History

In 1854, the first agricultural exhibition in Quebec launched this tradition. Shuttling back and forth between Quebec and Montreal for a few years, the event finally elects to reside in beautiful Quebec City: the Quebec City Exhibition Company is born.

A new permanent site
The growing number of exhibitors and its popularity amongst the people meant that the event soon exceeded the capacity of its site. The Company acquires the Gowen property, in the Limoilou district. The choice is prescient: the central location is easy to access and near the Lairet and Saint-Charles rivers.


Municipalisation and expansion
It is in 1911 that the City of Quebec acquires the grounds of the Quebec City Exhibition Company and creates the Provincial Exhibition Commission. The municipalisation of the company takes advantage of the site: with an aim of holding interior events, permanent buildings are constructed, giving the site the look we now know. With this change in status, the site’s vocation widens and opens the way to greater success, as demonstrated today through Expo Quebec and its 375,000 visitors.