The Legend of the Golden Dog

You’re now walking through the Passage du Chien d’Or, or Golden Dog Passage. It has nothing to do with the statue in front of you, which depicts Monseigneur de Laval, the first bishop of Quebec. To uncover the story behind the Golden Dog, look up at the pediment of the post office behind you. You’ll see a bas-relief of a golden dog gnawing on a bone. Next to it is an old French inscription that reads: I am a dog that gnaws his bone. Gnawing it, I take my rest. A time will come, though not yet known, When I shall bite him who bit me best. This mysterious verse, carved in the 18th century, has puzzled people for centuries. No one knows its true meaning, and countless theories have been proposed over the years. The original stone came from a house built in 1688. When that house was torn down to make room for the post office, the stone was preserved and placed above the entrance to this new building. Many believe the inscription is a cryptic warning—a message of vengeance biding its time. The most famous version of the legend was turned into a novel called The Golden Dog: A Legend of Quebec by William Kirby. Set just before the fall of New France, the novel features historical figures and ends with a murder that triggers the colony’s downfall. If you come up with your own theory about these strange lines, please get in touch—we’d love to hear it!