BATTLEFIELDS PARK
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Wooded park with gardens, terrace, remarkable towers and memories of the conflicts between France and England.
During the colonial era, conflicts of interest between France and England led to a succession of wars and treaties. In 1759, James Wolfe was appointed officer commanding the British assault and his mandate was precise: to seize the fortified city of Quebec. Several assaults followed and on September 13, 1759, British forces fought against Montcalm and his French troops in the famous battle of the Plains of Abraham. This major defeat of the French army led to the surrender of Quebec City and, in 1760, the surrender of Montreal.
At Battlefields Park, there are still some souvenirs (commemorative plaques, monuments and artillery pieces), scattered over 125 hectares of wooded grounds and gardens. There is a beautiful view from the Grey terrace. From there, the Promenade des Gouverneurs runs along the citadel to the Dufferin Terrace, at the foot of the Château Frontenac. The Martello towers you see in the park (four in Quebec City, two of which are on the Plains of Abraham) were erected after the English conquest, between 1808 and 1812, to serve as advanced defences in anticipation of another American invasion following the 1775 invasion. Round, robust, sturdy and made of stone, they were autonomous defence units serving as barracks, stores and firing platforms, and their only entrance on the first floor was accessible only by a ladder. They have, in fact, never been used.
A la période que nous avons y été, il fallait des pics à rajouter aux chaussures pour éviter de glisser avec l'épaisse couche de glace qu'il y avait. On pouvait avoir une vue surprenante sur le Saint Laurent, et l'île d'en face. Au beaux jours, il y a de belles couleurs à découvrir. Très agréable à faire.