Twenty-five years ago, Aurèle Foidart left a career in banking to walk alongside the Grey Nuns as they navigated the evolving needs of their aging congregation. What began as a role to help them plan for their residence on Despins Street, in St. Boniface, turned into a project manager role and then into an executive director role. Foidart is celebrating his quarter-century at the helm of a non-profit organisation that now offers nearly 300 suites of independent and supported living spaces for seniors, which includes many Sisters!
“There are so many things that I love about this job,” Foidart shares. “When I go into meetings with the Sisters, I really feel the connection they have to each other, to their mission and to the community. How they make decisions and consider options is really special. It was a tough decision to leave the banking sector, but I’m sure glad I did it!”
The Grey Nuns owned and operated the building on Despins, but in the early 2000s, they realized that they need to make changes to ensure their continued financial viability. Résidence Despins was born. The decision was made to convert the building into assisted living, which would ensure the Sisters always had a place to live and be cared for, but would also offer a new home to others in the community. Over time, Villa Aulneau, another building in St. Boniface, was added to the portfolio. Well known and respected in their field, Aurèle and his team were approached and are now involved in conversations to take on another faith-based assisted living complex in the city.
As his responsibilities have grown, Foidart has done his best to balance work, life, relationships and roles. “As an executive director, should I be the one going to someone’s room to fix their TV?” he reflects. “Probably not, but I do. I want to stay in contact with the people we serve. If I close my door and focus on the numbers, I’ll lose that connection.”
He believes that he’s found balance partially with the support of the Sisters. “Sometimes, I come in a little early, or stay a little late, just to wrap up a few things,” Foidart admits. “Then I hear someone clearing their throat. I look up from my desk and a Sister is standing in my doorway, asking me if I know that it’s 5:30pm. I get the message!”
Over the course of 25 years, many other congregations have moved into the residences managed by Foidart and his team. As of April, 2024, about 30% of residents were women religious. “There’s one congregation in the building who is very environmentally conscious,” he shares. “When they heard I had put solar panels on my house, they were tickled pink. They had lots of questions, and shared that their next vehicle will be an electric one. Each congregation has a different focus, and I get to see parts of that every day.”
When asked how working with the Sisters has changed his life, Foidart reflects for a moment before speaking. “You know, I didn’t cry at my parent’s funerals,” he shares, a little sheepishly. “I was very sad, but I didn’t cry. When we opened the doors to Villa Aulneau, and we had a grand opening with the Sisters, I got emotional during my speech. It makes you wonder, right? It really made me realize how important this work is to me. I do my best to give it my all.”
As would be expected, Foidart wanted to be sure to credit the Sisters for all the ways they have supported him, and to praise them for their planning. “We have created something really wonderful together, and I give sincere kudos to the Sisters for having the foresight to know that they had to make a change. They are truly incredible women.”