Much of Quebec is made up of the Laurentian Plateau, which is part of the barren Canadian Shield. In some places, such as the Laurentian Mountains northeast of Montreal and in the Appalachian highlands in the southeast, there are a few peaks with relatively high elevations. The southernmost 100 mi/160 km is primarily farmland, rolling hills, lakes and pleasant scenery. The province's most prominent feature is the mighty St. Lawrence River, along which the major cities lie.
In previous centuries, Quebec's lands were used as hunting, trapping and fishing grounds for the Nipissing, Algonquian and Inuit people. The Vikings may have visited Quebec around AD 1000, but the first documented European explorer to see the province was Jacques Cartier, who arrived in 1534. In the early 1600s, Samuel de Champlain and other French explorers began to establish a few trading posts and settlements, including one at the site of Quebec City. But it wasn't until the late 1600s that French colonists began to settle the land in larger numbers.
Soon, Britain began to squeeze the French out of the Atlantic provinces. Many of the refugees ended up in what is now Quebec, making the colony's French character even stronger. By the 1700s, France was losing its hold on its North American possessions altogether. In the 1759 battle on the Plains of Abraham outside the fortress of Quebec City, Britain's Gen. James Wolfe defeated French Gen. Louis de Montcalm. That victory helped to hasten the British conquest of Canada, which was accomplished in 1763. It did not, however, result in the conquest of Quebec's French culture.
The area grew strong economically—its strategic location on the St. Lawrence River (now called the St. Lawrence Seaway) between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes helped make it an essential center for commerce and westward expansion. As a result, Quebec had some leverage with which to retain its French culture and language when it joined the Canadian confederation in 1867.
But repeatedly over the past century, some groups in Quebec have called for greater provincial autonomy, stirring debate, controversy and occasional violence. The collapse in 1990 of the Meech Lake Accord, which would have shifted more power from the national government to the provinces and given Quebec recognition as a "distinct society" was followed by the province's 1995 referendum on secession from Canada. The referendum was defeated—but just barely. The separatist movement seems to have less support of late, but the issue has not been put to rest.
Quebec's main attractions are Quebec City, beautiful scenery, outdoor recreation of all kinds, Montreal, French Canadian culture, wildlife, fall foliage (especially in the Eastern Townships and the Laurentians), historic sites, magnificent river and ocean shorelines, whale-watching, the Saguenay River and Fjord, winter sports and the Gaspe Peninsula.
Practically every traveler will find something of interest in Quebec, especially those who enjoy history, scenic beauty and French culture. Be aware that on occasion there may be no one present who can speak English, particularly in rural areas.
Those who named the town of Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! were not making a joke: To French explorers, a
haha was a barrier—a reference to the end of the lake.
On the Ile aux Grues, a small 5-sq-mi/13-sq-km island in the St. Lawrence River, the people still celebrate mi-careme, a medieval tradition where everyone puts on elaborate disguises and parades from house to house, hoping to fool their hosts as to their true identities. The weeklong festival, which includes much drinking and dancing, takes place during Lent.
Chateau Montebello, a sprawling resort on the Ottawa River between Montreal and Ottawa, is one of the world's largest log structures. Elk, bison and wild boar roam through nearby Omega Park.
At the Saint-Benoit-du-Lac Abbey, overlooking Lake Memphremagog in the Eastern Townships, you can buy the abbey's superb apple butter and cheese (along with recordings of Gregorian chants, for which the monks are justly famous). You can also stay there overnight.
If you're not a skier, you can still enjoy schussing down the slopes of Quebec's mountains. Tubing—sliding down the mountain on an inflated inner tube—has become popular at many of Quebec's ski resorts, and no previous experience is necessary.
Many Quebec villages, distinguished by Victorian-style houses, were settled by loyal British subjects who fled the U.S. at the time of the Revolutionary War.
The correct (and certainly politically correct) pronunciation of Quebec is keh-BECK. Montreal is MUN-tree-all.
Several Canadian prime ministers have called Quebec home, among them Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.
The Quebec flag includes the fleur-de-lis, once the symbol of the French royal family.
