Thanks to a spectacular infinity pool, children seem to splash and swim in the same waters as a passing freighter at Quebec City’s Promenade Samuel-De Champlain. This delightful vignette encapsulates the spirit of a project led by Montreal-based Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker: The riparian parkland digs deep into the cultural and ecological histories of the St. Lawrence River to reinvent the relationship between the waterway and its neighbours. “The very essence of the project was to give back the river to the people of Quebec,” explains Réal Lestage, urbanist and founding partner. 

Seen from above, the park’s central Beach sector is a De Stijl composition of leisure and recreation zones. Photo by Stephane Groleau

Over 15 years and three separate phases, Lestage and his team worked to transform inaccessible highway and rail landscapes into a vibrant community destination. Throughout, the firm took pains to approach the work with an appreciation for the area’s past. At times, this led to pragmatic choices. “From the beginning, we decided not to alter the shoreline and keep the river’s profile as-is,” says Eric Lizotte, architect and partner at the firm, “which reduced costs and avoided interference with existing ecosystems.” Native planting was also a priority, leading to the introduction of over 1,000 indigenous trees and 100,000 pollinator-friendly plants. “The goal was to foster collective pride and a sense of ownership rooted in the spirit of place,” says Lucie Bibeau, principal and landscape architect.

A 1955 photo of the site’s former beach, plage du Foulon, which closed shortly thereafter. Photo courtesy of Bibliothèque et Archives Canada.

Building off that spirit, the resulting public spaces also resonate with poetic fragments of collective memory. Boxy, wood-clad amenity buildings recall the stacks of lumber that once dotted the industrial riverside. At the centre of the development, a newly manufactured beach behind the infinity pool resurrects the historic plage du Foulon, beloved by swimmers until its closure in the 1960s. Adding to the sense of escapism, a simple service building blocks the highway from view with a robust black granite base while an elevated timber box overhangs a poolside snack bar. 

Photo by Maxime Brouillet

East of this sandy oasis, a swath of existing marshland is now accessible via a patchwork of staggered wood and concrete “docks” that lead to the Family and Sports sector, a wide-open recreational space peppered with public art, bouldering structures and charcoal barbecues. To the west, curving trails lead through Coastal Meadow gardens designed to emulate the natural riparian landscapes of the St. Lawrence. Scattered along the way are unique reflections of the river, like playfully climbable “pebbles” and a refurbished Frontenac Quay jutting from the shore.

A curved granite wall along the park’s riverside pathway evokes the cliffs behind it. Photo by Adrien Williams

The Promenade Samuel-De Champlain has received industry accolades, but the firm has particularly enjoyed its reception from the community. “The most rewarding moment for us has been witnessing citizens embrace the space, walking through it as if it had always existed,” explains Grégory Taillon, architect. “The project was instantly welcomed by the people.”

FIELD GUIDE

Three pavilions invite Promenade visitors to choose their own adventure:

1

Pavillon des Baigneurs

Photo by Stephane Groleau

Clad in wood and granite, this building serves the Beach sector with change rooms, event space and a snack bar.

2

Pavillon de la Voile

Photo by Stephane Groleau

These wood and glass volumes support the Family and Sports area with bathrooms and exterior sinks.

3

Pavillon de la Côte

Photo by Adrien Williams

Near parking and event spaces in the Coastal Meadows zone, this wood-screened structure offers washrooms and shelter.