Saturday, June 28, 2014
Our last group excursion was to the historic Citadelle in Québec City. This is a very important landmark in Canadian history and one that continues to impact the Québécois today. The Citadelle was built by the British in 1820-50 and is the largest British fortification in North America. Although it has never been attacked, it is strategically placed on the top of Cap Diamant, ready to defend from any direction. The Citadelle is also an active military base as home to the Royal 22e Regiment, the only Francophone Regiment inthe Canadian Forces. This year is a very special and poignant time to visit La Citadelle as 2014 marks the 100th year anniversary of the First World War and also the formation of the Royal 22e Regiment, the first of Canada's regiments to be deployed to Europe to fight. Although suffering heavy casualties as other Allied countries did, Canada's proud victory at Vimy in 1917 marks the first time for Canada to stand on its own, separate from Britain, since Confederation in 1867. This battle stands as a symbol to the soldiers at La Citadelle and across Canada it represents the sacrifice and independence Canada has shown in battle. La Citadelle has an exhibition on Canada at war with particular focus on WWI and it was extremely well done and I was glad to be able to visit this important place in Canada's history this year in particular, to join in the centenary commemoration of the Great War. The view from the top of the Citadelle is magnifique!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Yesterday was Québec's national holiday. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste, the celebration has its origins in the feast day of Saint John the Baptist or "Midsummer" and was a very popular event in the ancien régime of France which still holds traditional and identity value for the Québécois. This holiday is completely different from Canada Day, which is celebrated on July 1 each year. The Province of Québec makes a much bigger deal out of June 24 and Québec City hosts an outdoor concert on the Plains of Abraham, site of the defeat of the French by the English in 1759. Here are some pictures from the concert, the weather was great this year and the crowd even greater. Our students celebrated comme des Québécois! Be sure to read how they compare the Québec holiday with the American 4th of July in their blogs.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
One of my guilty pleasures in Québec City is to go on a promenade littéraire - a literary walk through the streets of Vieux Québec where we visit authors' famous haunts, characters' houses and view the often overlooked corners of the city, as well as the grandiose vistas, through the eyes of Québec's literary icons. Unfortunately, I couldn't entice any students to go with me this year, but I was in heaven as we walked the streets of la Haute Ville in the footsteps of Anne Hébert, one of Québec's grandes dames of the novel. Having read and studied several of Hébert's novels when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta and seen one of the film adaptations of her novel Kamouraska, this was a big thrill for me. The weather was wonderful and the guide was absolutely mesmorizing as she shared her passion for the literature with us. Walking through the winding cobblestone streets and stopping to read passages aloud under the very window that the character of Elisabeth D’Aulnières sat at the death bed of her husband at the beginning of the novel, was like stepping back in time for me. We walked along les remparts - the old walls of the city - for a spectacular view of the Laurentian mountains, the St. Lawrence River and the wonders of la ville de Québec! I now feel like picking up her books again and diving into them, with my mind still wandering the streets of Vieux Québec...
Sunday, June 22, 2014
A small group of us went to the Université Laval cinema which specializes in showing international and local films in their original versions. We saw the Québécois film La Petite Reine which was based loosely on the life of disgraced Québec cylist, Geneviève Jeanson in 2007 when she admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs (à la manière de Lance Armstrong). The film was difficult to watch at times as it was graphic and also when you realize how high level athletes are often not in control of their own lives. It was also a challenge for students who had never watched a French film without subtitles. Several of the characters had thick accents and, as in most films, slang and other regional expressions were often used. It was a good exercise in language comprehension! I enjoyed the film very much. This was the first film I had seen with actress Laurence Leboeuf who was excellent. Director Alexis Durand-Brault said that rather than showing the disgraced athlete in a completely negative light, he wanted to create a sympathetic character that the audience would feel for, despite the fact that she willingly took drugs since the age of 14.
After a week of hard work in language classes, everyone is ready for the weekend. Students have Saturday and Sunday free to choose their own activities and travel outside of Québec City if they wish. A group of students are traveling to Montréal, about a two hour drive from Québec and well worth the trip!