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FUN FACTS ABOUT QUÉBEC
 
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CATHOLIC
TO THE CORE

Quebec’s religious legacy

 
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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.

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SNOW
GOING!

A distinct winter culture

 
 

CIRCUS
REINVENTED

Exporting talent

 
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HUMOUR
IS BIG

A multi-million
dollar business


 
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LESS PILLS
MORE WINE

Quebecers buy differently

 
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GIVING
TO CHARITY

Quebecers “donate”
to the lottery


 
 

THE
RELIGION
OF HOCKEY

        Riot? What riot?
 
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STAYING
UP LATE

   Partying till 3 a.m.

 
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FESTIVAL FEVER

Canada’s festival capital

 
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MADE IN QUEBEC

Quebecers like to see themselves on TV

 
 

SEXUAL ATTITUDE

Quebecers do it better

 
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MARRIAGE? NON MERCI!

Refusing to commit

 
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THE BLOCK QUÉBÉCOIS

Quebecers kinda sorta want their own country

 
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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.”

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LOCAL HEROES

A homegrown star system

 
 

POUTINE
FOR PRESIDENT

        A taste for excess
 
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A UNIQUE CAISSE

   Quebecers don’t bank on the bank

 
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