Snow-covered Québec City streets became a playground for children. At the time, snow removal was done by hand. The men shovelled the snow, which was then removed by horse-drawn sleds. This task could take several days of dedicated heavy labour. It was not until the first half of the 20th century that the snowplow made its appearance.

1840 - 1894

Ah! “It has snowed, oh, how it has snowed!”

These words were written by the famous Québécois poet Émile Nelligan in the late 19th century. Since then, they have been repeated at every large snowfall. And Québec City is certainly one of the places where this poem is quoted most often: It is one of the snowiest cities in the world! Explore this album of photos and other artworks to learn how 19th-century residents of Québec City made the most of winter. Lots of questions about these images await!

The day after a snowstorm in Québec City

Louis-Prudent Vallée Snow-covered Québec City streets became a playground for children. At the time, snow removal was done by hand. The men shovelled the snow, which was then removed by horse-drawn sleds. This task could take several days of dedicated heavy labour. It was not until the first half of the 20th century that the snowplow made its appearance.

Chronoscope What do you notice in the image? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1875

Source: Ville de Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Pierre Lavoie Collection - Date: 1875

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