Notre-Dame Street: Government, Justice and Commerce

Welcome to the government district! Here you’ll discover the courthouse, the Government House and its gardens, as well as—near Place Jacques-Cartier—the guardhouse and Nelson’s Column, a striking symbol of the British presence. Despite the area’s official role, the district also possessed an important commercial character, as demonstrated by the bustle of the market at Place Jacques-Cartier and by the retail shops multiplying along this stretch of Notre-Dame Street. Civil servants, lawyers, soldiers and passersby from every walk of life cross paths here each day.

At the head of the public administration stood the Governor General, who appointed the ministers of the Executive Council. In the 1840s, the main departments included Justice, Crown Lands, Public Works, the Receiver General and the Inspector General, who oversaw finances. And this is when responsible government emerged.

A quick reminder: anything to do with foreign affairs—defence, the army, trade treaties—still fell directly under London’s authority.