Jacynthe Lévis House

Our new Maison Jacynthe is located in the historic district of Old Lévis and in a building rich in history: 40 Avenue Bégin!

A word about Bégin Avenue

It was the British John Caldwell who, at the beginning of the ^19th century, traced the lines of an urban framework on the top of the cliff - the town of Aubigny - at the origin of what would become Lévis. The businessman and forestry entrepreneur who inherited the seigneury of Lauzon notably designed many of the arteries and streets of Old Lévis, including Bégin Avenue. The latter was intended, from the very beginning, to be a primarily commercial artery. First named Bergami then Eden Street by Caldwell, Bégin Avenue was named in 1914 in honor of Cardinal Louis Nazaire Bégin (1840-1924), originally from Lévis (from the former village of Sarosto).

Lined with majestic trees and equipped with a tramway line like in the most modern cities of that time, Avenue Bégin experienced its true hours of glory during the first half of the ^20th century. Today, Avenue Bégin is frequented by a diverse clientele and offers several services such as restaurants, delicatessens, fashion designers, hair salons, specialized consultation services, etc. You can see some examples of well-preserved old buildings on this street.

The Laurentian Building, 36-40 Bégin Avenue, La maison Gabriel-Lemieux (Gabriel Lemieux, merchant, former owner of the land and building, brother of the Honorable François Lemieux, first member of parliament for the riding of Lévis in 1854.) has a history that intertwines that of two institutions native to Lévis: the Mouvement Desjardins and La Laurentienne, a life insurance company founded in 1938. First housing the Caisse populaire de Lévis from 1916 to 1920, the building then housed the head office of Desjardins Life Insurance and then that of La Laurentienne Insurance, from which the building takes its name. It may be interesting to add that the premises temporarily served as city hall. The Laurentian Building now houses our Maison Jacynthe de Lévis!

What a joy it will be to welcome you there!



Source: https://www.ville.levis.qc.ca/fileadmin/Documents_PDF/brochure-vieux-levis-a-pied.pdf