In 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded Québec as a key colony of New France. Located on the St. Lawrence River, it quickly became a hub for the fur trade and a strategic defense point for the French. Before him, Jacques Cartier explored the region in 1535 and encountered the Iroquoian village of Stadacona, which had disappeared by the time Champlain arrived. The city’s name is believed to come from an Algonquian word meaning “narrowing of the river.”

In 1759, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham led to the British capture of Québec, marking a historic turning point. In 1867, the province became one of Canada’s four founding provinces. Today, Québec remains one of the oldest cities in North America, rich in both French and British heritage.