Culture of Quebec
Encyclopedia
The Culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting from the shared history of the French
-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Western World
; Quebec is the only region in North America
with a French-speaking majority, as well as one of only two provinces in Canada
where French is a constitutionally-recognized official language (New Brunswick
being the other). Thus, French speaking Quebecers (7.83 million) differ from that of the 25.91 million remaining citizens of Canada
.
For historical and linguistic reasons, Francophone Quebec
also has cultural links with other North American French-speaking communities, particularly with the Acadians of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
and Franco-Ontarian
communities in Eastern Ontario
, and to a lesser extent with the French-Canadian communities of Northern Ontario
and Western Canada
and the Cajun
French revival movements in Louisiana
, United States
. As of 2006, 79% of all Quebecers list French as their mother tongue; since French is the official language in the province, up to 95% of all residents are capable of speaking French.
History made Quebec a meeting place for cultures, where people from around the world experience America, but from a little distance and through a different eye. The culture of Quebec is connected to the strong cultural currents of the rest of Canada, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom
. As such, it is often described as a crossroads between Europe
and America. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes contemporary Quebec culture as a post-1960s phenomenon resulting from the Quiet Revolution
, an essentially homogeneous socially liberal
counter-culture phenomenon supported and financed by both of Quebec's major political parties, who differ essentially not in a right-vs-left continuum but a federalist-vs-sovereignist/separatist
continuum.
's French-speaking populace has the second largest body of folktales in Canada (the first being Native people); most prominent within Quebec
folklore are old parables and tales. Other forms of folklore include superstitions associated with objects, events, and dreams.
by transforming the European hero into Ti-Jean, a generic rural habitant, they eventually spawned many other tales. Many were passed on through generations by what French speaking Quebecers refer to as Les Raconteurs, or storytellers. Their tales vary in length: good Raconteurs can recite tales lasting over two hours, or even tell them over the course of a few evenings. A great many of the stories were never written down, but rather have been passed on through word of mouth. Almost all of the stories Native to Quebec
, were influenced by Christian
Dogma and superstitions.The Devil
, for instance, appears often as either a person, an animal or monster, or indirectly through Demonic acts.
had melted away, he realizes that this was no ordinary horse. Rushing inside, he spies the young girl’s father and explains to him what he saw outside. "It’s none other than the Devil himself! Your Wife invited him in with her heresy
," explains the Christian. Afraid, the young girl’s father begs the Christian to fetch his Priest
while he keeps an eye on his daughter. The Priest
, who recognizes the urgency of the matter, rushes over in order to prevent the Devil from stealing the young girls soul
. Armed with holy water
, a crucifix
, and a prayer
book, the priest approaches the Devil. Having seen the holy man, the Devil quickly rushes to a corner of the room. When the priest
asks the Devil why he is here, the latter replies that he is here ‘because I was invited’. Determined to remain in the dwelling, the Devil ignores the Priest's requests to leave. It is only when the holy man had started to read from his Bible
and sprinkled holy water about, that the Devil finally left in a fit of pyrotechnics
. Overwhelmed with joy, the mother and father fell on bended knees in front of the Priest
, thanking him and promising to convert to Christianity. The three of them –mother, father and daughter- converted and the young couple got
married.
There are various versions of this tale: One paints the young girl as being very disobedient and flirtatious. Although her parents warn her of the evils of selfishness, her actions do not change. Thus, the Devil was able to enter her home because of her Unchristian behavior. She is saved once again by the Priest, and converts to Christianity. Another version has the tale happening in a remote village in New Brunswick
, but with the same basic storyline. Clearly, the tale evolved depending on what message the storyteller was trying to portray. Regardless of the version, the vast influence of the Catholic Church is clearly noticeable.
folklore include superstitions surrounding objects, events, and dreams. In essence, these stem from the belief in both White Magic
and Black Magic
, where the former is seen to be beneficial and seeks to bring about positive outcomes, and the latter being essentially malicious, sinister, and all-around evil
(sometimes also called witchcraft
). Although Christianity had slowly chipped away at most forms of magic, the populace still held on to its various superstitions for generations. Where religion provides Quebec with a societal structure, these beliefs sought to predict the future, to help alleviate fear of the unknown.
Listed below are objects along with a brief description of the superstition associated with them.
Age
A woman, regardless of marital status, will experience an important event during the year following her 31st birthday.
Animals
When animals are nervous, it means there is an impending death or disease.
Bee
If a wasp, a hornet, or a bee bites your tongue you will not be stung.
Bonhomme sept-heures
This man is said to kidnap children who are out of bed after seven o'clock at night. He hides underneath balconies and, equipped with a mask and a bag in which to dispose the children, enters a home after the clock strikes seven.
Eldest child
If its a boy, the father will die before the mother will. Likewise, if its a girl, the mother will die first.
Freckles
Having freckles on your arms is a sign of sensuality.
Gifts
You should never give someone a mirror, a knife, or any religious object as a gift because it brings bad luck.
Hairbrush
If a young woman drops her hairbrush, she'll lose her fiancée.
Happiness
If you dream about being happy, then the next day you will have a huge fight; vice-versa is also true.
Matches
Needle
Trees
Trees die after those who have planted them die.
Rats
To dream of rats means there are enemies nearby.
Spiders
Stars
Count nine stars nine nights in a row, and the last star will point towards your future husband.
on June 27, 1896. Frenchman Louis Minier presented a film on a Cinematograph in a Café-Theatre on Saint Lawrence Boulevard
. However, it was not be until the 1960s when the National Film Board of Canada
was established that a genuine Quebec cinema industry would emerge. Important contributions to world cinema include Cinéma Vérité
and artistic animation. In 2004, a Quebec film, The Barbarian Invasions, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
.
arts, where it emphasizes the Europe
an tradition of circus.
The Cirque Du Soleil
circus troupe is known for its artistic productions with rich musical scores. Its productions include Varekai
, Dralion
, Alegría, Corteo
, KOOZA, Quidam
, KÀ
, Zumanity
, Love
, Mystère
and O
, which is performed on a water platform. It is one of the world's few circuses without animal performers. Other internationally successful troupes include Cirque Éloize
and Cirque ÉOS.
Cavalia
, a Shawinigan-based horse show, has, since 2003, gained massive popularity in Montreal and Los Angeles
. It features both acrobatic and equestrian arts. All of the horses are male, most of which are stallions.
an tradition of comics, combining both graphic design
and literature
. Though most are aimed at children, they are generally considered more dignified entertainment and there are many notable exceptions of graphic novels and comic books aimed at an older reading audience, such as the ones published by the Montreal-based Drawn and Quarterly
, 400 Coups and La Pasteque.
. It was, however, during the late 19th century that a novel was first published by a Quebecer.
of Quebec has two main influences: the traditional songs of France
, and the influence of Celtic music
, with reels
and songs that show a definite affinity with the traditional music of Canada's Maritime Provinces, Ireland
, Scotland
, and Brittany
. This traditional music is becoming increasingly more popular, with the success of groups such as La Bottine Souriante
.
Quebec has also produced world-class classical music over the years, such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
(MSO), founded in 1934. Under the direction of Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit
from 1977 to 2002, the MSO gained a truly international reputation. Montreal is also home to the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, the early music
ensemble Arion, the all-female ensemble La Pietà, created by violinist Angèle Dubeau
, to name but a few; Quebec City
is home to the Violons du Roy under the direction of Bernard Labadie and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec
under the direction of Yoav Talmi
. Quebec has a number of classical music festivals, such as the Festival de Lanaudière, Festival Orford chamber music
festival held at the Orford Art Centre, and where the ensemble the Orford String Quartet was first formed.
Classical music aficionados can attend performances in a number of concert halls. Salle Wilfrid Pelletier at the Place des Arts
cultural centre in the heart of Montreal is home to the MSO. Montreal's McGill University
also houses three concert halls: Pollack Hall, Tanna Schulich Hall and Redpath Hall
. The Université de Montréal
has its Salle Claude Champagne, named after Quebec composer
Claude Champagne
. The Grand Théâtre de Québec
in Quebec City is home to the Orchestre symphonique du Québec. A regional centre, Rimouski, is home to the Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire and has a large concert hall, the Desjardins-Telus theatre.
Jazz
also has a long tradition in Quebec. Montreal's annual Montreal International Jazz Festival draws a number of visitors each summer. Many Quebecers have made a name for themselves in the jazz world, such as Oscar Peterson
, Oliver Jones, Karen Young
, Lorraine Desmarais
, Vic Vogel
, Michel Donato, and Alain Caron
.
A number of performers enjoy considerable success at home, both in terms of record sales and listenership, while remaining relatively unknown outside Quebec. In a number of cases, French-speaking Quebec singers are able to export their talent to France and Belgium. Artists like Céline Dion
and the pop-punk group Simple Plan
have achieved considerable success in English-speaking countries by expanding their audience base. Celine Dion, for instance, has sold over 50 million albums in the United States alone.
A growing population in Quebec (young adults and teenagers) are listening to more "underground" music, including world known Metal, Hardcore, Punk bands. In fact, the Quebec scene is renowned in metal circles for its production of some of the world's finest Technical
and Progressive Death metal bands such as Voivod
, Gorguts
, Quo Vadis
, Neuraxis and Martyr
as well as Augury and Unexpect. The Quebec metal scene also produced other fine bands such as Kataklysm
(northern hyperblast), Despised Icon
(deathcore) and Cryptopsy
(death metal).
. Only some games have been translated into French, but the government of Quebec
and the Entertainment Software Association of Canada
made a deal in 2007 that will require all games sold in Quebec to be translated into French by 2009, as long as they are available in another part of the world in French as well. In some cases the game includes optional French text and/or subtitles, while in other cases the game is fully translated in French complete with dubbed voice acting (as is the case with games by Montreal-based Ubisoft
), which may be recorded either locally or in Europe.
For many years a mostly rural society, Quebec has a tradition of craft
art, including the making of stained glass
windows, as exemplified in the art of Marcelle Ferron
.
The group known as Les Automatistes
, and its best known artist, Jean-Paul Riopelle
, is perhaps Quebec's best known contribution to the world of fine art.
era, this attitude completely changed. In 2001, the fertility rate in Quebec was 1.474 per thousand.
In Quebec, many, if not all, married women retain their maiden names when they marry, as was the case in the Middle Ages. This is mandated in the Civil Code of Quebec
. This followed the 1970s strong feminist movement and the Quiet Revolution. Since June 24, 2002, Quebec has had a civil union
system available to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. On March 19, 2004, Quebec became the third province in Canada
to legally perform a same-sex marriage
, following a court challenge brought by Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf
. The province is known as one of the most tolerant and gay friendly places in North America.
s employed in textile
s, paper plants and shops. Quebec also has a long tradition in forestry
. Quebec's lumberjack
s were known and popularized in New England
and even all the way to Minnesota
. In the first part of the 20th century, many lumber camps in Maine
, Vermont
and New Hampshire
were staffed by French-Canadian workers.
Since the 1960s, union membership has grown in Quebec. Today, Quebec has the highest percentage of unionized workers in North America. Quebec is the only jurisdiction in North America where a Walmart store was unionized (Jonquière, now closed). Most union leaders in Quebec have strong ties to the Parti Québécois
. Many members of the business circles and the population-at-large resent the major unions' (FTQ, CSN
and CSQ) influences on the public debates especially the sovereignty of the province. Union leaders, but not the rank-and-file members per se, are often seen meddling on political debates; often publicly voicing their favourable position and support of Quebec sovereignty.
Some Francophone Quebecers have strong adversarial relationships with residents of neighbouring English-speaking provinces as well as Quebec's own Anglophones. Such an attitude stems partly from the early to mid-20th century, when Anglophones dominated the spheres of industry and commerce and tended to favour their own for promotion to management-level positions. Since then, the tide has arguably turned.
and Fort Lauderdale
regions. Initially a trend that only the wealthy could afford; this destination is now considered by many as outdated and Un-stylish. It did, however, spur the coining of the term, "Floribécois," a Quebec snowbird
. The increasing real estate taxes might explain why Quebecers increasingly tend to visit the North Miami area instead of residing there for part of the year. Many snowbirds owned a trailer or a house but were renting the land where their property was located. New locations and resort areas such as Mexico
, Cuba
, the Dominican Republic
and Caribbean islands
are now favoured by many Quebecers to spend their traditional sunny one or two-week vacations.
) is an old French tradition involving tacking fish (usually paper ones) on people's back without their knowledge. It dates back to 1564, and is still to this day a tradition in Quebec, although now people play pranks on each other instead of the fish, as is done in most other parts of the world.
Many Quebec television shows contain humour, and a lot of talk-shows ask for comic people to participate. A famous show called Bye-Bye
, broadcast each year on December 31, was a funny way to review the year just completed and laugh about any news (political or not) that happened that year.
The Just for Laughs
festival is considered the world's largest comedy festival of its kind; it started in Montreal and has expanded to Toronto and Nantes in France, as well as to other countries.
Prior to the modern independent political movement, many citizens of Quebec decided to express their dissatisfaction with federal elections by forming the Rhinoceros Party of Canada. Founded in 1963, the party fielded humorous candidates in many ridings with a satirical platform. They added colour to many otherwise drab elections for more than two decades.
or France
, where cooking is considered one of the fine arts, fine dining is a passion among the well-to-do of Quebec society. While Montreal has the greatest concentration of fine cuisine restaurants in Canada, even small communities proudly boast of famous inns where the chef has an international reputation. This could be partly explained by a strong immigration in the 1960s and 1970s from Italy
, Belgium
, Switzerland
and France
. Many of those immigrants were waiter
s, cooks
and chef
s. Food
from Quebec include most of the foods from Canada
, France
, The Americas
and then some scattered other food
.
Ice hockey
is by far the sport of choice in Quebec. It lives in the hearts and minds of Quebecers thanks to the rich legacy of the Montreal Canadiens
. The rules of the game were set up by students at McGill University
in 1875. There are many junior ice hockey teams, and one would be hard-pressed to find even the smallest community without a rink available for organized play.
Cross-country skiing
is very easily accessible due to the abundance of snow and an unending supply of open fields. With the Laurentian Mountains
close at hand, some of the best downhill skiing in Canada east of the Rockies
is to be found in Quebec as well.
The snowmobile
(or "skidoo"), invented in Quebec by Joseph-Armand Bombardier
, is a popular hobby, though its reputation has been marred by several deaths each year. Through the 1990s, the Mont Tremblant and Mont Sainte-Anne ski resorts became popular destinations internationally.
Another popular pastime is ice fishing
. Rivers freeze over quickly come wintertime and as soon as the ice is solid enough to walk upon, one can find dozens of tiny homemade shacks (ice houses) dotting the frozen surface.
Quebec is home to many professional sports teams and events, the majority of which call Montreal home.
. Spectators can purchase tickets to be seated on site at La Ronde, providing an exceptional view of the lower altitude display and of the whole perspective. However, tens of thousands of people watch the fireworks for free from nearby locations. Because of its proximity to La Ronde, the Jacques Cartier
Bridge is closed down to automobile circulation and is flooded by thousands of pedestrian spectators for the duration of the show.
The Just for Laughs Festival
, or Festival Juste pour rire, a comedy festival, again highlights Quebec's love of humour. Gala events are held nightly for several days and an atmosphere similar to the Jazz Fest is seen on the streets of Montreal, with many street performers and crowds.
The Francofolies
is a festival celebrating the diversity of francophone music. Many out-door shows are given for free.
(Montreal), Le Devoir
(Montreal) and Le Soleil
(Quebec City), the tabloids Le Journal de Montréal
(Montreal) and Le Journal de Québec
(Quebec City), and the English-language broadsheet The Gazette (Montreal).
Other smaller centres have their own newspapers, and there are also several free papers including "alternative weeklies" and daily micro-presses available in cafes and the Montreal Metro
.
A number of television networks and stations broadcast in Quebec. Two public broadcasters
broadcast over the air in French: Radio-Canada
, operated by the federal government, and Télé-Québec
, operated by the provincial government. Two private broadcasters broadcast over the air in French: TVA (which generally has the highest ratings of all French-language broadcasters) and V. These Quebec television networks produce a considerable amount of their content locally, including the popular téléroman
s.
The three main Canadian English networks also broadcast over the air in Quebec: public broadcaster CBC
and private broadcasters CTV
and Global Television. These networks provide some local content, primarily news
and public affairs programming. Montreal's CJNT, owned by Global
, is a hybrid affiliate of English language CH system and multicultural programming.
A number of networks are only available to cable
and satellite subscribers. Subscribers can watch a wide range of specialized French-language TV channels. Amongst these offerings is TV5, the international French-language network. Most major Canadian English-language cable and satellite networks are also available.
Most American television networks are available in Quebec, although in some locations farther from the border they are not available over the air, but only on cable. The PBS affiliates from the neighbouring states, WETK
in Burlington
, Vermont
and WCFE
in Plattsburgh, New York
, sometimes run Quebec-specific material.
.
Among the key institutions are:
Quebec's rich heritage of culture and history can be explored through a network of museums, which include the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
, the Musée de la civilisation
and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
.
Many of Quebec's artists have been educated in universities' arts faculties and specialized art schools. Notable schools include the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec
, the École nationale de théâtre du Canada
, the École nationale de l'humour and the École nationale de cirque
.
, Quebec's largest city, is the second largest French-speaking city in the Western World
after Paris
. The city is known for its culture, cuisine, and shopping. Montreal also has a large English-speaking population. Most immigrants to Quebec settle in Montreal, and many come from French-speaking nations.
, the provincial capital (albeit dubbed La capitale nationale, national capital, in French), is best known as the first permanent settlement and the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico. The old city, partially encircled within the centuries-old walls, has a European flair.
, its tourtière which is a kind of a stew inside crust, its soupe aux gourganes and other specialties, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
is also the birth place of many of Quebec's public figures such as former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard
, singer Mario Pelchat
and Olympic
athlete Marc Gagnon
. The accent of this region is one of the most distinctive and peculiar ones found in Quebec. The region hosts many festivals during summertime and receives many tourists.
This area is the heartland of the Quebec sovereigntist movement.
and shares its marine culture. Acadians are in fact a majority in many towns such as Bonaventure
, and Québécois Gaspesians have an accent very close to that of their Acadia
n neighbours.
The culture of this place called Gaspé Peninsula is very much based on the sea. Tourist attractions include the shrimp industry and salmon pass of Matane, regional gastronomy and the scenery of its sea coast, the Percé Rock
, and Chic-Chocs
Appalachian mountains.
There are many words in Quebec French
that come from aboriginal languages, such as manitou (wizard) and mocassin (soft leather shoes) as well as many places, rivers and lakes that have a native name.
, the United Kingdom
, the Republic of Ireland
, and the United States
.
.
The intellectual elites of French Quebec are divided on this matter. One branch looks to Paris
, France for all things cultural, and the other considers New York City
as the cultural capital of the universe. The mass of the population tends to favour local talent or adopts a surprisingly cosmopolitan attitude, listening to Brazilian rhythms and going to Asia
as well as Florida
, Mexico
and Cuba
for vacations.
culture on Quebec began gradually after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
and its aftermath in 1760. At first, the establishment of a British administration did not truly affect the life of the inhabitants in the area previously known as Canada (New France). For some time after 1763, this area was incorporated into the first Province of Quebec. The British population was in fact very low for a long period of time until around 1783 when United Empire Loyalists
began colonizing the Eastern Townships
. The arrival of many immigrants directly from Britain, including a large number from Scotland
, greatly affected the cultural life of French-speaking Quebecers, with many Scottish traditions and influences still evident in Quebec today.
At the peak of British colonization in Quebec in the late 19th century, about 25% of Quebecers were Anglophones and Montreal, the largest city in Canada at the time, was a predominantly English-speaking city.
The first traces of British influence on Quebecers occurred in the beginning of the 19th century when the population adopted the table manners
of the British instead of the ones used in New France
: the fork to the left, the knife and spoon to the right and early dinner at 5-6 PM. Before that, the Canadiens of New France followed the French custom of the time, with everyone having a pocket knife ready to use when it was time to eat.
Increased trade with the United Kingdom transformed many of the habits of Quebecers. Especially in urban areas, they began to copy the way of life of the British. It became trendy for men to dress as English dandies
, and households were decorated with all things British. The architecture of Montreal is full of evidence of a Victorian
trend, which was followed in all British colonies.
immigration, like that of the Scots during the Clearances
, had a huge impact on Quebecers as listening to Quebec's traditional music will reveal. The immigrants from Ireland
were mostly Catholic, and the two populations intermarried to a much greater extent than with any other ethnic group. Although not as represented as the British in finance or industry, the Irish have been actively involved in Quebec politics, a fact alluded to by the two prime ministers, five premiers, many Members of the National Assembly of Quebec
and court justices with Irish roots.
Today, many Quebecers have an Irish ancestor somewhere in their family tree. Quebec's most praised poet, Émile Nelligan
, is born of a Quebec French-speaking mother and an English-speaking Irish father.
and continue to this day, thanks to an open border between the US and Canada.
Though the same phenomenon has occurred with the other Canadian provinces, Quebec, being mostly French-speaking and (formerly) Catholic, the contact of the two cultures has produced significantly different results. It has often taken the form of a conflict between the "old way" of living and the "new way" coming from the outside.
The United States
drew a number of emigrants from Quebec, mostly during the period from the 1840s to the 1930s and mostly to New England, many immigrated to work in the timber trade or were seeking work in the heavily industrialized Northeast cities such as Boston
and Providence
. Some eventually returned to Quebec, but most stayed in the US. Jack Kerouac
is a notable American descended from French-Canadian emigrants.
, which allowed viewers to watch films in their original language with French subtitles if necessary, making it easier for the francophone viewer to understand non-French dialogue.
One regulation
adopted under the Charter of the French Language
stipulates that movie distributors are to release a French dubbed version of any major movie at the same time as the original English. Distributors had steadfastly opposed this measure, but once it took effect they found that their total sales of tickets for any given movie jumped dramatically in Quebec. They had not realized before then that many Quebecers capable of reading advertising or reviews in English, to some extent, were not fluent enough to really enjoy a movie in the original English. However, they also invested less money on the marketing of the dubbed versions. Nevertheless, by releasing both versions at the same time, all of the population, regardless of language or relative degrees of fluency in English, was subject to the same wave of publicity and movie reviews at the same time. Nowadays, movies are allowed to be shown in English with no French version as long as they only remain in cinemas for 45 days.
However, the movies are sometimes dubbed in France and use Parisian argot
that the French-Canadian viewer would find incomprehensible. For example, politician Mario Dumont
took his children to see the Parisian French dub of Shrek the Third
, and was unable to understand anything that the characters were saying. Dumont proposed a bill stating that all French-language movies in Quebec must be dubbed locally, but the bill did not pass. Studios seemed to be more inclined towards dubbing their movies in Quebec after the incident.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Western World
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
; Quebec is the only region in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with a French-speaking majority, as well as one of only two provinces in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where French is a constitutionally-recognized official language (New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
being the other). Thus, French speaking Quebecers (7.83 million) differ from that of the 25.91 million remaining citizens of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
For historical and linguistic reasons, Francophone Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
also has cultural links with other North American French-speaking communities, particularly with the Acadians of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
communities in Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...
, and to a lesser extent with the French-Canadian communities of Northern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
and the Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
French revival movements in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2006, 79% of all Quebecers list French as their mother tongue; since French is the official language in the province, up to 95% of all residents are capable of speaking French.
History made Quebec a meeting place for cultures, where people from around the world experience America, but from a little distance and through a different eye. The culture of Quebec is connected to the strong cultural currents of the rest of Canada, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. As such, it is often described as a crossroads between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes contemporary Quebec culture as a post-1960s phenomenon resulting from the Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
, an essentially homogeneous socially liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
counter-culture phenomenon supported and financed by both of Quebec's major political parties, who differ essentially not in a right-vs-left continuum but a federalist-vs-sovereignist/separatist
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
continuum.
Folklore
In terms of folklore, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
's French-speaking populace has the second largest body of folktales in Canada (the first being Native people); most prominent within Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
folklore are old parables and tales. Other forms of folklore include superstitions associated with objects, events, and dreams.
Tales
When the early settlers arrived from France in the 16th and 17th century, they brought with them popular tales from their homeland. Adapted to fit the traditions of rural QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
by transforming the European hero into Ti-Jean, a generic rural habitant, they eventually spawned many other tales. Many were passed on through generations by what French speaking Quebecers refer to as Les Raconteurs, or storytellers. Their tales vary in length: good Raconteurs can recite tales lasting over two hours, or even tell them over the course of a few evenings. A great many of the stories were never written down, but rather have been passed on through word of mouth. Almost all of the stories Native to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, were influenced by Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Dogma and superstitions.The Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, for instance, appears often as either a person, an animal or monster, or indirectly through Demonic acts.
The Devil at the Dance
The Devil at the Dance is an example in which the Devil was used to reinforce Christian ideals. It is the story of a young couple in love. The girl's parents, who are Heretics, refuse the young man's suite after discovering he is Christian. When the daughter protests, her mother announces that she would rather have the Devil himself courting her daughter than the young Christian. The following Sunday afternoon, a stranger comes to call. Due to the vast amount of snow on the ground, he has arrived in a horse pulled carriage which had been left in front of the dwelling. Not too long after, the young Christian comes to visit his beloved. Noticing that all of the snow surrounding the steedHorse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
had melted away, he realizes that this was no ordinary horse. Rushing inside, he spies the young girl’s father and explains to him what he saw outside. "It’s none other than the Devil himself! Your Wife invited him in with her heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
," explains the Christian. Afraid, the young girl’s father begs the Christian to fetch his Priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
while he keeps an eye on his daughter. The Priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, who recognizes the urgency of the matter, rushes over in order to prevent the Devil from stealing the young girls soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
. Armed with holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
, a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
, and a prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
book, the priest approaches the Devil. Having seen the holy man, the Devil quickly rushes to a corner of the room. When the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
asks the Devil why he is here, the latter replies that he is here ‘because I was invited’. Determined to remain in the dwelling, the Devil ignores the Priest's requests to leave. It is only when the holy man had started to read from his Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and sprinkled holy water about, that the Devil finally left in a fit of pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
. Overwhelmed with joy, the mother and father fell on bended knees in front of the Priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, thanking him and promising to convert to Christianity. The three of them –mother, father and daughter- converted and the young couple got
married.
There are various versions of this tale: One paints the young girl as being very disobedient and flirtatious. Although her parents warn her of the evils of selfishness, her actions do not change. Thus, the Devil was able to enter her home because of her Unchristian behavior. She is saved once again by the Priest, and converts to Christianity. Another version has the tale happening in a remote village in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, but with the same basic storyline. Clearly, the tale evolved depending on what message the storyteller was trying to portray. Regardless of the version, the vast influence of the Catholic Church is clearly noticeable.
Superstitions
Other aspects of QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
folklore include superstitions surrounding objects, events, and dreams. In essence, these stem from the belief in both White Magic
Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path
The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path are a dichotomy between two opposing philosophies found in the Western Esoteric Tradition, which itself covers various groups involved in the occult and ceremonial magic. In some definitions, the Left-Hand Path is equated with malicious Black Magic and...
and Black Magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
, where the former is seen to be beneficial and seeks to bring about positive outcomes, and the latter being essentially malicious, sinister, and all-around evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
(sometimes also called witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
). Although Christianity had slowly chipped away at most forms of magic, the populace still held on to its various superstitions for generations. Where religion provides Quebec with a societal structure, these beliefs sought to predict the future, to help alleviate fear of the unknown.
Listed below are objects along with a brief description of the superstition associated with them.
Age
A woman, regardless of marital status, will experience an important event during the year following her 31st birthday.
Animals
When animals are nervous, it means there is an impending death or disease.
Bee
If a wasp, a hornet, or a bee bites your tongue you will not be stung.
Bonhomme sept-heures
This man is said to kidnap children who are out of bed after seven o'clock at night. He hides underneath balconies and, equipped with a mask and a bag in which to dispose the children, enters a home after the clock strikes seven.
Eldest child
If its a boy, the father will die before the mother will. Likewise, if its a girl, the mother will die first.
Freckles
Having freckles on your arms is a sign of sensuality.
Gifts
You should never give someone a mirror, a knife, or any religious object as a gift because it brings bad luck.
Hairbrush
If a young woman drops her hairbrush, she'll lose her fiancée.
Happiness
If you dream about being happy, then the next day you will have a huge fight; vice-versa is also true.
Matches
- Hold onto a match while it burns itself out. Make a wish, and when the fire goes out, your wish will come true.
- If, by mere coincidence, two matches cross each other and create a crucifixCrucifixA crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
in an ashtray, then someone will die. - It is bad luck if you are the third one to light your cigarette using the same match. For the other two, however, it means they will find love in the future.
Needle
- If you lose your needle, you will also lose your horse.
- If you drop a needle and it sticks itself into the ground, then someone is thinking ill of you.
- If a friend gives you a needle, you must prick yourself with it immediately to avoid an argument.
- If you find a needle and it is pointing towards you, you will have bad luck; if it pointing away from you, you will have good luck.
Trees
Trees die after those who have planted them die.
Rats
To dream of rats means there are enemies nearby.
Spiders
- Throwing a spider under a cupboard will bring you luck and money.
- It is good luck to kill a spider with your right hand or foot. Likewise, it is bad luck to kill one with your left hand or foot.
Stars
Count nine stars nine nights in a row, and the last star will point towards your future husband.
Cinema
The first public movie projection in North America occurred in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on June 27, 1896. Frenchman Louis Minier presented a film on a Cinematograph in a Café-Theatre on Saint Lawrence Boulevard
Saint Lawrence Boulevard
For the Ottawa road, see St. Laurent Boulevard. For the Gatineau road called "Boulevard Saint-Laurent", see Boulevard des Allumettières.Saint Lawrence Boulevard or boulevard Saint-Laurent is a major street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
. However, it was not be until the 1960s when the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
was established that a genuine Quebec cinema industry would emerge. Important contributions to world cinema include Cinéma Vérité
Cinéma Vérité
Cinéma Vérité is the first album by an alternative rock group Dramarama, released in November 1985. Although Dramarama was an American group, specifically from New Jersey, the album was originally released by New Rose Records of France, and in America on Question Mark Records...
and artistic animation. In 2004, a Quebec film, The Barbarian Invasions, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
Circus arts
Quebec has carved a niche for itself in the field of CircusCircus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
arts, where it emphasizes the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tradition of circus.
The Cirque Du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
circus troupe is known for its artistic productions with rich musical scores. Its productions include Varekai
Varekai
Varekai is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montréal in April 2002. Its title means "wherever" in the Romani language, and the show is an "acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul"....
, Dralion
Dralion
Dralion is a touring production by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The show combines elements of traditional Chinese circus with Western contemporary circus, complementing the "East-meets-West" theme implied in the title — the name is a portmanteau of "dragon" and "lion"...
, Alegría, Corteo
Corteo
Corteo is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montreal, Canada on April 21, 2005. As of May 24, 2005, Cirque du Soleil had broken its record of spectators for the première location in Montreal; more than 200,000 people had viewed the production, far outpacing the prior record...
, KOOZA, Quidam
Quidam
Quidam is the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has now been watched by millions of spectators around the world...
, KÀ
Ka
-Language:* Ka * Ka * Georgian language, ISO 639-1 code ka* A glyph in the Brahmic family of scripts-Media and entertainment:* Ka * Kà, a Cirque du Soleil show* Mister Mosquito, a video game, known in Japan as Ka...
, Zumanity
Zumanity
Zumanity is a resident cabaret-style show by Cirque du Soleil at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The production was unveiled on September 20, 2003. It is the first "adult-themed" Cirque du Soleil show, billed as "the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil" or "another side...
, Love
LOVE (Cirque du Soleil)
Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage in Las Vegas.A joint venture between...
, Mystère
Mystère (Cirque du Soleil)
Mystère is a Cirque du Soleil show in permanent residence at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is one of seven resident Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, the others being O, Zumanity, Kà, Love, Criss Angel: Believe, and Viva Elvis...
and O
O (Cirque du Soleil)
O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998...
, which is performed on a water platform. It is one of the world's few circuses without animal performers. Other internationally successful troupes include Cirque Éloize
Cirque Éloize
Cirque Éloize is a Quebec-based nouveau cirque troupe. It was founded in 1993 by Jeannot Painchaud, Daniel Cyr and Julie Hamelin. Having created seven original productions so far, it has presented more than 3000 performances in more than 375 cities and 30 countries...
and Cirque ÉOS.
Cavalia
Cavalia
Cavalia is a company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that presents large-scale equestrian productions involving trick riding, vaulting, haute école and pas de deux, unbridled displays, and Cirque du Soleil-like performances....
, a Shawinigan-based horse show, has, since 2003, gained massive popularity in Montreal and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It features both acrobatic and equestrian arts. All of the horses are male, most of which are stallions.
Comic strips
Comic books in Quebec traditionally follow the EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tradition of comics, combining both graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. Though most are aimed at children, they are generally considered more dignified entertainment and there are many notable exceptions of graphic novels and comic books aimed at an older reading audience, such as the ones published by the Montreal-based Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly is a Canadian comic book publishing company, headed by Chris Oliveros, and based in Montreal, Quebec. Its focus is on graphic novels and underground or alternative comics. Drawn and Quarterly was also the title of the company's flagship quarterly anthology during the 1990s...
, 400 Coups and La Pasteque.
Literature
The first literary output from Quebec occurred under the French regime with the many poems written by the early inhabitants of New FranceNew France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. It was, however, during the late 19th century that a novel was first published by a Quebecer.
Music
The traditional folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
of Quebec has two main influences: the traditional songs of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and the influence of Celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
, with reels
Reel (dance)
The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....
and songs that show a definite affinity with the traditional music of Canada's Maritime Provinces, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. This traditional music is becoming increasingly more popular, with the success of groups such as La Bottine Souriante
La Bottine Souriante
La Bottine Souriante is a folk band from Quebec specialising in traditional Québécois music, often with a modern twist.Formed in 1976, they have toured extensively through North America and Europe. As well as the traditional accordion, fiddle, guitar, piano and double bass, the band added a...
.
Quebec has also produced world-class classical music over the years, such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
(MSO), founded in 1934. Under the direction of Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit
Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
from 1977 to 2002, the MSO gained a truly international reputation. Montreal is also home to the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, the early music
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
ensemble Arion, the all-female ensemble La Pietà, created by violinist Angèle Dubeau
Angèle Dubeau
Angèle Dubeau, CM, CQ is a Québécoise violinist.Dubeau is a graduate and First Prize winner of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. She studied at the Juilliard School of Music with Dorothy DeLay and later went to Romania to work with Ştefan Gheorghiu...
, to name but a few; Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
is home to the Violons du Roy under the direction of Bernard Labadie and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Orchestre symphonique de Québec is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Quebec City. Founded in 1902 as the Société symphonique de Québec, the OSQ is the oldest active Canadian orchestra. Joseph Vézina was the OSQ's first music director, from 1902 to 1924...
under the direction of Yoav Talmi
Yoav Talmi
Yoav Talmi is an Israeli conductor and composer. He studied composition and orchestral direction first in Israel, at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and then in the United States, at the Juilliard School. In 1966, he was awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize at the Tanglewood Music...
. Quebec has a number of classical music festivals, such as the Festival de Lanaudière, Festival Orford chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
festival held at the Orford Art Centre, and where the ensemble the Orford String Quartet was first formed.
Classical music aficionados can attend performances in a number of concert halls. Salle Wilfrid Pelletier at the Place des Arts
Place des Arts
right|frame|View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the rightPlace des Arts is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
cultural centre in the heart of Montreal is home to the MSO. Montreal's McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
also houses three concert halls: Pollack Hall, Tanna Schulich Hall and Redpath Hall
John Redpath
John Redpath was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada....
. The Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
has its Salle Claude Champagne, named after Quebec composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Claude Champagne
Claude Champagne
Claude Champagne was a Canadian composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, he studied violin with Albert Chamberland, organ with Orpha-F. Deveaux, and piano with Romain-Octave Pelletier I and Alexis Contant at the Conservatoire national de musique. In 1921 he went straight to Paris to study music...
. The Grand Théâtre de Québec
Grand Théâtre de Québec
The Grand Théâtre de Québec is an arts complex in Quebec City, Canada. It was conceived to commemorate the Canadian Centennial of 1967 and the Quebec Conference, 1864, one of the key meetings leading to the Canadian Confederation of 1867....
in Quebec City is home to the Orchestre symphonique du Québec. A regional centre, Rimouski, is home to the Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire and has a large concert hall, the Desjardins-Telus theatre.
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
also has a long tradition in Quebec. Montreal's annual Montreal International Jazz Festival draws a number of visitors each summer. Many Quebecers have made a name for themselves in the jazz world, such as Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, Oliver Jones, Karen Young
Karen Young (Canadian singer)
Karen Young is a singer, lyricist, composer and arranger from Quebec, Canada who has explored several different musical styles....
, Lorraine Desmarais
Lorraine Desmarais
Lorraine Desmarais is a French-Canadian jazz pianist and composer. Born in Montreal, she holds a Masters Degree in Classical Piano, and was influenced by Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson....
, Vic Vogel
Vic Vogel
Victor 'Vic' Stefan Vogel, LLD, PhD is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, trombonist and conductor in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.- Biography :Born Viktor Stefan in Montreal, he studied piano with Michel Hirvy...
, Michel Donato, and Alain Caron
Alain Caron (bass player)
Alain Caron is a French Canadian jazz bassist.The youngest of 11 children, Caron started playing bass at age 11 and began pursuing jazz at age 15...
.
A number of performers enjoy considerable success at home, both in terms of record sales and listenership, while remaining relatively unknown outside Quebec. In a number of cases, French-speaking Quebec singers are able to export their talent to France and Belgium. Artists like Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and the pop-punk group Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
have achieved considerable success in English-speaking countries by expanding their audience base. Celine Dion, for instance, has sold over 50 million albums in the United States alone.
A growing population in Quebec (young adults and teenagers) are listening to more "underground" music, including world known Metal, Hardcore, Punk bands. In fact, the Quebec scene is renowned in metal circles for its production of some of the world's finest Technical
Technical death metal
Technical death metal is a musical subgenre of death metal that focuses on complex rhythms, riffs and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Death, Atheist and Cynic...
and Progressive Death metal bands such as Voivod
Voivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...
, Gorguts
Gorguts
Gorguts is a technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The band's only constant member is Luc Lemay.-History:Gorguts were formed in 1989 by Luc Lemay , Sylvain Marcoux , Éric Giguère and Stephane Provencher...
, Quo Vadis
Quo Vadis (band)
Quo Vadis is a technical melodic death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, formed in 1992 by Bart Frydrychowicz, Yanic Bercier, and Arie Itman and is named after the novel by Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz...
, Neuraxis and Martyr
Martyr (band)
Martyr is a Canadian death metal band from Trois-Rivières, Québec, founded in 1994 by brothers Daniel and François Mongrain.- History :Formed in 1994 by brothers Daniel and François Mongrain , along with Pier-Luc Lampron and François Richard , Martyr recorded a demo tape in September 1995...
as well as Augury and Unexpect. The Quebec metal scene also produced other fine bands such as Kataklysm
Kataklysm
Kataklysm is a Canadian death metal band. They call their musical style "northern hyperblast" after an advertisement in M.E.A.T. magazine describing another band, Fear Factory, as "hyperblast". The term refers to the extremely fast blast beats that Kataklysm's drummer, Max Duhamel, fuses into the...
(northern hyperblast), Despised Icon
Despised Icon
Despised Icon was a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2002, the band is notable for the use of two vocalists; Alexandre Erian, takes use of a mid-range screaming technique, and Steve Marois for the low growling vocals, and high pitched screamed vocals...
(deathcore) and Cryptopsy
Cryptopsy
Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records.-Necrosis :...
(death metal).
Video games
Video games are popular in Quebec, as they are in the rest of Canada and the United States. The majority of video games come from either the United States, Canada, or JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Only some games have been translated into French, but the government of Quebec
Government of Quebec
The Government of Quebec refers to the provincial government of the province of Quebec. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
and the Entertainment Software Association of Canada
Entertainment Software Association of Canada
Entertainment Software Association of Canada is a not for profit trade association serving the business and public affairs needs of companies in Canada that develop, publish and distribute computer and video games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers and the Internet...
made a deal in 2007 that will require all games sold in Quebec to be translated into French by 2009, as long as they are available in another part of the world in French as well. In some cases the game includes optional French text and/or subtitles, while in other cases the game is fully translated in French complete with dubbed voice acting (as is the case with games by Montreal-based Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
), which may be recorded either locally or in Europe.
Visual arts
Craft
A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...
art, including the making of stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows, as exemplified in the art of Marcelle Ferron
Marcelle Ferron
Marcelle Ferron, , a Québécoise painter and stained glass artist, was a major figure in the Quebec contemporary art scene....
.
The group known as Les Automatistes
Les Automatistes
Les Automatistes were a group of Québécois artistic dissidents from Montreal, Quebec. The movement was founded in the early 1940s by painter Paul-Émile Borduas. "Les Automatistes" were so called because they were influenced by Surrealism and its theory of automatism...
, and its best known artist, Jean-Paul Riopelle
Jean-Paul Riopelle
Jean-Paul Riopelle, was a painter and sculptor from Quebec, Canada.-Biography:Born in Montreal, he studied under Paul-Émile Borduas in the 1940s and was a member of Les Automatistes movement. He was one of the signers of the Refus global manifesto...
, is perhaps Quebec's best known contribution to the world of fine art.
Family life
During the 1950s and 1960s, Quebec maintained record fertility rates. The Roman Catholic church using their priests (established in all parishes and small towns) guided and directed people's attitudes and morals in those days. In the post–Quiet RevolutionQuiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
era, this attitude completely changed. In 2001, the fertility rate in Quebec was 1.474 per thousand.
In Quebec, many, if not all, married women retain their maiden names when they marry, as was the case in the Middle Ages. This is mandated in the Civil Code of Quebec
Civil Code of Quebec
The Civil Code of Quebec is the civil code in force in the province of Quebec, Canada. The Civil Code of Quebec came into effect on January 1, 1994, except for certain parts of the book on Family Law which were adopted by the National Assembly in the 1980s...
. This followed the 1970s strong feminist movement and the Quiet Revolution. Since June 24, 2002, Quebec has had a civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
system available to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. On March 19, 2004, Quebec became the third province in Canada
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
to legally perform a same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, following a court challenge brought by Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf
Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf
Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf are Canadian gay rights advocates, known for their advocacy of same-sex marriage in Canada. They were the first same-sex couple to be legally married in Quebec.- Background :...
. The province is known as one of the most tolerant and gay friendly places in North America.
Work
The province at the turn of the 20th century, was known for its low-paid blue-collar workerBlue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
s employed in textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, paper plants and shops. Quebec also has a long tradition in forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. Quebec's lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
s were known and popularized in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and even all the way to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. In the first part of the 20th century, many lumber camps in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
were staffed by French-Canadian workers.
Since the 1960s, union membership has grown in Quebec. Today, Quebec has the highest percentage of unionized workers in North America. Quebec is the only jurisdiction in North America where a Walmart store was unionized (Jonquière, now closed). Most union leaders in Quebec have strong ties to the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
. Many members of the business circles and the population-at-large resent the major unions' (FTQ, CSN
CSN
CSN might be an acronym or abbreviation for:Companies* CSN Stores* Calvary Satellite Network* Centrala Studiestödsnämnden...
and CSQ) influences on the public debates especially the sovereignty of the province. Union leaders, but not the rank-and-file members per se, are often seen meddling on political debates; often publicly voicing their favourable position and support of Quebec sovereignty.
Some Francophone Quebecers have strong adversarial relationships with residents of neighbouring English-speaking provinces as well as Quebec's own Anglophones. Such an attitude stems partly from the early to mid-20th century, when Anglophones dominated the spheres of industry and commerce and tended to favour their own for promotion to management-level positions. Since then, the tide has arguably turned.
Vacation
Starting probably in the late 1940s and reaching its peak in the 1970s, some Quebec residents have vacationed or spent the whole winter months in southeast Florida, mainly in the Hallandale BeachHallandale Beach, Florida
Hallandale Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, a worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,113...
and Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
regions. Initially a trend that only the wealthy could afford; this destination is now considered by many as outdated and Un-stylish. It did, however, spur the coining of the term, "Floribécois," a Quebec snowbird
Snowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
. The increasing real estate taxes might explain why Quebecers increasingly tend to visit the North Miami area instead of residing there for part of the year. Many snowbirds owned a trailer or a house but were renting the land where their property was located. New locations and resort areas such as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Caribbean islands
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
are now favoured by many Quebecers to spend their traditional sunny one or two-week vacations.
Humour
Le Poisson D'Avril (April FoolsApril Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
) is an old French tradition involving tacking fish (usually paper ones) on people's back without their knowledge. It dates back to 1564, and is still to this day a tradition in Quebec, although now people play pranks on each other instead of the fish, as is done in most other parts of the world.
Many Quebec television shows contain humour, and a lot of talk-shows ask for comic people to participate. A famous show called Bye-Bye
Bye Bye (TV series)
Bye Bye is a Quebecois New Year's Eve sketch comedy special broadcast by Radio-Canada. The yearly program features sketches satirizing the past year's events, followed by a countdown to the next year itself...
, broadcast each year on December 31, was a funny way to review the year just completed and laugh about any news (political or not) that happened that year.
The Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
festival is considered the world's largest comedy festival of its kind; it started in Montreal and has expanded to Toronto and Nantes in France, as well as to other countries.
Prior to the modern independent political movement, many citizens of Quebec decided to express their dissatisfaction with federal elections by forming the Rhinoceros Party of Canada. Founded in 1963, the party fielded humorous candidates in many ridings with a satirical platform. They added colour to many otherwise drab elections for more than two decades.
Food
As in European countries like ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
or France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where cooking is considered one of the fine arts, fine dining is a passion among the well-to-do of Quebec society. While Montreal has the greatest concentration of fine cuisine restaurants in Canada, even small communities proudly boast of famous inns where the chef has an international reputation. This could be partly explained by a strong immigration in the 1960s and 1970s from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Many of those immigrants were waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
s, cooks
Cook (profession)
A cook is a person who prepares food for consumption. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada this profession requires government approval ....
and chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s. Food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
from Quebec include most of the foods from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, The Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and then some scattered other food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
.
Sports and hobbies
Sporting activities are increasingly popular in Quebec. As Quebec is snow-bound for several months of the year, typically from November to March, it is no surprise that many winter activities have taken root and, in a few cases, even originated here.Ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
is by far the sport of choice in Quebec. It lives in the hearts and minds of Quebecers thanks to the rich legacy of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. The rules of the game were set up by students at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1875. There are many junior ice hockey teams, and one would be hard-pressed to find even the smallest community without a rink available for organized play.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
is very easily accessible due to the abundance of snow and an unending supply of open fields. With the Laurentian Mountains
Laurentian mountains
The Laurentian Mountains are a mountain range in southern Quebec, Canada, north of the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River, rising to a highest point of 1166 metres at Mont Raoul Blanchard, north east of Quebec City in the Reserve Faunique des Laurentides. The Gatineau, L'Assomption, Lièvre,...
close at hand, some of the best downhill skiing in Canada east of the Rockies
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
is to be found in Quebec as well.
The snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
(or "skidoo"), invented in Quebec by Joseph-Armand Bombardier
Joseph-Armand Bombardier
Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a Canadian inventor and businessman, and was the founder of Bombardier...
, is a popular hobby, though its reputation has been marred by several deaths each year. Through the 1990s, the Mont Tremblant and Mont Sainte-Anne ski resorts became popular destinations internationally.
Another popular pastime is ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
. Rivers freeze over quickly come wintertime and as soon as the ice is solid enough to walk upon, one can find dozens of tiny homemade shacks (ice houses) dotting the frozen surface.
Quebec is home to many professional sports teams and events, the majority of which call Montreal home.
Existing teams
- Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
(National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) - Montreal AlouettesMontreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
(Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
) - Montreal ImpactMontreal ImpactMontreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
(United Soccer LeaguesUSL First DivisionThe United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
) - Québec CapitalesQuebec CapitalesThe Québec Capitales are a professional baseball team based in Quebec City, in Canada. The Capitales are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
(Canadian-American Association of Professional BaseballCanadian-American Association of Professional BaseballThe Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
) - Quebec RempartsQuébec RempartsThere have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The first franchise played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has played since 1997. Both franchises were based out of Quebec City, Quebec...
(Minor Hockey League)
Defunct teams
- Montreal ExposMontreal ExposThe Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
) - Quebec NordiquesQuebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
(National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) - Montreal ExpressMontreal ExpressThe Montreal Express was a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 2002 season. They played at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. They were inactive during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The team remained inactive and the franchise was returned to the NLL after the 2004 season...
(National Lacrosse LeagueNational Lacrosse LeagueThe National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
)
Events
- Canadian Grand PrixCanadian Grand PrixThe Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967...
(Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing) - NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
- Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (Atlantic Championship)
Athletes
Noted Quebec athletes include:- Baseball (Éric GagnéÉric GagnéÉric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
), (Russell MartinRussell MartinRussell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr is a Canadian Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Yankees.Martin became the everyday catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately upon his Major League debut, and continued in that role for nearly 5 years...
), (Dick LinesDick LinesRichard George Lines is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1957 season, and played for the Washington Senators in 1966 and 1967....
) - Basketball (Bill WenningtonBill WenningtonWilliam Percey Wennington is a retired Canadian basketball player in the National Basketball Association who won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. A center, he was also a member of two Canadian Olympic Basketball Teams and the 1983 World University Games team that won gold against...
, (Samuel DalembertSamuel DalembertSamuel Davis Dalembert is a Haitian Canadian professional basketball player who most recently played center for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Dalembert began playing in Montreal, Quebec and played college basketball at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, United States...
), (Joel AnthonyJoel AnthonyJoel Vincent Anthony is a Canadian professional basketball player in the NBA who is currently a member of the Miami Heat. He is also a key member of the Canadian national men's basketball team.-High school career:...
) - Cycling (Geneviève JeansonGeneviève JeansonGeneviève Jeanson is a former professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She won the world junior road and time trial championships in 1999 and the Tour de Snowy in 2000. Later that year she won La Flèche Wallonne World Cup race. She joined the Canadian Olympic team that year...
, Lyne BessetteLyne BessetteLyne Bessette is a professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in 2000 and 2004. She won the Tour de l'Aude Feminin in 1999 and 2001 and the Women's Challenge in 2001...
) - Diving (Alexandre DespatieAlexandre DespatieAlexandre Despatie is a Canadian diver from Laval, Quebec. He was the World champion at the 1 and 3 m springboards from 2005 to 2007 and is the first, and so far only, diver to have been World champion in the three categories . He is also a 36-time Canadian senior diving champion...
, Sylvie BernierSylvie BernierSylvie Bernier, CM, CQ is an Olympic athlete from Sainte-Foy, Quebec) in Canada. She won the gold medal in the Women's 3m Springboard Diving at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles....
, Annie PelletierAnnie PelletierAnnie Pelletier is a retired female diver from Canada, who won the bronze medal in the women's 3 metres springboard event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...
) - Figure skating (Joannie RochetteJoannie RochetteJoannie Rochette is a Canadian figure skater. She is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2009 World silver medalist, the 2008 and 2009 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2004 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and a six-time Canadian national champion.-Personal life:Rochette was born in...
, Isabelle BrasseurIsabelle BrasseurIsabelle Brasseur, MSM is a pair skater from Canada.She started skating with Lloyd Eisler in 1987. They won five Canadian pairs championships, the 1993 World Figure Skating Championships, and they won bronze medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1994 Winter Olympics...
, David PelletierDavid PelletierDavid Jacques Pelletier is a Canadian pairs figure skater. With his partner Jamie Salé, he was the co-gold medal winner at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games...
, Josée ChouinardJosée ChouinardJosée Chouinard is a Canadian figure skater.She competed at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, finishing in ninth position on both occasions. She became well known for wearing elegant black gloves while on the ice....
, Valérie Marcoux) - Hockey (Maurice RichardMaurice RichardJoseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
, Guy LafleurGuy LafleurGuy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...
, Mario LemieuxMario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
, Mike BossyMike BossyMichael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
, Jean BéliveauJean BéliveauJean Arthur "Le Gros Bill" Béliveau, is a former professional ice hockey player who played parts of 20 seasons with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As a player, he won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley...
, Patrick RoyPatrick RoyPatrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
, Martin BrodeurMartin BrodeurMartin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
, Vincent LecavalierVincent LecavalierVincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
), (Doug Harvey), (Roberto LuongoRoberto LuongoRoberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
), (Joe Malone) - Judo (Nicolas GillNicolas GillNicolas Gill is a judoka from Canada, who twice won an Olympic medal in his career. He first did so at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he won the bronze medal in the middleweight division...
) - Mixed martial arts (Georges "Rush" St-Pierre)
- Short-track speed skating (Marc GagnonMarc GagnonMarc Gagnon is a French Canadian short track speed skater. He is a four-time Overall World Champion for 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998, and winner of three Olympic gold medals....
, Nathalie LambertNathalie LambertNathalie Lambert is a Canadian Olympic Medalist in Short-track speed skating. She won one Gold medal and two Silver medals at the Olympics. She is also a three-time Overall World Champion for 1991, 1993 and 1994.Lambert won the 11 international competitions in which she participated, between 1992...
, Éric BédardÉric BédardÉric Bédard is a Canadian short track speed skater who has won 4 Olympic medals . He participated in three individual events at the 2006 Winter Olympics and finished fourth in the 500 meters. He also led a team into the 5000 meter relay, winning the silver medal...
) - Long-track speed skating (Gaétan BoucherGaétan BoucherGaétan Boucher, OC, CQ is a former Speed skating Olympic champion from Canada.A four-time Olympic medalist, Boucher was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding male athlete of 1984. He was named number 10 on the list of Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century...
) - Racing (Gilles VilleneuveGilles VilleneuveJoseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve , was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec...
, Jacques VilleneuveJacques VilleneuveJacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
, Alex TaglianiAlex TaglianiAlexandre Tagliani is a Canadian auto racing driver from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He currently competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series, driving the #77 entry for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.-Champ Car career:...
), (Patrick CarpentierPatrick CarpentierPatrick Carpentier is a retired Canadian race car driver. He is best known for his career in the Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series. In 2009, Patrick shared the #36 of Tommy Baldwin Racing with Mike Skinner and ran Michael Waltrip's #55 Toyota Camry in the road course races in the...
) - Football Paul Lambert), Éric Lapointe), Terry EvanshenTerry EvanshenTerrence Anthony "Terry" Evanshen is a motivational speaker and former star receiver in the Canadian Football League.-CFL:...
), (Ian BecklesIan BecklesIan Harold Beckles is a former American football Guard who played nine seasons in the NFL. Beckles is currently part of the Ron Diaz & Ian Beckles Show on 620 WDAE-AM "The Sports Animal" in Tampa, Florida....
) - Soccer (Nick DeSantis), (Sandro GrandeSandro GrandeAlessandro "Sandro" Grande is a former Canadian soccer player.-Italy:Grande began his career in Italy, country of his parents, playing for four years with U.S.Frenter Larino and Potenza and Frosinone in the late 1990s and early 2000s.Grande became the first Quebec-born footballer to sign with an...
), (Adam BrazAdam BrazAdam Braz is a retired Canadian soccer player known mainly for his years spent playing at the Montreal Impact in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.- College :...
), (Patrick LeducPatrick LeducPatrick Leduc is a Canadian soccer player who formerly played for Montreal Impact in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.-Youth and Amateur:...
)
Events
June and ending in late July. The fireworks are synchronized to music which is also broadcasted over a local radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
. Spectators can purchase tickets to be seated on site at La Ronde, providing an exceptional view of the lower altitude display and of the whole perspective. However, tens of thousands of people watch the fireworks for free from nearby locations. Because of its proximity to La Ronde, the Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
Bridge is closed down to automobile circulation and is flooded by thousands of pedestrian spectators for the duration of the show.
The Just for Laughs Festival
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
, or Festival Juste pour rire, a comedy festival, again highlights Quebec's love of humour. Gala events are held nightly for several days and an atmosphere similar to the Jazz Fest is seen on the streets of Montreal, with many street performers and crowds.
The Francofolies
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal is a large annual music and performance festival held in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, featuring over 1,000 French-language performers from all over the world, as well as attracting over 500,000 visitors....
is a festival celebrating the diversity of francophone music. Many out-door shows are given for free.
Media
The major newspapers in Quebec include the broadsheets La PresseLa Presse (Canada)
La Presse, founded in 1884, is a French-language Monday-Saturday newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is owned today by Groupe Gesca, a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada. The Sunday version was dropped in 2009.-Description:...
(Montreal), Le Devoir
Le Devoir
Le Devoir is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and the rest of Canada. It was founded by journalist, politician, and nationalist Henri Bourassa in 1910....
(Montreal) and Le Soleil
Le Soleil
Le Soleil is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec. It was founded on December 28, 1896 and is published in compact format since April 2006...
(Quebec City), the tabloids Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is the largest-circulation French-language newspaper in North America. Established by Pierre Péladeau in 1964, it is owned by the Sun Media division of Quebecor Media. It is also Canada's largest tabloid...
(Montreal) and Le Journal de Québec
Le Journal de Québec
Le Journal de Québec is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec . The newspaper is printed in tabloid format and has a the highest circulation for a Quebec City newspaper, with its closest competitor being Le Soleil....
(Quebec City), and the English-language broadsheet The Gazette (Montreal).
Other smaller centres have their own newspapers, and there are also several free papers including "alternative weeklies" and daily micro-presses available in cafes and the Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
.
A number of television networks and stations broadcast in Quebec. Two public broadcasters
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
broadcast over the air in French: Radio-Canada
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, operated by the federal government, and Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
, operated by the provincial government. Two private broadcasters broadcast over the air in French: TVA (which generally has the highest ratings of all French-language broadcasters) and V. These Quebec television networks produce a considerable amount of their content locally, including the popular téléroman
Téléroman
A téléroman is a French-language dramatic programming television series, similar to a soap opera or a Spanish language telenovela, in Canada. In France, the téléroman genre is known as feuilleton télévisé...
s.
The three main Canadian English networks also broadcast over the air in Quebec: public broadcaster CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and private broadcasters CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and Global Television. These networks provide some local content, primarily news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
and public affairs programming. Montreal's CJNT, owned by Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, is a hybrid affiliate of English language CH system and multicultural programming.
A number of networks are only available to cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
and satellite subscribers. Subscribers can watch a wide range of specialized French-language TV channels. Amongst these offerings is TV5, the international French-language network. Most major Canadian English-language cable and satellite networks are also available.
Most American television networks are available in Quebec, although in some locations farther from the border they are not available over the air, but only on cable. The PBS affiliates from the neighbouring states, WETK
Vermont Public Television
Vermont Public Television is a state network of Non-commercial educational Public television stations throughout the state of Vermont, affiliated with Public Broadcasting Services . It has been operational since October 16, 1967...
in Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and WCFE
WCFE-TV
WCFE is a Public Broadcasting Service public television station in Plattsburgh, New York. It is known under its corporate identity of Mountain Lake PBS. This name was adopted to reflect Plattsburgh's location between the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. It broadcasts on channel 38 from transmitters...
in Plattsburgh, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, sometimes run Quebec-specific material.
Cultural institutions
Many cultural institutions were set up in Quebec in the wake of the Quiet RevolutionQuiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
.
Among the key institutions are:
- the Archives nationales du Québec (Quebec National Archives) created in 1920, and the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (Quebec National Library) created in 1967, now combined into the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du QuébecBibliothèque et Archives nationales du QuébecBibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec is the Crown corporation acting as the provincial library and archives of Quebec...
- the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du QuébecConservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du QuébecThe Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec is a public network of nine state-subsidised schools offering higher education in music and theatre in Quebec, Canada. The organization was established in 1942 as a branch of the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec by the...
, a network of nine Academies created in 1942 - the provincial public broadcaster Télé-QuébecTélé-QuébecTélé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
created in 1968 - the Conseil des arts et des lettres du QuébecConseil des arts et des lettres du QuébecThe Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec is a public agency founded in 1994 by the government of Quebec .- Mission :The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec offers support and funding for art projects that exhibit artistic excellence...
(Quebec Council of Arts and Letters) created in 1992. - the interdisciplinary progressive music and fine arts institution Lambda School of Music and Fine ArtsLambda School of Music and Fine ArtsLambda School of Music and Fine Arts is a bilingual school of music and fine arts and a venue for performances located in Pierrefonds-Roxboro in the West Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The languages of instruction are in English and French...
founded in 2008 http://Lambdaarts.ca
Quebec's rich heritage of culture and history can be explored through a network of museums, which include the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal is a contemporary art museum in the Place des Arts complex, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The collection includes over 7,000 works of art by more than 1,500 artists , covering contemporary art in Quebec in particular and Canada in general, as well as...
, the Musée de la civilisation
Musée de la civilisation
The Musée de la civilisation is a museum located in Quebec City. It is situated in old Québec near the Saint Lawrence River...
and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec is a museum in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada gathering approximately 25,000 works essentially produced in Quebec, or by Quebec artists, some of which dating from the 18th century. It also houses a library since 1987...
.
Many of Quebec's artists have been educated in universities' arts faculties and specialized art schools. Notable schools include the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec
Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec
The Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec is a public network of nine state-subsidised schools offering higher education in music and theatre in Quebec, Canada. The organization was established in 1942 as a branch of the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec by the...
, the École nationale de théâtre du Canada
National Theatre School of Canada
The National Theatre School of Canada is a private college located in Montreal, Quebec.Established in Montreal in 1960, the National Theatre School of Canada offers professional training in English and French in a setting that unites all the theatre arts: acting, playwriting, directing, set and...
, the École nationale de l'humour and the École nationale de cirque
École nationale de cirque
The National Circus School is a professional circus school located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a school for higher education in arts; after the great schools of music, dance and theatre, the NCS also offers academic subjects at the secondary and college levels...
.
Prizes and awards
Quebec rewards its singers, musicians, authors, actors, directors, dancers, etc. regularly. Among the awards are:- Athanase David Awards (Literature)
- Félix AwardsFélix AwardThe Félix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in the Canadian province of Quebec.The first Félix awards were presented on September 23, 1979, by the Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois...
(Music) - Gémeaux Awards (Television and film)
- Jutra Awards (Cinema)
- Masques Awards (Theatre)
- Olivier Awards (Humour)
- Opus Awards (Concert music)
Montreal
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec's largest city, is the second largest French-speaking city in the Western World
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
after Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The city is known for its culture, cuisine, and shopping. Montreal also has a large English-speaking population. Most immigrants to Quebec settle in Montreal, and many come from French-speaking nations.
Quebec City
Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, the provincial capital (albeit dubbed La capitale nationale, national capital, in French), is best known as the first permanent settlement and the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico. The old city, partially encircled within the centuries-old walls, has a European flair.
Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean
A region known for its blueberriesBlueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, its tourtière which is a kind of a stew inside crust, its soupe aux gourganes and other specialties, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
is also the birth place of many of Quebec's public figures such as former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
, singer Mario Pelchat
Mario Pelchat
Mario Pelchat is a francophone singer.-Biography:Quebec singer Mario Pelchat has performed since 1973. His first 45 RPM single recording was released in September 1981. His early albums include 1982's Je suis un chanteur and Tu m’as fait mal the following year...
and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
athlete Marc Gagnon
Marc Gagnon
Marc Gagnon is a French Canadian short track speed skater. He is a four-time Overall World Champion for 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998, and winner of three Olympic gold medals....
. The accent of this region is one of the most distinctive and peculiar ones found in Quebec. The region hosts many festivals during summertime and receives many tourists.
This area is the heartland of the Quebec sovereigntist movement.
Gaspé
The Gaspé (Gaspésie in French) peninsula borders on the MaritimesMaritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and shares its marine culture. Acadians are in fact a majority in many towns such as Bonaventure
Bonaventure
Saint Bonaventure, O.F.M., , born John of Fidanza , was an Italian medieval scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, he was also a Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He was canonized on 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV and declared a Doctor of the...
, and Québécois Gaspesians have an accent very close to that of their Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
n neighbours.
The culture of this place called Gaspé Peninsula is very much based on the sea. Tourist attractions include the shrimp industry and salmon pass of Matane, regional gastronomy and the scenery of its sea coast, the Percé Rock
Percé Rock
Percé Rock is a huge sheer rock formation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada, off Percé Bay. Percé Rock appears from a distance like a ship under sail. It is one of the world's largest natural arches located in water and is considered a natural icon...
, and Chic-Chocs
Chic-Choc Mountains
The Chic-Choc Mountains, often called Shick Shocks in English, is a group of mountains in the central Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. It is a part of the Notre Dame Mountains, which is a continuation of the Appalachian Mountains....
Appalachian mountains.
Eastern Townships (Estrie)
This southeast region is located along the US border (Vermont, N.H., and Maine) and received a strong anglophone influence during the 19th century as American loyalists settled there. Although today a large majority of its population is French speaking, we can find many towns and counties with English culture. Its main city is Sherbrooke and the region is also well known for its skiing centres (Orford, Sutton, Owl's Head, all part of the Appalachian mountains).Aboriginal peoples
People of 11 aboriginal nations live in the territory of Quebec. They make up around 1% of the population. Their influence on Quebec culture has been and continues to be significant. They are the ones who taught the first French settlers how to survive and to adapt to the harsh winters. Later, the French engaged in trade with a great number of tribes inside and outside Quebec.There are many words in Quebec French
Quebec French
Quebec French , or Québécois French, is the predominant variety of the French language in Canada, in its formal and informal registers. Quebec French is used in everyday communication, as well as in education, the media, and government....
that come from aboriginal languages, such as manitou (wizard) and mocassin (soft leather shoes) as well as many places, rivers and lakes that have a native name.
Influences from abroad
Quebec's cultural roots not only draw from the St. Lawrence River, but also from the cultures of FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
France
Since the 1960s, cultural ties between France and Quebec have increased significantly and the exchange between the two has resulted in much mutual exposure to each others arts and societies. The Quebec government does not charge foreign student fees to students from France and certain other French-speaking countries, and France has also provided support for Quebec's national project, particularly during the era of President Charles de GaulleCharles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
.
The intellectual elites of French Quebec are divided on this matter. One branch looks to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France for all things cultural, and the other considers New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as the cultural capital of the universe. The mass of the population tends to favour local talent or adopts a surprisingly cosmopolitan attitude, listening to Brazilian rhythms and going to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
as well as Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
for vacations.
United Kingdom
The influence of BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
culture on Quebec began gradually after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
and its aftermath in 1760. At first, the establishment of a British administration did not truly affect the life of the inhabitants in the area previously known as Canada (New France). For some time after 1763, this area was incorporated into the first Province of Quebec. The British population was in fact very low for a long period of time until around 1783 when United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
began colonizing the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
. The arrival of many immigrants directly from Britain, including a large number from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, greatly affected the cultural life of French-speaking Quebecers, with many Scottish traditions and influences still evident in Quebec today.
At the peak of British colonization in Quebec in the late 19th century, about 25% of Quebecers were Anglophones and Montreal, the largest city in Canada at the time, was a predominantly English-speaking city.
The first traces of British influence on Quebecers occurred in the beginning of the 19th century when the population adopted the table manners
Table manners
Table manners are the rules of etiquette used while eating, which may also include the appropriate use of utensils. Different cultures observe different rules for table manners...
of the British instead of the ones used in New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
: the fork to the left, the knife and spoon to the right and early dinner at 5-6 PM. Before that, the Canadiens of New France followed the French custom of the time, with everyone having a pocket knife ready to use when it was time to eat.
Increased trade with the United Kingdom transformed many of the habits of Quebecers. Especially in urban areas, they began to copy the way of life of the British. It became trendy for men to dress as English dandies
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
, and households were decorated with all things British. The architecture of Montreal is full of evidence of a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
trend, which was followed in all British colonies.
Ireland
IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigration, like that of the Scots during the Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
, had a huge impact on Quebecers as listening to Quebec's traditional music will reveal. The immigrants from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
were mostly Catholic, and the two populations intermarried to a much greater extent than with any other ethnic group. Although not as represented as the British in finance or industry, the Irish have been actively involved in Quebec politics, a fact alluded to by the two prime ministers, five premiers, many Members of the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
and court justices with Irish roots.
Today, many Quebecers have an Irish ancestor somewhere in their family tree. Quebec's most praised poet, Émile Nelligan
Émile Nelligan
Émile Nelligan was a francophone poet from Quebec, Canada.-Biography:Nelligan was born in Montreal on December 24, 1879 at 602, rue de La Gauchetière. He was the first son of David Nelligan, who arrived in Quebec from Dublin, Ireland at the age of 12. His mother was Émilie Amanda Hudon, from...
, is born of a Quebec French-speaking mother and an English-speaking Irish father.
United States
American influences on Quebec culture go back to the first era of prosperity experienced by the American people after their independence. American culture and values began to pour into Quebec starting with the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and continue to this day, thanks to an open border between the US and Canada.
Though the same phenomenon has occurred with the other Canadian provinces, Quebec, being mostly French-speaking and (formerly) Catholic, the contact of the two cultures has produced significantly different results. It has often taken the form of a conflict between the "old way" of living and the "new way" coming from the outside.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drew a number of emigrants from Quebec, mostly during the period from the 1840s to the 1930s and mostly to New England, many immigrated to work in the timber trade or were seeking work in the heavily industrialized Northeast cities such as Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. Some eventually returned to Quebec, but most stayed in the US. Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
is a notable American descended from French-Canadian emigrants.
Hollywood
Movies and television have long been welcomed in Quebec and remain among the more popular forms of entertainment. However, due to the language barrier, most of the cultural flooding seen in most English-speaking areas has not occurred to the same extent. Dubbed US productions still enjoy great success. In fact, dubbed productions have seen a great boom in popularity over the last ten years. US productions are also enjoyed in their original language by many bilingual Quebecers, as well as anglophones; this may have been helped by the rise of the DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, which allowed viewers to watch films in their original language with French subtitles if necessary, making it easier for the francophone viewer to understand non-French dialogue.
One regulation
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
adopted under the Charter of the French Language
Charter of the French Language
The Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...
stipulates that movie distributors are to release a French dubbed version of any major movie at the same time as the original English. Distributors had steadfastly opposed this measure, but once it took effect they found that their total sales of tickets for any given movie jumped dramatically in Quebec. They had not realized before then that many Quebecers capable of reading advertising or reviews in English, to some extent, were not fluent enough to really enjoy a movie in the original English. However, they also invested less money on the marketing of the dubbed versions. Nevertheless, by releasing both versions at the same time, all of the population, regardless of language or relative degrees of fluency in English, was subject to the same wave of publicity and movie reviews at the same time. Nowadays, movies are allowed to be shown in English with no French version as long as they only remain in cinemas for 45 days.
However, the movies are sometimes dubbed in France and use Parisian argot
Argot
An Argot is a secret language used by various groups—including, but not limited to, thieves and other criminals—to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study, hobby, job,...
that the French-Canadian viewer would find incomprehensible. For example, politician Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...
took his children to see the Parisian French dub of Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
, and was unable to understand anything that the characters were saying. Dumont proposed a bill stating that all French-language movies in Quebec must be dubbed locally, but the bill did not pass. Studios seemed to be more inclined towards dubbing their movies in Quebec after the incident.
See also
- Culture of CanadaCulture of CanadaCanadian culture is a term that explains the artistic, musical, literary, culinary, political and social elements that are representative of Canada and Canadians, not only to its own population, but people all over the world. Canada's culture has historically been influenced by European culture and...
- Culture of MontrealCulture of MontrealMontreal was referred to as "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle Magazine. The city is Canada's centre for French-language television productions, radio, theatre, film, multimedia and print publishing. The Quartier Latin is a neighbourhood crowded with cafés animated by this literary and musical...
- Cinema of Quebec
- Dance of QuebecDance of QuebecDance in Quebec includes dances that are specific to the province of Quebec, Canada, it comprises traditional group, couple, and solo dance as well as contemporary jazz, ballet, and modern dance. There are a number of dance companies and dance schools....
- Humour of Quebec
- List of provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada
- Music of QuebecMusic of QuebecBeing a modern cosmopolitan society, today, all types of music can be found in the Canadian province of Quebec. What is specific to Quebec though are traditional songs, a unique variety of Celtic music, legions of excellent jazz musicians, a culture of classical music, and a love of foreign rhythms...
- Television of QuebecTelevision of QuebecTelevision in Quebec is an essential part of the culture of Quebec, as well as the rest of French Canada. With over 99% of households owning a television in Quebec, it has the power to reach every Quebecer...
External links
- Culture: Quebec Portal
- Cultural links from American Council for Quebec Studies
- http://jydupuis.apinc.org/pdf/Public domain literature of Quebec