Rue du Petit-Champlain is at the foot of the cliff below Chateau Frontenac. Members of an artists’ cooperative run 45 of the stores on the street and the Quartier Champlain area. (Julia Pelish/Vacay.ca)
Story by Adrian Brijbassi
Vacay.ca Managing Editor
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC — Eric Vezina can trace his roots to this spot, a cobblestone street that is 12 metres wide and 500 metres long, with a history older than the nation and a devotion to culture that is as fierce as it is endearing. Walking along Rue du Petit-Champlain, Vezina says, “My family goes back 11 generations in Quebec, to 1659. They helped build this street.”
A maintenance worker for the businesses in the area, Vezina speaks proudly of the heritage his ancestors played in establishing this section of Quebec City that dates more than 400 years and of where the street stands today, which is at the head of the nation. Vacay.ca has spent months visiting Canada’s urban centres to determine which streets are the best places for you to spend your time and dollars when touring the country. Rue du Petit-Champlain, lined with shops that belong to an artists’ cooperative, ranks No. 1 among the Top 20 Streets to Visit in Canada (full list to be published on September 17).
The street has boutique shops, artisan galleries, and restaurants, as well as a 200-seat theatre within centuries-old stone walls, a mural that depicts different stages of the city’s history, and a touching memorial to the 20 victims of an 1841 landslide that saw shale from the hill above tumble down 300 feet. Look up beyond the cross that honours those lost and you will see the city’s greatest landmark, the Château Frontenac, rising tall from atop the Dufferin Terrace. The famed hotel was built in 1893, however, making it relatively modern when compared to the street and district beneath it.
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Rue du Petit-Champlain is the oldest commercial street in North America. The Breakneck Stairs that lead down to it from Côte de la Montagne — a winding route that doubles in winter as the course for the annual Red Bull Crashed Ice races — are steep and dramatic. Built in 1635, the staircase has 59 steps that take you to Rue Petit-Champlain and the adjoining streets that make up the Quartier Champlain district.
Beyond the eye-catching scenery, what distinguishes Petit-Champlain from every other street in the nation is its emphasis on local culture in a tourist-heavy location. The street receives one million visitors a year, yet you will not find a Starbucks or McDonald’s here.
“We just say no,” notes Pascale Moisan, director of the Quartier Champlain cooperative. She mentions that Subway recently wanted to open a franchise location on the street but was refused.
Forty-five stores belong to the cooperative, with most owned by artisans and boutique fashion retailers. There are a couple of restaurants and chocolate shops. Not all the stores in Quartier Champlain are part of the cooperative. The one national chain that has a storefront here is LUSH (102 Rue du Petit-Champlain), but Moisan points out that its cosmetic products are handmade and that helps it complement other shops in the district.
In winter, the street is cleared by the cooperative’s members because Petit-Champlain is too narrow for snowploughs. The community also places 40 trees along the street at Christmas and more than 15,000 lightbulbs are used as decorations. It creates a beautiful scene, a winter wonderland that underscores that the street is as much for residents as it is for visitors.
“We have the best of both worlds. We have shops and things to do for the people of Quebec who enjoy the area, and you have stores that have lots of appeal for tourists,” says Monique Zimmermann, proprietor of Brin de Folie (38 Boulevard Champlain, linked to Petit-Champlain by a staircase), a colourful shop with zany gift items.
The Oldest Commercial Street In North America
Despite the Quartier Champlain’s boutique atmosphere, the prices aren’t outrageous. Odette Lachance, a worker at the clothing store Blanc Mouton (at 51 Rue Sous-le-Fort, near the corner of Petit-Champlain), says there is an awareness that tourist areas have a reputation for overpricing their goods. Blanc Mouton’s owner, Marie-Pier Vincent, is conscious of that fact, she notes.
“We try to keep the prices as low as possible. That’s why you’ll find clothes here that would be much higher priced in a big shopping mall,” says Lachance of Blanc Mouton’s clothing, which features Quebec designers and includes a line of tops handmade by women in a village with only 300 people.
You will also discover a fascinating taxidermy and outdoor apparel store (Bilodeau, 20 Rue du Cul-de-Sac, just south of Petit-Champlain) that features furs and pelts that are from the province’s Inuit communities. None of the animals are hunted for their pelts. The store purchases them after Inuit hunters have killed the animals for sustenance. A polar bear pelt sells for $12,000, but there are much more affordable and practical items for sale. Another unique spot on the district is Shamâne (70 Boulevard Champlain), which opened in April and sells soaps and skin-care products made with donkey cream. Donkeys in Charlevoix are milked daily and that milk, which is thinner than goat or cow milk, is turned into silky, all-natural products.
Beyond the shopping is a vibrancy that comes from being in a place that matters. Rue du Petit-Champlain has character and that alone makes you want to be here.
“The people of Quebec realize that this street is an important part of our heritage,” Moisan says. “We want to take care of it.”
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More About Rue Petit-Champlain and Quartier Champlain
This mural located at 102 Rue du Petit-Champlain illustrates the origins of the Cap-Blanc neighbourhood, the bombardments in 1759, fires, landslides, and other historic moments. (Julia Pelish/Vacay.ca)
Where to Eat: Bistro Sous le Fort (48 Rue Sous-le-Fort, just south of Petit-Champlain) serves an elk burger ($16, with fries and salad) that is absolutely delicious. For dessert, the Petite Cabane a Sucre de Quebec (94 Rue du Petit-Champlain) is touristy, but gives you a taste of the province’s tasty maple syrup.
Where to Drink: Have a drink or catch a show at the Théâtre Petit-Champlain (78 Rue du Petit-Champlain), which has a patio as well as interior seating. Be sure to drop in on Pape-Georges (8 rue du Cul-de-Sac), a pub that dates to the 1600s. It often has excellent live blues music. For many years this was my favourite bar in Quebec City. The beer selection has changed and that’s hurt it in my view, but the atmosphere and service remain as solid as ever.
Where to Shop: The artisans on Petit-Champlain are all unique and the goods are carefully handmade. Do go into Sculpteur Flamand, where you will find artwork and wood carvings from proprietor Alain Flamand. His store has been on Petit-Champlain since the inception of the cooperative in 1985. Also, I’m sold on Shamâne‘s donkey cream products. The soap is silky soft. It costs $11.80 for an 11.8-ounce bottle of liquid soap in a variety of scents, including Bamboo and Japanese Grapefruit. If you need winter clothing, Bilodeau’s selection is tremendous.
Where to Stay: There are no accommodations on the street. The fabulous Hotel Le Germain Dominion is a five-minute walk on Rue Saint-Pierre. Rooms start around $275 per night, but fluctuate depending on the date of travel.
More About the Top 20 Streets to Visit in Canada
Publication Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Criteria: Vacay.ca’s Editorial Team determined the list, selecting the top streets based on sense of place, authenticity, fashion, vibrancy, value, and convenience.
Notable Omissions: The Vacay.ca list is notable for the names that are missing as much as it is for who’s on it. Neither Yonge Street in Toronto nor Montreal‘s Saint-Catherine Street — arguably the two most well-known streets in the country — ranked among the Top 20 Streets to Visit in Canada. The reason? Ultimately, neither street is all that unique. Yonge Street and Saint-Catherine Street are overrun with national and multinational corporation chains. They are dominated by shopping malls, cheap souvenir shops, and chintzy discount electronics stores. They are examples of streets tourists should avoid rather than explore. However, both Montreal and Toronto placed three streets on the list, as did Quebec City.
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