Soon after its inauguration, the “covered roof” incarnation of the Mail Saint-Roch attracted a great deal of interest, bringing new customers to the retailers. Customers could visit popular stores such as the Compagnie Paquet and Pollack. The novelty wore off quickly, however, and suburban shopping malls like Place Laurier regained in popularity.

1974 - 2012

Decline and revitalization of the downtown Saint-Roch district

The Saint-Roch district in downtown Québec City faced the same destiny as many other North American urban centres. At the end of the 1960s, the commercial artery in the Saint-Roch district gradually emptied as new shopping centres sprung up in the suburbs. To counter the decline of this downtown area, an open-air mall, the Mail Saint-Roch, was inaugurated in 1968 on Saint-Joseph Street. In 1974, more than a kilometre of the mall was covered with a roof. However, popular preference for suburban shopping soon made the area obsolete. In the 1990s and 2000s, a new effort of innovative architectural and social initiatives was made to revitalize this neglected downtown area.

Interior view of Mail Saint-Roch

Auteur inconnu Soon after its inauguration, the “covered roof” incarnation of the Mail Saint-Roch attracted a great deal of interest, bringing new customers to the retailers. Customers could visit popular stores such as the Compagnie Paquet and Pollack. The novelty wore off quickly, however, and suburban shopping malls like Place Laurier regained in popularity.

Chronoscope Do you have any memories of this period? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1974

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