Saint-Louis Gate and the Fortifications
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Transcript
Québec's surviving walls are the feature that made UNESCO call the city exceptional in North America. The defensive system developed over centuries under both French and British rule because the city controlled a commanding position on the St. Lawrence.
The present Saint-Louis Gate is not a medieval relic. It was reconstructed in the nineteenth century as part of a preservation and beautification program. Earlier gates were functional military barriers and traffic bottlenecks.
By the 1870s demolition seemed practical. Lord Dufferin instead promoted a plan that preserved much of the fortification system while making it compatible with a modern city.
A precise version of the famous claim is best: UNESCO describes Québec as the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts and the most complete fortified colonial town north of Mexico.