History of la salle des Promotions

The construction of the pavillon Camille-Roy (where the venue is located) began on September 21, 1854. It quickly became the central building of Université Laval, and is defined as a flagship work of the architect Charles Baillargé, a member of the Baillargé family-dynasty of sculptors/architects. 

The Camille-Roy pavilion was, at the time, the largest building in Quebec City. In its early days, La Salle des Promotions was used for many activities, and because of its majestic cachet, its fame went far beyond the university sphere.  

In 1945, for economical reasons, Le Séminaire de Québec gradually withdrew from the management of Université Laval. This withdrawal was accentuated by the conclusions of the « Parent Report » in the early 1960s. The separation of the two institutions became official in 1971. The following year, the university moved from the Old Quebec to the Sainte-Foy campus. The pavillon Camille-Roy became the property of le Petit Séminaire de Québec. At that time, the pavilion was known as “Le Pavillon du Collégial” and la salle des Promotions was mainly used as an auditorium and theatre hall. In 1999, with the end of college education at le Petit Séminaire, the disused building came back under the control of Le Séminaire de Québec. 

More recently, le Séminaire de Québec launched a vast renovation project to equip the building with the most recent technological and mechanical upgrades, while preserving its lustre and heritage character. Le Séminaire de Québec wanted to make this venue accessible to the public and also use it in order to promote its work and mission to the society.

An impressive number of events were organized in la salle des Promotions over the years: public readings, conferences, literary evenings, concerts, plays, cinema, scientific presentations. Other more formal activities also bear witness to the prestige and importance of the venue, such as banquets in presence of the Prince of Wales on 22 August 1860, the Duke of York in 1901, the President of the French Republic Vincent Auriol in 1951 and General Charles de Gaulle in 1960.