Tennis arrived in Québec City in the late 19th century, shortly after its invention in Wimbledon, England. At the time, it was played almost exclusively in clubs by the English-speaking upper class. French speakers began to take up this pastime at the beginning of the 20th century. The creation in 1922 of this tennis court in Victoria Park, a public park, made the sport much more accessible.

1910 - 1944

Sports in the early 19th century

Following his visit to Québec City at the end of the 19th century, the instigator of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, deplored French Canadians’ lack of involvement in sport. In Québec City, summer sports were primarily practised by the English-speaking members of elite and exclusive clubs. Many of our sports—horse racing, tennis, golf, regattas, to name a few—have British origins. As urbanization progressed at the turn of the 20th century, sports slowly became more widespread and French speakers became increasingly involved.

Tennis court in Victoria Park

Auteur inconnu Tennis arrived in Québec City in the late 19th century, shortly after its invention in Wimbledon, England. At the time, it was played almost exclusively in clubs by the English-speaking upper class. French speakers began to take up this pastime at the beginning of the 20th century. The creation in 1922 of this tennis court in Victoria Park, a public park, made the sport much more accessible.

Chronoscope Can you locate this place on the map? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1944

Source: Ville de Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: 1944

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