The Great Secret of Kebec
At the Port of Quebec City
Description
You are now in the port of Quebec City in 1917. Shipments of steel beams are piling up on the docks.
An Aboriginal steelworker from the Québec City bridge-building site comes to inspect and pick up a shipment of steel beams. You can speak to him.
Dialogue
Aboriginal steelworker
"Since the great fires that destroyed a part of the city, steel has increasingly replaced lumber in the major projects. We Aboriginals are the Kings of the High Steel. We built the skyscrapers of New York and Chicago. Poised above the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence, we have no fear. Try to go higher and protect the secret the city holds within itself."
Then go to the street lamp where a message awaits you.
Street lamp
"To get a clearer view of the changes in Québec City and its role in some of the great events of modern history, you will need my light!"
You are now going to Dufferin Terrace.
Aboriginal steelworker
The Aboriginal steeworkers acquired a worldwide reputation as specialists in the assembly of steel structures at dizzying heights. In August 1907, an entire team of Aboriginal steelworkers died when the Québec Bridge, on which they were working collapsed.
Street lamp
Lighted first by gas streetlights from the middle of the 19th century, Québec City benefited greatly by the discovery of electricity. There were many changes in the way city folk lived: many more evening outings to theatres and cabarets, the advent of streetcars, the appearance of electricity pylons in the landscape, and so on. The Dufferin Terrace acquired streetlights in 1883, a scant three years after the first test of outdoor lighting in North America. This was a Canadian first.
Steel bearing pile
Following the great fires of the 19th century and with the decline in the lumber trade, Québec City began its industrial growth, becoming one of the main centre of leather production in the province. It concentrated on the production of goods like leather, footwear and clothing. It switched to steel for major construction projects, like the Québec Bridge.
ChÂteau Frontenac
Description
You are on Dufferin Terrace in the early 1920s.
A hawk is perched on the low wall of the Terrace and speaks to you.
Dialogue
Hawk
"Like me, people are always trying to go higher and see farther. From this vantage point, I can see them bustling around. A blow from a pick could reveal the secret. Find something that could keep it safe.
Under the Terrace near the Château, hide the secret from prying eyes before the building of the staircase reveals its hiding place. Once it is concealed, the symbol of your quest can appear above the waters, on the bridge."
You are now going to the Lower Town sector of Québec City.
Lower Town sector, QuÉbec City
Description
You are in Lower Town, Québec City. The year is 1944, and Québec City looks like a city under siege. A tank emerges from a street—a reminder that this is war time. The tank has a message for you.
Dialogue
Tank
"For taking the enemy by storm, we are ideal, but there are better ways of scaling cliffs!"
Lower Town and Upper Town are linked by numerous staircases. Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt are standing next to a bench on the staircase at the bottom of Château Frontenac. They have a message for you.
Winston CHURCHILL and Franklin D. ROOSEVELT
"From the heights of this rock, with this view of the St. Lawrence, our plan for the landings took shape. All these steel footbridges that scale the cliffs were our inspiration for the liberation of Europe. Like Canadians, we believe it is important to build bridges between nations, the better to grow together."
You are now going to the Québec bridge.
Winston CHURCHILL and Franklin D. ROOSEVELT
During the Second World War, the Allied leaders held series of key strategic conferences. Two of these took place in Québec City, from August 10 to 24, 1943, and from September 11 to 16, 1944. These meetings, at which the future conduct of the war-including the Normandy landings-was planned, were dominated by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and the US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
On the QuÉbec City bridge
Description
You are on the Québec City bridge. There are steel beams and an Aboriginal steelworker balancing on the structure. He has a message for you.
Dialogue
Aboriginal steelworker
"My brothers who died on the job did not die in vain. The steel arms of the bridge are their arms. Near the bridge pillars, you will find the way to go!
What you are looking for is strong, and enables men to banish slowness. What you build will have to hide the secret."
Québec City bridge
Construction of the Québec City bridge officially began in 1900. The cantilever system was chosen because it allows wider spans between abutments, and it is still the longest of its type in the world. Construction was completed in 1917, despite the successive collapses that occurred in 1907 and 1916.
End OF phase 7
Congratulations! You have completed the seventh phase of your noble quest.
Stairs: in the heart of the city
To review the historical facts you have learned so far, don’t forget to check the book.
To discover more about "The Great Secret of Kebec", go to phase 8.
