View from Upper Town

Montmorency Park, perched at the tip of Upper Town, offers a breathtaking view over the Saint Lawrence River. This is the narrowest point of the river. In fact, the name Quebec means “where the river narrows” in the Algonquin language, used by the Mi’kmaq, Cree, and Algonquin peoples. To your left, you’ll see cannons lined up along the bluff, pointed toward the harbour and the cruise ships docked below. You’ll notice cannons like these all over the city. As the region’s former military capital, Quebec was once a garrison town and home to a large number of artillery pieces—many of which you can still see today. Among them are also carronades, which were shorter and less powerful, howitzers, designed to launch bombs shells, and mortars, which were easier to conceal. Colonial cannons were always stamped with the emblem of their country. Most bear the mark of the British Empire, with the letters G and R intertwined with the number 3, standing for George Rex the Third, or King George III of England, who ruled Canada from 1760 to 1820. Here’s a fun surprise: hidden among the British guns are two Russian cannons, stamped with the crowned double-headed eagle—the old imperial symbol of Russia. These date back to 1749 and were captured during the Crimean War, at the Siege of Sevastopol in 1854. France gave them to its ally, Britain, who passed them along to its colony in Quebec. They’ve travelled a long way to get here. Want to find them? Keep your eyes open as you stroll along Dufferin Terrace—they’re tucked somewhere along the way!