Around 1696, the chemin de Charlesbourg, today’s 1re Avenue, was extended north as the rang Saint-Pierre, now boulevard Henri-Bourassa. The road linked the Charlesbourg trait-carré to the future neighbourhood and separated two cleared areas: Saint-Pierre to the west and Saint-Claude to the east. The Élie and Joubert families were the first to settle there.
The neighbourhood at a glance
BoroughCharlesbourg
Charlesbourgon both sides of boulevard Henri-Bourassa
Life in Orsainville
The vibe
A mostly residential suburban neighbourhood, denser along boulevard Henri-Bourassa, with large green spaces to the west.
The housing
Single-family houses and apartment buildings under five storeys; the boulevard Henri-Bourassa corridor is the densest.
Nearby
Trait-Carré de Charlesbourg · Golf de la Faune · Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides
Good to know
The Laurentienne highway (73) runs along the west side of the neighbourhood, and boulevard Henri-Bourassa leads to southern Charlesbourg.
Landmarks
- Boulevard Henri-Bourassa
- Parc des Moulins
- Église Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens
History
The history of Orsainville
- 1696The rang Saint-Pierre is opened
- 1931The Jardin zoologique du Québec opens
- 1953The municipality becomes Orsainville
- 1976Merged into the city of Charlesbourg
- 2006Parc des Moulins is created
From 1855, the area was part of the large municipality of Saint-Charles-de-Charlesbourg, which was divided several times until 1952. In 1931, the Jardin zoologique du Québec opened on the banks of the rivière du Berger. After the river flooded in 1938, the site was redeveloped and new buildings were added.
In 1952, population growth led to the creation of the Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens parish, whose church dates from 1954. In 1953, the municipality was renamed Orsainville, after the comté d’Orsainville, a fief from the New France era. Orsainville became a town in 1960 and quickly went from farming parish to suburb, before being merged into Charlesbourg in 1976.
In 2002, Charlesbourg was merged into Québec City, and Orsainville became a neighbourhood of the borough. The zoo closed on March 31, 2006, and parc des Moulins was created the same year on part of its site. On October 17, 2022, the neighbourhood, until then provisionally called “quartier 4-2,” gained a neighbourhood council.
Frequently asked questions about Orsainville
Where is the Orsainville neighbourhood?
In the Charlesbourg borough, between boulevard Jean-Talon to the south, rue de la Faune to the north, the Laurentienne highway (73) to the west and boulevard du Loiret to the east.
Where does the name Orsainville come from?
From the comté d’Orsainville, a nearby fief in the days of New France. The municipality of Saint-Charles-de-Charlesbourg took this name in 1953.
Which parks are in Orsainville?
Parc des Moulins, created in 2006 on part of the former Jardin zoologique du Québec, the Rivière-des-Roches linear park and parc Saint-Pierre, parc Chabot, parc des Verveines, parc du Périgord and parc du Lyonnais.
How do I find an apartment for rent in Orsainville?
Rental units managed by Lease Lane in Orsainville 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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