Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, phase 3

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Markets

Buildings & places
Location

Quebec City, Canada
Client

Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec
Completion date

July 5th, 2023

Sabrina Martineau

Vice President, Practice Lead, Civil, Quebec, Canada contact form

Phase III of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, a major project aimed at giving the river back to Quebecers, involves the complete reconstruction on 2.5 kilometers of boulevard Champlain between Côte de Sillery and Côte Gilmour.

In 2003, the Quebec government voiced its desire to create a legacy project for the National Capital Region to mark the 400th anniversary celebrations of the City of Québec. The vision for the project was multifaceted: international in scope, inspired by the moods and great beauty of the setting bordering the St. Lawrence River, with impressive facilities for our time, while integrating and respecting the history of the place and people.

The project would showcase the beauty of Quebec City to the world and give the magnificent St. Lawrence River back to Quebecers.

The Promenade Samuel-De Champlain project phase 1 launched in 2006 and completed in 2008. It marked the first step of the government's desire to give the river back to the people of Quebec. To achieve this goal, everything had to be thought through to the very last detail—from the revitalization of the site through to its complete optimization. Planning multiple facilities and uses while also improving and redeveloping the roads for the entire sector required careful planning and cooperation. Phase 2 was completed in 2016.

Phase 3 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain was inaugurated on July 5, 2023, and followed the original vision of showcasing the St. Lawrence River and making it more accessible.

Phase 3 involved 77 engineers and 64 technicians cooperating across15 specialties and engineering fields. Together, they worked on completely reconstructing boulevard Champlain and integrating various distinctive features between Côte de Sillery and Côte Gilmour over a length of approximately 2.5 km. Pedestrian paths, sidewalks and a cycle path follow the contours of the river. They form a linear riverside park next to an urban boulevard with a winding route and roadside parking.

We had to make several modifications to the site to achieve the desired results. First came the demolition of the existing railway structure (the Canadian National underpass that used to cross Champlain Boulevard) and the construction of a new structure at the crossing. This opened the space and improved visibility and access to the river, giving a new perspective on the river and returning the sector to its original flat relief.

Next, major cliff stabilization and soil decontamination work had to be carried out. We broke down the phase 3 project development into three optimal and well-thought-out parts. The Promenade is three distinct sections: Station de la Côte, Station de la Plage and Station de la Voile. The various developments here include:

an urban beach, a bathing basin with overflow and a water mirror with jets,
large family areas with an access zone for small boats,
a picnic area with barbecues, petanque and volleyball courts,
climbing modules and large grassy areas, several kilometers of footpaths and cycle paths offering spectacular river views, and
building three service pavilions, one of which includes a food court.

2.5 km

four-lanes boulevard

bathing basin with overflow

13 km

underground network

Along the boulevard the redevelopment included the reconstruction of municipal services (drinking water and sewers), adding a backflow pipe from the Foulon reservoir, outfalls to the river, the surface drainage network, adding parking facilities that included stormwater best management practices (BMPs), developing green spaces, planting trees and shrubs, and installing distinctive street furniture.

An events area at the foot of the Sillery hill has been created. Parc de la Jetée was redeveloped. A maritime meadow was created and an overhang towards the river (quai Frontenac) was completely transformed.

The works, divided into several construction lots, also included building retaining walls, electricity, road and site lighting, urban technical networks (UTR), cameras, environmental protection and other miscellaneous works.

Across the life of this multi-phased project, the whole vision has had to be carefully thought out—respectful of nature, sustainable, eco-responsible, safe, comfortable, balanced and, above all, in symbiosis with the various elements of the site.

Beautiful spaces connect people to their landscape, to water and nature, to the present and the past, and above all to each other. We are proud to have been the engineering voice on the team that respected the original vision and made the dream of giving the majestic St. Lawrence River back to the people reality.

A survey conducted by Léger shows that, in its first year of operation first year of operation, the Plage station alone alone would have generated more than 550,000 visits between July 5 and the beginning of October, a mere thirteen weeks.

Phase 3 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain won the Grand Prize for Architectural Excellence at the Ordre des architectes du Québec gala held on April 20, 2024. It also received a prestigious 2024 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture for outstanding design.

Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, phase 3

Sabrina Martineau

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Promenade
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