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Capital Entertainment
Quebec
We might think we're in Europe with the romantic rides in
horse-drawn carriages, the long walks along the paved, narrow
streets overflowing with delightful stores, from the French
and Italian fine cuisine to the art expositions of museums of
all kinds. Quebec, the capital, is unique.
Article by Nadia Fezzani
Quebec City also has the Quartier Petit Champlain, the Grande
Allée, the Plains of Abraham that overlook the St. Lawrence
River and Orléans Island, surrounded by Mont Ste-Anne,
the Montmorency Falls and St-Anne de Beaupré. Not surprisingly,
more than 6 million tourists a year choose Quebec as their vacation
destination, as these are only a few attractions in the area.
The Montreal Canadiens team members are no exception to the
rule. Some of them are particularly familiar with the city,
notably Joé Juneau. Being born in Pont-Rouge, the Canadiens'
forward is from the area and knows it very well. Juneau still
resides in the region, more precisely in Portneuf county, in
a house by the lake. It's not as if one has a choice when one
owns a hydroplane, one has to park it somewhere.
"It's the ideal place for my family and I. We love the
outdoors, it's calm and we're only 20 minutes from downtown
Quebec," explains Juneau.
Juneau, who evolved with the Midget AAA Sainte-Foy Gouverneurs,
prior to wearing the Lévis-Lauzon College jersey, is
happy with the area and plans on residing there after his hockey
career.
"I'm not the type to remain idle, it's the opposite. I
am involved in the local minor hockey and several other initiatives,
including a residential project right in Pont-Rouge," says
Juneau who announced on November 25, he was joining harfan
technologies, a company also located in Pont-Rouge, as an
engineering consultant.
The region's attractions count several other Canadiens admirers
from the Canadiens as well. André Savard, Executive Vice-President
and General Manager, played junior hockey with the Quebec Remparts
prior to joining the Nordiques, as did Martin Madden, his assistant.
Bill Lindsay also had the opportunity to discover the charm
of the old capital. Lindsay started his NHL career with the
Nordiques for whom he played two seasons.
"Those were beautiful years. It's somewhat cold during
the winter but the people are so warm and welcoming that we
forget the climate conditions. I only have good memories of
those years in Quebec," says Lindsay.
WINTER WONDERLAND
Family activities are numerous, but the one that made Quebec
city famous is the Quebec Carnival. For the 49th consecutive
year, the Carnival will host tons of activities, intended as
much for children as adults. In the evening, the Carnival Bonhomme
leads the amazing night parades. During day time, the snow cubes
of the Ice Palace are transformed into sculptures in a process
where everyone can participate in the art and master their skills
as an ice sculptor. The winter shows always dazzle with the
canoe, dogsled and soapboxes races on the St. Lawrence river.
For those who would like to test their courage, swimming into
the freezing water will always be one of the most extreme adventures.
Although the Carnival garners much of the attention in the
area, many other events are very popular: the Quebec Summer
festival, the Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France and the Grand
Feux Loto-Québec fireworks are scheduled every year.
There is no limit as to the number of activities and tourist
sites to visit, and sport has always been on the calendar, as
well.
"When we were 11 or 12 and going to Quebec to participate
in the most important worldwide Pee Wee hockey tournament, it
was something: everyone who experiences this will remember it
forever. I was billeted to stay with some families in Quebec
and they were very welcoming," recalls Ribeiro.
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PEE WEE TOURNAMENT
For the 44th consecutive year, the Quebec International
Pee Wee Tournament will welcome over 2,200 young hockey players
form more than 15 countries. Last year, 200,000 spectators attended
the tournament
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