I do recall visiting l’île d’Orléans with André Gosselin (later to become a Quebec horticultural research star) back in the late seventies as a friendly introduction to the francophone lifestyle. I remember his affection for the Renault “LeCar” and mine for the Triumph Spitfire! Quebec City is a treasure in the middle of a number of rural tourism gems…including the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, several downhill skiing meccas, touristique incontournable Portneuf, Lac St. Joseph and Montmorency Falls.

I am not going to pretend I have any insight into the deep, rich history of the province, but I do know that the original rural routes were navigated by watercraft as the province’s rivers and lakes comprise roughly 12 % of its total area. The wicked exploitation of furs and forest blended the First Nations and colonial Europeans, etching out trading posts and forts into permanent population centers. With the eventual need for hydroelectricity, the waterways became a brilliant answer with the spinning of turbines making Quebec the 4th largest producer of this energy only after China, Brazil and the U.S.

The province of Quebec, in my mind, is the most playful part of Canada despite the endless winters with 80 ski resorts peppering the Laurentians and Eastern Townships primarily. Our family loves Owl’s head hugging the Vermont border and Lake Memphremagog. The views on a crisp, sunny winter day are lovely. And speaking of playfulness, the Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul formed in 1984 (the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s discovery of Canada) has become the delightful and treasured Cirque du Soleil, now employing 4000 and stunning audiences from Shanghai to Kazakhstan.

Acknowledgement for detailed place name information must be attributed to the Toponymy Commission based in Quebec City.