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[ Version française ]
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Head offices Le Groupe Robin 770 Boul. Casavant Ouest St-Hyacinthe, Qué., J2S 7S3 Phone 450.250.2222 Fax 450.773.6303 info@grouperobin.com Corporate website www.grouperobin.com |
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Who was François Cadoret? 
Born in 1809 into a family of farmers, François Cadoret was taken in at a fairly young age by the Dessaulles family in Montréal, where he soon began his business studies. He so enjoyed his education that, in 1840, he opened a general store at the corner of Cascades and Saint-François, near the Market.
His subsequent business successes allowed him to acquire three detached plots of estate land that would eventually become: the College, the Marist Brothers Home and the Convent of the Sisters of the Presentation. The mostly wooded section of land, which he generously donated to the Saint-Hyacinthe d'Yamaska Seminary Corporation on March 26, 1847, was 4½ acres wide by thirty acres deep and corresponded, in today's terms, to the entire area bordered by Pratte Street and Casavant Frères, and by the Yamaska River and Casavant Boulevard. At the time, the parcel of land was considered "a few acres below the Village" and was located in a pristine country setting. François Cadoret's generosity, together with donations from his contemporaries and an initial grant of 1000 louis (gold coins of the era) from the United Canada government (where several graduates of the Home were seated), enabled the installation of the College on a rise located some 40 feet above the river. The building, constructed with stones taken from the Saint- Dominique elevation, cost 15,000 pounds or $54,000. The institution was inaugurated on September 8, 1853. The wooded area located directly behind the Seminary was streaked with fields and welcomed many students and priests looking to contemplate or meditate, or to simply take a walk in the shadow of the impressive oaks, maples, ashes, birches and other trees that helped create the area's peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Today, this wholesome and inviting environment is home to Cours François Cadoret.
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