Charlesbourg was originally designed so that development would take place in rays spreading out from a community core, a layout that was unique in North America. The town dates back to the 17th century, when Jesuits settled in the seigniory of Notre-Dame-des-Anges. The village centre, with its church, presbytery and cemetery, became known as Trait-Carré. As this aerial photograph shows, Charlesbourg still retained its radial layout in 1945.

1945 - 1969

A bird’s-eye view of Québec City in the post-war years

The post-war years brought a period of unprecedented prosperity to Québec City. The countryside and villages that once surrounded the city gave way to new, ever-expanding suburbia. It was the era of the bungalow and the shopping mall that, ever spreading, gradually swallowed up the villages around the city. This aerial photo album reflects this era of transformation around Québec City. Do you recognize the region’s landscapes, as they changed between 1945 and the late 1960s?

Aerial view of Charlesbourg

Auteur inconnu Charlesbourg was originally designed so that development would take place in rays spreading out from a community core, a layout that was unique in North America. The town dates back to the 17th century, when Jesuits settled in the seigniory of Notre-Dame-des-Anges. The village centre, with its church, presbytery and cemetery, became known as Trait-Carré. As this aerial photograph shows, Charlesbourg still retained its radial layout in 1945.

Chronoscope Can you name any of the buildings in this photo? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1945

Source: Ville de Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - W. B. Edwards Inc. Fonds - Date: 1945

OPEN