A Legacy of Compassion: Our Story Since 1879
The story of St. Joseph’s Villa began in 1879, when the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton opened the House of Providence in Dundas to care for older adults, orphaned children, people experiencing hardship and those suffering from illness.
From the very beginning, the community helped make that work possible.
1879 — The House of Providence
The House of Providence was established in a grand Dundas residence once known locally as “Coleman’s Castle.” Built for prominent merchant James Coleman, the property was later acquired through the efforts of Rev. Father John McNulty, who envisioned a home where older and vulnerable members of the community could receive care.
The property cost $10,000. After $8,000 had been raised, the first House of Providence Picnic was held in August 1879 to help raise the remaining $2,000.
On August 22, 1879, Father McNulty deeded the property to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton.
The Picnic became one of Dundas’s most beloved traditions. It continued for 92 years, bringing thousands of people together in support of the House of Providence.
A tradition of community philanthropy had begun.
1900 — Rebuilding Together
The Sisters cared not only for older adults, but also for orphaned children and people experiencing illness and hardship. Although founded as a Catholic institution, the House of Providence welcomed people of all faiths.
Its work was sustained by a close relationship among the Sisters, civic leaders and the people of Dundas and surrounding communities.
When fire nearly destroyed the House of Providence in 1900, the building was reconstructed in just one year.
The building changed. The mission continued.
1970 — A New Home and a New Name
By the 1960s, the needs of older adults—and the way long-term care was delivered—were changing.
In 1970, the House of Providence was replaced by a modern long-term care home: St. Joseph’s Villa.
Following a second fire, the old House of Providence building was demolished in 1971. Its name disappeared from the Dundas landscape, but the mission established there continued in the new Villa.
1978 — A Foundation for the Future
As St. Joseph’s Villa grew, so did the role of philanthropy.
In 1978, St. Joseph’s Villa Foundation was established to connect the generosity of the community with the changing needs of the people served by the Villa.
The Foundation created a permanent structure for something the community had already been doing for almost a century: coming together to support care.
2002–2005 — Transforming the Villa
At the beginning of the new century, St. Joseph’s Villa began one of the largest transformations in its history.
Beginning in 2002, two major additions were constructed and the existing Villa extensively renovated to meet the changing needs of residents.
The generosity of Margaret and Charles Juravinski and the Neil and Anne McArthur family helped make new wings of the Villa possible.
The redevelopment was completed in 2005, when the final residents moved into the renewed building.
Once again, philanthropy helped the Villa evolve for a new generation.
2012 — Growing the Campus of Care
The Campus of Care continued to evolve with the addition of Orchid Garden, expanding the range of housing and support available to older adults within the St. Joseph’s community.
The development reflected an increasingly important idea: that aging well requires different kinds of housing, services and support at different stages of life.
2015 — St. John Vianney Residence
In 2015, the Campus of Care expanded again with the opening of the St. John Vianney Residence, providing eight suites for retired priests of the Diocese of Hamilton.
Each new addition broadened the community gathered on the Campus of Care while remaining connected to the mission established more than a century earlier.
2021 — Margaret’s Place Hospice
The next major chapter extended that mission beyond long-term care.
Following the Foundation’s $13.5-million Gift of Love Campaign, Margaret’s Place Hospice opened in 2021.
The hospice brought residential end-of-life care to the Campus of Care, providing a home-like setting where patients and their families can spend their final days together with specialized care and support.
More than 140 years after the Sisters opened the House of Providence, the community had once again come together to meet a changing need.
Today — The Mission Continues
The Campus of Care looks very different from the House of Providence that opened its doors in 1879.
But there is a remarkable continuity to its story.
The Sisters of St. Joseph began with a commitment to care for people who needed them. The Dundas community rallied around that work. Generations of donors, volunteers, families, staff and community partners have carried it forward.
Today, St. Joseph’s Villa Foundation continues to connect community generosity with the needs of St. Joseph’s Villa and Margaret’s Place Hospice—funding equipment, spaces, programs and improvements that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
The buildings have changed. The needs have changed. The ways we care have changed.
The mission continues.