ABOUT  |  WORK  |  BLOG  |  CONTACT

FUN FACTS ABOUT QUÉBEC
 
arrow
 

CATHOLIC
TO THE CORE

Quebec’s religious legacy
 
 
close
 
Roman Catholicism is stronger in Quebec than any other province
 
Once referred to as the “Tibet of Catholicism,” for centuries Quebec was a rural, conservative province with a church at the heart of every village. By 1900, there was almost one church official per 100 people (a ratio that makes Starbucks embarrassed). The church’s influence has faded considerably since then, following the Quiet Revolution that secularized the province in the sixties, but it’s still part and parcel of the culture. The province’s spiritual roots are evident in its attitude toward money—most Quebecers believe wealth should be redistributed to those in need, not controlled by the one percent. Mark Twain once remarked that you couldn’t throw a brick in Montreal without breaking a church window, and that’s still the case—it’s just that these days, many of those windows belong to condos in converted churches. And Quebecers continue to invoke the language of the church every day—through the colourful, religion-derived swear words that are an integral part of the local French vernacular. Shout about tabernacles, chalices, ciboriums or hosts, and risk a good old-fashioned Quebec beating … which is really like a regular beating, but most likely in front of a church.

arrow
 

SNOW
GOING!

A distinct winter culture
 
 
 

CIRCUS
REINVENTED

Exporting talent
 
 
arrow
 

HUMOUR
IS BIG

A multi-million
dollar business

 
 
arrow
arrow
 

LESS PILLS
MORE WINE

Quebecers buy differently
 
 
arrow
 

GIVING
TO CHARITY

Quebecers “donate”
to the lottery

 
 
 

THE
RELIGION
OF HOCKEY

        Riot? What riot?
 
arrow
 

STAYING
UP LATE

   Partying till 3 a.m.
 
 
arrow
arrow
 

FESTIVAL FEVER

Canada’s festival capital
 
 
arrow
 

MADE IN QUEBEC

Quebecers like to see themselves on TV
 
 
 

SEXUAL ATTITUDE

Quebecers do it better
 
 
arrow
 

MARRIAGE? NON MERCI!

Refusing to commit
 
 
arrow
arrow
 

THE BLOCK QUÉBÉCOIS

Quebecers kinda sorta want their own country
 
 
close
 
Quebecers like the idea of an independent Quebec more than the reality
 
In Quebec, nothing is certain except death, taxes... and talk of separation. The idea of independence is always there, whether at the centre of public debate or bubbling away below the surface. Despite the tub-thumping of politicians, however, many Quebecers get cold feet when asked to commit, and have twice voted against separation in referendums. But the talk goes on... leading to all sorts of oddities: a federal political party, the Bloc Québécois, whose main purpose it to break up the country it represents, or provincial parties with blatantly separatist agendas who dance around the issue of another referendum for fear of losing votes. Quebec humorist Yvon Deschamps summed it up best: “We want an independent Quebec inside a unified Canada.”

arrow
 

LOCAL HEROES

A homegrown star system
 
 
 

POUTINE
FOR PRESIDENT

        A taste for excess
 
arrow
 

A UNIQUE CAISSE

   Quebecers don’t bank on the bank
 
 
arrow