Shared Memories

Photograph on a white background of a fragment of a clay vase engraved with patterns. The item measures approximately five centimetres. Archaeologists found several fragments at the Charlesbourg-Royal site of vases from the local Iroquoian communities. The vase’s decoration suggests it was from Stadacona, the Iroquoian settlement neighbouring the French colony. The way the fragments were positioned in the soil layers indicates that they date from the French occupation or shortly thereafter.

Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have frequented the site where Québec City now stands. Around 1400, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians formed the village of Stadacona here. When French navigator Jacques Cartier first visited the region in 1535, Stadacona was home to between 500 and 800 inhabitants.

In 1541, Cartier and 400 settlers founded a first settlement on the Charlesbourg-Royal site, now known as Cap-Rouge. After a disastrous winter, the French, who were ill-adapted to the local climate, returned to Europe and set aside any idea of colonization for the next 60 years.

Engraving showing several interconnected buildings, with a body of water in the forefront. This engraving depicts the Quebec settlement, based on a drawing by Samuel de Champlain. Some elements are identified with letters. The St. Lawrence River is identified with an R, and Champlain’s garden with an O. Other details are recognizable, such as the gate and drawbridge to the fortified settlement. According to Champlain, the settlement building had three main living sections and two storeys.

1608-1760 Foundation New France begins

In 1608, French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a colony at a place the nomadic Innu Nation called “Kebeck,” meaning “where the river narrows.” It is with this settlement that French colonial ambitions took root in America. For the next 150 years, Québec City was the capital of New France, a colony whose influence extended over a large portion of the North American continent.

The most developed town in the colony, Québec City was home to French military installations and the fur trade that supported its economy. At the end of the French Regime, in 1759, Québec City was a small but bustling town of more than 8,000 inhabitants.

Coloured engraving of a public square with ruins, people and a horse-drawn cart. Under the French Regime, the Bishop of Quebec, the greatest religious authority in the colony, lived in a palace. Located in the heart of the city, this majestic house was damaged by bombing during the Conquest. At the centre of this colourful engraving, we see the artist Richard Short, who was there in 1760.

1760-1791 Reconstruction After the conquest

After the Conquest of 1759, when the British army conquered New France, Québec City came under the rule of Great Britain. Newly integrated into the British Empire, the city was the scene of yet another conflict in 1775, the year the American Revolutionary War began. One of the first confrontations of this war took place in Québec City, where the British army resisted an attack by American revolutionaries before driving them back south.

Once the United States gained its independence in 1783, Québec City grew increasingly important as one of the last colonial cities still under British control in North America. During this tumultuous period, the people of Québec City gradually rebuilt their shattered town.

Watercolour of a town centre in front of a religious building and filled with different groups of people. The talented hand of artist James Pattison Cockburn brings early 19th-century Québec City to life on paper. As a religious procession leaves Notre-Dame Basilica, citizens shop at the market while burghers meet and discuss nearby. The scene unfolds under the gaze of an Indigenous man passing by.

1791-1840 Consolidation The parliamentary city

The year 1791 marked a turning point in the history of both the British Empire in North America and Québec City. The Constitutional Act came into force, dividing the large British North American colony into separate colonies, each with its own parliament. And so Lower Canada was formed, with Québec City as its parliamentary capital.

For several decades, the capital of Lower Canada developed its economy and immigrants flocked there. These included many British newcomers drawn by the logging and shipbuilding industries. Québec City’s population grew from around 14,000 in 1791 to around 40,000 in 1840. By then, nearly 40% of residents were English-speaking. Though now a minority, Indigenous Peoples continued to be present in the city and surrounding area.

Coloured engraving of people gathered on a riverbank, watching a town burn on the opposite bank. On May 28, 1845, a fire ravaged the Saint-Roch district in Québec City. On June 28, a second fire destroyed two more of the city’s central neighbourhoods. A Montréal publishing house subsequently sold copies of this poster as part of educational activities on fire prevention. A note below the image states that one third of the profits would go to the fire victims.

1840-1896 Economic crisis The "veille capitale"

In 1840, Britain passed the Act of Union, which merged Lower and Upper Canada into a single colony, the United Province of Canada. Québec City then lost its role as political capital, which, after attempts in several other cities, ultimately fell to Ottawa. In this context, the city became known as the “Vieille Capitale”, or the “Old Capital”. Immigrants came to Québec City from all over the Empire, from the British Isles and all the way from India! By mid-century, about half the city was English-speaking.

In 1867, a confederated Dominion of Canada was formed and Québec City regained its status as a capital, this time of the province of Quebec. Despite industrialization in the years that followed, the city suffered an economic downturn. Many Québec City families, including many wealthy English-speakers, left for Montréal or Ottawa. The exodus was facilitated by the new trans-Canadian railroad system. By the end of the century, only 15% of Québec City’s 65,000 inhabitants were English-speaking.

Photo of women at their workstations. Each is connected to a mechanical tooling system. Based in Québec City since 1882, Dominion Arsenal was forced to reorganize during World War II. In 1939, the government decided to centralize the manufacture of small-calibre munitions in Québec City. Like the factory in the Palais district, certain cartridge components were made in the Saint-Malo neighbourhood. Assembly took place in Valcartier.

1896-1945 Reinforcement The "Capitale Nationale"

The year 1896 marked another turning point in the history of the country. Wilfrid Laurier was the first Canadian of French descent to become prime minister of Canada. As more autonomy and financial resources were granted to the provinces, Québec City was regaining its political and economic stature. The city became known as the “national capital” of Quebec.

Industrialization continued over the first half of the 20th century, partly in response to the two world wars. The city attracted many people from the surrounding countryside. In 1945, Québec City had a population of around 185,000, with many of the residents living in several new working-class neighbourhoods. By this time, nearly 93% of its inhabitants were French-speaking.

Photo of nine Nordiques players and one Oilers player in hockey gear on the ice. The Quebec Nordiques celebrate a goal scored against the Edmonton Oilers at the Colisée de Quebec. Both teams made the jump to the National Hockey League (NHL) when the WHA was disbanded in 1979. Some of the Nordiques players were Réal Cloutier, Marc Tardif and Dale Hoganson. Cloutier and Tardif were among the best players in the league.

1945-1980 Modernization The quiet revolution

The post-war period was one of growing prosperity and deep social changes across the country. Cities everywhere underwent profound transformations, with the growth of high-rise downtowns, the democratization of the automobile and the expansion of the suburbs. Québec City was no exception to these trends.

In the province, this period became known as the Quiet Revolution. It was also marked by the steep decline of the Catholic Church's influence on society and the introduction of extensive universal public services. Québec City, where a large proportion of the population was now composed of civil servants, was all the more impacted by these social and economic changes. Parallelly, newcomers of various origins settled in the city, diversifying its population.

Photo of a group of buildings in the evening, with their lights reflected on the surface of the water. In addition to the quality of its architectural heritage, Québec City is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for its cultural and historical contribution. Its origins date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, to the days of New France. Over the years, the city has modernized while preserving its exceptional linguistic and cultural heritage. Quebec is considered the bastion of French-speaking America.

After 1980 Openness Connection to the world

The end of the 20th century was the beginning of a new era for Canada, as innovative means of communication became widespread and business globalized. More than ever, ideas and people are travelling around the world and transforming the country. In this context, Québec City positions itself as a major hub for information technologies, encouraging many high tech companies to set up shop here.

The city also works hard to better preserve and promote its rich historical heritage, which was recognized by UNESCO in 1985. More recently, in response to global environmental challenges, Québec City has embarked on a process of greening its urban landscapes and updating its public transportation system. It continues to welcome increasingly more newcomers from all over the world, ensuring it continues to grow as a cosmopolitan city.