57– 63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site of Canada Management Statement 2020

Table of contents

• Recommendations
• Background
• Management approach
• Management objectives

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Chief Executive Officer of Parks Canada, 2020.

For more information on this management statement or related matters:

Recommendations

Recommended by:

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Background

Parks Canada manages one of the world’s most beautiful and vast networks of protected historic sites. Its mandate is to protect and enhance these places for the enjoyment of present and future generations. This management statement describes the approach Parks Canada intends to take and the objectives it has set for the 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site.

The 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site is located in the Historic District of Old Québec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is an integral part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site. It was designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1969 because these buildings are part of an important urban panorama.

The 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site comprises undeveloped land (lot 2 400 198 of the Quebec cadastre) between St. Louis and St. Geneviève streets and land (lot 2 400 199) on which three buildings are erected. Two other lots are also part of the site (lots 35 248 32 and 35 248 33^{Footnote 1}). The latter correspond to Corps-de-Garde Street and its extension.

Lot 2 400 199 is owned by National Defence. Lots 2 400 198 and 3 524 832 were transferred to Parks Canada in 2006 through an agreement with National Defence to allow the Ville de Québec to offer a green space accessible to residents and visitors within the Historic District. In 2019, Parks Canada and the Ville de Québec entered into a 25-year lease beginning May 1, 2020, under which the City leases from Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada the spaces located at 57 B St. Louis Street, known and designated as lots 2 400 198 and 3 524 832, in order to carry out an urban park project.

The 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site is a major example of the 18th-century French Regime architectural and landscape values within the historic townscape of Old Québec. The buildings, located at 57 and 63 St. Louis Street, have long formed a single property with the building at 59–61, which was built in the early 18th century and enlarged in 1796. In 1811, the entire property was sold to the British government for use as an officers’ residence. Initially owned by the social and political elite, these buildings were used for almost two centuries to house officers.

The heritage value of the site resides in the consistent streetscape created by this grouping of buildings dating from the French Regime, and their contribution to the larger cultural landscape of Old Québec. The house and its extensions have continued to reflect the architectural forms, materials, and spatial relationships of the early 19th century. The 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site is one of the oldest groupings of buildings in the city, bearing witness to the military presence on the site and to Québec City’s role as a garrison town.

Map 1: Regional map

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Management approach

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Management objectives

Parks Canada protects cultural resources located in heritage sites in accordance with the Cultural Resource Management Policy and the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.

Communication of the reasons for designation:

The reasons for designation are effectively communicated to the public.

With the agreement with the Ville de Québec, the site is accessible to the public and therefore serves as a reminder of the heritage values connected to the 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site.

• Parks Canada works with the Ville de Québec to ensure that the values are communicated to the designers and users of the future Corps-de-Garde Park.
• Parks Canada shares its knowledge with owners and tenants regarding the values related to the cultural resources that make up the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site, of which the 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site is a part.
• Management decisions are based on relevant and reliable information and are made in accordance with the principles and practice of the Cultural Resource Management Policy.

Decisions recognizing and adhering to heritage values:

The 57–63 St. Louis Street National Historic Site is an integral part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site. The buildings continue to have great evocative power when the cultural resources and related values are recognized and respected in decision-making processes.

• Parks Canada encourages discussions with the owners and tenants of the site to make them aware of the importance of conserving and transmitting the values related to cultural resources.
• Parks Canada supports National Defence in its efforts to ensure that the site’s values and character-defining elements are considered in the buildings’ administration and occupancy.

Conservation and protection of the historic site’s built assets:

The overall state of conservation of buildings and structures of national historic significance remains stable or is being improved. Architectural decisions and changes are subject to the historic values of the site, with special attention to dialogue and collaboration.

• Parks Canada notifies owners that the preservation of heritage value depends on appropriate and regular maintenance.
• Parks Canada informs the building occupants and owners about the character-defining elements^{Footnote 2} of the site and is alert to the impact that changes may have on the heritage value of the site.