A 100% free cultural treasure to discover this summer!

Who could believe that this house was home to Quebec’s first caisse populaire? Strategically located in the heart of Vieux-Lévis, discover the story of a committed family who made savings and credit accessible to the workers and farmers of the time.

I’d already visited the Maison Alphonse-Desjardins on a school outing with my elementary school, but this was the first time I’d been back there with my adult eyes and children – not my own, though, haha – and I can assure you that the experience was completely different. There were a lot of great new things waiting for us around the bend, and really… we were captivated from start to finish.

First of all, in addition to being free, each tour is accompanied by a guide. My group and I were pleasantly well served by Denise throughout our visit. I fell in love with this very patient and charismatic lady, and would have listened to her stories for hours on end. As soon as we arrived, the children were given a challenge to complete throughout the visit.

With models in hand, they have to complete a game of seek and find, locating the objects identified on the game board in the house and placing them in the right place. I can guarantee that the children will need help from the adults, as this game is quite a challenge, even for older children, much to my surprise. It’s also important to know that the guided tours are suitable for families, a slightly more playful way of discovering the history of this exceptional heritage site.

And the journey back in time begins! At first glance, we’re automatically transported back to the 1900s, or more precisely to 1906, when the Maison Alphonse-Desjardins housed the head office of the Caisse populaire de Lévis, as well as being the family home. The current décor of the Maison Alphonse-Desjardins is a faithful recreation of the Victorian era.

Originally built in 1883 for the Desjardins family, it served as a private residence for almost 100 years, until 1981, when it became the property of the Société historique Alphonse-Desjardins to welcome visitors.

During the visit, everyone is greatly impressed by the layout and grandeur of the rooms: everything is small, divided and dark. One is surprised to see a huge living room and a tiny kitchen. I don’t know how Dorimène managed to prepare meals for a family of 10 children with not even a meter of counter space available in the kitchen. It’s a sign that this family was resourceful and tenacious. Don’t forget to take a good look around during the visit, as the children need to complete their search-and-find model. Thanks to their keen observations, they noticed that there was no bathroom in the house. They were confused to learn that there were no toilets in those days! I think they realized that the comforts of those years were not the same as they are today.