A western federalist visits Quebec City

When I learned last spring that my husband would be attending the Canadian farm safety and health conference in Quebec City (Oct. 26-28), I was overjoyed. I hadn’t been in Quebec City for more than 20 years and was anxious to see it again.

I had wondered whether I would still be able to communicate in my rusty French and what reception a group of federalists from Western Canada would receive in a city well known for its separatist tendencies. On the latter point, I needn’t have been concerned. Quebec City thrives on tourism; every effort is made to cater to visitors and the issue was never raised directly, though there were a couple of oblique references to it.

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We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac, and on the first morning there I took a tour of the hotel. Knowing that many of the premiers of Quebec have had suites in the Chateau, I asked about premier Bouchard. He “works, eats and sleeps” in his office, I was told. The lieutenant governor has rooms in the hotel when she is in Quebec City.

She is, the guide explained, in a wheelchair and it is more economical for her to stay in the hotel than to renovate Government House to meet her needs.

Because it is not being used, it is up for sale, he said.

I wanted desperately to ask if it is up for sale on the assumption that the present lieutenant governor will be the last, but better judgment prevailed.

The second oblique reference was at the conference banquet when the chair suggested that, having had time to see and enjoy Quebec City, he hoped that we would agree that Quebec is unique.

The spoken language was never a problem for us in the old town. Because of the tourist industry, most of the people we came in contact with spoke not only French but also beautiful English.

In a restaurant, you would always be greeted with “bon jour, hello.” I would reply “bon jour” and the rest of the conversation would be carried on in English; obviously, my accent is not up to par.

In a couple of stores, however, my rusty French was accepted politely and the transactions were carried out in that language, albeit slowly.

We thoroughly enjoyed our sojourn in Quebec City and, while we agree that the city and the province are indeed unique, we are glad to be back in our unique part of the world, young and brash and unsophisticated as it may be when compared with the older society of Quebec.