The province of Quebec is not only the largest in Canada (about one and a half million square kilometres) but, arguably, the most unique. Originally known as New France, Quebec still lives up to the name. The provincial flag consists of a blue background with the white cross of the old French flag separating the four white Fleurs- de -lis which honour the Virgin Mary, and the official language is French. In November 2006, the Canadian House of Commons passed a 'symbolic' motion to recognize the Quebecois as a nation within a United Canada. Quebec's neighbouring western province is Ontario, but to the east and south there is a plethora of provinces and states - Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in Canada, and New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in the United States.
The Canadian Shield, formed in the Precambrian era, covers 80 percent of Quebec's area. The Saint Lawrence River and the Appalachian Mountains make up the remaining 20 percent. The original settlers to the territory arrived thousands of years ago, after the Ice... (... more information below the photos)
Shopping Stores Downtown Montreal Quebec Top of the line stores fill the Cours Mont-Royal shopping area in the downtown core of Montreal, Quebec in Canada. |
Old Quebec City |
Quebec Architecture |
Laurentides Scenery Mont Tremblant Provincial Park Quebec Once fall arrives in Parc national du Mont Tremblant, in the Laurentides mountain range, the already beautiful scenery becomes more intense with wild contrasting colors fringing the many lakes and rivers of the park. |
Montreal Metro Station Stock Photo of People waiting in Montreal Metro Station |
Citadelle Quebec City The Citadelle which overlooks Quebec City was an important fortification built in the 1800s and is now an official Museum of the Canadian Forces. |
Underground Cities Stock Photo of Montreal, Underground Cities |
Basilique Notre-Dame Basilique Notre-Dame, Montreal |
Family Pictures Family Pictures, Fun in the Snow |
Quebec Lighthouse The brightly coloured lighthouse of Metis sur Mer is situated on the South Shore of the St Lawrence River in Quebec on the Gaspe Peninsula. |
Montreal Botanical Chinese Garden Quebec Canada A Chinese lantern floats in the pond during the Magic of Lanterns Festival at the Montreal Botanical Garden in Quebec, Canada. |
Ice Hotel Quebec The Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada is rebuilt each year by a group of talented artists. |
Quebec Coast A beautiful sunset reflects off the low tide pools of the St Lawrence River along the coast of Quebec, Canada a romantic vacation spot. |
Fairmont Hotels |
Ice ice block from hotel |
Montreal Shopping |
Hotel Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Quebec City The castle like features of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City is a hotel that is just as spectacular on the outside as it is on the inside. |
Place Bonaventure |
Ice Carving |
Rimouski Travel Situated on the South shore of the St Lawrence River on the Gaspesie Peninsula of Quebec, Canada Rimouski is popular travel destination for family vacations or romantic getaways. |
Winter Wonderland Stock Photo of Winter Wonderland |
Horse Buggy An interesting method of transport while visiting Quebec City in Canada is by Horse and Buggy. |
Full Autumn Moon Mauricie Quebec A full moon rises above the Autumn colored trees along the Parkway in La Mauricie National Park in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. |
Cap Chat This unusual looking windmill is Eole, the highest vertical windmill in Cap Chat, Quebec, Canada and the World. |
Gaspesie Ocean Sunset Gulf Of St Lawrence Quebec The soft colours of the Gaspesie Sunset reflect in the waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence which gently lap at Perce Rock in the town of Perce, Quebec, Canada. |
Ice Skating Quebec City Areas for Ice Skating are set aside in the city of Quebec during the Winter Carnival festivities. |
Research The Pointe Mitis Lighthouse was until recently used as a research station for the forestry in Quebec, Canada. |
Quebec Signs |
Chess Sets Chess Sets made completely of ice |
Le Grand Rassemblement Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon, Sainte Flavie, Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada, North America |
Waterfall Pictures |
Ice Sculpture Picture An abstract ice sculpture on display at the Quebec Winter Carnival, Quebec City, Canada. |
Winter Park Quebec Canada A popular winter destination is the Montmorency Falls Park also known as the Parc de la Chute Montmorency. |
Chutes Croches Fall Parc National Du Mont Tremblant Quebec Province Canada Fall colored leaves surround the Riviere du Diable and Chutes Croches, a waterfall and river in the Parc national du Mont Tremblant in the beautiful province of Quebec, Canada. |
Terrasse Dufferin An elevated view over the Terrasse Dufferin towards the City of Quebec in Canada. |
Chutes Aux Rats Parc National Du Mont Tremblant Quebec Surrounded by beautiful fall foliage, the Chutes aux Rats is a pristine waterfall found in the Parc national du Mont Tremblant, a provincial park in the province of Quebec. |
Picture Of A Hooded Merganser The Hooded Merganser is a diving duck found at the Biodome in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. |
Harp Seal Picture |
Sculptures In The Sea The famous Sculptures in the Sea exhibit in Sainte Flavie, Quebec, Canada on the Gaspe Peninsula. |
Antique Signs Antique Signs, Old Montreal |
St Lawrence River Sunset along the shores of the St Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada near Rimouski. |
Church Architecture |
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... Age glaciers had receded. The nomadic Asian people who travelled across the Bering Strait to North America developed into three distinctive groups - Algonquian, Iroquoian and the Inuit. All had their own language and way of life, the Inuit and Algonquin continued the nomadic ways and travelled much of the Quebec peninsula hunting and fishing. In contrast, the Iroquois settled along the Saint Lawrence River farming and developing the arable lands.
Although it is known that the Vikings landed in Newfoundland during the end of the 10th century, and Europeans fished the Northern Atlantic Ocean no explorers had claimed the land until Jacques Cartier. The French explorer, on his second of his three voyages (1534 - 1542) to the New World, claimed the land of the Saint Lawrence Valley for the King of France. At the time there was a population of about one thousand in the settlements in the area around what is now Quebec City and further up river near Montreal. During the rest of the 16th century more Europeans, especially the French and Basque, fished the waters at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence and traded with the natives for furs.
In 1608 Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City on the site of Stadacona, an old Iroquoian village. (Stadacona was said to be the village from which Canada was named.) Quebec City became the first city, built by Europeans, to be a permanent community, not just a trading post. It is the capital city of the province of Quebec. The word Quebec comes from the Algonquin 'Kebec' meaning 'where the river narrows'. In 1663 New France became a Royal Province under Louis XIV of France and more settlers came. Europeans explored this new country and fur trading flourished. For most of the 17th century the Iroquois attacked the Algonquin tribes who had befriended the New France immigrants - the hostilities continued until 1701 when the Iroquois signed the Montreal Peace Treaty. In 1753 France and Britain began a territorial war in North America which culminated on September 13, 1759 when General Wolfe defeated General Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City. France gave their lands to Britain by signing the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and the part of New France known as 'Canada' became the Province of Quebec. In 1867 the Confederation Act was signed by the four original provinces, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Act also stated that French Canada was a term used for the Francophones living in these provinces.
A historic vacation city and province as these Quebec pictures show, Quebec was the location chosen as the centre of New France during the 17th and 18th centuries and where the roots of French civilization in the Americas were established.
I have travelled extensively through this vacation province, and have taken many pictures of old Quebec City which has been restored and celebrates its French heritage and culture. Old Quebec city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a family vacation spot.
But donīt forget to browse through other Quebec Pictures, from Montreal to the Gaspe Peninsula.
Please use the search (powered by Google) to find what you looking for - give it a try - you will be surprised how well it works!
Fall Pictures
