Skip to main content
The industrial era dawned across the country in the second half of the 19th century. Steam engines and factories transformed urban landscapes. Québec City was no exception. Ships and industries spewed coal smoke into the skies, as we see in this oil painting by Edmund Willoughby Sewell.
1840 - 1890

The river: A flowing source of trade and industry

Thanks to its advantageous position on the St. Lawrence River, Québec City has long been a hub for Canada’s maritime traffic. Its port is particularly significant for the import and export of goods. Québec City’s economy relied heavily on the export of timber, which was abundant all around the city. This wood was used in shipbuilding, for example. Numerous other industries, such as pulp and paper, developed near the river in the late 19th century. Discover this aspect of Québec City’s past through the artwork and photos of the period!

Québec City, from the St. Lawrence River

Edmund Willoughby Sewell The industrial era dawned across the country in the second half of the 19th century. Steam engines and factories transformed urban landscapes. Québec City was no exception. Ships and industries spewed coal smoke into the skies, as we see in this oil painting by Edmund Willoughby Sewell.
Chronoscope Can you identify the industries along the river at that time? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: 1862