The community of Monastery is located within a rural part of the Municipality of Antigonish, which is situated in the northeastern portion of the Nova Scotia Mainland bordered on the east by the Canso Causeway (providing access to Cape Breton Island) and on the west by Pictou County. This region has a population base of 14,584 persons (2016 Statistics Canada Census).

Development in the immediate area is of a relatively low density and consists mainly of modest to average class detached single family residential homes along the main roadways with some newer homes evident, recreational camps, some small scale farming use properties, and a very large component of bulk forest land.

The community is located approximately 30 kilometers east of the Town of Antigonish and approximately 250 kilometers northeast of the Halifax Regional Municipality. The Municipality of Antigonish economy is driven primarily by the service sector as well as tourism and forestry related industries. The area is also a popular seasonal recreational cottage area as the County borders on the warm waters of the Northumberland Strait. The central sector of the Municipality includes the Town of Antigonish, the most densely populated area of the County. Antigonish is well situated within the province to take advantage of the existing transportation infrastructure, which includes the Trans Canada Highway connecting Cape Breton with the remainder of Mainland Nova Scotia.