In this stereograph, the mounds of snow are impressively big. They are almost as high as the roofs of the surrounding buildings! The aftermath of the storm had not yet been hauled away by horse-drawn sleds, so children were free to play. After each snowfall, the paths had to be levelled and compacted with a heavy object pulled by horse.

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!

A snow-covered Québec City street in March

Louis-Prudent Vallée In this stereograph, the mounds of snow are impressively big. They are almost as high as the roofs of the surrounding buildings! The aftermath of the storm had not yet been hauled away by horse-drawn sleds, so children were free to play. After each snowfall, the paths had to be levelled and compacted with a heavy object pulled by horse.

Chronoscope Do you recognize this street? (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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