Building Our Community

The historical talk series Building our Community looked at the past, present and, in some cases, future of the English-language community institutions that have contributed to the development of Quebec city. From our past educational institutions to our modern medical institutions and so much more, our community has a lot of history to share!

As part of this project (and to celebrate Old Quebec’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), enjoy a free walking tour map and discover some of these English-language institutions, past and present!

Paper versions of this walking tour map will be available at the Morrin Centre while supplies last.

Click on the markers on the map below to learn more about the associated buildings and organisations, or scroll past the map for the compiled texts and addresses.

You can toggle the marker list on and off by clicking on the top-left button. Please note that, if you are visiting this page from a mobile phone, you may need to hide the marker list to see the map.

01—Morrin College
44 Chaussée des Écossais

Morrin College was Quebec City’s first English-language institution of higher learning.

Founded in 1862, it was affiliated with McGill University. In 1868, it moved into the former Quebec common gaol (now the Morrin Centre), renting part of the space to the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. The college struggled with low enrolment and closed in 1902.

Morrin College continues to exist as a charitable organization and supports students and schools across Quebec City.

02—YMCA
500 Rue du Pont

As early as 1854, several unsuccessful attempts were made to establish a branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Quebec City. It wasn’t until 1870 that the organization succeeded, offering a library, Bible classes, and public lectures. The YMCA building was inaugurated in 1880, with baths, a gymnasium, and, later, a swimming pool.

The Quebec City YMCA, originally a Protestant association open only to young Anglophone men, became a largely French-language institution open to all. Throughout the 20th century, the YMCA came to focus less on the religious dimension and more on athletic, recreational, and cultural pursuits. It closed its doors in 2002.

The façade of the former building is now incorporated into the Le Diamant performing arts centre.

03 A—St. Matthew’s Church
755 Rue Saint-Jean

The history of St. Matthew’s began in 1822, when a sexton’s house was erected at the Quebec Protestant Burying Ground. After the chapel was destroyed during a major urban fire in 1845, it was replaced by a large neo-gothic stone chapel. St. Matthew’s became a church and parish in 1855, and the building was considerably enlarged.

Between 1979 and 1980, the church was closed and converted into Bibliothèque Claire-Martin, a branch of Quebec City’s public library system.

03 B—St. Matthew’s Cemetary, Quebec Protestant Burying Ground
755 Rue Saint-Jean

St. Matthew’s Cemetery, which surrounds the church of the same name, was the city’s first Protestant cemetery. It was first known as the Quebec Protestant Burying Ground. Up to 10,000 people were buried in the cemetery between 1772 and 1860.

In 1979, St. Matthew’s Church and cemetery were ceded to the city. The cemetery is now a public park.

04—St. Patrick’s High School
75 Rue de Maisonneuve

Between 1877 and 2000, several English-language Catholic schools in Quebec City took the name St. Patrick’s.

In 1986, St. Patrick’s Elementary School closed and the children transferred to Saint-Vincent Elementary School. That same year, St. Patrick’s High School took in students from Saint-Vincent Katimavik High School, which also closed.

St. Patrick’s High School is still in operation. The school became non-denominational in 2000.

05—Saint Patrick’s Church
1145 Avenue de Salaberry

The original Saint Patrick’s Church, in Old Quebec, was inaugurated in 1833. A new church, large enough to accommodate 1,000 worshippers, was opened on Grande Allée in 1915. A modernist structure, whose façade was dominated by a large Celtic cross, was inaugurated in 1958.

The building was demolished in 1989 to make way for condominiums, and replaced by a much smaller modern church.

06—Quebec Baptist Church
70 Grande Allée Ouest

A Baptist congregation has existed in Quebec City since 1845. The chapel was inaugurated in 1854. The community continued to grow, and new buildings were erected behind the chapel in the 1870s. The chapel remained in use until 1919, when the congregation moved to a new church on Grande Allée.

The original church, heavily remodelled, later housed a sauna and is now a hotel.

07—High School of Quebec
30 Avenue Saint-Denis

The High School of Quebec, a private protestant school for boys, was established in 1804 and moved to a three-story stone building on 30, Avenue Saint-Denis in 1836.

In 1941, the High School of Quebec fused with Commissioners’ High School and became the still-existing Quebec High School.

The building on Avenue Saint-Denis later hosted the Conservatoire d’art dramatique, and now residential units.

08—Chalmers-Wesley United Church
78 Rue Sainte-Ursule

Chalmers-Wesley is Quebec City’s only church that is a member of the United Church of Canada. It was built in 1853 as Chalmers Free Church for Presbyterians who had split from St. Andrew’s Church. It was the site of a major religious riot soon after it opened.

After joining the United Church of Canada in 1925, the congregation merged in 1931 with the congregation of the former Wesley Methodist Church, who abandoned their building, bringing stained glass windows and furniture with them. The church was then renamed Chalmers-Wesley United Church.

09—Cathedral of the Holy Trinity
31 Rue des Jardins

The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, inaugurated in 1804, was the first Anglican cathedral built outside the British Isles.

It was erected on the site of the former Récollets monastery, which burnt down in 1796, and in whose chapel Quebec City Anglicans had previously held their services. The new cathedral became the seat of the diocese and of the Anglican Church in Quebec City.

Today, there are approximately 300 English-speaking practising Anglicans in Quebec City and just under 100 French-speaking ones.

10—St. Andrew’s Church
5 Rue Cook

St. Andrew’s Church is the oldest Presbyterian church in Quebec City. Today, it remains at the heart of Presbyterian life in the city.

The first Presbyterians, mainly Scottish soldiers from the 78^th Regiment (Fraser Highlanders), initially met in the chapel of the Jesuit College and in the basement of the courthouse.

In 1808, they were offered a narrow plot of land on which to build St. Andrew’s. Opened in 1810, the church became the heart of a substantial Scottish Presbyterian complex with the addition of a school (1829), and a manse (1836–1837), along with a significant expansion of the church.