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An activity at the Saint-Eustache playing field

A black and white photograph. In the foreground, around ten muddy children who look to be about twelveyears old appear to be whistling. In the background, we can see around twenty other young people.

Photographer unknown, 195-.
Private collection of Madeleine Binette St-Arnaud.

Officially established in 1929 in Québec City, L’Œuvre des terrains de jeux was an association administered by the Church and organized youth activities. Its aim was to occupy young people during the summer with activities seen as intellectual, physical and moral. It was the forerunner of day camps.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the model spread throughout Québec. A decade later, it was gradually taken over by the municipalities. Playing fields were very popular; they were an important meeting place for children and contributed to the vitality of towns and villages.