As the sugar season approaches, many Quebecers turn their attention to the forests of the province and partake in the traditions that surround the creation of maple syrup. Among those traditions is a sleigh ride in the snow. Last week, I had the pleasure of being part of a sleighing party that took us through […]
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Many Québec residents head toward the sun and sand during the cold winter months, but few do it the way these two will. Next month, Christelle Maître and Isabelle Rivoal will leave the snow and cold of Québec behind and fly to the stark landscape of the Moroccan desert to take part in the Aïcha des Gazelles, an
The federation of milk producers for the province of Quebec has recently launched an advertising campaign to promote the great variety of excellent cheeses made here. It has enjoyed a resounding success, at least in terms of visibility, as the motif of their commercials is crossing over into the idiom of Quebecers. The hero of
For three days after the first snow of the year there has been a persistent drizzle in Québec City. The rain, however, in no way dampened the spirits of the gaggle of giggly girls I escorted around the neighborhood this evening. Their costumes were drenched, their hands frozen; but Halloween went on as planned thanks
I have only done it for a short time now, but it has quickly become one of my great joys. I train tour guides for the city of Québec. It is a delightful job, because my students come to the first day of class already convinced that Québec City is the most beautiful city in
In the summer of 2011, when I left the University of Kansas history department for Quebec, my dearest friends there gave me a leather bound, two-volume edition of François-Xavier Garneau’s Histoire du Canada. It had the inspiring, incomparable smell of dusty bookshelf. I was brought to tears, bowled over by their thoughtfulness. And I had
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In this day and age of warnings, disclaimers, and cautionary blurbs of all sorts, I was struck by this not-so-helpful sign that I saw on a recent tour to Montmorency Falls. To get to the suspension bridge that overlooks the falls, you can walk along the dirt path that runs just feet from the edge
Try finding a Québecer on Facebook. It can be an exercise in patience and oftentimes an exercise in futility. When the first colonists arrived in the St. Lawrence River Valley in the seventeenth century, they found a fertile, but wild land that demanded intense labor before it would provide sustenance. Their success, therefore, depended on
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Aldo is my best customer. Aldo is a donkey. Any walking tour of Old Québec includes a stop at the Cathedral of Holy Trinity, 31 rue des Jardins. It was the first Anglican cathedral built outside of the British Isles, and it graces the Old City with its Palladian architecture, its sonorous bells, and its
The only thing better than a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning is a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning on La Place Royale. A few months ago – for a very brief moment, admittedly – I had the cobbled Place Royale to myself. It was early, rain was threatening,
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