The history of this park began at the end of the 19th century with the planning of Mount Royal Park and the city's acquisition of land on Mount Royal, which ran from the summit of the mountain to Esplanade Avenue, between Pine Avenue and Mount Royal Avenue.
In 1910, during the Montreal Eucharistic Congress (Congrès eucharistique de Montréal), there was a campaign for the park to recognize the founder of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, which had been relocated from Old Montreal to its present site.