Les Quebecois et Quebecoises, male and female French-Canadian inhabitants of the province and city of Quebec, Canada, are a hardy, resilient, independent and fun-loving bunch of folks.
In the early 1600s, they settled the sometimes harsh lands around the St. Lawrence River north of Maine and created the magnificent walled city of Quebec, which turned 400 years old in 2008 and is junior to only a few other settlements in Canada and the United States.
Defeated by the British armed forces in 1759, they succumbed to English rule in the years before American independence. Shortly thereafter, with American troops threatening British-held Canada, the French-speaking Quebecers offered their assistance to Mother England. In exchange, they were able to negotiate the salvation of their French culture and language, which survives and thrives to this day. The independent-minded citizens even refer to their province as a "nation" within Canada.
In 1894, they responded to the cold winters, the desire to "let off steam" before Lent and the need to thumb their noses at Old Man Winter by staging the first Quebec Winter Carnival. It was held intermittently for the first half of the 20th century, but since 1955 it has been an annual affair, mentioned in the same context as Rio's Carnaval and Mardis Gras in New Orleans. This year's event will be held Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.
We started the celebration last year by gathering at the ice rink at the Place D'Youville to meet Bonhomme Carnaval, the embodiment and official mascot of the carnival. A frenzied crowd, held back by security guards, gathered outside an RV close by. Was Justin Bieber, Celine Dion or perhaps the Quebec premier hidden inside? A moment later, to cheers and roars, a giant, grinning, fuzzy white snowman skated out, adorned with a red hat and sash.
Bonhomme, (French for fellow, chap or, literally, good man) took the mitten-clad hands of the children and skated around the rink, to the delight and squeals of the youngsters, who were perfectly at ease with their hero. And the adults were just as enamored as their offspring in Bonhomme's presence. Some men were almost in tears, perhaps reminiscing about childhood and innocence. Women, on the other hand, were in a swoon. The big dude apparently exudes a "hotness" the ladies can't describe.
I asked Quebec City Tourism's Paule Bergeron who was underneath the snowman suit and she replied, almost incredulously, "Why no one! It's just Bonhomme."
Although Carnival events are scattered throughout Old Quebec, the main grounds and happenings are close to Parliament at Place Loto-Quebec, Place Desjardins and the adjacent Plains of Abraham Park. Most of the signature events occur on the weekends, but lots of action takes place every day. We entered the fun zone at Place Loto-Quebec, gaining entrance after hanging an effigy (figurine) of Bonhomme on our coats. The effigy, which allows unlimited access to the carnival grounds and most events for the duration, costs $13 per person or $40 for four, one of the great bargains of all time.
The Ice Palace, a unique creation of ice blocks and the home of Bonhomme, was our first stop. Inside, we were enthralled with beautifully crafted and colorfully illuminated ice sculptures, including chess pieces and a carousel with horses. Outside, spread around the grounds, were magnificent snow sculptures of animals, people and various things abstract, illuminated at night. Come early and you can see the sculpting competitions unfold.
The Place Desjardins is a phantasm of snow and ice play. Plummet down slides on toboggans, rafts and tubes. Go for a sleigh ride or mush a dogsled. Be a part of a giant foosball game, go ice skating, play new winter games, or fly high above the crowds on the Ferris wheel or the zip-line. You also can tour the exhibit tents and restaurants, slide over to the dance club, or just people-watch as multi-hued, bundled folks drag rosy-cheeked tots around on tiny sleds. Don't forget the sugar shack, where frozen maple syrup suckers await your cool lips.
One of the funniest and certainly cringe-inducing events is the snow bath, center stage at Desjardins. Teams of scantily-clad adventurers in bikinis and shorts frolic in the snow, trying to outdo each other with zany snow-play antics as they're cheered on by Bonhomme (that guy is everywhere!) and a thoroughly amused crowd. Given the single-digit temps, goose bumps and pink skin are in vogue. You might want to jump into the hot tubs at the onsite Arctic Spas Village after this event.
The Plains of Abraham, where British general James Wolfe defeated French general Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in 1759, is the site of the exciting St. Hubert Derby. In this time-trial event, unique to Quebec, one or two riders take open sleighs, pulled by one, two or four horses, around a treacherous, hilly course. Hooves outfitted with special ice-gripping shoes pound the packed snow, searching for traction around obstacles as the sleds slip, sometimes up on one runner, with their two-legged drivers leaning way over to prevent disaster. The crowds alternately cheer and gasp at the dangerous spectacle.
One of the signature events of the Carnaval de Quebec has to be the grueling and danger-fraught canoe race, where men's and women's teams drag their boats across land and jump into the ice-clogged St. Lawrence River, paddling through the frigid waters and dodging (or portaging around) huge ice floes from Quebec City across the water to Levis and back. There are a lot of great viewing spots for this event, as there are for two other races: the dogsled competition and the soapbox derby are both held on the streets of Old Quebec.
And then there are the wondrous parades. The daytime parade is festooned with large balloon figures, marching bands and the like. Dressed in warm boots and clothes, and armed with the infamous local concoction Caribou -- a mixture of brandy, vodka and Canadian port and sherry -- we headed for one of two night parades. The parade was a hoot – whimsical and over-the-top.
While in tradition-sampling mode, we headed over to Chez Ashton, a bright, clean fast-food joint serving poutine, a Quebec hangover cure (or demise-accelerator, take your pick) that consists of french fries and cheese curds slathered in warm brown gravy. We finished off the evening exploring the boîtes à chansons on the Grand Alle, where intimate clubs like Les voûtes de Napoléon feature traditional Quebec music.
Take a break from the fun of the carnival and explore this UNESCO Heritage city, with its 400 year-old buildings, cobblestone lanes and a very European-style atmosphere. Vieux (Old) Quebec, situated on Cap Diamant (Cape Diamond), is comprised of two parts: Haute Ville (Upper Town) and, of course, Basse Ville (Lower Town). In Haute Ville, explore the fortification walls, gates and the Citadel, the only such ramparts north of Mexico City. Walk down picturesque Rue de St. Louis, maybe flag down a carriage ride.
If you're fortunate, a light snow will transform your stroll into a magical experience, melding soft sounds, dreamy light and vintage sights into an unforgettably enriching experience. Edmonton writer Jodie McKague describes it as walking inside a snow globe.
A stone's throw away is the crown jewel of Upper Town, the grand and fabulous Fairmont Chateau Frontenac hotel, one of the Canadian Pacific Railway treasures. Explore the hotel; and if you can afford it, stay there. Take a stroll on the Terrasse Dufferin, a long boardwalk next to the hotel for spectacular views of the river and surrounding communities.
From there you can take the steep Escalier casse-cou (Break-Neck Stairway) if you dare, or proceed via the easier Funicular car down to Lower Town, where French explorers Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain were instrumental in establishing the first settlements and finally Quebec City in 1608. Peruse the shops of the quaint walking street, Rue du Petit Champlain, one of the oldest commercial lanes in North America. There are a lot of great old streets, squares and structures down in the Petit Champlain Quarter and Place-Royale including the old Notre Dame des Victoires Church and the Museum of Civilization. Try lunch at Le Petit Cochon Dingue.
Want to spread your wings a little? There is plenty to do outside the city. The Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel), created every winter from tens of thousands of tons of ice and snow, is open for day visitors or a night's stay. The themed sleeping rooms come complete with ice beds and chairs -- but also furs and sleeping bags for night-time comfort. There is a bar with heatless fireplaces serving drinks in ice glasses, an ice chapel for weddings and beautiful ice carvings everywhere. The only things that aren't made of ice are the toilets and bathrooms, thankfully, and they are in a separate structure. I stayed there on a previous visit and even with an interior hotel temp of 20 degrees, I was perfectly comfortable. Packages start at about $400 per night, including meals, extras and a regular hotel room nearby in case you panic.
Ice climbing is king, either watching it or doing it, a short drive outside of the city at Montmorency Falls Park. Onlookers and climbers are dwarfed by the magnificently frozen 272-foot-high cataract, some 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls.
There are two fine ski areas close to town. Mont Sainte Anne, with 2,000 feet of vertical, 66 trails (a third of those advanced-expert), a gondola and five chairlifts, sports high-quality ski runs with killer views skiing down to the shores of the St. Lawrence River. Stoneham Mountain Resort, north of the city, has 1,400 vertical for skiing, 39 trails of which half are also designated for night skiing, and an extensive terrain park for free-riding. The mountains share a lift pass that is good at both areas.
An hour from the city in the Charlevoix region is the super ski resort of Le Massif, boasting the highest vertical in Eastern Canada with a 2,500 foot vertical drop. The area features a gondola and three high-speed quad chairs -- and a similar killer-view scenario as Mont Saint Anne, with runs seemingly plunging straight into the St. Lawrence. Fifty-five percent of Le Massif's runs are rated advanced to expert, including the only triple-black run that I've ever seen and skied.
Near Stoneham is Le Nordique spa, situated in a forested, secluded valley on the banks of the Jacques Cartier River. Here you can get a massage and other spa services, relax in a sauna, or soak and alternate in hot to really brisk pools. For the ultimate in daring -- or masochism -- take a dip in the creek through a hole cut in the ice.
If your interests gravitate toward cultural pursuits, specifically Native North American peoples, the Huron-Wendat village of Wendake is a fascinating destination. You'll find a museum, historic sites and buildings, cultural demonstrations, crafts and other attractions. There are also fantastic restaurants in the village, including La Traite, which specializes in gourmet meals inspired by First Nation foods. There's even a hotel, offering packages tied to other local activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.
If you have even more time to explore, head east to the Island of Orleans, then continue on to the Charlevoix region for beautiful scenery, shorelines and gastronomic delights, all the way to La Malbaie and Fairmont's Le Manoir Richelieu hotel. Or take the winter train from Montmorency Falls Park to La Malbaie, sampling fine food and majestic scenery along the route.
A winter visit to the province … er … Nation of Quebec should give you a clue to what joie du vivre, French Canadian-style, entails.
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