Refectory revival
When the Refectory Building re-opens December 1 as the Loyola Jesuit Hall and Conference Centre, this original Loyola Campus building will once again be a central meeting place for academic, business and community events.
The grand re-opening represents the culmination of a major restoration project initiated in 2005 and spearheaded by the Loyola Alumni Association (LAA) to mark the association’s 2006 centenary.
“Once refurbished, the refectory will be the final jewel in the crown of the renewed quadrangle,” says John Lemieux, BA 66 (Loyola), who co-chaired the Loyola Refectory Restoration Campaign. Much of its grandeur had been lost over the decades, and “restoring it will symbolize a reconnection between the alumni and Concordia, and a recognition of the Jesuit’s legacy on Loyola Campus.”
The project did resonate with Loyola alumni: about 650 made donations. Along with the philanthropic organizations and businesses, they helped the campaign reach its ambitious goal of $4 million.
The Jesuits in English Canada supported the initiative, which led in part to the creation of the Loyola Lecture Series on Ethics in Society.
The refurbishment project, which ran under the slogan Make our Yesterday Part of Tomorrow, aimed to recapture the building’s original beauty and create new facilities to meet the university’s current needs for multi-purpose meeting rooms. Construction work began in early 2011 and is expected to be almost complete by the time of the inauguration ceremony on Thursday, December 1.
The idea that the renovations would also allow the refectory to once again be a communal space for years to come was definitely a selling point, says Lemieux, a Montreal lawyer. “It’s a building that’s almost 100 years old, and it’s satisfying to know that it will serve the university and the community for another 100 years.”
The building
Built between 1913 and 1916, the refectory was one of the first buildings of Loyola College, which was developed on the old Decary farm. Built in the shape of a cross, it served initially as an infirmary, dining hall, academic and administrative offices, and as a meeting site for students, faculty and staff of Loyola. Most recently, it housed the Department of Music.
While the building had been converted to serve various purposes over the years and was in disrepair, its structural integrity was intact and its special features, including leaded-glass windows, ironwork staircase railings and an unusual sundial, had not been damaged.
New facilities include multi-purpose meeting rooms, an alumni centre, lounge space, catering facilities and offices.
Related links:
• “Refectory Renewal Planned by Alumni” - Concordia Journal, September 28, 2006
• More on the Refectory
• Refectory page on the Records Management and Archives site