Quebec City

Quebec City (French: Ville de Québec) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. It is the twelfth-largest city and the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Canada, and also the second-largest city in the province, after Montreal. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459 and the Quebec City census metropolitan area had a population of 839,311.

Explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a French settlement here in 1608, making Quebec City one of the oldest European settlements in North America. The city has a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. One of its most famous features is the ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec), which are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico. In 1985, this area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as the "Historic District of Old Québec".

Name and usage

Further information: Name of Quebec City and Quebec § Etymology

In English, people often say "Quebec City" to tell it apart from the whole province of Quebec. The official way to write the city's name in both French and Canadian English includes a special letter é, like "Québec". But when talking about the province, people often write "Quebec" without the é.

In French, the city is called Québec and the province is le Québec. So, you might hear "in Quebec City" said as à Québec and "in the province of Quebec" as au Québec.

Long ago, the Algonquian people called this place Kébec. This name comes from their language and means "where the river narrows". This is because the Saint Lawrence River gets narrower near the promontory of Quebec and Cape Diamant.

History

See also: History of Quebec City and Timeline of Quebec City history

French regime (1500s–1763)

Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America and the only fortified city north of Mexico whose walls still exist. It is home to the earliest known French settlement in North America, Fort Charlesbourg-Royal, established in 1541 by explorer Jacques Cartier. The fort was abandoned after less than a year.

Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, on 3 July 1608. Champlain served as its leader for the rest of his life. The name "Canada" came from this colony. Quebec grew slowly, with only 550 people living there in 1665.

Quebec was attacked several times during wars but managed to defend itself until it was captured by the British in 1759. France gave the city to Britain in 1763.

British and Canadian rule (1763–present)

During a big war between the United States and Britain, American soldiers tried to take Quebec but failed. Construction of the Citadelle of Quebec began in 1820 because people were worried about more attacks.

Quebec was once the biggest city in what is now Canada but lost that place to Montreal. The city had a strong economy in the 1800s because of its location on the Saint Lawrence River, but it later declined.

Two important meetings happened in Quebec City during World War II, where leaders from several countries planned important events, including parts of the plans for D-Day.

Geography

Quebec City is built along the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River, where it narrows and meets the Saint-Charles River. Old Quebec sits on top and at the foot of Cap-Diamant, which is on the edge of a plateau called the promontory of Quebec. Because of this shape, the oldest part of La Cité-Limoilou has both upper and lower sections. North of the hill, the Saint Lawrence Lowlands are flat with rich soil. Beyond this valley, the Laurentian Mountains are north of the city, though their foothills are inside the city limits.

The Plains of Abraham are on the southeastern edge of the plateau, where tall stone walls were added during colonial times. At the northern foot of the promontory are the lower town neighborhoods of Saint-Roch and Saint-Sauveur, which were traditionally home to workers. These areas are separated from the upper town neighborhoods of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Saint-Sacrement by a wooded area known as Coteau Sainte-Geneviève.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Quebec City

Quebec City has a hemiboreal humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb, Trewartha Dcbc). The city has four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and sometimes hot, with average high temperatures of 22–25 °C (72–77 °F) and lows of 11–13 °C (52–55 °F). Winters are cold and snowy, with average highs of −5 to −8 °C (23 to 18 °F) and lows of −13 to −18 °C (9 to 0 °F). Spring and fall are short but bring temperatures that can be chilly or warm. Late heat waves and "Indian summers" sometimes occur.

Quebec City gets about 1,190 millimetres (46.85 in) of precipitation each year, most of which is rain, with some coming from melted snow. The city gets around 1,916 hours of sunshine each year, with summer being the sunniest but also the wettest season. Snow usually stays on the ground from late November until mid-April.

Boroughs and neighbourhoods

On 1 January 2002, Quebec City merged with 12 nearby towns, including Sainte-Foy, Beauport, Charlesbourg, and others. After a vote, two areas became separate again in 2006, but the rest stayed part of Quebec City. On 1 November 2009, the city reorganized its areas, reducing them from 8 to 6.

Quebec City's six boroughs are divided into 35 neighborhoods. Most neighborhoods kept their old names. Each neighborhood elects its own council, which helps with public discussions.

Some areas, like Sillery, Cap-Rouge, and Sainte-Foy, are among the wealthiest parts of the city. Traditional working-class areas are found below Old Quebec and across the Saint-Charles River. In recent years, some of these areas have changed, attracting young professionals and new buildings.

Northern and eastern parts of the city are mostly middle-class neighborhoods with some industrial areas.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population, Québec had a population of 549,459 people living in 265,711 of its 283,219 total homes. With a land area of 452.3 km², it had a population density of 1,214.8/km² in 2021.

According to Statistics Canada, there were 839,311 people living in the Quebec City area.

Ethnicity

In 2021, 9.4% of Quebec City residents reported being from a visible minority group, a lower figure than most large Canadian cities; the national average was 26.5%. The largest visible minority group were Black Canadians, who made up 4.1% of the population. Quebec City also had a smaller percentage of Indigenous Canadians (1.8%) than the national average of 5.0%.

Language

Most people in Quebec City speak French as their first language. Today, native English speakers make up only about 1.5% of the population of both the city and its area. However, during the summer tourist season and the Quebec Winter Carnival, many English and French speakers visit, and English can often be heard in tourist areas.

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Quebec City included:

• Christianity (349,320 residents, or 65.5%)
• Irreligion (162,900; 30.5%)
• Islam (17,490; 3.3%)
• Buddhism (1,565; 0.3%)
• Hinduism (515; 0.1%)
• Judaism (305; 0.1%)
• Indigenous Spirituality (75;

Most jobs in Quebec City are in public administration, defence, services, commerce, transport and tourism. As the provincial capital, the city benefits from being a regional administrative and services centre: the provincial government is the largest employer in the city, employing 27,900 people as of 2007. CHUQ (the local hospital network) is the city's largest institutional employer, with more than 10,000 employees in 2007. The unemployment rate in June 2018 was 3.8%, below the national average (6.0%) and the second-lowest of Canada's 34 largest cities, behind Peterborough (2.7%).

Around 10% of jobs are in manufacturing. Principal products include pulp and paper, processed food, metal/wood items, chemicals, electronics and electrical equipment, and printed materials. The city hosts the headquarters of a variety of prominent companies, including: fashion retailer La Maison Simons, engineering firms BPR and Norda Stelo; Cominar real estate investment trust; Beneva, Industrial Alliance, Promutuel, and Union Canadienne in the insurance sector; Beenox, Gearbox Software, Frima Studio, Sarbakan and Ubisoft in the computer games industry; AeternaZentaris and DiagnoCure in pharmaceuticals; Amalgame, Cossette and Vision 7 in marketing and advertising; Institut National d'Optique (INO), EXFO, OptoSecurity in technology. It is also the domicile of the sole manufactory of the cigarette maker Rothmans, Benson & Hedges.

While the traditional central business districts and their large office buildings are found on Parliament Hill (especially for provincial administration) and just below in Saint-Roch (nowadays notable for IT and the video game industry), a newer one has emerged in the Boulevard Laurier area of Sainte-Foy, where a number of accounting and law firms have moved since the 2000s. Other suburban places identified by the city for their potential are the Lebourgneuf area for private offices, as well as Estimauville Street where the Government of Canada already has many civil servants and where several city officials are expected to move in the 2020s.

Canada Census Mother Tongue – Quebec City, Quebec

Census Year	Total Responses	French			English			French & English			Other
		Count	Trend	Pop. %	Count	Trend	Pop. %	Count	Trend	Pop. %	Count	Trend	Pop. %
2021	542,435	491,515	1.6%	90.6%	7,685	3.9%	1.4%	4,530	73.2%	0.8%	33,255	26.1%	6.1%
2016	523,560	483,790	1.1%	92.4%	7,395	0.0%	1.4%	2,615	13.0%	0.5%	26,370	33.3%	5.0%
2011	516,622	478,395	4.6%	92.6%	7,370	4.6%	1.4%	2,315	36.9%	0.5%	19,790	9.9%	3.8%
2006	491,142	456,225	1.8%	92.9%	7,030	2.8%	1.4%	1,460	38.4%	0.3%	17,825	35.3%	3.6%
2001	471,962	447,840	0.4%	94.9%	6,830	21.6%	1.5%	2,020	3.2%	0.4%	11,535	14.8%	2.4%
1996	467,455	446,194	n/a	95.5%	8,309	n/a	1.8%	1,955	n/a	0.4%	9,830	n/a	2.1%

Arts and culture

Quebec City is famous for its Winter Carnival, a big celebration in the snow. The city also holds a summer music festival and fun Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day events.

The city has many places to visit, such as the Citadelle of Quebec, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Ursulines of Quebec, and Musée de la civilisation.

There is also the Parc Aquarium du Québec, which opened again in 2002. It shows over 10,000 animals like fish, mammals, and reptiles from North America and the Arctic. Some of the special animals there are polar bears and different kinds of seals.

Other popular spots near Quebec City include Montmorency Falls, the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski resort, and the Ice Hotel.

See also: List of events in Quebec City and Media in Quebec City

Attractions

Quebec City is known for its beautiful and historic sites. Because of its strong position and the la Citadelle on top, writer Charles Dickens called it the "Gibraltar of North America".

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Quebec City

Much of Quebec City's old buildings can be found in Vieux-Québec (Old Quebec), where you can see old stone buildings and narrow streets with shops and restaurants. This area has a European feel. There are gates like Porte Saint-Louis and Porte Saint-Jean to enter the old town from the newer part of the city. West of the old walls is Parliament Hill, and to the south are the Plains of Abraham.

You can walk up using stairs like the Escalier « casse-cou » ("breakneck stairway") or take the Old Quebec Funicular on Rue du Petit-Champlain, where there are many small shops. Place Royale is a small square with old stone buildings and is where explorer Champlain started the city in 1608. Nearby is the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church and the Musée de la Civilisation.

The city's skyline includes modern buildings like Édifice Marie-Guyart and Le Concorde, but the most famous is the big Château Frontenac hotel. It was built to attract rich visitors to travel by train with the Canadian Pacific Railway. Next to the hotel is the Terrasse Dufferin, a walkway along the cliff with great views of the Saint Lawrence River. This area leads to the Plains of Abraham, where an important battle happened, and to the Citadelle of Quebec, which is used by the military and as an official home.

Parks

One famous park is The Battlefields Park, which has old cannons and the Plains of Abraham. From here you can see the river and there are statues and old structures, like a model of Joan of Arc on Horseback and a few Martello Towers. This is where a big battle happened in 1759 during the Seven Years' War, and another battle in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War.

Other nice parks include Parc Victoria, Parc Maizerets, and Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site. The biggest park is Parc Chauveau, where you can go canoeing, fish, or cross-country skiing depending on the season. There is also a beach at Beauport Bay and a marsh area called Marais du Nord.

Quebec City also has special garden areas like the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, which is a long path along the river, and places with beautiful plants and trees such as Government House (Quebec) and the Domaine de Maizerets.

Sports

Quebec City has been a host for many exciting sports events. It was considered for the 2002 Winter Olympics and has held games like the Special Olympics Canada National Winter Games in 2008, the World Police and Fire Games in 2005, and the FINA World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships in 2022. The city also co-hosted the 2008 IIHF World Championship with Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Today, Quebec City has one professional baseball team called the Capitales de Québec. They play in downtown at Stade Canac and have won many titles since they started in 1999. The city also has other teams in different sports, including hockey, basketball, and soccer. The Videotron Centre is a big arena built hoping to attract more professional hockey teams to the city. Quebec City also hosts the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup, a top ski event.

Government

Since the 1960s, centre-right parties such as Union Nationale, Crédit social, Conservative Party of Canada, Action démocratique du Québec, and Coalition Avenir Québec have been more popular in the Quebec City region than elsewhere in the province. This has led some to wonder why Quebec City seems different politically.

Quebec City is run by a mayor and council. The council has 21 members, each elected from their own district. The mayor is elected by everyone in the city. Both the mayor and councilors are usually part of political parties and are elected every 4 years.

The city has six boroughs, each with its own smaller council. These borough councils handle things like local roads and waste collection. The city is also divided into 35 neighbourhoods, each with its own group of citizens who help make decisions.

Transport

Quebec City has several ways to get around. Two big bridges, the Quebec Bridge and Pierre Laporte Bridge, along with a ferry, connect the city to Lévis and other areas on the other side of the Saint Lawrence River. The Orleans Island Bridge links the city to a nearby island.

The city is an important spot for highways, with many roads connecting it to places like Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and other towns.

Public transport in Quebec City is managed by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale. They run buses and are thinking about adding trams to help more people travel around. Trains also stop at Gare du Palais, and there is a bus station nearby.

The city has an airport called Jean Lesage International Airport and a port called the Port of Quebec.

Education

Quebec City is home to several important schools and universities. The Université Laval is located in the southwestern part of the city, mostly in the Sainte-Foy area, with its school of architecture in the historic "Vieux-Séminaire" building.

The Université du Québec system has its main offices and some special schools in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood, including the École nationale d'administration publique, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, and Télé-université.

The city also has several colleges such as Collège François-Xavier-Garneau, Cégep Limoilou, Cégep de Sainte-Foy, and Champlain College St. Lawrence, along with private institutions like Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy, Collège Mérici, Collège Bart, Collège CDI, Collège O'Sullivan, and Collège Multihexa.

There are three school boards managing schools, including the Commission scolaire de la Capitale for French-speaking schools and the Central Quebec School Board for English-speaking schools. Quebec City also has the oldest school for girls in North America, run by the Ursulines of Quebec, which is now a private elementary school.

Sister cities

Quebec City has special friendly connections, called "twinned" cities, with places far away. One of these is Bordeaux in France. Another is Calgary in Alberta.

There used to be agreements with more cities, but they are not active anymore. These were with Saint Petersburg in Russia, Guanajuato City in Mexico, Huế in Vietnam, Paris in France, Xi'an in China, and two cities in Belgium: Liège and Namur.

Notable people

Main category: People from Quebec City

For a more comprehensive list, see List of people from Quebec City.