Today, the vast majority of Québec City’s population speaks French as their first language. It is hard to imagine that a great part of the city was once English! However, it was the case in the mid-19th century. A large wave of immigration from the British Isles came through Québec City, the point of entry to Canada. The Anglophone presence peaked in Québec City around 1870, when nearly half of the residents, mainly from Ireland, were English-speaking. Come and rediscover Québec City’s English-speaking past!
J. Filmer
In the early 19th century, the Scot William Finlay became one of Québec City’s most influential businessmen. A member of the English-speaking elite, he made his fortune in the fur, timber and flour trades. Upon his death in 1838, he left large sums to the city to build public infrastructure. This included the Finlay Market, which was named in his honour.
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