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View ProfilesPublished January 24, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
Half a year ago, Seven Days published its first Québec Issue. On June 21, 2023, we filled an entire edition of this newspaper with stories about our Canadian neighbor. In the past we'd written on occasion about north-of-the-border events, restaurant and exhibits. For a while Seven Days even had a Montréal column, penned by Jeanne Keller, with tips for fellow Vermonters on places to eat, shop, bike or catch a cheap flight to Cuba. Consulting editor Candace Page still talks about one installment she clipped and saved, in which Jeanne explained how to get to IKEA.
Last year's Québec Issue was more ambitious — and, arguably, audacious. We set out to cover a vast foreign province we know little about, compared to tiny, familiar Vermont. But the overarching goal for the special edition was no different than Jeanne's: to make Québec accessible and understandable to Vermonters.
We share power, waterways and air with our northern neighbor — remember last summer's forest fires? So, too, should we explore and enjoy its many amenities. For most of us, Québec is a uniquely convenient and compelling travel destination. Burlington is the same distance from Montréal as it is from White River Junction. For every new kilometer of Autoroute 35 constructed, la Belle Province gets closer.
The Québec Issue was meant to give Vermonters a better lay of the land to the north, from the charming Eastern Townships to the wild, sea-swept Gaspé Peninsula. Judging by the rate at which papers flew off the racks, and the number of back-issue requests, there's a measurable hunger for this information.
That's why we've decided to write more about Canada this year, with a story every six weeks or so and a special pre-summer supplement on May 22. Our theory is: If Vermonters knew about what's happening in Québec, they'd go more often and stay longer.
For example: Until I read this week's piece on the 18-day winter carnival in Québec City, I had no idea that ice canoeing was a sport. Every year as part of the frozen festival, teams of paddlers suit up in neoprene and launch metal boats on the Saint Lawrence River, which is a mixture of freezing water, ice floes and slush. To get from one side to the other, they have to drag-paddle their canoes through the same conditions that bedeviled Antarctic* explorer Ernest Shackleton and his famous ship, the Endurance — to the delight of cheering crowds along the river's banks.
Chances are those spectators are sipping a very strong local beverage called caribou, which flows freely during the polar Mardi Gras. To get through the coldest time of the year, French Canadians fully embrace it. Read all about the carnival here.
Guiding our Québec coverage is Jen Rose Smith, a travel writer based in Richmond. Jen helped me edit last year's special issue — in particular, the sprawling roundup story at the heart of it, which featured activity-focused write-ups and recommendations.
That info-packed story still exists on our website. We've built a landing page for it and the rest of our Québec content, including a helpful currency exchange rate calculator and quick links to wait times on both sides of the border. You'll also find some of the rules on what you can bring back into the U.S. from Canada.
With Jen, Seven Days will be expanding that online resource at sevendaysvt.com/quebec. Along with wrangling more stories and tips, she will be answering your questions on where to go and what to do in Québec. We're eager to tell you more about the place.
After last year's issue, someone emailed to point out that Québec doesn't have an accent in English. Technically, and per the AP Stylebook, that's true. But we've decided to break the rule and keep the emphasis.
Simply put, we think Québec deserves an accent.
*Correction, January 24, 2024: An earlier version of this column placed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton at the wrong end of the globe. He was in Antarctica.
Tags: From the Publisher
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