From snowy outdoor pursuits to indoor museums, winter galleries, and whale- and bear-spotting in summer – Québec’s calendar is varied and vibrant
by Laura Millar
Winter (December - February)
Winter is fun and exciting in Québec. Locals embrace it with a series of festivals, such as the Carnaval de Québec in Québec City, with its parades, parties and outdoor sporting events. Meanwhile, Montreal boasts Igloofest, an outdoor electronic music festival.
Although pretty above the surface, Montreal powers ahead through winter with its Underground City, a series of interconnected shopping centres, residential and commercial complexes and performing arts venues that keep locals and visitors warm when moving around. To stimulate your senses, visit the Biosphere or the elegant Museum of Fine Arts. Or, for an outdoor thrill, go to Luminothérapie, an interactive light display held every year in December and January at the Place des Festivals.
Interactive light displays at Luminothérapie in Montreal; dog sledding in Plessisville; and the Musée de la Civilisation in Québec City
In Québec City, find out more about the region’s aboriginal people, and how the province came into being, at the striking Musée de la Civilisation.
To really celebrate Québec winter, though, you need to get into the great outdoors. There is a huge range of activities to experience on the province’s frozen lakes and snow-covered mountains and forests. Why not try ice-skating along a frozen forest path at Le Domaine De La Foret Perdue, or team up with a pack of huskies or malamutes for an amazing dog-sledding experience?
And, of course, the skiing is fantastic. Within a 45-minute drive from Québec City is the large Mont-Sainte-Anne ski area, with wonderful views over wooded hills and St Lawrence River. From Montreal, the obvious choice is Mont-Tremblant, often hailed as the best ski resort in eastern North America. You get the beauty of the mountains, a picturesque purpose-built village designed in the style of old Québec, and superb downhill skiing for all abilities – all in one location.
After all that exercise in the fresh air, is there anything better than eating something hot at the end of the day? Mont-Tremblant really delivers here, with great fine-dining options such as C’est la Vie and SEb L’Artisan Culinaire.
Spring (March - May)
Spring brings much excitement in Québec after the cold winter temperatures. It’s a great time to focus on food – you’ll find yourself eating indoors on some days, and outside in crisp sunlight on others. Most importantly, spring is maple syrup season. In the province’s maple forests, country cabins, known as sugar shacks, serve great meals followed by delicious syrupy treats – including sugar pie, crepes and pancakes, and maple taffy (a lolly created with fresh snow).
Chef Normand Laprise and his restaurant Toqué!
Montreal has a multitude of excellent restaurants, such as award-winning Toqué!, where chef Normand Laprise uses the best local produce for his classic cuisine. Coming in just behind him, at number three on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list, is ever-popular, old-school French eatery Joe Beef, run by partners David McMillan and Fred Morin since 2005. Farther north, near Parc La Fontaine, don’t miss Martin Picard’s Au Pied de Cochon for elegant, country fare. From May, the first Friday of the month is the biggest food truck rally in the country, in Montreal’s Olympic Park. And why not take a walking food tour in Québec City to explore its oldest neighbourhoods and sample traditional snacks such as Québecois poutine (chips topped with cheese curds and gravy), a smoked meat sandwich and more …
Summer (June - August)
Tadoussac sits on the junction of the St Lawrence and Saguenay rivers
June is a great time for whale watching – until October, up to 13 different species of cetaceans can be found in the waters of the St Lawrence River. Head up to the Saguenay–St Lawrence marine park to see the whales, as well as the magnificent Québec coastline and the quaint towns of Tadoussac and Les Escoumins. Alternatively, try tranquil Rimouski, a smaller city on the south side of the river – there are great trails and marine life at the nearby parc national du Bic.
Also make sure you enjoy the indigenous heritage of the province and attend a Pow Wow – a lively celebration of aboriginal culture that includes music, dancing, food and handicrafts. The Kahnawake Pow Wow takes place on 13-14 July in 2019 on Tekakwitha Island just 10 miles south of Montreal, while the Wendake Pow Wow – usually held in June or July – is really convenient for Québec City.
Summer brings Montreal’s Mural festival
Other festivals during the summer include Montreal’s Mural festival, a colourful array of murals and street art; Just for Laughs, where the biggest global names in comedy come together; and the Jazz festival. While strolling around the city in the evenings, don’t miss the Cité Mémoire, a series of projections on to buildings that tell the story of the city. Take a ride on La Grande Roue, a 60-metre-high observation wheel in the Old Port, from where you can observe the illuminations of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge.
There’s always something going on at the Esplanade Financiere Sun Life in the Olympic Park; in good weather, there’s Les Jardineries, a pop-up outdoor urban garden with its own beach, games, greenhouse and cafe, and, in August, Jackalope, an action sport festival. You can indulge in some fashionable forest-bathing at Foresta Lumina in the wonderfully named parc de la Gorge de Coaticook in Eastern Townships, an enchanting illuminated experience in the woods.
In Québec City, the festival d’Été (Summer festival) is a fortnight of wall-to-wall music, with hundreds of bands performing pop, rock, jazz and classical music at indoor and outdoor venues. In 2019, it takes place on 4-14 July.
Autumn (September - November)
Mont Sutton in the autumn
Just because it’s not winter yet doesn’t mean you can’t visit one of Québec’s many ski resorts. The likes of Stoneham, Mont Sutton and Mont Saint-Sauveur not only have year-round pursuits, such as hiking trails, water parks and other activities, but are great places to see the striking autumn colours.
Or follow the Flavour Trail, which winds through Charlevoix, experiencing the delicious results of award-winning producers of cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables and, of course, wines. Back in the city, stroll around Montreal’s Promenade Fleuve-Montagne, a two-mile walkway created to celebrate the city’s 375th birthday, linking Mount Royal and the St Lawrence, which takes you past the prestigious McGill University, through downtown, close to Chinatown and to the Quartier de l’Innovation and its Neoshop, a network of stores dedicated to innovative products and startups. Not far is one of Montreal’s main arteries, St Laurent Boulevard. Follow it up to the vibrant, artsy Plateau-Mont-Royal district.
Québec City is equally fun in the autumn. As the leaves change colour, the Parc du Bois-de-Coulonge is definitely the place for a romantic walk. Also be sure to explore the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec – it comprises four linked buildings, including the old Québec City jail, which now houses the modern art collection. And for a further autumnal culture fix, check out the prestigious Québec City film festival – it’s held every September.
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