The archaeological excavations, which started this week at Rue Saint-Joachim, are being carried out as part of the preparatory work for the tramway project in Quebec, as it must pass under the Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighborhood suburb.
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So that the work does not have to be interrupted in the event of the discovery of remains, the city of Quebec is working upstream, choosing to carry out archaeological excavations in the places where the tram will later run.
In the affected section on Rue Saint-Joachim, archaeologists’ work began on August 10th and will continue until September 16th, including the restoration of the roadway.
What caught archaeologists’ attention was the accidental discovery at this site in 1989 of two burials, possibly of Protestants, who died in the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec under the French regime, which could not be buried in a Catholic cemetery.
Given the ground movements during the construction of the Youville metro station under Rue Saint-Joachim and Avenue Honoré-Mercier, we now want to make sure that no ancient remains remain.
Photo Diane Tremblay
Part of the Rue Saint-Joachim is closed to car traffic due to archaeological excavations as part of the preparatory work for the tram.
Inventoried locations
“The archaeological potential study carried out as part of the environmental impact assessment made it possible to identify this area of interest,” said Karine Desbiens, Communications Advisor to the City of Quebec.
“We have been carrying out archaeological inventories since 2020. By the end of 2022 we will have inventoried 18 locations. These are places with the greatest potential,” said Stéphane Noël, archaeologist at the Quebec City Tramway Project Office.
“We always try to dig as early as possible to avoid delays during construction. When you open the floor you don’t always know what you will find. We can have a rough idea beforehand, but we can also have surprises. »
With a fine comb
“It’s better to do it now. We have time to do our job properly because we don’t have mechanical shovels waiting for us,” added Mr. Noël.
About ten of the 18 excavation sites have been combed through. In addition to the excavation on Saint-Joachim Street, similar work is taking place on the corner of 4th Street and 4th Avenue.
Archaeologists believe they have discovered a 19th-century English cottage that may have belonged to the family of Hedley Anderson, a lumber merchant who is credited with developing the area to subdivide part of his farm into lots to to attract workers.
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