Skip to main content
This photograph shows the arrival of the president of the French Republic as he marches past an honour guard in Québec City in 1960. De Gaulle made a stop in Québec City during a two-week trip to North America. He spent April 20, 1960, in the company of the premier and lieutenant-governor at the time.
1960 - 1967

Charles de Gaulle’s visit to Québec City

French president Charles de Gaulle visited Québec City three times. In July 1944, he came as head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, just one month after the Normandy landings. In April 1960, de Gaulle was welcomed to the city by Premier Antonio Barrette at a time when the province was Catholic and conservative. De Gaulle returned to Québec City in 1967, at the height of the Quiet Revolution, to tour the province by car. His trip ended in Montréal where he pronounced his famous “Vive le Québec Libre!” (long live a free Quebec). Three visits, three different eras!

Charles de Gaulle before the Québec National Assembly

Auteur inconnu This photograph shows the arrival of the president of the French Republic as he marches past an honour guard in Québec City in 1960. De Gaulle made a stop in Québec City during a two-week trip to North America. He spent April 20, 1960, in the company of the premier and lieutenant-governor at the time.
Chronoscope Can you identify the ranks of the soldiers in the honour guard? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Ville de Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Québec Provincial Publicity Bureau - Jean Pelletier Fonds - Date: 1960-04-20