The federal government is transferring ownership of a former prison in Laval, Que., for the purpose of future multi-family real estate development.

The move is part of the government’s advancement of efforts designed to tackle Canada’s housing crisis by repurposing public lands for development. As part of its plan to build four million homes, the government is transferring the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary in Laval, Que., to Canada Lands Company (CLC) by the end of 2025.

The property will remain in the Canada Public Land Bank, which aims to provide access to properties for various stakeholders, including developers, Indigenous communities, non-profits, and municipalities, to accelerate the federal land-disposal process. Ottawa typically grants long-term leases for development rather than selling the properties to non-government organizations.

Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, announced that Correctional Service Canada will complete due diligence for the disposal process of the penitentiary by April 2025. The property was added to the Canada Public Land Bank in November 2024. By staying in the land bank, the site will remain publicly owned and can be developed with long-term benefits for Canadians, said the government.

“Since we launched the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, almost 100 properties have been identified as being available for potential development,” said Duclos. “I’m pleased to announce the transfer of the Laval Penitentiary and associated land to Canada Lands Company, where it will be developed in a way to provide socio-economic benefits for Canadians. This is one example of how our whole-of-government approach is addressing the country’s housing crisis.”

The Correctional Service Canada, in collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada, Justice Canada, and CLC, will continue working to address heritage and environmental considerations before finalizing the transfer.

The Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary site has a long and evolving history. Originally home to the Sisters of Providence’s Sacred Heart Convent before Confederation in 1861, the site was repurposed a year later as a reform school by the Government of Canada East. In 1872, the federal government purchased the property from the Province of Quebec and converted it into a federal penitentiary, receiving its first inmates in 1873. The facility remained in operation until 1989, when it was decommissioned and declared a surplus asset. A year later, it was designated a national historic site.

The former penitentiary’s transfer to Canada Lands Company aligns with the federal government’s broader housing strategy, announced in the 2024 budge. Under the Public Lands for Homes Plan, surplus and underused public lands are being repurposed to help meet Canada’s housing needs, with a goal of unlocking 250,000 new homes by 2031. The Canada Public Land Bank, launched in August 2024, plays a leading role in the effort to make federally-owned properties available for development.

Pictured: Former prison in Laval, Que., slated for redevelopment.

Photo: Parks Canada