Victoria Park is located at the limits of the Saint-Sauveur and Saint-Roch districts and borders the Saint-Charles River. In 1896, the mayor of Quebec, Simon-Napoléon Parent, signed an agreement by which the Augustines of the General Hospital ceded these lands along the river to the City. The municipality undertakes to develop a public park and pay an annuity in return to the nuns. She wants to make it a place of entertainment. For the mayor, this space should promote the revitalization of Lower Town.
In 1897, the Park was inaugurated and named Victoria in honor of the queen of the same name to celebrate her 60th anniversary of reign. In the 20th century, the park became a recreational place with innovative infrastructures. The various facilities have been developed over the years to welcome and entertain thousands of Quebecers during the four seasons.
In 1938, the Government of Quebec built a baseball stadium which was subsequently transferred to the City. Notable transformations took place in the 1950s and 1960s with the construction of two schools, a police station and a large parking lot.
The Park is ideally located in the heart of Lower Town. Many athletes come to indulge in physical activities in this oasis of greenery. It is also one of the city’s friendly and unifying parks, where Quebec families take advantage of the many facilities to settle in the shade of large trees and very often celebrate events and have barbecues.
The park’s sports infrastructure is modern and varied thanks to major beautification work undertaken by the City and completed in 2010. Victoria Park includes: playgrounds, a baseball field, basketball courts, games of parks, four-season skating rink, in-line skating trails, bike path, age-appropriate soccer fields, tennis and beach volleyball courts.
The park is also home to the municipal stadium of Quebec which sees the biggest rounds of the local baseball team, the Capitals of Quebec. The history of the Municipal Stadium begins in the summer of 1937. The Premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis, a great sports fan, made the first pitch of the season. Shocked by the dilapidation of the old stadium, he undertakes to provide modern infrastructures to several cities in Quebec. In 1938, representatives of the Athlétiques de Québec asked the government to provide the city with a real baseball stadium. The request is approved and construction begins in April.
Near Victoria Park
Around Parc Victoria, the Marina Saint-Roch, a real place of relaxation, is easily accessible for swimming.
To eat, you will have to reach rue Saint-Joseph in the heart of the Saint-Roch district. Until the 1960s, rue Saint-Joseph Est was the most important commercial artery in Quebec City. Today young entrepreneurs are reinvesting and reclaiming the premises by establishing atypical shops and trendy restaurants.
The Post Office is probably the best known restaurant since it offers competitive prices. A long queue tirelessly lines the streets of the restaurant. To be transported to Japan and South Korea, treat yourself to a stop at the Tora-ya Ramen restaurant.
Continuing the path, the Café le clocher penché also enjoys an excellent reputation. In this district, two renowned craft breweries, Noctem and Korrigane, offer microbrewery beers.
Fancy a bubble tea? The Fanamanga restaurant will satisfy you. Book lover? You will find what you are looking for in the independent bookstores Rock’n Livre and the Librairie Pantoute. Decoration enthusiasts will be delighted to find what they are looking for in the Bois et cuir and Caravansérail boutiques. For fashion enthusiasts, around twenty boutiques and trendy thrift stores line the streets of the district.
