Early days
Barthélemy Joliette, a local seigneur and businessman, founded Collège Joliette in 1846,
with the aim of creating a commercial college where students would receive a practical
education, learning Latin only after studying such subjects as botany, English,
mathematics, physics and economics for five years. When the Clerics took the helm of the
college in 1847, they were happy to adopt his vision.
In 1873, the college changed course, offering students a
classical education, which was still the most prestigious and most popular with the French
Canadian elite. This change occurred under Cyrille Beaudry, c.s.v., who laid the college's
solid foundations and directed it for almost 40 years. In the late 1890s, he campaigned to
secure the diocese for the region, ultimately succeeding in having Joliette chosen over
l'Assomption. With that event, the college gained new status, as it was designated the
diocesan seminary.
While seminaries are normally run by the local bishop,
the Séminaire de Joliette remained under the direction of the Clerics of St.
Viator and thus enjoyed the best of both worlds: it not only had a prestigious title, but
also enjoyed a degree of autonomy unknown to schools with closer ties to the senior
clergy. Moreover, colleges run by priests, such as the Jesuits, the Clerics of St. Viator
and the Fathers of Sainte-Croix, were known to be more open to modern culture.
Under Cyrille Beaudry, c.s.v., (1864-1904), the college
grew significantly. With the construction of the Bonin wing in 1926, it became a truly
modern institution. Historian Léo-Paul Hébert wrote that the new pavilion gave Joliette
a distinct advantage over other colleges in the teaching of science, the arts, theatre and
music.
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