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Montreal
Vacation
As a
North American society and the only society on the continent with a
French-speaking majority, the culture of the province of Quebec, Canada
shows many unique features. On the whole, this culture differs from that
of the well over 300 million English-speaking citizens of Canada and the
United States who surround it, as well as from that of France.
For historical and linguistic reasons, Quebec also has cultural links
with other North American French speaking communities, particularly with
the Acadians of New Brunswick and to a lesser extent with the French
Canadian communities of northern Ontario and the Cajun French revival
movements in Louisiana, USA.
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, United States, France,
and Britain all at the same time. As such, it is often described as a
crossroads between Europe and America. The Encyclopædia Britannica
describes contemporary Quebec culture as a post-1960s phenomenon
resulting from the Quiet Revolution (Révolution Tranquille), a
counter-culture phenomenon supported and financed by both of Quebec's
major political parties.
Architecture
The architecture of Quebec is characterized by the juxtaposition of the
old and the new and a wide variety of architectural styles, the legacy
of two successive colonizations by the French, the British, and the
close presence of the architecture of the United States to the south.
Famous for its religious heritage, Quebec has some of the most beautiful
Roman Catholic churches you can find in North America. Quebec has 122
religious buildings listed as historical monuments. The best-known ones
would be the Saint Joseph's Oratory, the Mary, Queen of the World
Cathedral, the Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, and the Notre-Dame de
Québec Cathedral.
Cinema
The first public movie projection in North America occurred in Montreal
on June 27, 1896. Frenchman Louis Minier presented a film on a Lumiere
cinematographe in a cafe-theatre on Saint-Laurent street. However, it
would not be until the 1960s that a genuine Quebec cinema industry would
emerge. Important contributions to world cinema include cinéma vérité
and artistic animation.
Circus
Arts
Quebec has carved a niche for itself in the field of circus arts, where
it emphasizes the European tradition of circus.
The Cirque du Soleil circus troupe is known for its artistic productions
with rich musical scores. Its productions include Varekai, Dralion,
Alegria 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 Montréal and Los Angeles. It features both acrobatic and
equestrian arts. All of the horses are male, most of which are
stallions.
Comic strips of Quebec
Comic books in Quebec traditionally call upon the European 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
aimed at an older reading audience.
Literature of Quebec
The first literary output from Quebec occurred under the French regime
with the many poems written by the early inhabitants of New France. It
was, however, during the late 19th century that a novel was first
published by a Quebecer.
Music of Quebec
The traditional folk music 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. The
Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO), founded in 1934 is one shining
example. Under the direction of Charles Dutoit from 1977 to 2002, the
MSO gained a truly international reputation. Montreal is also home to
the Orchestre métropolitain, 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
distinguished ensemble the Orford String Quartet was first formed.
Classical music aficianados 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 two concert halls: Pollack 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.
Jazz also has a long tradition in Quebec. Montreal's annual Montreal
Jazz Festival draws millions of visitors each summer. Many Quebeckers
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 will sometimes sing in English
to reach a wider audience.
Visual Arts
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 most well known contribution to
the world of fine art.
Lifestyle
Quebec is fairly typical of most Western societies in many regards,
with, however, a few particularities of its own.
Family Life
During the 1950s and 1960s, Quebec maintained record numbers with
regards to fertility rate. The Catholic religion using their priests
(established in all parishes and small-towns) guided and directed
people's attitudes and moralities in those days. The church wanted to
increase the catholic population in North America and strongly
recommended (forced in some circumstances) wives to get pregnant rapidly
soon after they delivered. In the post-Quiet Revolution era, this
attitude completely changed. In 2001, the fertility rate in Quebec was
1.474 per thousand, one of the lowest rates in the Western world.
One of the unique feature of Quebec, is that many, if not most, married
women retain their maiden names when they marry. This followed the 1970s
strong feminism 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 same-sex marriage, following a court challenge
brought by Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf. (See also same-sex
marriage in Quebec.)
Work
The province at the turn of the 20th century, was known for its low-paid
blue-collar workers employed in textile, paper plants and shops. Quebec
also has a long tradition in forestry. Quebec's lumberjacks 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. Slow at first,
Quebec has evolved since the 1960s with a strong union membership.
Today, Quebec has the highest percentage of unionized workers in North
America. Most union leaders in Quebec have strong ties to the Parti
Quebecois. Many members of the business circles and the
population-at-large are resenting 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
favorable position and support of the Quebec's independence. Some if not
many Quebecois 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
Religion
Quebec was a very Roman Catholic society until recent years. The Church
projected itself as the protector of the French language and culture.
Archbishops of large cities were very influential at all government
levels. In small towns, the influence of the priest was often equal or
superior to that of the town's mayor. Before any political decision
could be made, politicians made sure that it would be in accordance with
Catholic belief and attitudes. Congregations of nuns controlled and
managed the province's education, social and medical service. Simply
put, Quebec was one of the world's Catholic strongholds.
Since the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, Quebec has become much more
secular. Nonetheless about 90% of the population still claims to be
Catholic, but few regularly attend services or pay the tithe which the
faithful are supposed to give to the Church. As a result, much of the
province's Catholic church architecture is in peril, with parishes not
having enough funds for necessary upkeep. Some churches are even
closing, merging with another parish. As church attendance is now
extremely low, few individuals are willing to become priests, monks or
nuns. Therefore, many small towns must now share their priest with
neighboring towns. The influence of the Catholic Church is strongest in
rural regions and weakest in the Montreal area.
One notable vestige of the Catholic Church's long dominance of Quebec
culture is that francophone curses and expletives are nearly entirely
composed of religious references and vocabulary.
All major religions are represented, to some degree, especially in
Montreal and Quebec City where the Anglican Church of Canada has
cathedrals. The allophone population of Montreal in particular
represents many different religions and faiths. Montreal was once the
centre of Jewish culture in Canada.
Vacation
Starting probably in the late 1940s and reaching its apogee in the
1970s, some Quebec residents have been known to vacation or spend the
whole winter months in southeast Florida. Mainly in the Hallandale Beach
and Fort Lauderdale regions. Initially a trend that only the wealthy
could afford; this destination is now considered by many as outdated and
unstylish. Recently, many have openly ridiculed the destination and
stigmatized its vacationers for being close-minded, rude and
uninterested to communicate even basically in English. The increasing
real estate taxes might explains why Quebecers are slowly deserting the
North Miami area. 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. While the North Miami area attracted
both vacationers and snowbirds, as of today, only vacationers frequent
those new resort areas.
Humour
Humour has long been a distinguishing feature of Canadian culture, and
Québec is no exception. It stretches beyond the normal realms of
creative arts and extends itself into daily life. It is even welcomed in
places where humour is not normally found.
For instance, prior to the modern independent political movement, many
citizens of Québec 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.
Le poisson d'avril (April Fools) is an old French tradition involving
tacking fish (usually paper ones) on people's back without their
knowledge. It dates back to 1564, and was taken very seriously by Québec
society.
Food
See Main article: Cuisine of Quebec with links to articles on Quebec
dishes like pea soup, poutine, tourtière, Montreal bagels, whippet
cookies, etc.
As in European countries like Italy 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 Belgium, Switzerland and France.
Many of those immigrants were waiters, cooks and chefs.
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.
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 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, the best downhill skiing in Canada east of the
Rockies is to be found in Quebec as well.
The snowmobile, invented in Quebec by Joseph-Armand Bombardier, is a
popular hobby, though its reputation has been marred by several deaths
each year due to its unregulated use. Through the 1990s, the Mont
Tremblant and Mont Sainte-Anne ski resorts became popular destinations
internationally.
Another popular diversion 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 dotting the frozen surface.
Quebec is home to many professional sports teams and events, the
majority of which call Montreal home.
Existing Sports Teams
* Montreal Canadiens (National Hockey League)
* Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League)
* Montreal Impact (United Soccer Leagues)
Defunct Sports Teams
* Montreal Expos (Major League Baseball)
* Quebec Nordiques (National Hockey League)
Events
* Canadian Grand Prix (Formula 1 racing)
Events
Le Carnaval de Québec is held every winter in Quebec City and is famous
for its world-class ice sculpture competition, sledding at the feet of
Chateau Frontenac and its mascot, Le Bonhomme Carnaval. It was created
by an association of Quebec City restauranteurs and hotel owners in
order to boost the city slow winter tourism economy. Not as bawdy as the
Brazilian version, though arising from the same Christian tradition of
partying before Lent, it is generally a celebration of winter. Recently,
there has even been a hotel made entirely of ice available for lodging.
During the summer season, Montreal is kept busy by a wide variety of
festivals, which has given the city its reputation for being one of the
festival capitals of North America.
The Montreal Jazz Festival, or Festival International du Jazz, is held
annually in Montreal during the summer season and attracts artists from
around the world and is typically attended by millions of people who are
attracted by the electric atmosphere. The city's downtown core is closed
to traffic for two weeks as outdoor shows are free to the public on many
stages.
The Fireworks Festival (L’International des Feux Loto-Québec) is one
of the most important annual, international fireworks competition held
at Six Flags La Ronde (in Montreal), an amusement park built on the
artificial island used for Expo 67. The competition takes the form of a
series of biweekly fireworks shows usually beginning in late June and
ending in late July. The fireworks are synchronized to music which is
also broadcasted over a local radio station. 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 exterior shows are given for free.
Media
The major newspapers in Quebec include the broadsheets La Presse
(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 Télévision Quatre Saisons (TQS).
These Quebec television networks produce a considerable amount of their
content locally, including the ever-popular téléroman.
The three main Canadian English networks also broadcast over the air in
Quebec: public broadcaster CBC and private brodcasters 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.
Cultural institutions
Many cultural institutions were set up in Quebec, in the wake of the
Quiet Revolution.
Among the key institutions are:
* the Archives nationales du Québec (Quebec National Archives) created
in 1920
* the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec, a network
of nine Academies created in 1942
* the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (Quebec National Library)
created in 1967
* the provincial public broadcaster Télé-Québec created in 1968
* the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (Quebec Council of Arts
and Letters) created in 1992.
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. See also the list of Quebec museums.
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.
Prizes and Awards
Quebec society rewards its singers, musicians, authors, actors,
directors, dancers, etc. regularly. Among the awards are:
* Félix Awards (Music)
* Opus Awards (Concert Music)
* Jutra Awards (Cinema)
* Gémeaux Awards (Television and film)
* Olivier Awards (Humour)
* Masques Awards (Theatre)
* Athanase David Awards (Literature)
Regional Cultures
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
A region known for its blueberries, its tourtière, its soupe aux
gourganes and other specialties, the 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, although natives of the regions would
reply that in fact it is the people of Montreal who have an accent, not
them!
Gaspésie
The Gaspésie region is Quebec's little sample of the Canadian
Maritimes. The people of la Gaspésie have an accent very close to that
of their Acadian cousins living in New-Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The culture of the Gaspésie region is very much centered around the
sea. The area is famous for its shrimps of Matane and the scenery of its
sea coast, the Percé Rock, and Chic-Chocs Appalachian mountains.
Montreal
Montreal, Quebec's largest city, is the second largest French-speaking
city after Paris. The city is known for its culture, cuisine, and
shopping. Montreal has large immigrant populations, primairly from
french speaking nations around the world.
Aboriginal peoples
There are 11 aboriginal peoples living in the territory of Quebec. 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 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 names.
Foreign Influences
Quebec's cultural roots not only draw from the St. Lawrence River, they
also tap into the rich cultures of France, the British Isles, and the
United States.
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France
Despite a common language, French, Quebecers see the Culture of France
as foreign in essentially the same way that Americans see British or
Australian culture. However, since the 1960s, the cultural ties between
France and Quebec have increased significantly and the exchange between
the two has resulted in some cross-pollination. The Quebec government
does not charge foreign student fees to students from France and certain
other French-speaking countries, so some of the cultural exchange is
brought in person.
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 favor 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.
British Isles
The influence of British culture on Quebec slowly began after the
British Conquest of New France in 1760. At first, the establishment of a
British administration did not truly affect the life of the inhabitants
of what was then called le Canada. 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 from Britain later of course greatly affected the cultural
life of French-speaking Quebecers.
At the peak of British colonization of 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 English instead of the one 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 used the French customs of
the time, everyone having a pocket knife ready to use when it was time
to eat.
Increased trade with the British Isles 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 household were decorated with all things British. The architecture
of Montreal is full of remnants of a Victorian trend, which was followed
in all British colonies.
Ireland
Irish immigration 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. Today, many Quebecers have an
Irish ancestor somewhere in their family tree. The Irish brought the
celebration of St. Patrick's Day to Montreal, making it one of the
oldest of its kind in North America. Quebec's most praised poet, Émile
Nelligan, is born of a Quebec French-speaking mother and an
English-speaking Irish father. See Irish Quebecers.
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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 Revolution 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 1840s to the 1930s. Some eventually returned to Quebec, but many
stayed. Jack Kerouac 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.
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. They had not realised before then that many
Quebecers capable of reading advertising or critics in English, to some
extent, were not fluent enough to really enjoy a movie in the original
English. They also invested less money on the marketing of the dubbed
versions, months later. 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 bombardment of publicity and movie
reviews at the same time.
New York
While Toronto dominates English Canadian culture, Montrealers (and by
extension, Quebecers) tend to prefer New York City as a travel
destination, particularly since it is not much further away from
Montreal than Toronto, and because of its appeal as a "global
city". Despite the higher prices and a generally unfavourable
exchange rate, many Quebecers agree that New York City is the best place
for shopping, theatre, and picking up new trends.
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