Eight years ago, the Monastère des Augustines changed its vocation. The company is now grappling with the same concerns as those working in the same niche: labor shortage, inflation, etc. But in this unusual place, we draw inspiration from the philosophy of the Augustines to manage business. and people.
“The Augustines are considered one of the first communities of women entrepreneurs in the country,” says Isabelle Duchesneau, general director of the Monastère des Augustines. “They founded, built, managed hospitals,” she continues. They did everything. »
About ten years ago, the Augustinians undertook the transformation of their immense monastery in Old Quebec. They wanted to ensure the sustainability of the place, because the group was declining and replacements were rare. The reflection on the conservation of their heritage, a precursor to this change, had lasted more than 20 years.
“They asked themselves the question,” continues the general director: “what do we do with this nearly 400-year-old heritage? »
The sisters never thought in silos. Their goal is to settle into a community, make it prosper, and take care of it. They take care of the individual, but they take care of the collective.
Isabelle Duchesneau, general director of the Augustines monastery
An innovative model
Before deciding what to do next, the sisters commissioned studies, workshops and consultations to understand how they could continue to serve the community differently. And possibly, without them.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
The 65-room hotel is the heart of commercial activities and funds the Augustines’ mission. The company now has 130 employees.
This led to the creation of two organizations in 2009, an NPO (the Monastère des Augustines) and a trust whose mandate is to protect the heritage of the Augustines, including this incredible monastery, its artifacts and archives. The trust, which owns the building, takes care of its maintenance. She is also the guardian of the Augustines’ intentions. “They ensured that everything that would eventually be done at the monastery would be done with the intention of protecting their memory,” explains Isabelle Duchesneau. It’s in the constitution. That’s life. »
Isabelle Duchesneau has been at the Monastery since 2012, at the start of the conversion. His role: to set up a business model for this atypical company, which had very clear intentions.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
“The sisters left us their material and intangible heritage. And in intangible heritage, there is their way of managing. It’s extraordinary to dig into that,” says Isabelle Duchesneau, general director of the Monastère.
The Monastery is recognized as an innovative business model, particularly in the world of the social economy. We often see NPOs as only subsidized organizations.
Isabelle Duchesneau, general director of the Monastery
However, this is not the case here, since 80% of resources come from own-source revenue, the majority of which comes from rooms. Another 15% comes from public funds, particularly on specific projects, and the remaining 5% comes from philanthropic funds. This excludes the public investments necessary for the transformation, at the very beginning of the project.
To take care
-
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Meditation session in the vaults: the Monastery of the Augustines was the first hospital in North America.
-
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
There are two types of rooms at the hotel. This is an “authentic” room with shared bathroom.
-
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
The contemporary room, more comfortable category, has its own bathroom.
-
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Breakfasts are taken in silence, a ritual which dates from the VIe century, among the Augustines. The Monastery has decided to honor and perpetuate this intangible heritage.
-
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Annie Labrecque, archivist. Because in addition to the hotel, the Monastery houses a museum and has an archive fund recognized in the UNESCO world register.
-
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
The magnificent Augustines Museum
1/6
A difficult context
The niche of global health and well-being tourism was chosen to fit with the Augustinian philosophy, but it also came at the right time: what we call in English “wellness” tourism is booming.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
The Monastery has built its corporate culture to continue the values of the sisters, now and in the day when there are no more sisters at the monastery. The challenge will be to pass this philosophy on to future generations.
People travel to be better. They include treatments or movement in their vacation. We want to recharge our batteries. The Augustines environment offers exactly that.
From the start, it was undeniable for me that the Monastery had the potential for international influence.
Isabelle Duchesneau, general director of the Monastery
In 2020, the Monastery reached its budgetary balance, explains the general director. And despite the pandemic, which hurt the hotel sector, the following years, 2021 and 2022, made it possible to generate surpluses.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
There are five Augustinians left at the Quebec monastery. From left to right, Sister Carmelle Bisson, Sister Lise Tanguay, Sister Sylvie Morin, Sister Berthe Lemay and Sister Sarah Mc Donald.
This year, things are different: inflation is catching up with the Monastery. Even for a wellness niche. The occupancy rate remains at around 70%, but expenses are not keeping pace. People are choosing cheaper rooms and buying less at the boutique, explains the director, who is working on a revision of the business plan.
The mission remains: well-being, that which begins with oneself. In this sense, the Augustines were precursors. They were living in the present moment long before the discourse was co-opted by the wellness industry.
Today, this mission is still fulfilled, in particular by allowing a certain clientele to find respite at the Monastery, which offers a solidarity rate to caregivers, caregivers or people who have to go to Quebec to accompany a sick person. Surpluses from recent years have been redistributed for these social programs.
“The sisters have done this in the past. To manage their hospitals, they offered the wealthy real tableware and luxury cutlery, recalls Isabelle Duchesneau. They put them in paid private rooms. With this money, they welcomed the poorest, free of charge. »
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
And religion?
“Religion is experienced in a historical aspect,” says Isabelle Duchesneau. There are no Buddhas at the Monastery. We will find statues of the Virgin and Jesus. It’s our heritage, it’s our collective history. But we do not advocate religion, we advocate spirituality, in the broad sense. »