Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière is the cofounder of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph and the pioneer who launched the great adventure that brought this female religious congregation to the region.
Sister Laura Belle-Isle, Superior and founder of the Foyer Saint-Camille-de-Lellis in 1943.
Sister Mélanie Lavoie, Superior and Director of the Foyer Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, 1950 to 1957.
On July 18th, 1943 the blessing of the Foyer Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, so named in honour of the new Bishop, Camille-André Leblanc. The first residents were admitted on August 25, 1943. In 1946, the Hospitallers hand over the foyer to the Capuchin Fathers.
Residents are then transferred to a wing of the Dunn house but due to a lack of space they will be moved once again in 1948.
On December 23, 1948, residents are transferred to the brand new Pavillion La Dauversière. The blessing of the new Foyer takes place June 24, 1949 and totals 70 residents. Unfortunatly, little time will elapse before a third move.
On June 1st 1950, the NB Ministry of Health begins to transform the Pavilion La Dauversière into a second sanatorium. Residents are then dispersed at the Chatam Hospitallers Foyer, the St-Basile Foyer and the Hotel Dieu of Saint-Quentin. Fifteen residents are also welcomed at the Belledune presbytery.
A construction of a 63-bed nursing home on St.Peter Avenue, in Bathurst was completed in 1952. The home continued to function under the name Foyer St-Camille de Lellis.
In 1974, the residents were moved to the renovated former sanatorium of the Bathurst Regional Hospital. On October 26, 1974, the last of the 100 residents were admitted. This date marks the birth of the name Le Foyer Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Inc.
The first facility of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes no longer complied with the standards;this led to the construction of a new building. On May 20th, 2000, one hundred residents are transferred to a new facility. In 2013 a new wing of 30 beds was built, which increased the number of residents to 130.