VENNE, Joseph (1858-1925) was born in Montreal on 14 June 1858 and obtained his high school education at the Christian Brothers School in that city. In 1873, at a very young age of fourteen years, he entered the office of Maurice Perrault and Albert Mesnard to work as a clerk and office assistant. His interest in building construction and architectural design was cultivated by the two senior partners who appointed him as head clerk; he remained with the firm as a staff member for nearly twenty years until 1893 when he was offered a full partnership. It was during this formative period that he gained his considerable knowledge and skill in the practise of architecture, and no doubt made several contacts with clients in the ecclesiastical community in the Montreal area who were to later award him many new commissions (see list of works under Perrault, Mesnard & Venne). In late 1896 this partnership was dissolved and Venne opened his new office in Montreal to practise under his own name until late 1911 when he and Louis Labelle formed a partnership to prepare an entry in the competition for the Bibliotheque Saint Sulpice in Montreal (La Presse [Montreal], 8 Aug. 1911, 1, illus.; J.R. Lassonde, La Bibliotheque Saint Sulpice 1910-1931, 1986, 55, 63, illus.). However, their submission was not selected as a finalist, and was passed over in favour of the winning scheme prepared by Eugene Payette.
Venne & Labelle hold a unique position in Canadian architectural history as designers of the first prefabricated mass housing system developed for wartime use. Intended as a "Gift from Ontario Lumbermen to France", this economical timber dwelling was developed for the devastated portions of France and Belgium that had suffered heavy damage during WW 1 bombardments. Each dwelling, costing $150. and made of a timber frame, was designed to be fabricated in Canada in small components that could easily be shipped by sea to Europe and quickly assembled there. A detailed description of their design, with a full page plate of plans, sections and axonometric illustrating the concept, appeared in the British architectural journal called The Building News [London], cx, 1 March 1916, 224, descrip. & plate illus.
The partnership with Labelle was brief, and by 1920 Venne was joined by his two sons Adrien Venne and Emile Venne, both of whom were to later continue to teach and to practise architecture in the Montreal area after the death of their father in 1925. During his busy career Venne managed to earn the respect of his professional colleagues in Quebec who elected him as President of the Province of Quebec Association of Architects in 1902 and again in 1912. He died in Montreal on 9 May 1925 after an illness lasting two years. The P.Q.A.A. holds a copy of his photographic portrait; another can be found in C.A.B., xv, Feb. 1902, 25 (obituary in Montreal Daily Star, 11 May 1925, 20; Gazette [Montreal], 11 May 1925, 7; La Presse [Montreal], 11 May 1925, 16; biography and port. in W. Cochrane, The Canadian Album: Men of Canada, ii, 1893, 326; La Presse [Montreal], 3 Sept. 1910, 33; W.H. Atherton, Montreal From 1535 to 1914, iii, 508-09; biog. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, xv, 2005, 1031-32)
J. VENNE (works in Montreal)
ACADEMIE ST. JOSEPH, Desery Street, 1896 (Le Prix Courant, xviii, 5 June 1896, 668)
ST. EUSEBE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Fullum Street at Lariviere Street, a temporary church for the churchwardens, 1896 (C.R., vii, 29 Oct. 1896, 2-3)
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Ste. Catherine Street East, alterations and new staircase, 1897 (C.R., viii, 8 July 1897, 2, t.c.)
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Rachel Street, new facade and interior alterations, 1897-98 (C.R., viii, 12 Aug. 1897, 2, t.c.; C.A.B., x, Nov. 1897, illus.; E.J. Auclair, Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal, 1924, 69; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 252, illus.)
ST. DENIS STREET, row of six houses for Emanuel St. Louis, 1898 (C.R., ix, 23 Feb. 1898, 3, t.c.)
ST. CLEMENT-DE-VIAUVILLE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Adam Street, 1899; enlarged by Venne & Labelle in 1913-14 (C.A.B., xii, Jan 1899, 4; C.R., xxvi, 13 March 1912, 67, t.c.; La Presse [Montreal], 8 May 1913, 1, illus.; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 170-73, illus.)
NAZARETH BLIND ASYLUM, for the Ladies of Charity, Ste. Catherine Street West at Mance Street, 1899 (C.R., x, 14 June 1899, 4; Gazette [Montreal], 27 Nov. 1899, 6, descrip.)
ST. DENIS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND PRESBYTERY, Laurier Avenue West, St. Denis Ward, 1900 (Montreal Daily Star, 3 May 1900, 9, descrip.; Le Prix Courant, xxviii, 27 April 1900, 321; C.R., xi, 9 May 1900, 4)
NOTRE DAME-DE-SEPT-DOULEURS ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Wellington Street, 1900 (C.R., xi, 14 March 1900, 3, t.c.; Le Prix Courant, xxvii, 23 March 1900, 957; La Presse [Montreal], 27 March 1905, 7, illus.)
BETHLEHEM ASYLUM, Richmond Square at Richmond Street, new wing,1900; Chapel 1901 (C.R., xi, 3 Oct. 1900, 3; xii, 8 May 1901, 3)
GOOD SHEPHERD ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVENT, Sherbrooke Street East at St. Hippolyte Street, restoration and interior decoration, 1901 (C.R., xii, 29 May 1901, 3)
CHURCH OF THE INFANT JESUS, St. Dominique Street, St. Louis du Mile End, new facade and reconstruction, 1902 (Montreal Daily Star, 1 April 1902, 8; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 184-89, illus.)
BON PASTEUR ROMAN CATHOLIC MONASTERY, St. Norbert Street near Cadieux Street, new annex and chapel, 1903 (Le Prix Courant, xxxvi, 17 July 1903, 52; Montreal, Les Couvents, 1984, 272-77, illus.)
ACADEMIE ST. JOSEPH, Church Avenue, Verdun, conversion of a former church building to school, 1905; demol. 1914 (Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 242)
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN, Ontario Street East at Desery Street, Hochelaga, alterations to church and new Presbytery, 1906 (La Patrie [Montreal], 19 May 1906, 14, illus. & descrip.; C.A.B., xix, Aug. 1906, 122)
ST. VINCENT-DE-PAUL ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH, additions to the presbytery, Ste. Catherine Street near Fullum Street, 1906 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 22, 1906, 46)
SALABERRY ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Robin Street at Montcalm Street, 1907 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 42, 1907, 44; Montreal b.p. #1726, 1907; Montreal Daily Star, 16 Oct. 1907, 15, illus. & descrip.)
TRIUMPHAL ARCH, Sherbrooke Street East at St. Hubert Street, with Amphitheatre in Mance Park, erected for the Eucharistic Congress in Sept. 1910 (La Presse [Montreal], 30 July 1910, 9, illus.; C.R., xxiv, 9 March 1910, 27; and 10 Aug. 1910, 25-26)
EGLISE ST. DENIS, Laurier Avenue East at Rivard Street, 1911 (La Presse [Montreal], 22 April 1911, 16, illus.)
(with Jean O. Marchand) ST. PIERRE CLAVER ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, St. Joseph Boulevard East at de Lorimier Avenue, 1915-17 (Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 368-73, illus.)
STE. CATHERINE STREET EAST, at La Belle Street, stores and offices for the University of Montreal, 1921 (C.R., xxxv, 16 Feb. 1921, 59)
(with Emile Venne) SACRED HEART OF JESUS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Alexandre De Seve Street, reconstruction after fire, 1922-23 (Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 144-49, illus.)
J. VENNE (works outside Montreal)
VARENNES, QUE., House of Refuge for the Grey Sisters, 1897 (C.A.B., xi, Feb. 1898, 27)
MAISONNEUVE, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1898 (C.R., ix, 31 Aug. 1898, 2)
PERCE, QUE., St. Michel Roman Catholic Church, 1899-1900 (C.R., x, 23 Aug. 1899, 3, t.c.; ANQ, notes of G. Morisset)
STE. ANNE DES PLAINES, QUE., Roman Catholic Church and presbytery, 1899-1900 (La Minerve [Montreal], 7 March 1899, 4, t.c.; C.R., xii, 8 May 1901, 3; C.A.B., xv, June 1902, illus.)
BEAUHARNOIS, QUE., Hospice St. Joseph, major extension, 1900 (A. Leduc, Beauharnois - Paroisse Saint Clement 1818-1919)
WARREN, ONT., presbytery for the Roman Catholic Church, 1901 (C.R., xii, 8 May 1901, 3)
STE. THERESE DE BLAINVILLE, QUE., addition to the Convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame, 1902 (Le Prix Courant, xxxiii, 6 June 1902, 46)
NEW BEDFORD, MASS., U.S.A., St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church, Acushnet Avenue at Bullard Street, 1904-10; still standing in 2023 (La Presse [Montreal], 5 Feb. 1910, 31, illus. & descrip.; l'Independent [Fall River, Mass.], 29 Nov. 1912, 1 & 2, illus. & descrip.; Architects' & Builders Magazine [New York], xlii, Sept. 1910, illus.)
LES CEDRES, QUE., presbytery for the Roman Catholic Church, 1907 (ANQ, notes of G. Morisset)
COTEAU DU LAC, QUE., St. Ignace Roman Catholic Church, 1909 (C.R., xxiii, 5 May 1909, 18)
(with Max Doumic) ST. GABRIEL-DE-BRANDON, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1909-10 (La Presse [Montreal], 2 Oct. 1909, 9, illus. & descrip.)
SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS., U.S.A., Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church, Main Street at Marcy Street, 1911-13; still standing in 2023 (E. McMann, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts - Exhibitions and Members, 1981, 412; inf. from Albert LePain, Southbridge, Mass.; U.S.A., National Register of Historic Places, designation statement, 1989)
ST. BRUNO, QUE., Roman Catholic College, 1924 (C.R., xxxviii, 21 May 1924, 49)
VENNE & LABELLE (works in Montreal unless noted)
SAULT-AU-RECOLLET, QUE., Orphanage for the Institut des Freres de St. Gabriel, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 13 Sept. 1911, 58)
EGLISE NOTRE DAME DE SEPT DOULEURS, Church Avenue at Wellington Street, 1911-14 (La Presse [Montreal], 12 Aug. 1911, 5, illus.; E.J. Auclair, Histoire de Verdun, 1925, 40-43, 54; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 122-25, illus.)
STE. CATHERINE D'ALEXANDRIE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Amherst Street, 1912-13 (C.R., xxvi, 13 March 1912, 66; La Presse [Montreal], 20 Sept. 1912, 1, illus.)
ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, St. James Parish, between St. Andre Street and St. Christophe Street, 1913 (C.R., xxvii, 20 Aug. 1913, 86)
LONGUE POINTE, Fire Station, Monsabre Street, 1914 (C.R., xxviii, 21 Jan 1914, 40, t.c.; Montreal, Les Edifices Publics, 1981, 230-31, illus.)
GEDEON OUIMET SCHOOL, Ontario Street at Poupart Street, c. 1914 (Const., ix, Jan. 1916, 11, illus. in advert.)
(with Vandal & Gascon) ST. EUSEBE ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Fullum Street, additions, 1916-17 (Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 224-25, illus.)