Originally named Maison Stearns in honour of the pioneering neurosurgeon whose work unlocked many mysteries of the human brain, the house was built in 1905 for the prominent Montreal industrialist Harold Stearns and later occupied for 40 years by the family of Montreal stockbroker Paul-Émile Ostiguy. In the late 1970s, the house was acquired by a law firm specialized in patents, trademarks and copyright law. It was later enlarged to accommodate some 65 people in offices and became headquarters of the Gamma Institute, a futurist think tank. Most recently, the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation acquired the house in 2002 and was restored and modernized under the supervision of Harry Parnass, architect and Founding President of the Sauvé Scholars Foundation.
Jeanne Sauvé Foundation
The Jeanne Sauvé Foundation invests in the next generation of public leadership. Its core mission is to connect, engage and empower a new generation of public leadership in Canada and around the world to address key global challenges. The Foundation draws on the example of The Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé as a public leader of strength and vision. She was passionate about empowering young people to help build a better, more peaceful world. It brings together a diverse group of remarkable young people from Canada and around the world who are passionate about solving some of our most pressing challenges.
Jeanne Sauvé, a Woman of Firsts
Jeanne Sauvé is the first female Member of Parliament of Quebec to become a cabinet minister, Canada’s first female Speaker of the House, and the first female Governor General of Canada. The Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé was a woman of courage and vision. A formidable intellect and inspiring communicator, her passionate commitment to her country and her ideals to public life were graciously tempered by her warmth, elegance and irrepressible sense of humour. Throughout her distinguished career, she remained at the forefront of the most socially progressive issues of her day. As a fervent nationalist, she held firm to her belief in the integrity of Canada as the product of two predominant cultures, French and English, and strove tirelessly to promote national unity. Lauded as “a woman of firsts” for the many traditionally male roles she held, Madame Sauvé felt that the most valuable contribution she could make to the progress of women in society was to perform her duties in the most competent and professional manner possible, demonstrating through example the innate capacity of women to participate fully and actively in the affairs of the nation and the world.
Robert Findley, A Renowned Architect
The impressive estate was originally designed by the renowned architect Robert Findlay.
Through his extensive practice and know-how, Robert Findlay designed several mansions in the Golden Square Mile and a number of large private houses in Westmount. Findlay’s work is broadly featured and well-known amongst affluent Montrealers—he won the competition to expand the first Sun Life building and many of his homes were purchased by the McGill University.
The architecture of 1514 Dr. Penfield is truly like no other. You will find stained glass windows with a unique design all around the house, exquisite and well-crafted woodwork on the main staircase, as well as Tudor and Gothic-inspired ceiling moldings and fireplaces.
