The Gathering Place

2025 Governors Awards

The Gathering Place

The National Trust for Canada’s Board of Governors has presented the Gathering Place with a Governors’ Award for their exemplary adaptive reuse of the former sisters of Mercy Convent, transforming it into emergency, transitional, and supportive housing for vulnerable members of the community. 

Founded in 1994 by the Sisters of Mercy, the Gathering Place is a community health centre and volunteer-driven charity dedicated to providing programs and services for those experiencing homelessness, hunger, and social isolation in St. John’s, Newfoundland. 

In 2024, the Gathering Place completed the adaptive reuse of the former Sisters of Mercy Convent, originally built in 1857 to house three Irish nuns who had arrived in Newfoundland in 1842. Through a transformative renovation, the historic building was converted from an emergency shelter with 30 beds into a space that now provides emergency, transitional, and supportive housing for nearly 100 individuals without a safe place to call home. 

The thoughtful design of the restored convent respects the building’s heritage while introducing new elements that foster dignity and stability—private spaces, designated floors, and supportive environments for residents rebuilding their lives. 

The Governors have chosen to highlight this project as a powerful example of how heritage buildings can be adaptively reused to meet urgent social needs and promote community well-being.