Three terraces

The first Durham terrace

In 1838, four years after fire attacked the Château Saint-Louis, then-governor of the colony Lord Durham proposed the first terrace, which would bear his name. Fifty metres long and 15 wide, it was built on stone pillars.

The second Durham terrace

The first terrace, which was inaugurated in 1838, was extended several dozen metres toward the Citadelle in 1854. That became the second Durham terrace.

The second Durham terrace by Livernois
© Library and Archives Canada, C-8589.

The Dufferin Terrace

During the 1870s, governor general Lord Dufferin proposed an expansion project for the terrace. A strong proponent of the conservation and presentation of the fortifications, Dufferin proposed extending the Durham terrace some 300 meters toward the Citadel. Along with the construction of six kiosks – Plessis, Dufferin, Victoria, Lorne, Frontenac, Princesse Louise – the project saw the light of day in 1879. The same year, the first funicular linking the upper and lower towns was completed. Its upper reach was the basement of the former Château Saint-Louis.

The Dufferin terrace
© Library and Archives Canada, C-17306.