Page 71 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to Canada

people. Québec’s gastronomic trails link the
harvest of the countryside with the markets of
the cities. The trails are known for artisanal
cheese producers, small production vintners,
local growers and specialty producers.
Exploring the trails is a way to meet the people
who create the province’s signature products,
from foie gras to springtime maple syrup.
The Farmlands Route (Chemin du
Terroir) loops through the Laurentians
countryside, with stops at producers of
wines and ciders, maple goods, fresh-picked
apples and Québec’s famous fromageries.
Charlevoix’s Flavour Trail (La Route des
Saveurs) links dozens of local growers,
producers and restaurateurs who create and
serve regional products such as ciders,
artisanal beers, pâtés, cheeses, spices and fine
chocolates (www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/
en/what-to-do/routes-and-circuits/
flavour-trail/).
Grape growers and vintners, and many
bistros and restaurants, are a part of
Québec’s Wine Route—La Route des vins
(www.vinsduquebec.com/trouver-un-
vignoble).
At the peninsula jutting into the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, Gaspésie Gourmande brings
together around 150 businesses who create or
process products harvested from the land, sea
and forest, as well as the shops, restaurants,
chefs and B&B establishments that sell or
serve their wares (gaspesiegourmande.com).
WHAT’S NEW?
After a major renovation, the Insectarium is
back. Get a new appreciation for industrious
ants, hard-working bees, pest-controlling
spiders and many other insects that we
couldn't live without. Check out the large
glass vivarium where guests can observe
insects, including free-flying butterflies
(www.espacepourlavie.ca/en/insectarium).
Cirque du Soleil returns to the Old Port of
Montréal from April 20 through August 20
with an all-new show. ECHO, combining
daring acrobatics, technology and stagecraft,
explores the balance among people, animals
and the world we all share (www.cirquedu
soleil.com/echo).
Our Time on Earth, through a dozen
immersive contemporary works of art,
encourages us to build a better world
through biodiversity conservation, agricul-
ture and food, energy, transportation,
WATER VOLLEYBALL, MONT-TREMBLANT
construction and consumption. It is on
display at the Musée de la Civilisation
(MAC) in Québec City until January 3, 2024
(www.mcq.org/en).
Project Pilote is a new distillery and craft
brewery located just steps from Lafontaine
Park in Montréal. It produces more than 20
choices of beer crafted on-site with organic
beans as well as gin, fruit and nut brandy
and aged rye and barley spirits
(www.projetpilote.com).
The new Port of Montréal’s ultra-modern
glass and steel observation tower is set to
open this year at the newly-developed Grand
Quay (www.port-montreal.com/en).
A green hydrogen-powered train running
between Montmorency Falls, Québec City
and Baie-Saint-Paul, along the St. Lawrence
River, is a pilot project for the summer
of 2023. The Train de Charlevoix, a zero-
emissions passenger train, is the first of its
kind in North America (www.traindecharle
voix.com/en).
Ungava Polar Eco-Tours is a new Inuit-
owned enterprise that will start welcoming
visitors this summer for an adventure on the
Gyrfalcon Islands, offshore from the Inuit
community of Tasiujaq in Leaf Bay, which
competes with the Bay of Fundy for the world’s
highest tides. Muskox and many species of
birds can be observed on the islands, while boat
outings on Leaf Bay offer potential encounters
with polar bears in their natural habitat. With
friendly Inuit guides, explore breathtaking
natural landscapes and awe-inspiring Arctic
wildlife and opportunities to view the northern
lights (www.ungavapolarecotours.com).
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Another Inuit-owned ecotourism enterprise,
Nunawild, out of Kuujjuaq—Nunavik’s
gateway—has been greeting visitors since
last summer at its base camp located on the
tundra near Wolf Lake. Observe muskox,
tundra wolves, ptarmigans and other bird
species, as well as the occasional caribou
and black bear. Optional boat tours on the
Koksoak River, camping trips to an archaeo-
logical site and cultural interpretive tours
are also available (www.indigenous
quebec.com/things-to-do/nunawild-inc).
CITY LIGHTS
The province’s unique European sensibility
flavours the intersection of art, culture and
history. This is a big part of the city centres—
Montréal and Québec City—with their wealth
of museums, galleries and special exhibits.
In Québec City, small music clubs, funky
bars, boîtes à chansons (intimate venues for
the province’s singer/songwriters) and
music festivals like the Québec City Summer
Festival (Festival d’été de Québec), one of
Canada’s biggest music festivals, contribute
to a vibrant arts scene (www.feq.ca/en).
Cosmopolitan Montréal sits at a cultural
crossroads, rooted in both Anglo and franco-
phone heritage. The city has put together
itineraries to inspire visitors, from nightlife to
shopping to annual festivals (www.mtl.org/en).
Montréal abounds with theatre and
dance, music and circus arts, and museums
and art galleries showcasing everything
from cutting-edge works to timeless
classics. An underground system of
pedestrian passageways, RÉSO, connects
Métro stations and corridors filled with
boutiques and small shops.
Montréal is renowned for its lively summer
gatherings—from jamming sessions to dance