Montmorency Park

You’re now standing in front of Montmorency Park. The man on the pedestal is Georges-Étienne Cartier—a 19th-century politician, founder of the Province of Quebec, co-Prime Minister, lawyer, and author of the first version of the national anthem, O Canada. He’s one of 36 men recognised as the Fathers of Confederation—the delegates from the British North American colonies who took part in historic conferences that led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada. Dominion comes from the Latin word dominus, meaning “to rule” or “to master,” and the British used it to refer to their colonies. The term was adopted in 1867 and remained in use until the 1960s. If you take a short walk to your left, you’ll also find the statue of Louis Hébert, a Parisian apothecary and the first French settler to move here with his wife and children. In 1666, François de Montmorency-Laval bought this land to build the Séminaire de Québec, a training ground for priests in New France. Thirty years later, his successor expanded it with an episcopal palace. By 1792, the palace became the first Parliament of the newly united Province of Canada. It was here that the first draft of the British North America Act—the founding document of modern Canada—was written. At the time, both Toronto and Quebec City were in the running to become the capital, taking turns hosting Parliament sessions. In the end, neither city won the title. That choice was left to Queen Victoria, who chose the small town of Bytown—soon to be renamed Ottawa. No one really knows why she chose Ottawa, and since she’s the Queen no one asked her to justify her decision. Perhaps because of its central location between French-speaking and English-speaking Canada, but we’ll never know. If you’re wondering why you can’t see this historic building—it’s because it no longer exists. It was destroyed in a fire, and the government decided to turn the site into this beautiful urban park. Given its rich and symbolic past, it’s no surprise that Montmorency Park has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.