First settled by the Recollects in the early 17th century, Saint-Roch started as a small community with a small church dedicated to Saint Roch, the patron saint of dogs. Sam told us how each year people bring their dogs to the church to have them blessed. By the first half of the 20th century, Saint-Roch, was first, a shipbuilding hub, then the home to manufacturing, retail, and theatre – becoming a popular commercial street in Québec City. During the last half of the 20th century, many of the middle-class residents were lured to the sparkly new shopping malls and houses in the suburbs, essentially abandoning the neighbourhood of Saint-Roch. Within a short period of time, the neighbourhood deteriorated and became one of the worst in the city — until the government decided to set a plan
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