The Port of Québec has announced its new park: Place Des Canotiers, located between Rue Dalhousie and the St. Laurence River, in Old Québec.
The new public square includes green spaces, benches, an art installation, restrooms and a bike path with bike rentals, and is designed to highlight Québec’s maritime history, according to a prepared statement.
The area was previously a parking lot, and is now the largest public space in Old Québec with nearly 20,000 square meters accessible to residents and visitors.
The Place also offers a 389-space, multi-story indoor parking garage on the north side of the site. Atop the parking garage is an observation deck with sweeping views of the city skyline, cruise ships, and the historic Hotel Chateau Frontenac.
“The City of Québec is proud to inaugurate the very beautiful Place des Canotiers, one of our city’s primary gathering places, peaceful respites and spots to relax,” said Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Québec City, who inaugurated the park. “This is one of those essential projects for our city’s quality of life, restoring user-friendly access to the river for Québec residents, while offering our maritime guests an exceptional port of entry.”
The name of the public square was chosen by residents through a competition, Une place à nommer, held in the spring of 2015.
The total cost for this project was $39 million (CAD). The Government of Québec invested $26.86 million and the City of Québec provided $8 million. The Government of Canada contributed $4.14 million under the Major Infrastructure Component of the Building Canada Fund which supports cultural infrastructure.
The City of Québec plans on expanding the waterfront promenade for about 15 miles, starting from the Québec Bridge, while the Port of Québec is set to expand its facilities to accommodate larger ships. The Port’s Wharf 30 currently has an investment of $30 million to begin phases of development and expansion as a mobile terminal. The plan, which is estimated to cost about $90 million (CAD), would increase capacity for the Port of Québec to 400,000 passengers by 2025. In addition, a new dock across the river in Levis was announced last month.
