Maison d’Haiti

First launched as a summer project in 1972 by Haitian students to help newly arrived Haitians who left their country for Quebec to flee the Duvalier dictatorship (1957-1986), the Maison d’Haïti quickly became one of the most important community centers within the emerging community of Montreal. In addition to helping Haitians better adjust to the new realities of living in Quebec, in its early days, the Maison d’Haïti – which included in its ranks prominent personalities such as Max Chancy and Adeline Magloire Chancy – was also very much involved in the struggle against the Duvalier regime in Haiti.

Despite relocating a few times in its first decade of existence, by 1983, the Maison d’Haïti had settled for Saint-Michel, a neighborhood with an important Haitian population, and still operates at 3245, Émile-Journault Avenue to this day. While today, the Maison d’Haïti serves various immigrant communities, it has remained faithful thought the years to its mission aimed at literacy programs and better integration in Quebec.