The neighbourhood takes its name from the Lairet River, a tributary of the Saint-Charles River that rose near Charlesbourg and wound through Limoilou. On September 14, 1535, Jacques Cartier sighted this river, at whose mouth he wintered with his crew, near the Iroquoian village of Stadacona. In the early 19th century, all the land north of the Saint-Charles River was still farmland.
The neighbourhood at a glance
BoroughLa Cité-Limoilou
Limoilousouth of Charlesbourg
Life in Lairet
The vibe
A mostly residential neighbourhood, steps from the shows, trade fairs and games held at ExpoCité.
The housing
Mostly apartments in small buildings under five storeys; nearly eight dwellings in ten were built before 1981.
Nearby
Vieux-Limoilou · Domaine de Maizerets · Fleur de Lys
Good to know
The Laurentienne and Félix-Leclerc highways run along the neighbourhood, and boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel leads to Vanier and Lower Town. Handy if you get around by car.
Landmarks
- 1re Avenue
- ExpoCité
- Parc Lairet
History
The history of Lairet
- 1535Cartier sights the Lairet River
- 1911The city buys the fairgrounds
- 1949The Colisée de Québec is built
- 1988The Lairet neighbourhood is created
- 2015The Centre Vidéotron opens
In 1898, the Compagnie de l’exposition de Québec bought the Gowen property to hold its yearly agricultural fair. Québec City acquired the site in 1911 and created the Exposition provinciale, a large late-summer agricultural and trade fair. A racetrack was built there in 1916, followed by the Pavillon de l’industrie et du commerce in 1923 and the Colisée de Québec in 1949.
Lairet’s residential growth came mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, north of the Exposition provinciale grounds. Several churches were built, including Sainte-Claire-d’Assise (1951), Saint-Albert-le-Grand (1952) and Saint-Paul-Apôtre (1960). Having become an open sewer in its built-up section, the Lairet River was channelled underground in three phases, in 1960, 1965 and 1967, and almost entirely disappeared from view.
The Exposition provinciale was renamed Expo Québec in 1968. In 1988, Limoilou was divided into three neighbourhoods, and Lairet was named after the river. The site became ExpoCité in 1997, the year the Centre de foires opened; the Centre Vidéotron opened there in 2015, the year the Colisée closed, and the Grand Marché de Québec moved into the former Pavillon du commerce in 2019.
Frequently asked questions about Lairet
Where is the Lairet neighbourhood?
In the Limoilou area, in the north of the La Cité-Limoilou borough, just south of Charlesbourg. It occupies the southeast quadrant formed by the Félix-Leclerc and Laurentienne highways.
Where does the name Lairet come from?
From the Lairet River, a tributary of the Saint-Charles River that is now almost entirely channelled underground. The origin of the river’s name is uncertain: it is sometimes credited to one of Charlesbourg’s first residents, sometimes to the Loiret, a tributary of the Loire.
What is on the ExpoCité site?
The Centre Vidéotron, the Centre de foires, the Pavillon Guy-Lafleur, the Grand Marché de Québec and the former Colisée de Québec, open from 1949 to 2015. The site hosts trade fairs, shows and sporting events.
How do I find an apartment for rent in Lairet?
Rental units managed by Lease Lane in Lairet will soon be listed on the site, along with the online rental application. In the meantime, Cléo can notify you as soon as a unit is posted.
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