Quebec City

Quebec City Looking Triumphant

The narrowing of the Saint Lawrence River approximate to Quebec City and Levis, on the opposite bank, provided the name given to the city, Kebec, an Algonquin word meaning "where the river narrows". Founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. Ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Quebec) are the only remaining fortified city walls that still exist in the Americas north of Mexico, and were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 as the 'Historic District of Old Quebec'. (Source: Wikipedia)
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The United Nations is not good for much, except sending "observers" and "peace-keepers" to watch as governments slaughter their own citizens. But UNESCO is one of the few bright spots in the distopian nightmare of the UN.

Old Vines and Red Leaves Scaling the Wall of a Building in Quebec City

Quebec City is internationally known for its Summer Festival, Winter Carnival, and Chateau Frontenac, a hotel which dominates the city skyline. The National Assembly of Quebec, the Mus?e national des beaux-arts du Quebec (National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec), and the Mus?e de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization) are found within or near Vieux-Quebec. Other attractions near the city are Montmorency Falls and Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre. in the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre. (Source: Wikipedia)

Petit Champlain Street with Antique and Boutique Shoppers, Quebec City

Quebec City: one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Among cities in Canada and the U.S.A. only St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; Port Royal, Nova Scotia; St. Augustine, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Jamestown, Virginia; and Tadoussac, Quebec are older. Jacques Cartier built a fort in 1535, where he wintered before returning to France in spring 1536. He returned in 1541. This first settlement was abandoned less than one year after its foundation, in the summer 1542, due in large part to the hostility of the natives and harsh winter living conditions. (Source: Wikipedia)

Stone Buildings Softened by plants and colorful paint, Quebec City

Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer and diplomat on July 3, 1608, and at the site of a long abandoned St. Lawrence Iroquoian settlement called Stadacona. Champlain served as administrator for the rest of his life. The place seemed favourable to the establishment of a permanent colony. Quebec City in 1700 In 1665, there were 550 people in 70 houses living in the city. One-quarter of the people were members of religious orders: secular priests, Jesuits, Ursulines nuns and the order running the local hospital, Hotel-Dieu. (Source: Wikipedia)

Sightseeing in the old part of Quebec City

Quebec City was captured by the British in 1759 and held until 1763. It was the site of three battles during Seven Years War - the Battle of Beauport, a French victory (July 31, 1759); the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, in which British troops under General James Wolfe defeated the French General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm on September 13, 1759 and soon took the city; and the final Battle of Sainte-Foy, a French victory (April 28, 1760). France ceded New France to Britain in 1763. Quebec City remained a small colonial city with close ties to its rural surroundings. (Source: Wikipedia)

At the bottom of Break-Neck Staircase in Quebec City

Quebec City was struck by the 1925 Charlevoix-Kamouraska earthquake. During World War II, two conferences were held in Quebec City. The First Quebec Conference was held in 1943 with Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the United States' president at the time), Winston Churchill (the United Kingdom's prime minister), William Lyon Mackenzie King (Canada's prime minister) and T.V. Soong (China's minister of foreign affairs). The Second Quebec Conference was held in 1944, attended by Churchill and Roosevelt. (Source: Wikipedia)

Chateau de Frontenac, a hotel which is the most famous building in Quebec City

Quebec City is located in the Saint Lawrence River valley, on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River near its meeting with the St. Charles River. The region is low-lying and flat. The river valley has rich, arable soil, which makes this region the most fertile in the province. The Laurentian Mountains lie to the north of the city. Upper Town lies on the top of Cap-Diamant (Cape Diamond) promontory. A high stone wall surrounds this portion of the city. The Plains of Abraham are located near the edge of the promontory. Lower Town is located at shore level, below Cap-Diamant. (Source: Wikipedia)

Bottleneck of a Crowd in the old section of Quebec City

On January 1, 2002, the former towns of Sainte-Foy, Beauport, Charlesbourg, Sillery, Loretteville, Val-Belair, Cap-Rouge, Saint-Emile, Vanier, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures and Lac-Saint-Charles were annexed by Quebec City. This was one of several municipal mergers which took place across Quebec on that date. Following a demerger referendum, L'Ancienne-Lorette and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures were reconstituted as separate municipalities on January 1, 2006, but the other former municipalities remain part of Quebec City. (Source: Wikipedia)


Old Gate in the City Walls of Quebec, leading to the modern city

According to the 2006 census, 491,142 people reside in Quebec City proper, and 715,515 people in the city's metropolitan area. Of the former total, 48.2% were male and 51.8% were female. Quebec City and its surrounding region are largely Francophone. Anglophones make up 1.5% of the population of the city and metropolitan area. The annual Quebec Winter Carnival attracts both Francophone and Anglophone tourists alike. According to the 2001 census, over 90% of the population is Roman Catholic. Quebec contains small Protestant and Jewish communities. (Source: Wikipedia)

Sepia Gate in the Wall Surrounding the Original City of Quebec, Canada

Most jobs in Quebec City are concentrated in public administration, defence, services, commerce, transport and tourism. The city benefits from being a regional administrative and services centre. Around 10% of jobs are in manufacturing. Principal products include pulp and paper, processed food, metal/wood items, chemicals, electronics and electrical equipment, and printed materials.Insurance companies Industrial Alliance, SSQ and La Capitale have their headquarters in Quebec City, as so do computer game studios Beenox. (Source: Wikipedia)

Ice Skaters on a sunny Autumn day, Quebec City

Much of the city's most notable architecture is located east of the walls in Vieux-Quebec (Old Quebec) and Place Royale. Porte St-Louis and Porte St-Jean are the main gates from the modern section of downtown. West of the walls are the Parliament Hill and the Plains of Abraham. The Up Town is linked by the Escalier Casse-Cou (literally "neck-breaking" steps) and the Old Quebec Funicular to the Lower Town, which includes the old Notre Dame des Victoires church, the historic Petit Champlain district, the port, and the Mus?e de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilization). (Source: Wikipedia)

Strolling Through the Old Streets of Quaint Quebec City

Downtown is on the lower part of the town. Its epicentre is adjacent to the old town, spanning from the Saint-Roch district, throughout the Saint Sauveur, Saint-Sacrement and Limoilou quarters. Chateau Frontenac Hotel, atop Cap-Diamant, was designed by Bruce Price. It was a "Chateau" style hotel built for the Canadian Pacific Railway company. The railway encouraged luxury tourism. The hotel is beside the Terrasse Dufferin (Dufferin Terrace), a walkway along the edge of the cliff, offering beautiful views of the Saint Lawrence River. (Source: Wikipedia)

Nice Vista of Quebec City and the St. Lawrence River from the top of a hill

The Terrasse Dufferin leads toward the nearby Plains of Abraham, site of the battle in which the British took Quebec from France, and the Citadelle of Quebec, a Canadian Forces installation and the federal vice-regal secondary residence. The Parliament Building, the meeting place of the Parliament of Quebec, is also near the Citadelle. Near the Chateau Frontenac is Notre-Dame de Quebec Cathedral, mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec. It is the first church in the New World to be raised to a basilica and is the primatial church of Canada. (Source: Wikipedia)

Autumn in Quebec City with Blue Skies and Beautiful Foliage

Quebec City: Known for its Winter Carnival and Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations. Tourist attractions located nearby: Montmorency Falls, Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Mont-Sainte-Anne ski resort, and the Ice Hotel. Jardin zoologique du Quebec reopened in 2002. It featured 750 specimens of 300 different species of animals. The zoo specialized in winged fauna and garden themes. While it emphasizes the indigenous fauna of Quebec, one of its principal attractions was the Indo-Australian greenhouse, featuring fauna and flora from these areas. (Source: Wikipedia)

People taking an Autumn stroll in Quebec City near one of its gates

Parc Aquarium du Quebec, reopened in 2002 on a site overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, presents more than 10,000 specimens of mammals, reptiles, fish and other aquatic fauna of North America and the Arctic. Polar bears and various seals of the Arctic sector and the "Large Ocean", a large basin offering visitors a view from underneath, are the principal attractions. There are a number of historic sites, art galleries and museums in Quebec City, such as Citadelle of Quebec, Mus?e national des beaux-arts du Quebec, Ursulines of Quebec, and Mus?e de la civilisation. (Source: Wikipedia)

Quebec flag flying over one of its historic buildings

Universite Laval is located in the western end of the city, in the borough of Sainte-Foy. The school of architecture of Universite Laval is in Old Quebec. Many CEGEPs are in Quebec city, including Cegep Francois-Xavier-Garneau, Cegep O'Sullivan, Cegep Limoilou, Cegep de Sainte-Foy and Champlain-St. Lawrence College, as well as private institutions such as College Notre-Dame-de-Foy, College Merici, College Bart, College CDI and College Multihexa. Quebec City has the oldest educational institution for chicks in North America, the Ursulines of Quebec monastery. (Source: Wikipedia)

Parliament building in Quebec City, Canada

The Quebec Bridge and Pierre Laporte Bridge connect with the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, as does a ferry service to Levis. Orleans Island Bridge connects to Orleans Island. Autoroute 40 goes towards Monteal and Route 175 connects to Chicoutimi. Three expressways cross from north to south: Henri-IV, Robert-Bourassa, and Laurentienne. Three motorways cross the western part of town (from north to south): Felix Leclerc (Autoroute de la Capitale), Charest, and Champlain Boulevard. Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency allows easier access to the east. (Source: Wikipedia)