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Built in the heart of downtown, the Dufferin-Montmorency Highway bears the names of Charles de Montmorency, French admiral on Samuel de Champlain’s expedition in 1603, and Lord Dufferin, who served as governor-general of Canada from 1872 to 1878. The construction of these interchanges in the 1960s and 1970s required the demolition of several buildings in Saint-Roch, one of the oldest districts in Québec City.
1971 - 1974

Make way for asphalt!

Automobiles became the main means of transport in North American cities during the 1960s and 1970s. Québec City was no exception. In 1964, Highway 20 connected Québec City to Montréal and the rest of the country. In the 1970s, highways were built all around Québec City, converging at the city centre. Entire neighbourhoods were razed to make way for a web of asphalt that stretched across the city. Québec City lost some of its historic charm during this period. Do you have any memories to share?

Construction of the Dufferin-Montmorency Highway interchanges in the early 1970s

W. B. Edwards Inc. Built in the heart of downtown, the Dufferin-Montmorency Highway bears the names of Charles de Montmorency, French admiral on Samuel de Champlain’s expedition in 1603, and Lord Dufferin, who served as governor-general of Canada from 1872 to 1878. The construction of these interchanges in the 1960s and 1970s required the demolition of several buildings in Saint-Roch, one of the oldest districts in Québec City.
Chronoscope Do you have any memories of this change in the Québec City landscape? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Ville de Québec All rights reserved: Ville de Québec - W. B. Edwards Inc. Fonds - Date: 1974