Homes of Cove Fields

Homes of Cove Fields

From 1945 to 1951, over a hundred families lived on Cove Fields - the name given to the part of the Plains of Abraham located behind the Museum.

At a time when Québec City was suffering a severe housing shortage, Mayor Lucien Borne requested that former army barracks on the site be used as temporary homes.

In short order, a chapel, a school, a playground, and a police station were built. Some residents also opened neighbourhood businesses on their premises: grocery stores, restaurants, shoe repair, and so on. It was a little village in the heart of the Plains. Cove Fields had up to 1,200 people, including over 700 children.

Living conditions were said to be difficult, and the neighbourhood was given various nicknames like Faubourg de la misère (''the poor suburb''). The last families left the site in 1951, and the barracks were demolished.

Ethnographic survey

Participate in the Investigation

With the support of La Horde Patrimoine appliqué and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Université Laval, the National Battlefields Commission is conducting an ethnographic survey of people who lived in the Cove Fields between 1945 and 1951, or who had close ties to this site.

The objective of this research is to preserve the memory of the Cove Fields for posterity. The testimonies will be kept in the Commission's archives.

• Did you or someone you know live in the Cove Fields between 1945 and 1951?

• Do you have memories, anecdotes, or information to share about the site?

• Do you have documents, photos, or material goods related to the Cove Fields?

How to contribute?

To share your testimony, fill out the online form or obtain a printed version at the reception of the Plains of Abraham Museum. To donate documents, photos, or material goods to the Commission's archives, you can bring them to the reception of the Plains of Abraham Museum during opening hours.