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Culture of Quebec
*** Shopping-Tip: Culture of Quebec
As a
North America North American society, and the only society on the continent with a
French language French-speaking majority, the '''culture of the province of
Quebec''',
Canada shows many unique features. On the whole, this culture differs from that of the well over 300 million
English language English-speaking citizens of Canada and the
United States who surround it, as well as from that of
France.
For historical and linguistic reasons, Quebec also has cultural links with other North American French speaking communities, particularly with the
Acadians of
New Brunswick and to a lesser extent with the French Canadian communities of northern
Ontario and the
Cajun French revival movements in
Louisiana,
USA.
History made Quebec a meeting place for cultures, where people from around the world experience America, but from a little distance and through a different eye. The culture of Quebec is connected to the strong cultural currents of the rest of Canada, United States,
France, and
United Kingdom Britain all at the same time. As such, it is often described as a crossroads between
Europe and America. The ''
Encyclopædia Britannica'' describes contemporary Quebec culture as a post-1960s phenomenon resulting from the
Quiet Revolution (''Révolution tranquille''), a counter-culture phenomenon supported and financed by both of Quebec's major political parties.
Creative arts
Architecture
The
architecture of Quebec is characterized by the juxtaposition of the old and the new and a wide variety of architectural styles, the legacy of two successive colonizations by the
France French, the
United Kingdom British, and the close presence of the
architecture of the
United States to the south.
Famous for its religious heritage, Quebec has some of the most beautiful
Roman Catholic churches you can find in
North America. Quebec has 122 religious buildings listed as historical monuments. The best-known ones would be the
Saint Joseph's Oratory, the
Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, the
Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, and the
Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral.
Cinema
''Main article:
Cinema of Quebec''
The first public movie projection in North America occurred in Montreal on
June 27 1896. Frenchman
Louis Minier presented a film on a Lumiere cinematographe in a cafe-theatre on Saint-Laurent street. However, it would not be until the 1960s that a genuine Quebec cinema industry would emerge. Important contributions to world cinema include cinéma vérité and artistic animation.
in French about this topic: [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinéma_québécois]
*
List of Quebec film directors
*
List of Quebec movies
Circus arts
''Main article:
Circus of Quebec''
Quebec has carved a niche for itself in the field of circus arts, where it emphasizes the
Europe European tradition of circus.
The
Cirque du Soleil circus troupe is known for its artistic productions with rich musical scores. Its productions include ''Varekai'', ''Dralion'', ''Alegria'' and ''O'', which is performed on a water platform. It is one of the world's few circuses without animal performers. Other internationally successful troupes include Cirque Éloize and Cirque ÉOS.
Cavalia, a Shawinigan-based horse show, has, since 2003, gained massive popularity in Montréal and Los Angeles. It features both acrobatic and equestrian arts. All of the horses are male, most of which are stallions.
Comic strips
''Main article:
Comic strips of Quebec''
Comic books in Quebec traditionally call upon the
Europe European tradition of comics, combining both
graphic design and
literature. Though most are aimed at children, they are generally considered more dignified entertainment and there are many notable exceptions of
graphic novels aimed at an older reading audience.
* See also:
Franco-Belgian comics
Dance
''Main article:
Dance of Quebec''
Theatre
''Main article:
Theatre of Quebec''
Literature
''Main article:
Literature of Quebec''
The first literary output from Quebec occurred under the French regime with the many poems written by the early inhabitants of
New France. It was, however, during the late 19th century that a novel was first published by a Quebecer.
*
List of Quebec authors
Music
''Main article:
Music of Quebec''
The traditional
folk music of Quebec has two main influences: the traditional songs of
France, and the influence of
Celtic music, with
reel (dance) reels and songs that show a definite affinity with the traditional music of Canada's
Maritime Provinces,
Ireland,
Scotland, and
Brittany. This traditional music is becoming increasingly more popular, with the success of groups such as
La Bottine Souriante.
Quebec has also produced world-class classical music over the years. The
Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO), founded in
1934 is one shining example. Under the direction of
Charles Dutoit from
1977 to
2002, the MSO gained a truly international reputation. Montreal is also home to the
Orchestre métropolitain, the
early music ensemble
Arion, the all-female ensemble
La Pietà, created by violinist
Angèle Dubeau, to name but a few;
Quebec City is home to the
Violons du Roy under the direction of
Bernard Labadie and the
Orchestre symphonique de Québec under the direction of
Yoav Talmi. Quebec has a number of classical music festivals, such as the
Festival de Lanaudière,
Festival Orford chamber music festival held at the
Orford Art Centre, and where the distinguished ensemble the
Orford String Quartet was first formed.
Classical music aficionados can attend performances in a number of concert halls.
Salle Wilfrid Pelletier at the
Place des Arts cultural centre in the heart of Montreal is home to the MSO. Montreal's
McGill University also houses two concert halls:
Pollack Hall and
John Redpath Redpath Hall. The
Université de Montréal has its
Salle Claude Champagne, named after Quebec
composer Claude Champagne. The
Grand Théâtre de Québec in Quebec City is home to the Orchestre symphonique du Québec.
Jazz also has a long tradition in Quebec. Montreal's annual
Montreal Jazz Festival draws millions of visitors each summer. Many Quebeckers have made a name for themselves in the jazz world, such as
Oscar Peterson,
Oliver Jones,
Karen Young,
Lorraine Desmarais,
Vic Vogel,
Michel Donato, and
Alain Caron (musician) Alain Caron.
A number of performers enjoy considerable success at home, both in terms of record sales and listenership, while remaining relatively unknown outside Quebec. In a number of cases, French-speaking Quebec singers are able to export their talent to France and Belgium. Artists like
Celine Dion Céline Dion and the pop-punk group
Simple Plan will sometimes sing in English to reach a wider audience.
A growing population in Quebec (young adults and teenagers) are listening to more "underground" music, including world known Metal, Hardcore, Punk bands.
Visual arts
''Main article:
Visual arts of Quebec''
For many years a mostly rural society, Quebec has a tradition of
craft art, including the making of
stained glass windows, as exemplified in the art of
Marcelle Ferron.
The group known as
Les Automatistes, and its best known artist,
Jean-Paul Riopelle, is perhaps Quebec's most well known contribution to the world of fine art.
Lifestyle
Quebec is fairly typical of most Western societies in many regards, with, however, a few particularities of its own.
Family life
During the
1950s and
1960s, Quebec maintained record numbers with regards to
fertility rate. The Catholic religion using their priests (established in all parishes and small-towns) guided and directed people's attitudes and moralities in those days. The church wanted to increase the catholic population in North America and strongly recommended (forced in some circumstances) wives to get pregnant rapidly soon after they delivered. In the post-
Quiet Revolution era, this attitude completely changed. In
2001, the fertility rate in Quebec was 1.474 per thousand, one of the lowest rates in the Western world.
One of the unique feature of Quebec, is that many, if not most, married women retain their
maiden names when they marry. This followed the
1970s strong feminism movement and the Quiet Revolution. Since
June 24,
2002 Quebec has had a
civil union system available to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. On
March 19,
2004, Quebec became the
same-sex marriage in Canada third province in Canada to legally perform
same-sex marriage, following a court challenge brought by
Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf. (See also
same-sex marriage in Quebec.)
Work
The province at the turn of the
20th century, was known for its low-paid
blue-collar workers employed in
textile,
paper industry paper plants and shops.
Quebec also has a long
tradition in
forestry. Quebec's
lumberjacks were known and popularized in
New England and even all the way to
Minnesota. In the first part of the 20th century, many lumber camps in
Maine,
Vermont and
New Hampshire were staffed by
French-Canadian workers.
Slow at first, Quebec has evolved since the
1960s with a strong union membership. Today, Quebec has the highest percentage of unionized workers in North America. Most union leaders in Quebec have strong ties to the
Parti Quebecois. Many members of the business circles and the population-at-large are resenting the major unions' (FTQ, CSN and CSQ) influences on the public debates especially the sovereignty of the province. Union leaders, but not the rank-and-file members per se, are often seen meddling on political debates; often publicly voicing their favourable position and support of the Quebec's independence.
Some if not many Quebecois have strong adversarial relationships with residents of neighbouring English-speaking provinces as well as Quebec's own Anglophones. Such an attitude stems partly from the early to mid 20th century, when Anglophones dominated the spheres of industry and commerce and tended to favour their own for promotion to management-level positions
Religion
Quebec was a very
Roman Catholic society until recent years. The Church projected itself as the protector of the French language and culture.
Archbishops of large cities were very influential at all
government levels. In small towns, the influence of the
priest was often equal or superior to that of the town's mayor. Before any political decision could be made,
politicians made sure that it would be in accordance with Catholic belief and attitudes. Congregations of
nuns controlled and managed the province's education, social and medical service. Simply put, Quebec was one of the world's Catholic strongholds.
Since the
Quiet Revolution Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, Quebec has become much more
secular. Nonetheless about 90% of the population still claims to be Catholic, but few regularly attend services or pay the
tithe which the faithful are supposed to give to the Church. As a result, much of the province's Catholic church architecture is in peril, with parishes not having enough funds for necessary upkeep. Some churches are even closing, merging with another parish. As church attendance is now extremely low, few individuals are willing to become priests,
monks or
nuns. Therefore, many small towns must now share their priest with neighbouring towns. The influence of the Catholic Church is strongest in rural regions and weakest in the Montreal area.
One notable vestige of the Catholic Church's long dominance of Quebec culture is that
Quebec French profanity francophone curses and expletives are nearly entirely composed of religious references and vocabulary.
All major religions are represented, to some degree, especially in Montreal and Quebec City where the
Anglican Church of Canada has cathedrals. The
allophone population of Montreal in particular represents many different religions and faiths. Montreal was once the centre of
Jewish culture in Canada.
Vacation
Starting probably in the late
1940s and reaching its apogee in the
1970s, some Quebec residents
vacation or
snowbird (people) spend the whole winter months in southeast Florida, mainly in the
Hallandale Beach, Florida Hallandale Beach and
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale regions. Initially a trend that only the wealthy could afford; this destination is now considered by many as outdated and unstylish. It did, however, spur the coining of the term, "Floribécois," a snowbird who is Quebecois. Recently, many have openly ridiculed the destination and stigmatized its vacationers for being close-minded, rude and uninterested to communicate even basically in English. The increasing real estate taxes might explains why Quebecers are slowly deserting the North Miami area. Many snowbirds owned a trailer or a house but were renting the land where their property was located.
New locations and
resort areas such as
Mexico,
Cuba, the
Dominican Republic and
Caribbean Caribbean islands are now favoured by many Quebecers to spend their traditional sunny one or two-week vacations. While the North Miami area attracted both vacationers and
snowbird (people) snowbirds, as of today, only vacationers frequent those new resort areas.
Humour
Humour has long been a distinguishing feature of Canadian culture, and Québec is no exception. It stretches beyond the normal realms of creative arts and extends itself into daily life. It is even welcomed in places where humour is not normally found.
For instance, prior to the modern independent political movement, many citizens of Québec decided to express their dissatisfaction with federal elections by forming the
Rhinoceros Party of Canada. Founded in
1963, the party fielded humorous candidates in many ridings with a satirical platform. They added colour to many otherwise drab elections for more than two decades.
''Le poisson d'avril'' (April Fools) is an old French tradition involving tacking fish (usually paper ones) on people's back without their knowledge. It dates back to 1564, and was taken very seriously by Québec society.
Food
See '''Main article:
Cuisine of Quebec''' with links to articles on Quebec dishes like pea soup, poutine, tourtière, Montreal bagels, whippet cookies, etc.
As in European countries like
Italy or
France, where cooking is considered one of the fine arts, fine dining is a passion among the well-to-do of Quebec society. While Montreal has the greatest concentration of fine cuisine restaurants in Canada, even small communities proudly boast of famous inns where the chef has an international reputation. This could be partly explained by a strong immigration in the
1960s and
1970s from
Belgium,
Switzerland and
France. Many of those immigrants were
waiters,
cook (profession) cooks and
chefs.
Sports and hobbies
Sporting activities are increasingly popular in Quebec. As Quebec is snow-bound for several months of the year, typically from November to March, it is no surprise that many winter activities have taken root and, in a few cases, even originated here.
Ice hockey Hockey is by far the sport of choice in Quebec. It lives in the hearts and minds of Quebecers thanks to the rich legacy of the
Montreal Canadiens. The rules of the game were set up by students at
McGill University in 1875. There are many junior hockey teams, and one would be hard-pressed to find even the smallest community without a rink available for organized play.
Cross-country skiing is very easily accessible due to the abundance of snow and an unending supply of open fields. With the Laurentian Mountains close at hand, some of the best downhill skiing in Canada east of the Rockies is to be found in Quebec as well.
The
snowmobile, invented in Quebec by
Joseph-Armand Bombardier, is a popular hobby, though its reputation has been marred by several deaths each year due to its unregulated use. Through the 1990s, the
Mont Tremblant and
Mont Sainte-Anne ski resorts became popular destinations internationally.
Another popular diversion is ice-fishing. Rivers freeze over quickly come wintertime and as soon as the ice is solid enough to walk upon, one can find dozens of tiny homemade shacks dotting the frozen surface.
Quebec is home to many professional sports teams and events, the majority of which call Montreal home.
'''Existing Sports Teams'''
*
Montreal Canadiens (
National Hockey League)
*
Montreal Alouettes (
Canadian Football League)
*
Montreal Impact (
USL First Division United Soccer Leagues)
'''Defunct Sports Teams'''
*
Montreal Expos (
Major League Baseball)
*
Quebec Nordiques (
National Hockey League)
'''Events'''
*
Canadian Grand Prix (
Formula 1 racing)
Events
'''
Quebec City Winter Carnival Le Carnaval de Québec''' is held every winter in Quebec City and is famous for its world-class ice sculpture competition, sledding at the feet of Chateau Frontenac and its mascot, ''Le Bonhomme Carnaval''. It was created by an association of Quebec City restauranteurs and
hotel owners in order to boost the city slow winter
tourism Economic system economy. Not as bawdy as the Brazilian version, though arising from the same Christian tradition of partying before Lent, it is generally a celebration of winter. Recently, there has even been a hotel made entirely of ice available for lodging.
During the summer season, Montreal is kept busy by a wide variety of festivals, which has given the city its reputation for being one of the festival capitals of North America.
The
Montreal Jazz Festival, or '''Festival International du Jazz''', is held annually in Montreal during the summer season and attracts artists from around the world and is typically attended by millions of people who are attracted by the electric atmosphere. The city's downtown core is closed to traffic for two weeks as outdoor shows are free to the public on many stages.
The '''Fireworks Festival''' (
L’International des Feux Loto-Québec) is one of the most important annual, international fireworks competition held at
Six Flags La Ronde (in Montreal), an amusement park built on the
artificial island used for
Expo 67. The competition takes the form of a series of biweekly fireworks shows usually beginning in late June and ending in late July. The fireworks are synchronized to music which is also broadcasted over a local
radio station. Spectators can purchase tickets to be seated on site at ''La Ronde'', providing an exceptional view of the lower altitude display and of the whole perspective. However, tens of thousands of people watch the fireworks for free from nearby locations. Because of its proximity to ''La Ronde'', the
Jacques Cartier Bridge is closed down to automobile circulation and is flooded by thousands of pedestrian spectators for the duration of the show.
The Just for Laughs Festival, or '''Festival Juste pour rire''', a comedy festival, again highlights Quebec's love of humour. Gala events are held nightly for several days and an atmosphere similar to the Jazz Fest is seen on the streets of Montreal, with many street performers and crowds.
The '''Francofolies''' is a festival celebrating the diversity of francophone music. Many exterior shows are given for free.
See
List of Quebec festivals.
Media
:''See also
List of Quebec media''
The major newspapers in Quebec include the broadsheets ''
La Presse'' (Montreal), ''
Le Devoir'' (Montreal) and ''Le Soleil'' (
Quebec City), the tabloids ''
Le Journal de Montréal'' (Montreal) and ''
Le Journal de Québec'' (Quebec City), and the English-language broadsheet ''
Montreal Gazette The Gazette'' (Montreal).
Other smaller centres have their own newspapers, and there are also several free papers including "alternative weeklies" and daily micro-presses available in cafes and the
Montreal Metro.
A number of television networks and stations broadcast in Quebec. Two
public broadcasting public broadcasters broadcast over the air in French:
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio-Canada, operated by the federal government, and
Télé-Québec, operated by the provincial government. Two
private broadcasting private broadcasters broadcast over the air in French:
Groupe TVA TVA (which generally has the highest ratings of all French-language broadcasters) and
TQS Télévision Quatre Saisons (TQS). These
Quebec television networks produce a considerable amount of their content locally, including the ever-popular
téléroman.
The three main Canadian English networks also broadcast over the air in Quebec: public broadcaster
CBC and private broadcasters
CTV and
Global Television. These networks provide some local content, primarily
news and
public affairs programming. Montreal's
CJNT, owned by Global, is a hybrid affiliate of English language
CH (television system) CH system and multicultural programming.
A number of networks are only available to
cable television cable and satellite subscribers. Subscribers can watch a wide range of specialized French-language TV channels. Amongst these offerings is
TV5 Canada TV5, the international French-language network. Most major Canadian English-language cable and satellite networks are also available.
Most American television networks are available in Quebec, although in some locations farther from the border they are not available over the air, but only on cable. The
PBS affiliates from the neighbouring states,
Vermont Public Television WETK in
Burlington, Vermont Burlington,
Vermont and
WCFE-TV WCFE in
Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh,
New York, sometimes run Quebec-specific material.
*
List of Quebec television series
Cultural institutions
Many cultural institutions were set up in Quebec, in the wake of the
Quiet Revolution.
Among the key institutions are:
*the
Archives nationales du Québec (Quebec National Archives) created in 1920
*the
Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec, a network of nine Academies created in 1942
*the
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (Quebec National Library) created in 1967
*the provincial public broadcaster
Télé-Québec created in 1968
*the
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (Quebec Council of Arts and Letters) created in 1992.
Quebec's rich heritage of culture and history can be explored through a network of museums, which include the
Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the
Musée de la civilisation and the
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. See also the
list of Quebec museums.
Many of Quebec's artists have been educated in universities' arts faculties and specialized art schools. Notable schools include the
Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec, the
École nationale de théâtre du Canada, the
École nationale de l'humour and the
École nationale de cirque.
*
List of Quebec art schools
*
List of Quebec Universities
*
Quebec education system
Prizes and awards
Quebec rewards its singers, musicians, authors, actors, directors, dancers, etc. regularly. Among the awards are:
*
Athanase David Awards (Literature)
*
Felix Award Félix Awards (Music)
*
Gémeaux Awards (Television and film)
*
Jutra Awards (Cinema)
*
Masques Awards (Theatre)
*
Olivier Guimond Awards Olivier Awards (Humour)
*
Opus Awards (Concert Music)
Regional cultures
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
A region known for its
blueberries, its
tourtière, its
soupe aux gourganes and other specialties,
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean is also the birth place of many of Quebec's public figures such as former Quebec premier
Lucien Bouchard, singer
Mario Pelchat and Olympic athlete
Marc Gagnon. The accent of this region is one of the most distinctive and peculiar ones found in Quebec, although natives of the regions would reply that in fact it is the people of Montreal who have an accent, not them!
Gaspésie
The
Gaspésie region is Quebec's little sample of the Canadian Maritimes. The people of ''la Gaspésie'' have an accent very close to that of their
Acadian ''cousins'' living in New-Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The culture of the Gaspésie region is very much centered around the sea. The area is famous for its shrimps of
Matane, Quebec Matane and the scenery of its sea coast, the
Percé Rock, and
Chic-Choc Mountains Chic-Chocs Appalachian mountains.
Montreal
Montreal, Quebec's largest city, is the second largest French-speaking city after
Paris. The city is known for its culture, cuisine, and shopping. Montreal has a large immigrant population, primarily from French-speaking nations around the world.
Aboriginal peoples
There are 11 aboriginal peoples living in the territory of Quebec. Their influence on Quebec culture has been and continues to be significant. They are the ones who taught the first French settlers how to survive and to adapt to the harsh winters. Later, the French engaged in trade with a great number of tribes inside and outside Quebec.
There are many words in
Quebec French that come from aboriginal languages, such as ''manitou'' (wizard) and ''mocassin'' (soft leather shoes) as well as many places, rivers and lakes that have a native name.
*
Aboriginal peoples in Quebec
*
First Nations of Canada
Foreign influences
Quebec's cultural roots not only draw from the St. Lawrence River, they also tap into the rich cultures of France, the British Isles, and the United States.
France
Despite a common language, French, Quebecers see the
Culture of France as foreign in essentially the same way that
United States Americans see
United Kingdom British or
Australia Australian culture. However, since the 1960s, the cultural ties between France and Quebec have increased significantly and the exchange between the two has resulted in some cross-pollination. The Quebec government does not charge foreign student fees to students from France and certain other French-speaking countries, so some of the cultural exchange is brought in person.
The intellectual elites of French Quebec are divided on this matter. One branch looks to
Paris, France for all things cultural, and the other considers
New York City as the cultural capital of the universe. The mass of the population tends to favor local talent or adopts a surprisingly cosmopolitan attitude, listening to Brazilian rhythms and going to
Asia as well as
Florida,
Mexico and
Cuba for vacations.
British Isles
The influence of British culture on Quebec slowly began after the British Conquest of New France in 1760. At first, the establishment of a British administration did not truly affect the life of the inhabitants of what was then called ''le Canada''. The British population was in fact very low for a long period of time until around 1783 when
United Empire Loyalists began colonizing the
Eastern Townships. The arrival of many immigrants directly from Britain, many from
Scotland later on of course greatly affected the cultural life of French-speaking Quebecers.
At the peak of British colonization of Quebec in the late 19th century, about 25% of Quebecers were Anglophones and Montreal, the largest city in Canada at the time, was a predominantly English-speaking city.
The first traces of British influence on Quebecers occurred in the beginning of the 19th century when the population adopted the table manners of the English instead of the one used in New France: the fork to the left, the knife and spoon to the right and early dinner at 5-6 PM. Before that, the ''Canadiens'' of New France used the French customs of the time, everyone having a pocket knife ready to use when it was time to eat.
Increased trade with the British Isles transformed many of the habits of Quebecers. Especially in urban areas, they began to copy the way of life of the British. It became trendy for men to dress as English dandies, and household were decorated with all things British. The architecture of Montreal is full of remnants of a Victorian trend, which was followed in all British colonies.
=Ireland
=
Irish immigration had a huge impact on Quebecers as listening to Quebec's traditional music will reveal. The immigrants from
Ireland were mostly Catholic, and the two populations intermarried to a much greater extent than with any other ethnic group. Although not as represented as the British in finance or industry, the Irish have been actively involved in Quebec politics, a fact alluded to by the two prime ministers, five premiers, many MNAs and court justices with Irish roots.
Today, many Quebecers have an Irish ancestor somewhere in their family tree. The Irish brought the celebration of
St. Patrick's Day to Montreal, making it one of the oldest of its kind in North America. Quebec's most praised poet,
Émile Nelligan, is born of a Quebec French-speaking mother and an English-speaking Irish father. See
Irish Quebecers.
United States
American influences on Quebec culture go back to the first era of prosperity experienced by the American people after their independence. American culture and values began to pour into Quebec starting with the
Industrial Revolution and continue to this day, thanks to an open border between the US and Canada.
Though the same phenomenon has occurred with the other Canadian provinces, Quebec, being mostly French-speaking and (formerly) Catholic, the contact of the two cultures has produced significantly different results. It has often taken the form of a conflict between the "old way" of living and the "new way" coming from the outside.
The
United States drew a number of emigrants from Quebec, mostly during the period from the 1840s to the 1930s and mostly to New England, many immigrated to work in the timber trade or were seeking work in the heavily industrialized Northeast cities such as Boston and Providence. Some eventually returned to Quebec, but the bulk stayed in the US.
Jack Kerouac is a notable American descended from French-Canadian emigrants.
=Hollywood
=
Movies and television have long been welcomed in Quebec and remain among the more popular forms of entertainment. However, due to the language barrier, most of the cultural flooding seen in most English-speaking areas has not occurred to the same extent. Dubbed US productions still enjoy great success. In fact, dubbed productions have seen a great boom in popularity over the last ten years.
One
regulation adopted under the
Charter of the French Language stipulates that movie distributors are to release a French dubbed version of any major movie at the same time as the original English. Distributors had steadfastly opposed this measure, but once it took effect they found that their total sales of tickets for any given movie jumped dramatically. They had not realised before then that many Quebecers capable of reading advertising or critics in English, to some extent, were not fluent enough to really enjoy a movie in the original English. They also invested less money on the marketing of the dubbed versions, months later. By releasing both versions at the same time, all of the population, regardless of language or relative degrees of fluency in English, was subject to the same bombardment of publicity and movie reviews at the same time.
=New York
=
While Toronto dominates English Canadian culture, Montrealers (and by extension, Quebecers) tend to prefer
New York City as a travel destination, particularly since it is not much further away from Montreal than Toronto, and because of its appeal as a "
global city". Despite the higher prices and a generally unfavourable exchange rate, many Quebecers agree that at least within North America, New York City is the best place for shopping, theatre, and picking up new trends.
See also
*
Cinema of Quebec
*
Dance of Quebec
*
Humour of Quebec
*
Music of Quebec
*
Television of Quebec
External links
-
Links to Quebec Culture from the Quebec Government Office in London
-
Cultural Links from American Council for Québec Studies
-
Public domain literature of Quebec in French
-
Public domain literature of Quebec in English
-
Quebecers' cultural habits from the Government of Quebec
Category:Culture of Quebec
fr:Culture québécoise
This is a collection of articles about art, cinema, literature, music and
Culture of Quebec culture of the
Quebec Province of Quebec,
Canada.
Category:Canadian culture Quebec
Category:Quebec Culture, Quebec
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