Bordered by Ontario, New Brunswick, Nunavut, Labrador and the United States, Québec is the largest of Canada's provinces and the biggest French-speaking territory in the world, with many of its seven million citizens holding firm to the language and culture inherited from their French ancestors. French is the mother tongue of 83 percent of Quebeckers, while approximately 10 percent cite English as their mother tongue.
The European history of Québec began with the arrival of the French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534. The succeeding era was characterized by the establishment of a thriving fur trade and relatively friendly relations with the Aboriginal people. The continuous rivalry between French and British colonists culminated with the Seven Years' War, which saw the fall of Québec City to British forces in 1759. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, New France became a colony of Britain. However Québec's rural and Catholic roots that made it a traditional, agrarian society until the advent of the second industrial revolution in the 1920's, allowed for it to remain distinct from the rest of Canada - a status that was recognized by a resolution from the Parliament of Canada in 1995. This French identity has always been and remains central to the concerns of Quebeckers. Although the question of independence has been brought up by referendum, they have so far preferred to stay part of Canada.
More than for their political aspirations, Quebeckers should be recognized for their “joie de vivre” that transpires in various Festivals held each year across the province, including Québec City's Winter Carnival, Montréal's International Jazz Festival and Just for Laughs Festival, where people from around the world come to join in the celebrations. Not to mention their food – most of the best restaurants in the country are located in Québec!
Besides the two major cities; multiethnic Montréal, and Québec City (the provincial capital and North America's only walled city) landscapes in Québec are truly what your heart will remember. They range from pastoral valleys and villages in the Eastern Townships, along the American border, to vast expanses of tundra on the shores of Hudson Bay. At Québec's heart is the St-Lawrence river. Its north shore begins with the scenic Charlevoix region and the beluga whales in Tadoussac. Québec's forests are spectacular, particularly in the Laurentians, home to Mont-Tremblant, and dotted with more than a million lakes and rivers. To the East, lies the mountainous and wild Gaspé Peninsula. Varied and vibrant, so is la Belle Province!
Please enjoy browsing through some of Entrée Canada's signature itineraries in the City or perhaps it's the ultimate Trip of a Lifetime that you seek, or maybe it's the right time of year for a special Ski Holiday but if any of these itineraries are not perfectly suited to your needs please contact one of our travel planning experts. |
