Founded by the Sisters of St Joseph nuns, the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital is the oldest hospital in North America (after a hospital in Mexico City) and an institution of great importance to many Montrealers. Decommissioned since health services were moved to the CHUM super hospital, the community has advocated for a decade that it not be privatized, but that it continue to provide essential social services like healthcare, cooperative housing for families, non-profit social housing, spaces for community services, art and culture, and urban agriculture.

The Communauté St Urbain is the coalition of many community organizations in Montreal, especially on the Plateau.

Its vision is of:

• A development concept that highlights the exceptional tangible and intangible heritage of the Hôtel-Dieu site.
• An inclusive, open and dynamic community that allows for the cohabitation of different types of population on the same site.
• A set of urban functions and an environment that have a positive impact on the determinants of health.
• A healthy and highly vegetated living environment that has a low environmental impact.
• An innovative model of consultation and development for and by the community.

https://communaute-saint-urbain.org/