nuns. Originally the one in Victoria held both boys and girls. In 1864 the nuns opened the large boarding school in Cowichan with the goal of educating the native girls of that area. It was then enlarged to include the overflow of orphaned girls from the academy in Victoria. In 1904 the nuns moved the girls from Cowichan to an orphanage/school in Nanaimo and the Cowichan school became exclusively all boys. The school renamed itself to St. Ann's Boys' School, Duncan. From 1904-1921 there were between 30-50 students that boarded there. In 1921 new construction increased the size of the school and they also accepted 'externs,' or day-students. By 1950, girls were enrolled as externs and the population grew to over 100 students. In 1956 it became only a day school for girls and boys. In 1961 whites and Indians alike were accepted in accordance with Canadian federal government policy. The school closed on June 22, 1964 when a new one was built and the students were moved into Duncan. The building is open to the public and some history records are preserved here. The balance of St. Ann's records are located 1550 Bagbie Street in Victoria and are available for research purposes.
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St. Eugene

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  MANITOBA
[These are listed here as they're not on the list in the other page. So if you don't see the one you're looking for here, click here]

Fresh Air Work
at Sturgeon Creek Camp, Winnipeg.
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Good Shepherd Convent
operated orphanages in Manitoba, White Rock BC and Waverly NS.
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  NEW BRUNSWICK

Moncton Municipal Orphanage
was located near the Canadian Forces bases, Moncton, NB.
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The New Brunswick Training School
Kingsclear
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Protestant Orphanage Home
located in Saint John, New Brunswick. Limited archival information is held at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB.
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  NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR

The Christian Brothers Canadian Orphanages
Newfoundland.
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*Belvedere Orphanage for Girls
in St. John's, Newfoundland operated from 1859-1885 by the Sisters of Mercy Catholic nuns. This building proved too small and a new one was built in 1885. This lasted until the late 1960's when it became a school and then later, the offices of the Roman Catholic School Board for St. John's.
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*Mount Cashel Orphanage
located in St. John's, Newfoundland. 1875-1990. A Roman Catholic orphanage. In 1990 it closed down permanently. It has since been demolished.
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Whitbourne Boys School

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  NORTHWEST TERRITORIES [ including NUNAVUT ]

Forester's Island
Bay of Quinte, south of Tyendinaga Territory begun by Dr. Oronhyatekha.
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Grollier Hall

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Sir Joseph Bernier Federal Day School
Turquetil Hall, Chesterfield Inlet, Northwest Territories. 1959-
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  NOVA SCOTIA

*Bairncroft Orphanage
on Kings Road, Sydney River, Nova Scotia. Opened sometime 1920-1921 and was a protestant orphanage. In 1996, the property was turned into a professional office center.
Contact Information:
Administration Office
1030 Upper Prince Street
Sydney, N.S.
B1P 5P3
Tel: (902) 563-3303
Fax: (902) 563-3660
The contact information is actually for the Children's Aid Society [CAS] in Cape Breton, but as their website lists a few of the Orphanages listed here, I'm assuming here that they can be contacted for information concerning the Orphanages.
For other contact information, please see their website for more details Cape Breton CAS
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Children's Training Centre
Sydney
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The Children's Training Centre
Dartmouth
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Good Shepherd Convent
operated orphanages in Waverly NS, Manitoba, and White Rock BC.
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*Guardian Angel Home
on Quinnpool Road, Halifax NS. 1888-present. The Sisters of Charity which ran St. Joseph's in Halifax also ran this orphanage. They took care of Catholic infants until the age of 5, at which point they were transferred to St. Joseph's. In 1952, Guardian Shepherd became a home for unwed mothers and their children. Guardian Angel Home relocated to Coburg Rd, where it still is as of 2002.
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Hillfoot Farm
located at Dempsey's Corner, Near Aylesford, Nova Scotia, around 1890. No longer there, has been made into smaller farms.
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*Home of the Guardian Angel
located at 6345 Coburg Road, Halifax NS B3H 2A4, also believed to be run by the Sisters of Charity. At some point the home has been renamed to The Single Parent Center and is located at 3 Sylvia Avenue. It is off the Herring Cove Road.
Telephone: (902) 479-3031
Fax: (902) 477-2257
Email
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*Little Flower Orphanage
in Little Bras D'or in Cape Breton, NS, 1927-today. This was a Catholic orphanage. April 20th 1954, a dedication was held and it became known as Villa Madonna Retreat House. In March of 1953, a fire erupted and caused extensive damage to the interior of the building. As the building was still sound, it was decided to repair and renovate the building to have it serve as a Retreat House, primarily for women. Up to of 1900 people use the Retreat House each year.
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*Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children
highway 7, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1921. In 2001, there was talk of demolishing parts of the home, but restoring the main part.
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The Nova Scotia School for Boys [also known as The Shelburne Youth Training Centre]
Shelburne
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Truro School for Girls [also known as The Nova Scotia School for Girls]
in Truro, NS. There was also the home for boys in Shelburne.
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The Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre

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The Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre
Bible Hill
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St. Joseph's Orphanage
was located on Quinpool Road, Halifax Nova Scotia. It was established in May 1849 under the care of the Sisters of Charity and orphans were placed in St. Mary's. In June 1868, they were transferred to a small cottage in St. Joseph's parish. In 1872, orphans were transferred again to the St. John's Convent on Dutch Village Road. When this was no longer able to hold all the orphans, the archbishop built a suitable house at the corner of Gottigen and Kaye streets. It opened in Sept 1873. On July 16, 1881 the orphanage was partially destroyed by fire and the children were removed to Brunswick Street. They remained here from 1882-1893. On October 12, 1893 they came to their present home as built by Archbishop O'Brien. It shut down in 1967, then re-opened in January 1968 as St. Joe's daycare centre. It was later shut down and eventually the buildings were demolished and it is now commercial property. Information concerning relatives or residents at the orphanage can be obtained from:
The Sisters of Charity of Ottawa
9 Bruyere Street
Ottawa ON
Canada K1N 5C9
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Veith Street Protestant Orphans' Home
located on Veith Street in Halifax Nova Scotia. The orphanage is now closed and the building was last known to be a daycare.
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  ONTARIO

*Carmelite Orphanage for Girls
Toronto Ontario, run by the Carmelite nuns. The only thing I could find out about it is it was running in 1871 and was in Toronto East.
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The Christian Brothers Canadian Orphanages
Ontario.
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The Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf [formally known as The Ontario School For The Deaf]
Milton, 1963-
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Father George Epoch and the Jesuit Fathers of Upper Canada
Cape Croker, 1860's-
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The Grandview Training School for Girls, 1967-1976 [formally known as The Ontario Training School for Girls 1933-1967]
Galt [Cambridge]
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McNeil Orphanage
located in Toronto Ontario. It was a Catholic orphanage that closed in the 1960s, but the location of records or any history is unknown.
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*Mount St. Joseph's Orphanage
(circa 1915) was located in southwestern Ontario, likely in London or Tilsonburg. I found a reference stating it [or at least one with the same name] was located in Toronto. It's listed in the Lost Historical Sites.
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Nazareth Orphanage
Cornwall, Ontario. "The Orphan Cradle, as the first orphanage was called in 1909, it was located at 17 Whitehead Ave. The benefactress, Mary McMartin, widow of MP John McMartin, gave highland Manor to the sisters for a new orphanage in 1919. It burned down in 1950.
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The Robarts School for the Deaf, London
1973-present
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The Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf [formally known as Ontario Institution For The Education and Instruction of the Deaf and the Dumb]
Belleville, 1870-
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St. Joseph's Training School for Boys
in Alfred, Ontario, 70 kilometres east of Ottawa. 1933-1974.
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St. Joseph's Orphanage/Orphelinat Saint Joseph
in Rockliff Village, Ottawa.
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St. John's Training School for Boys
Uxbridge, northwest of Toronto, opened in 1895
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St. Patrick's Orphanage and Asylum
a.k.a. St. Patrick's Home in Ottawa, Ontario. This orphanage housed both boys and girls answering a need for caring for the Irish poor. There were also homeless adults that resided here. It closed permanently in 1961.
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The Syl Apps Campus at Thistletown Regional Centre
Oakville, Ontario
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  QUEBEC

The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres [Prévost Campus, La Chappelle Unit]

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Les Enfants de Duplessis

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Hopital de la Misericorde
[General Hospital of the Mercy] in Montreal Quebec, 1874-1972. This was home to the Duplessis orphans, so named for the Quebec premier who was in power for most of the 1930-1950s when these orphans were sent to this hospital. Many of the Duplessis orphans were born to single mothers and then hosptialized as either mentally ill or retarded. Some were left in other orphanages in the city. There was an estimated 3,000 orphanages and almost all of the boys were christened Joseph and the girls christened Marie by the nuns and monks that ran the hospital.
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Mount Providence Orphanage
Quebec, run by Roman Catholic priests.
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Orphelinat de Lisbourg
(QC) operated from 1943-1960. Their records are held by:
Eveque de St-Jerome
355, rue St-Georges
St-Jerome, QC.
J7Z 5A9
(514) 432-9742.
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Orphelinat Sorel
operated by the Grey Nuns of Montreal. The records can be reviewed through the Grey Nuns of Montreal, Sr. Marie-Paule Messier, S.c.s.h. or Sr. Aurore Larkin SGM, Superior General, Montreal QC H2Y 2L7.
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St. Julien Hospital
Quebec, one of the many homes for the Duplessis orphans 1930-1960.
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St. Patrick's Orphanage
was a Catholic orphanage located at 5808 Deom Street in Outremont, Montreal, Quebec. It was for both boys and girls and operated by either St. Germain's or St. Patrick's Basilica. When the orphanage was closed in the 1960s, all records were turned over to the province.
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  SASKATCHEWAN

*Orange Home
located in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. 1923 to present.
For more information please contact:
Orange Benevolent Society
P.O. Box 160
Indian Head, Saskatchewan
S0G 2K0
Toll Free only in Saskatchewan Call: 1-877- 522-8258
Telephone or Fax:(306) 695-3450
Email
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St. Patrick's Orphanage
located in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, 1903-1973. There was a fire at the orphanage February 1st, 1947 which burned the building to the ground. On June 19th, 1950, the first shovel dug the ground for the new orphanage. It was this one that closed in 1973. To read all about this orphanage
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  YUKON

Dawson City Hostel

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MISC. and/or UNKNOWNS

Quarriers Homes
originated in the United Kingdom but there was also a Canadian affiliate.
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Sir Hugh John MacDonald Memorial Hostel
operated from 1929 as a Home for wayward and underprivileged boys.
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*Unknown Name
but located on Cote de Neiges Road, Montreal.
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