Quebec City Summer Festival, “the best summer music festival in Canada” (National Post). This amazing, eclectic, world-class outdoor event is surely the most elaborate festival of the summer: world beat music, Francophone song, pop-rock, street and circus performances and classical music. A friendly, safe and clean event for the whole family.
The show takes place every day at sunset, at the Louise Bassin in the Old Port of Quebec – the soft sounds and demure lights of the “Image Mill” – a show of sound and light that is sure to amaze you.
The “Image Mill” is the creation and realization of the international renowned artist Robert Lepage. The daily event takes place in the open air and is offered at no cost in the beautiful city of Quebec, the francophone capital of North America.
On a screen so big, it got listed in the Guinness Book of Records
The Image Mill is projected on the 81 huge, ancient grain silos of the Bunge Company in the harbour of Quebec City. The silos become a projection screen 30 meters (100 ft.) high by 600 meters (2,000 ft.) wide with the great Saint Lawrence River as a backdrop. Officially recognized by the Guiness Book of Records as the largest projection surface in the world, the the collection of silos is the equivalent of 25 Imax screens, about a half kilometer (1/3rd mile) long.
The 40-minute Image Mill show narrates Quebec’s history since its foundation by Samuel de Champlain, through the colonial period, covering the politics of the region, the importance of religion and the major role that it played, the successive periods of administration under France and then under England, technology advances and more… Four centuries of history from 1608 to the present day.
“The Image Mill does not ressemble a documentary, nor a movie, but looks more like a direct happening between fireworks, a movie and a rock show“– Robert Lepage
You will be able to view the Image Mill show throughout the summer, Tuesdays through Saturdays, evenings at 10pm, from many vantage points within the city, all of which are just a few steps away from the Hotel Le Clos Saint-Louis. Tickets are also available for reserved seats.
To get a better idea of this fantastic show and to view a short clip taken of one of the rehearsals during the preparations.
Easter traditions as we know them in Quebec have their roots in panoply of influences religious and pagan. At all times and in all cultures, the arrival of Spring has been celebrated. American Indians “made the trees cry” for maple syrup, while elsewhere the first lamb was sacrificed to mark the occasion.
Taking place the first Sunday following the full moon of the Spring equinox, the Christian celebration of Easter marks the resurrection, the power of life. Within the orthodox church, the celebration occurs a few days later but its rites and customs are all inspired by this idea of renewal! Rome’s chiming bells on Easter morning, egg hunts, candy and holiday meals take place to celebrate life, the arrival of Spring and the wish for happy days.
Twice a year, hundreds of thousands of snow geese alight alongside the St. Lawrence River. An unbelievable feast for the eyes and ears, the immense flocks transform the river into a rippling sea of white as the air fills with deafening cries. And when these valiant vagabonds suddenly take wing, the sight of their breathtaking aerial ballet is the stuff of legend.
The theme of death in Ancient Egypt is treated in a particular manner through the discovery of mummies and funeral tombs, funerary rituals, mommification and the recent archeological search…
This exceptional and magnificent exhibition unveils much information about the Ancient Egyptians’s belief in the afterlife, the process of mummification and the eternal resting place, the tomb. This exceptional and magnificent exhibition unveils much information about the Ancient Egyptians’s belief in the afterlife, the process of mummification and the eternal resting place, the tomb.
Taking off in the 1960s, Barbie became a model of refinement for millions of girls around the globe. Elegant suits inspired by Balanciaga, splendid Balmain-style sheath dresses, sumptuous evening gowns Ă la Dior. Between 1959 and 1966, the famous doll dazzled the world with her chic, wide-ranging wardrobe.
The exhibition is arranged around seven themes sure to bring back happy childhood memories: Barbie’s Closet, Shopping, Suits, Cocktail Dresses, The Photo Shoot, Ball Gowns and Evening Dresses, and The Collector.
Always a trend-setter, this iconic figure has influenced fashion for more than 50 years. Barbie and Fashion. 1959-1966 features some of her most memorable looks in a playful complement to the exhibition The Golden Age of Couture. Paris and London 1947-1957.
QUICK FACT: SINCE 1959, 105 MILLION YARDS OF FABRIC HAVE GONE INTO MAKING BARBIE AND FRIENDS’ FASHIONS, MAKING MATTEL ONE THE LARGEST APPAREL MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD!
ORGANIZED BY THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON, ENGLAND
Evening dress (robe grand soir), CristĂłbal Balenciaga. About 1955. Given by Miss Caroline oombe, V&A
Evening dress, Pierre Balmain. About 1950. Silk organza with ostrich feathers, sequins and rhinestones, lined with silk, silk tulle and a stiff nylon petticoat. Worn by the Hon. Mrs Pleydell-Bouverie and given by Miss Karslake, V&A
Shoe. Late 1950s. Satin embroidered with beads and silk and metal thread. Given by Roger Vivier, V&A
Evening dress and stole, Charles Frederick Worth, Late 1950s. V&A
As soon as thawing begins, maple sap starts to rise and it is time to meet at the sugar shack to taste maple syrup and old-time food in a rustic and warm de crisse’, maple taffy on the snow and maple syrup desserts, delicious…
The history of maple syrup in Quebec
The maple sugar time is during spring, march and april, when it is freezing during the night and above 0 degree during the day. It is very important that freezing is occuring during the night, otherwise no water will flow from the tree. To make maple syrup, we recuperate the water circulating between the wood and the bark . This water is sweetened. We boiled it to evaporate and keep the sugar. We need forty (40) liters of water to produce 1 liter of maple syrup.
One thousand seven hundred (1700): It was the method used by our ancestors. They carved the inside of a half log to fabricate a container. With a branch of cedar tree, they builded a tube to recuperate the water (spout). The water was poured in the wood container, at the bottom of the tree. When the log was full, they poured the water in a cauldron of cast-iron. They boiled outside, in the wood. To avoid wind and rain, they built a little camp.
One thousand eight hundred fifty (1850): The sugar shack arrived as we know it today. We improved the method in recuperating the maple water. We builded wood pail (bucket) and little spout. We poured the water in large barrel that the horses or the bulls carried to the sugar shack. At this time, the maple sugar was the only available sugar, so we call it the “country sugar”.
One thousand nine hundred fifteen (1915): The metal was introduced. At this time, we began to build metalic pails, spouts and evaporator. This method is still used today for those who own one thousand maples or less. It is a party in spring, all the family take part to make the maple syrup. For those who own a lot of trees, the method used is the tubulure (pipe). Every tree is notched and connected at a pipe to the main pipe which carry the water directly to the boiler.
The maple tree is knotched when it reaches twenty-five years old. It will produce one liter of maple syrup during the spring time. The maple tree could live up to two hundred fifty years.. At the end of the season, we take out the spout. The tree healed by himself and the next year we drill a new hole to start the process again.
The products made with the maple water are:
The maple syrup, delicious on pancakes.
The maple taffy on the snow, it is hot maple syrup that we pour on the snow and with a little stick we do a candy.
The maple butter, it is maple syrup whipp untill it’s become creamy.
The soft sugar, we make candy out of it.
The hard sugar.
The granulated sugar.
The maple sugar still good for five years and more. When it is open, put it in the refrigerator and it still good for two years.
For us, quebecers, it is a tradition to go to the sugar shack on spring time, drink “caribou” and eat a good meal. The caribou is an animal but it is also a mix of wine and alcohol who put you in the ambiance in a short time. The meal, also called “Sugar time feast” is compose of the pea soup, ham, omelet, pork beans, the “oreilles de crisse” (salted back bacon), meat pie, very good with the fruit ketchup, and potatoes. For desert, the pancakes served with maple syrup. It is served family style, they bring big plates on the table and we served ourselves as we wish.
The one-of-a-kind 550-meter urban ice track (with a 56-meter vertical drop) will wind and dive its way through the city’s historic heart. But there won’t be any time for racers to stop and taste the maple taffy as they navigate the course’s massive vertical drops, razor-sharp turns, jumps and steps, all at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.
A young Native American dancer leads you with his magic rings through the tale of human evolution. The stars of this dazzling event are man himself – at times a brilliant and conscientious scientist, at other a thoughtless polluting fool, and yet at others, an avid and ferocious defender of the animals in our midst – and, we must not forget, the animals themselves, as we transport you from the amphibian world of earth’s early years to the terrestrial world of the present. Robert Lepage, a QuĂ©bec City native, was the creator and the architect for the design and staging of this glorious event.
Quebec City Summer Festival, “the best summer music festival in Canada” (National Post). This amazing, eclectic, world-class outdoor event is surely the most elaborate festival of the summer: world beat music, Francophone song, pop-rock, street and circus performances and classical music. A friendly, safe and clean event for the whole family.
Easter traditions as we know them in Quebec have their roots in panoply of influences religious and pagan. At all times and in all cultures, the arrival of Spring has been celebrated. American Indians “made the trees cry” for maple syrup, while elsewhere the first lamb was sacrificed to mark the occasion.
Twice a year, hundreds of thousands of snow geese alight alongside the St. Lawrence River. An unbelievable feast for the eyes and ears, the immense flocks transform the river into a rippling sea of white as the air fills with deafening cries. And when these valiant vagabonds suddenly take wing, the sight of their breathtaking aerial ballet is the stuff of legend.
The New France Route (Route de la Nouvelle-France), some 50 km (30 mi.) in length, is an absolute jewel. Imagine it: ancestral homes all along this historic roadway lend it a unique cachet. As a backdrop: the Laurentian mountain chain and its imposing Mont Sainte-Anne; wide open views of the St. Lawrence and ĂŽle d’OrlĂ©ans, known for its bucolic charm and pretty villages; nearby is QuĂ©bec City, seated majestically atop Cap Diamant.
February 9 to April 18, 2010
Evening dress (robe grand soir), CristĂłbal Balenciaga. About 1955. Given by Miss Caroline oombe, V&A
Evening dress, Pierre Balmain. About 1950. Silk organza with ostrich feathers, sequins and rhinestones, lined with silk, silk tulle and a stiff nylon petticoat. Worn by the Hon. Mrs Pleydell-Bouverie and given by Miss Karslake, V&A
Shoe. Late 1950s. Satin embroidered with beads and silk and metal thread. Given by Roger Vivier, V&A
Evening dress and stole, Charles Frederick Worth, Late 1950s. V&A
Winter left us one month early, this year. Gone the snow, the cold weather, hats and mits! Bears come out of their dens, Quebecers take down winter carports and scour their BBQ. No doubt, Spring has arrived to warm up bodies and souls. After long Winter months, Quebecers, with renewed energy, are out to enjoy the warmth of the sun. Getting ready for seasonal chores to come, they frantically run to garden centres, hardware stores, boutiques, but also take a ’springbreak’ by visiting a Museum and sometimes the day ends in a good restaurant! There is always a good reason to celebrate in QuĂ©bec, and Spring is one of them!
As soon as thawing begins, maple sap starts to rise and it is time to meet at the sugar shack to taste maple syrup and old-time food in a rustic and warm de crisse’, maple taffy on the snow and maple syrup desserts, delicious…
One thousand seven hundred (1700): It was the method used by our ancestors. They carved the inside of a half log to fabricate a container. With a branch of cedar tree, they builded a tube to recuperate the water (spout). The water was poured in the wood container, at the bottom of the tree. When the log was full, they poured the water in a cauldron of cast-iron. They boiled outside, in the wood. To avoid wind and rain, they built a little camp.
One thousand nine hundred fifteen (1915): The metal was introduced. At this time, we began to build metalic pails, spouts and evaporator. This method is still used today for those who own one thousand maples or less. It is a party in spring, all the family take part to make the maple syrup. For those who own a lot of trees, the method used is the tubulure (pipe). Every tree is notched and connected at a pipe to the main pipe which carry the water directly to the boiler.
For us, quebecers, it is a tradition to go to the sugar shack on spring time, drink “caribou” and eat a good meal. The caribou is an animal but it is also a mix of wine and alcohol who put you in the ambiance in a short time. The meal, also called “Sugar time feast” is compose of the pea soup, ham, omelet, pork beans, the “oreilles de crisse” (salted back bacon), meat pie, very good with the fruit ketchup, and potatoes. For desert, the pancakes served with maple syrup. It is served family style, they bring big plates on the table and we served ourselves as we wish.
If action is your thing, imagine a skating race along some of the city’s steepest streets with a breakneck descent that would make even the most hardened daredevils think twice. Welcome to the 
