Quebec is cold in winter… And Quebec is cool in winter
IAN STALKER
Quebec tourist board Bonjour Quebec’s Louis Michaud is inviting people to experience Quebec’s Great Outdoors after Old Man Winter rolls around.
Michaud told delegates to Rendez-vous Canada 2023 in Quebec City in late May that many potential winter Quebec visitors may be wary of winter weather but added they needn’t be.
“Winter is a great time,” he said. “Don’t be scared of the cold in the winter. It’s a dry cold. If you have a good coat you will be fine.”
Quebec City is known for embracing winter, with its famed winter carnival held in that season.
Michaud labelled Quebec a “natural playground. Nature is never far from where you are.”
“Let’s have fun outside,” he continued.
Quebec’s natural side includes massive caribou herds and whales gathering in some Quebec waters — including the St. Lawrence River — during summer.
Those heading to the northernmost Quebec region of Nunavik — an area roughly the size of France — can take tours that showcase that region’s wildlife in a part of the world that’s home to the likes of polar bears and musk-ox, he noted.
Michaud praised Quebec’s “unique culture,” shaped in large part by Indigenous, French and British influences.
He said Quebec routinely hosts festivals, pointing to the likes of a summer festival in Quebec City.
Michaud added that Quebec has a large number of historic sites, a point underscored by Quebec City’s storied old walled quarter being just a short distance from where he gave his talk.
Michaud also praised Quebec cuisine.
“The real treasure of Quebec is our gastronomy,” he added. “It is unique. It is refined.”
Among new attractions is a new tower in the Port of Montreal that has an observation platform providing great views of the city.
Meanwhile, Michaud said those who decide to visit Quebec will find it a particularly friendly place.
“We’re really welcoming,” he said. “We want to engage with you.”
