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The Galeries de la Capitale shopping centre was built in 1981, in a forested area on the outskirts of Québec City. Today, it is considered Québec City’s busiest shopping mall. This photo shows the building a few months after its inauguration, before the IMAX cinema was built and the Robert-Bourassa Highway extended.
1922 - 2010

Department stores

The department stores on Saint-Joseph Street in downtown Québec City were inspired by those in Paris and in the United States, in the 1850s. This brand-new concept ushered in the era of large-scale consumerism by offering a wider variety of manufactured products in a single location. The phenomenon intensified in the 1950s with the development of the suburbs and shopping malls. Three of the four flagship stores on Saint-Joseph Street—Pollack, Compagnie Paquet and Syndicat department stores—disappeared when the shopping centres arrived. Only J.-B.-Laliberté stayed open until 2020.

The Galeries de la Capitale shopping centre

W. B. Edwards Inc. The Galeries de la Capitale shopping centre was built in 1981, in a forested area on the outskirts of Québec City. Today, it is considered Québec City’s busiest shopping mall. This photo shows the building a few months after its inauguration, before the IMAX cinema was built and the Robert-Bourassa Highway extended.
Chronoscope Do you have any memories to share about this construction works? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Ville de Québec All rights reserved: Ville de Québec - W. B. Edwards Fonds - Date: circa 1982