Quebec City (Canada)

Quebec

• Quebec is the Capital city in the province of Quebec. With a population of 820,753, Quebec City is the second largest in Quebec, following Montreal.
• The fortifications surrounding Old Quebec was declared a world heritage site in 1985
• Landmarks that dominates the city skyline includes the Citadelle of Quebec and the Chateau Frontenac hotel
• Quebec City is known for its classic architecture and distinctive European style
• More than 95% of the Quebec population speaks French, with only 1.5% speaking English. But over one-third of the population speaks both English and French.
• The average age in the city is 43.5, which is the highest of all Canadian cities.

Demography

The population of Quebec if 820,752 people as of 2019. 48.2% are male, while 51.8% are female.

The overwhelming majority of the city spoke French as the official language, with more than 1/3rd speaking both English and French.

The ethnic breakdown of the city is as follows:

• Canadian: 60.1%
• French: 28.8%
• Irish: 5.5%
• Italian: 4.0%
• English: 3.3%
• North American Indian: 3.0%
• Scottish: 2.7%
• Quebecer: 1.9%

The number of English speakers increase during the Quebec Winter Carnival every year, due to the large number of English-speaking tourists which come to the city during this period.

In recent years, people from North and West Africa, and Latin America have been migrating increasingly into Quebec City.

Geography

• Quebec City was built on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River, where it narrows and meets the mouth of the Saint-Charles River.
• Old Quebec is located on top and at the foot of Cap-Diamant, which is on the eastern edge of a plateau called the promontory of Quebec (Quebec hill).
• Because of this topographic feature, the oldest and most urbanized borough of La Cité-Limoilou can be divided into upper and lower town.
• Quebec's highest mountain is Mont D'Iberville in the Torngat Mountains.

Culture

• Quebec City is known for its Winter Carnival, its summer music festival and its Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations.
• Parc Aquarium du Québec, features more than 10,000 specimens of mammals, reptiles, fish and other aquatic animals, like Polar bears and seals.
• Québec City houses a number of historic sites, art galleries and museums, including Citadelle of Quebec, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Ursulines of Quebec, and Musée de la civilisation.
• Popular sightseeing attractions and landmarks in Quebec city includes the Montmorency Falls, the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski resort, and the Ice Hotel.
• Quebec has more than 35 parks and wildlife reserves. Skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling are popular winter activites. In summer, rock climbing, canoeing, swimming, fishing, hiking, and golf are more common.
• Ice Hockey, Football, and Baseball are popular sports in Quebec City. The city has also hosted a number of sporting events including the Coupe Banque Nationale, a Women's Tennis Association tournament; Crashed Ice, an extreme downhill skating race; Quebec City International Pee-Wee Tournament, a minor hockey tournament; and the Tour de Québec International cycling stage race, as well as the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating final at the Pavillon de la Jeunesse at ExpoCité.
• Quebec has world-class restaurants and microbreweries.
• Poutine is a popular dish in Quebec City
• The city hosts a number of world-class festivals and cultural events, like the Festival d'été de Québec, with a combination of music, theatre, and visual arts performances. The Québec Winter Carnival has been a significant part of winter in Quebec city since 1955.

Climate

• The climate of Quebec City is classified as humid continental, with four distinct seasons; Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn.
• Summers (June – August) are usually warm and hot, with high humidity levels. The average temperatures range from 11 – 25 degrees Celsius. The Quebec City Summer Festival is one of the highlights of the season.
• Winter are cold and windy, and accompanied by snowfall. Average temperatures during this time ranges between -5 to – 18 degrees Celsius.
• Spring and Fall is short, and can be unpredictable, ranging from warm to chilly. The average temperature in Spring is between 10-16 degrees Celsius and lasts from April to May. Fall lasts from October to November, as the trees begin to change colour and a chill fills the air, with average temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius.
• Each year, the city gets around 1,190 mm of precipitation, in the form of rain and snow.
• The city experiences about 1,916 hours of sunshine a year, with summer being the sunniest and also the wettest season.
• In winter, snow covers the ground from November until mid-April, and can reach up to 14ft (3.5 meters). The heavy snowfall during this period also means that there are plenty of activities for residents, including ice skating, tobogganing, and cross-country skiing.

University Education

• The post-secondary education in Quebec City is divided into two types, Colleges and Universities. Colleges provide students with an intermediate level of study between school and University, offering a diverse range of technical programs, which are pathways to employment.
• Quebec has 19 Universities, and 48 public colleges, and 25 private colleges, two of which offer French Baccalaureate programs, and 26 licensed, non-subsidized private colleges.
• The University of Quebec is the biggest University in the country, and is made up of 6 fundamental universities, two specialized schools, and one research centre.
• It is the only University in Canada that has a province-wide system.