So very happy that since leaving Canada for the USA 11 years ago, I have not had to deal with the arrogant, whining Quebeckers I met in day to day life, nor need I read in the papers about the latest seperatist nonsense.

Quebec City is still very much French, though in the long term I believe it will most likely follow in Montreal’s footsteps and become bilingual and eventually anglophone. The disappearance of the French language in Quebec is something the goverment has been fighting against for decades. It’s has some success at this but, overall, the trend is clear: the English language is gaining ground.

The language, however, is not all there is to it. Quebec’s culture (including that of its English-speaking citizens) is very different from the rest of Canada. It’s hard to describe exactly what it is that sets it apart but it’s not just European French culture. If anything, Quebecers and the European French are even more different than Americans and the British.

It’s hard to describe what Quebecois culture is, but I can tell you what it isn’t. It’s not American. Americans joke about Canada being a ‘lite’ version of America, and there’s a lot of truth to that. But it’s not true for Quebec.

For more, see my essay on this topic:
http://con.ca/issues/7/7/1167

Philip: Serious question…

In your opinion, does Quebec City offer sufficient amenities (flying excepted) to consider living there? I visited a few years back, loved it (Winter Carnival).