MMB 2009 Conference - April 1-3, 2009



	Québec City History Local Attractions		Brief History First settled by Europeans in 1608 in a "habitation" led by Samuel de Champlain, Québec City celebrated its 400th birthday in 2008. Founded by the French to make a claim in the New World, the name Québec originally referred to just the city. It is an aboriginal word for "where the river narrows" as the St. Lawrence River dramatically closes in just east of the city. It is situated on 200 foot high cliffs with stunning views of the surrounding Laurentian mountains and the St. Lawrence River. Under French rule (1608-1759), the major industries were the fur and lumber trades. The French lost the city and its colony of New France to the British in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Much of the French nobility returned to France which resulted in British ruling over the remaining French population. Fortunately, the rulers of the colony allowed the French to retain their language and religion leaving much of the culture intact. The 1840s saw an influx of Irish immigrants during the Potato Famine. Due to cholera and typhus outbreaks, ships were quarantined at Grosse Ile to the east of the city past l'Ile d'Orleans. The bodies of those who perished on the journey and while in quarantine are buried there. The city remained under British rule until 1867 when Lower Canada (Québec) joined Upper Canada (Ontario), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to form the Dominion of Canada. French is the official language of the province of Québec, though in the tourist areas of Québec City English is widely spoken. It is also not unusual to find Spanish, German and Japanese spoken in many establishments in Vieux Québec. Outside of the tourist areas, some knowledge of French is advisable, if not necessary. It should be noted that while older locals will struggle when attempting to sustain a discussion in English, most youths under 35 should be able to speak conversational English. Getting Oriented Québec City Orienting yourself in Québec is fairly easy. Practically all sights of interest are in the Old Town (Vieux-Québec), which is divided in two: the walled city on top of the hill is known as Haute-Ville ("Upper Town"), and the neighborhood between the walled city and the river is Basse-Ville ("Lower Town"). The two are connected by the aptly-named Escalier Casse-Cou ("Breakneck Stairs") and the rather easier funicular. The city spreads west from the St. Lawrence River, for the most part extending from the original old city. The true downtown core of Québec City is located just west of the old city. Across the river from Québec City is the town of Lévis. A ferry traverses frequently between the two sides.