'A convent is a pretty good neighbour to have': Nuns moving to Summerside assure neighbours of no disruption

A proposed convent out of which the nuns would run a daycare has some residents in Summerside, P.E.I., worried about traffic and property values.

A proposal to rezone the property for the convent was discussed at a meeting for the city's technical services committee last week.

The sisters have an accepted offer to purchase a property at 291 South Drive, with room for expansion.

They are asking for the property to be zoned institutional to allow for future plans for a daycare. The rezoning being approved is a condition of the purchase.

"Our neighbours here in Welland had the same concern and now they think it's the best thing that ever happened in the neighbourhood," said Sister Margherita Ianni, by telephone from the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Ragusa in Welland, Ont.

Nuns moving to Island at bishop's invitation

The sisters are coming to P.E.I. at the invitation of Bishop Richard Grecco, who was looking for nuns to move to the Island after the departure of another order several years ago.

He ended up sitting next to Ianni at an event in Ontario.

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"Sister Margherita said, but Bishop, you haven't asked us, so I said, Margherita, I'm asking you officially now and that got the ball rolling," explained Grecco.

The Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Ragusa have operated a daycare in Welland for more than 50 years.

"He [Grecco] saw the daycare and said, 'How I wish we could have a daycare like this on P.E.I.,'" said Ianni.

Traffic concerns on 'busy street'

Summerside residents raised concerns about increased traffic from the child care facility.

"I don'tthink that would be a problem," responded Ianni. "The street is already a busy street anyway."

"If we're talking about 30 to 40 children, that's 25 families so I don't see how much traffic that would be."

The convent will also have a small chapel, but Ianni said it is primarily for the daily prayers of the nuns, and will only occasionally be open to small groups of visitors such as youth on a retreat.

Property values, future development

Ianni rejected concernsthat the convent will lower property values in the South Drive neighbourhood.

"The way that the daycare would be built would be in such a way that it would add value to the houses around us just as it has added value to the houses around our neighbourhood here in Welland," she explained.

She also downplayed concerns that the zoning change opens up the neighbourhood to more development if the convent is ever sold.

"If a hundred or two hundred years from now the property for some reason would have to be sold, you don't just sell it to anyone," she replied.

"It has been a religious house, with a church inside, so the sisters would be very careful to make sure the property goes to the right hands."

Target August 2017

"A convent is a pretty good neighbour to have, the sisters are wonderful people," said Grecco, in hearing of concerns from Summerside residents.

"I think they're going to make a very important contribution, to service of the people in Summerside and I hope people take that into account,"

Ianni believes residents of South Drive will come to realize the benefits of having the convent in the neighbourhood.

"I trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, if it's His will that we come there, nothing will stop us from coming, so I'm quite hopeful."

The plan is for Ianni and two other nuns to move to Summerside in August 2017.

Zoning decision to be made by end of month

The technical services committee has sent the request to staff for further review. They will make arecommendation to the committeeby the end of the month.

The matter will eventually end up before Summerside City Council, which will have the final say.

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