Champlain's Post on the St. Lawrence: Quebec, 1608.
This reproduction from an original diagram illustrates the beginnings of urban life in Canada. The small wooden "habitation" stood by the river's edge, below the heights of Cape Diamond where later a citadel would rise. The narrowing of the St. Lawrence here, the good harborage at the mouth of the St. Charles River, and the commanding heights above, made Quebec ideal for controlling access to the trade of the interior. Quebec developed from the days of its founder, Samuel de Champlain, through the era of New France and the cession to Britain, as a key port, fortress, and seat of government. Even in this first post one can see basic urban features. There was a warehouse (on the left) for trade goods and supplies, workmen's lodgings, governor's quarters (at the front), and defensive emplacements. In short, however small, it was a centre for commerce, craftsmen, administration and security: all major aspects of urban places in history.
Courtesy: John Ross Robertson Collection, Metropolitan Toronto Library Board
