Quebec Tourism - Travel to Quebec
Quebec (French: Québec) is a province of Canada.
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Regions in Quebec
- Abitibi-Témiscamingue
- Bas-Saint-Laurent
- Eastern Townships
- Centre-du-Québec
- Charlevoix
- Chaudière-Appalaches
- Duplessis
- Gaspé Peninsula
- îles-de-la-Madeleine
- Lanaudière
- Laurentides
- Laval
- Manicouagan
- Mauricie
- Montérégie
- Montreal
- Nord-du-Québec
- Outaouais
- Quebec Region
- Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
Cities in Quebec
- Gaspé
- Gatineau
- Granby
- Laval
- Lévis
- Longueil
- Magog
- Montreal
- Mont-Tremblant
- Quebec City
- Rimouski
- Saguenay
- Shawinigan
- Trois-Rivières
Quebec Talk
As Canada is officially bilingual, most official documents, signs, and tourist information will be in both French and English. Staff at retail shops, restaurants and tourist attractions will often speak correct English, especially in Montreal. About 8% of the province's residents speak English as a mother tongue, and an additional 31% consider that they can get speak it.
The official language of Quebec, however, is French -- or, more specifically, Quebecois French. Isolated from France for centuries, and unaffected by that country's 19th-century language standardization, Quebec has developed its own variant of French. The continental variety -- called "international French" or français internationale here -- is well-understood.
There are a few main differences between Quebecois French and French-from-France. One is that in Quebec it's common to tutoyer (use the familiar tu second-person pronoun) for all and sundry, regardless of age or status. In asking questions, one uses inversion (Aurais-tu du sirop ?) more often than est-ce que, and sometimes just inflection (Tu aurait du sirop ?). Finally, there are a number of vocabulary words that differ (for example, un char for a car, rather than une voiture), and some common expressions (C'est beau for "OK" or "fine").
Probably the most puzzling difference in Quebec's French is that one will often sacrer (blaspheme) rather than using scatological or sexual curse words. Terms like baptême (baptism) or vierge (virgin) have become slangy and taboo over the centuries in this once fervently Catholic culture. Hostie en tabernacle! ("the communion wafer in the tabernacle!") or just tabarnak! is one of the most obscene things to say, and more polite versions like tabarnouche or tabarniche are equivalent to "darn" or "fudge!"
Although sacre may seem funny, be assured that Quebeckers do take it seriously. Don't sacrer any time you don't really mean it!
See also: French phrasebook
See Quebec
Do Quebec
- St. Jean-Baptiste (Fête Nationale), province-wide. June 24. The saint day of John the Baptist is also the "national" holiday of Quebec. With origins in France, the holiday took on major importance in the New World since it coincided with the summer gathering of fur traders. Many Quebecois celebrate the beginning of summer with backyard barbecues and parties at home, but there are also large public events in almost any town in the province, and huge public concerts in Montreal and Quebec City. A great day to see what makes Quebec so special.
Eat - Travel to Quebec
Maple syrup (French: sirop d'érable) is the sticky, drippy giant on Quebec's culinary landscape. Boiled down from sap of the maple tree in sugar shacks (cabanes au sucre) around the province, it's got a more tangy flavor than the corn-based pancake syrup you may be used to. Different types of candies are obtained by pushing the boiling process further and are popular gifts during spring time. Also don't miss taffy-on-the-snow.
In Quebec, the syrup is used for more than just pancakes, though. You can find it as a glaze for pork and beef, mixed in with baked beans (fêves au lard), or in desserts like puding chômeur ("welfare cake") or tarte au sucre. It's also made into loose sugar and candies. Syrup is on sale practically anywhere you want to go, but if you really want to take some home, stop into a grocery store rather than at a tourist shop. You can get the same high-quality syrup as at the souvenir stand for about half the price.
No visit to Quebec is complete without at least one plate of poutine (maybe from English "pudding"). This unique dish is a plate of French fries, drowned in gravy, and topped with chewy curds of white cheddar. There are variations on the theme -- adding chicken, beef, vegetables or sausage, or replacing the gravy with tomato and beef sauce (poutine italienne). Poutine can be found in practically any fast-food chain restaurant in Quebec, but higher-quality fare can be found at more specialized poutine shops.
Befitting the province's sub-arctic climate, Quebecois cuisine favors rich, hot foods with more calories than you want to know about. Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean for instance is a pie, typically from the Saguenay region but popular everywhere, made of beef and diced potatoes, stewed for a whole day then baked together in a flakey pastry shell. It's comfort food for a Quebecois -- just like Maman used to make.
External Links for Quebec Tourism
- Bonjour Quebec, the Official Web site of Tourisme Québec
