March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Issue/Parution 11 3,00 $ + taxes
Festival d’été
The machine behind the magic | La machine derrière la magie
Démystifier les
garderies au Québec
Municipal mergers:
15 years later
F usions municipales :
15 ans après
Gabrielle Shonk
in studio at last
Empress of Ireland:
The forgotten loss
The Lazy Gardener takes
root at Life in Québec
Les Primitifs take
‘survival of the fittest’
back to nature
Gabrielle Shonk
enfin en studio
Find me a daycare!
Trouvez-moi une garderie !
Empress of Ireland :
La perte inconnue
Les Primitifs se retournent
vers la survie en nature
avec moins que rien
$3.00 + taxes
Demystifying early
child care in Québec
ISSN 1929-8838
9 771929 883005
01
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
In this issue
Dans cette parution
Features
6-8 Demystifying early child care in Québec
7-9 Démystifier les garderies au Québec
12-14 High costs and political discord persist 15 years after
municipal mergers
13-15 Quinze ans après les fusions municipales, coûts élevés
et discorde politique règnent
18-20 Les Primitifs take ‘survival of the fittest’ back to nature
19-21 Les Primitifs se retournent vers la survie en nature
avec moins que rien
Page 3
LIFE IN QUÉBEC MAGAZINE
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22-24 Fesitval d’été de Québec: The machine
behind the magic
23-25 Festival d’été: La machine derrière la magie
28-30 Gabrielle Shonk in studio at last
29-31 Gabrielle Shonk enfin en studio
34-36 Empress of Ireland: The forgotten loss
35-37 Empress of Ireland : La perte inconnue
Regulars
5
Serge Gaboury: Editorial Cartoon
17 Peter Black: New vocations for old churches
33 Larry Hodgson: Take a stroll through Québec City’s
secret botanical garden
42 Ross Murray: Stretch your food dollar until it screams
for mercy
38-41 Book Reviews
Life in Québec Magazine is a division of Média Trois Canons inc.
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Next issue publication date: Friday, June 10, 2016
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Deposited at Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
& Library and Archives Canada. ISSN no. 1929-8838.
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Publisher: Andrew Greenfield
Managing Editor: Farnell Morisset
Editor: Michael Bourguignon
Copy Editor: Ruby Pratka
Writers & Contributors: Peter Black, Michael Bourguignon, Serge Gaboury,
Cara Gerard, Andrew Greenfield, Rosanna Haroutounian, Larry Hodgson,
Philippa Jabouin, Mark Lindenberg, Ross Murray, Catherine Musgrove, Job
Patstone, Ruby Pratka, Aurélie Roy, Bobbi Zahra.
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Page 4
Editorial
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Springtime in Québec City … Wait for it!
A
h, springtime on the St. Lawrence – bitter winds whipping across the
channel, waves of slush crashing against your pants. Through it all,
the constant hope and prayer for a sunny summer.
At this time of year, when Bonhomme has hung up his ceinture fléchée
and gone into hibernation until next winter, we watch for the signs of
what’s to come: longer days, fewer runny noses and yes, more slush.
Such is the weather-related reality of life in the Québec City region.
And, whatever you may say or feel about our typically long and robust
winter, all of these signs point to one singularly awesome thing: summer
is just around the corner.
As much as Québec is known around the world as an unparalleled
winter playground, it’s in the summer, with its sidewalk cafés, its picnics
on the Plains and its plentiful people-watching opportunities, that the
city truly comes alive.
Of course, for residents and tourists alike, summer in Québec City is
synonymous with our beloved and ever-bustling Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ), which in this year’s edition will boast shows by living legends
Sting and Peter Gabriel, party stalwarts Red Hot Chili Peppers and many
more.
For this issue of Life in Québec Magazine, we decided to sit down with
festival director Daniel Gélinas for a look at what goes on behind the
scenes of such a mega-event. What he told us confirmed much of what
we already believed: the festival is a real boon to the local economy,
and it takes a lot of time, talent and energy on the part of a great many
people to make it the roaring success it continues to be year after year.
(Many of the festival’s office staff provide daily evidence that bilingualism benefits the local economy, because although Sting can easily
sustain between-song banter in impeccable French for hours on end,
most of the wheeling and dealing that is required to attract and secure
top international talent takes place out of necessity in the language of
Shakespeare and Sir Paul McCartney.)
For those who might prefer to spend their free time in the garden
instead of in the swirl of the festival crowds on the Plains of Abraham,
this issue of Life in Québec also marks the debut of a new column by
Larry Hodgson, one of Canada’s best-known garden writers, a “perennial” favorite of Québec’s seed-sowing set, and a welcome addition to
the magazine.
“Getting Larry on board is quite a coup for us,” Life in Québec publisher
Andrew Greenfield says. “We’ve wanted him to join the team for a while,
but the timing was never quite right. That time has now arrived!”
If you cast a sideways glance toward the facing page, you will notice
something else that is both new and heartily welcomed by all of us here
at LiQ: the wit and artistry of Serge Gaboury, the creator of the “Grif et
Graf” comic strip, a contributor to Croc Magazine, Le Devoir, Le Soleil and
7 Jours, and the creator of animated cartoons on Canoë, Cyberpresse
and ICI Radio-Canada Télé’s ICI Laflaque. His work will appear regularly
on these pages from now on, and we’re thrilled.
As a lifestyle magazine, we are also proud this time around to present
a parents’-eye view of the sometimes messy maze of finding the right
daycare centre, and a glimpse into an unlikely friendship that emerged
from the sinking of the Empress of Ireland, as well as many other stories,
columns and items of interest.
Part of the ongoing effort to improve our offering includes publishing four print issues every year instead of three, starting with this
March-June edition. It’s a major milestone in the evolution of this young
magazine, and it allows us to give you more of the features you like in a
convenient printed format.
So there you have it. Spring is in the air, and all the signs confirm it.
It’s not quite as dark out when you wake up in the morning, it’s still
light out a little later in the day, and we here at Life in Québec Magazine
keep doing what we can to add just a touch of extra brightness to your
existence by offering a good read, a few laughs and something to think
about along the way.
So pour yourself a cup of whatever strikes your fancy, put up your
feet, and enjoy this copy of Life in Québec Magazine. We hope it puts a
spring in your step and a smile on your face in anticipation of sunnier
times ahead.
Michael Bourguignon
Editor
Life in Québec Magazine is on Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation!
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Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 5
Québec’s seat of many colours reverts to red
Life
in
Québec
interactive
For audio and video content
Visit lifeinquebec.com
Page 6
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Demystifying early child care in Québec
By Ruby Irene Pratka and Philippa Jabouin
C
ongratulations! You are going to be parents! Under Québec’s labour
laws, in most professions, a mother who is employed has a right to a
minimum of 18 weeks’ unpaid maternity leave, and a father is entitled to
a minimum of five weeks off. But sooner or later, the uninterrupted family
time has to come to an end.
Finding a daycare arrangement is a major preoccupation for parents
and future parents, in an environment where some families wait three
years or more for a space in publicly funded daycare centres.
The list of options can be confusing, especially in light of recent funding cuts to the public system, so Life in Québec decided to ask a panel of
parents about their own experiences.
There are three categories of child care in the province for children
under school age: publicly funded facilities overseen by government officials and a board of directors, partially publicly funded family facilities (which can only accommodate six children, or up to nine with
an aide), and private facilities, some of which receive a partial
subsidy.
Non-subsidized facilities run like private businesses and
can charge what they see fit. Some private facilities,
usually smaller ones, receive a certain amount of government funding for supplies. Government-run CPEs
(Centres de la petite enfance) are subject to a sliding
price scale; however, all CPEs, private daycares and
family-run daycares must receive the same provincial certification to be allowed to operate, clarifies
Nadia Caron, spokesperson for Québec’s Ministère
de la famille.
In 2013, the last year for which statistics are available from the Ministère de la famille, 34.5 per cent of
children in daycare were enrolled in a governmentrun CPE, 16.4 per cent were in a subsidized private
daycare, 11.4 per cent in a non-subsidized private
daycare and 37.4 per cent in family-run daycares.
In 1997, then-education minister Pauline Marois
announced the creation of publicly funded child care
spaces at a cost of $5 per day. Today, the prices of subsidized child care in Québec are determined by a sliding
scale, with parents in the lowest income bracket paying
$7.30 per day and those in the highest bracket paying $20.
Waiting lists can be long, and many parents sign their children up as soon as they learn they are pregnant. Parents can put
their children on a waiting list via the La Place 0-5 web portal and
indicate their child’s needs. The web portal also contains information about public and private certified daycares in the applicant’s
region.
“I did sign up as soon as I was pregnant, but at the time there was a
three-year waiting list,” says Isabelle Green, a mother of two in Québec
City. “I initially put my daughter into a private daycare, and I was paying
close to $20 per day. Private daycares are hit and miss; some are
very good, but there are others where they just put the kids in
front of a TV. In a CPE you know the employees have all had
the same training. In a perfect world, if you can get your
children into a CPE right away, it’s the best thing for them.
If you find one you like, even if you don’t think there is
space, call and you may be surprised. ”
The effort and patience sometimes involved in getting
into a CPE discourages some parents, however.
“I sent my children to a private daycare because I
couldn’t find a government-run CPE with space,” says
Mélanie Cousineau, a mother of two in Gatineau.
Continued on page 8
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Démystifier les garderies au Québec
Par Ruby Irene Pratka et Philippa Jabouin
Page 7
l’information sur les garderies publiques et privées certifiées dans la
région où habitent les parents.
élicitations! Vous allez être parents! Selon les normes du travail au
« Je me suis inscrite dès que j’ai appris que j’étais enceinte, mais à
Québec, dans la plupart des professions, une femme employée a l’époque la liste d’attente était de trois ans, » dit Isabelle Green, mère
droit à un congé de maternité non rémunéré d’au moins 18 semaines, de deux enfants à Québec. « J’ai initialement placé ma fille en garderie
tandis qu’un père reçoit un minimum de cinq semaines. Mais éventuel- privée, et je payais près de 20$ par jour. La qualité des garderies prilement, le temps familial ininterrompu
vées varie beaucoup; il y en a des excellentes,
doit prendre fin.
mais il y en a d’autres où on plante les enfants
a qualité des
Trouver une garderie est une préocdevant une télé. Dans un CPE vous savez que
cupation majeure pour parents et futurs
les employés ont tous été formés. Dans un
parents, dans un environnement où
parfait, si vous pouvez placer vos
garderies privées varie monde
certaines familles attendent trois ans ou
enfants dans un CPE immédiatement, c’est la
plus pour une place dans une garderie
meilleure chose pour eux. Si vous en trouvez
beaucoup il y en a
subventionnée.
un que vous aimez, même si vous ne pensez
La liste d’options peut porter à confupas qu’il y a de la place, appelez – vous poursion, surtout à la lumière de coupures
riez être surpris. »
des excellentes mais
dans le système public, alors Life in QuéL’effort et la patience nécessaires pour
bec a décidé de recueillir les expériences
trouver une place en CPE découragent ceril y en a d autres où
d’un panel de parents.
tains parents, cependant.
Il y a trois catégories de garde d’en« J’ai envoyé mes enfants à une garderie
fants dans la province pour les enfants
privée parce que je ne pouvais pas trouver
on plante les enfants un CPE ayant une place libre, » dit Mélanie
d’âge préscolaire : les garderies financées par l’état et gérées par le gouverCousineau, mère de deux à Gatineau. « Pour
devant une télé
nement et un comité de direction, les
certains CPEs, vous devez être un employé
garderies en milieu familial subventiond’une organisation particulière, ou un résinées (qui ne peuvent accommoder plus
dent d’un certain arrondissement, ou un étude six enfants, ou plus de neuf avec un aide), et les garderies privées, diant. Il y a beaucoup de critères. On m’a éventuellement offert une
dont certaines reçoivent une subvention partielle.
place en CPE, mais avec le coût
Les garderies non subventionnées fonctionnent comme des entre- supplémentaire de gaz
prises privées et établissent leurs frais comme bon leur semble. Cer- pour m’y rendre, j’aurais
taines garderies privées, surtout les plus petites, reçoivent un certain payé autant qu’en garmontant du gouvernement pour acheter leurs fournitures. Les Centres derie privée. J’aurais
de la petite enfance (CPE), opérés par le gouvernement, sont assujet- dû placer mon fils et
tis à une échelle de prix; cependant, tous les CPEs, garderies privées ma fille en CPE difet garderies en milieu familial doivent recevoir la même certification férents, ce qui serait
provinciale pour opérer, clarifie Nadia Caron, porte-parole pour le ridicule. »
ministère de la Famille du Québec.
En 2013, la dernière année pour laquelle les statistiques sont dispo- Suite à la page 9
nibles du ministère de la Famille, 34.5 pour cent des enfants en garderie étaient inscrits dans des CPE opérés par le gouvernement, 16.4
pour cent étaient en garderies privées subventionnées, 11.4 pour cent
étaient en garderies privées non subventionnées, et 37.4 pour cent
étaient en milieu familial.
C’est en 1997 que Pauline Marois, alors ministre de l’Éducation,
annonça la création d’espaces en garderies subventionnées au coût
de 5$ par jour. Aujourd’hui, les prix sont déterminés selon une échelle
variable; les parents à faible revenu payent 7.30$ par jour et ceux les
plus nantis payent 20$.
Les listes d’attente peuvent être longues, et plusieurs parents se
placent sur les listes d’attente dès qu’ils apprennent qu’ils attendent
un enfant. Les parents
peuvent placer leurs
enfants sur une
liste d’attente via le
portail web La Place
0-5 et indiquer leurs
besoins. Le portail
web contient aussi de
F
« L
;
,
’
. »
Page 8
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Demystifying early child care in Québec
Continued from page 6
we’re moving backwards,” Nadeau says. “However, when a space opens
up, we do get calls right away.”
“For certain CPEs, you need to be an employee of this or that organParents who want a smaller, more intimate environment for their child
ization, a resident of this or that neighbourhood, or a student. There are have the option of family-run daycares, which is the route Chen Zeng
quite a few criteria. At one point I was offered one place in a public CPE, chose for her daughter, Victoria Legault, 2.
but what with the extra gas required to
“I thought it would be safer for my child
get there, I would have paid just as much.
if she was in a small-group setting. We’re
rivate daycares are
I also would have ended up sending my
on the CPE waiting list, and the large
son and my daughter to different CPEs,
private daycares are too expensive and
which would be ridiculous.”
farther from where I live.”
hit and miss some are
Marie-Ève Dolbec, spokesperson for
“Whatever daycare you choose, you
the Coopérative enfant-famille, which
need to ask as many questions as you can,”
very good but there
manages La Place 0-5, acknowledges that
says Cousineau. “Check their certification;
“every daycare has the right to specify
have a look at the kitchen. You can see
geographic requirements or whether
how the employees treat the kids because
are others where
they can take children with special needs.
the kids learn their behaviour from dayRequirements must be approved by the
care. When my daughter puts her dolls
they just put the kids
ministry, but the daycare decides.”
to bed, she says, ‘Il faut te reposer, mon
CPEs are also, to a certain extent, at the
amour.’”
mercy of the government’s fiscal deciRosa Awad, a mother of three in Gatiin front of a
sions. Sylvie Nadeau, managing director at
neau whose youngest child attends a
the CPE du Bois Joli in Lévis, says her cenfamily-run daycare, advises parents to
tre’s budget cuts have affected her ability to operate. “We can’t cut in the give themselves time.
quality of services offered to the children, so we have to cut administrative
“Returning to work after leave is stressful enough without worrying
expenses,” she explains. Like many public service workers in the province, about the well-being of your children,” she says. “Taking child care options
they have joined recent protests against austerity measures. “We feel that that aren’t the best fit ultimately leads to more stress in the long run. The
the government favours private daycares, and we have the impression right fit for a daycare goes a long way to ensuring quality of life all around.”
“P
;
,
TV.”
TRA
VENEZ TRAVAILLER
RA
AVA
AILLER
EN ANGLAIS !
COME WORK IN ENGLISH!
Nous recrutons continuellement pour
nos écoles de la région de Québec.
Wee recruit continually for our schools
W
in the Québec City region.
s Enseignants au primaire et au secondaire / Teachers
Teeachers at the Elementa
Elementary and Secondary levels
s Technicien(ne)s
Technicien(ne)s en éducation spécialisée / Special
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Education Technicians
Technicians
s Préposé(e)s aux élèves
èves handicapé(e)s / Attendants
for Handicapped Students
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s Éducateur(trice)s et technicien(ne)s en service de garde / Day Care Technicians
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Technicians and Educators
Educato
s Surveillant(e)s d’élèves
èves / Student Supervisors
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s Personnel administratif
ratif / Administrative Personnel
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s Psychologues / Psychologists
Psyc
Pour les offres d’emploi de nos écoles / For job opportunities
ties in our schools
www.cqsb.qc.ca
www.cqsb.qc.ca
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Démystifier les garderies au Québec
Suite de la page 7
Marie-Ève Dolbec, porte-parole pour la Coopérative enfant-famille
qui gère La Place 0-5, reconnaît que « chaque garderie a le droit de
spécifier ses exigences géographiques et s’ils acceptent des enfants
avec des besoins particuliers. Les exigences doivent être approuvées
par le ministère, mais la garderie décide. »
Les CPE sont aussi en partie à la merci des décisions fiscales du gouvernement. Sylvie Nadeau, directrice du CPE Bois-Joli à Lévis, dit que
les coupes dans les subventions à son centre ont affecté sa capacité
d’opérer. « Nous ne pouvons pas couper dans la qualité des services
offerts aux enfants, alors nous coupons dans les dépenses administratives, » elle explique. Comme plusieurs dans le service public de la
province, ils se sont joints aux protestations contre l’austérité. « Nous
croyons que le gouvernement favorise les garderies privées, et avons
l’impression que nous reculons, » dit Nadeau. « Cependant, quand une
place se libère, on a des appels immédiatement. »
Les parents désirant un environnement plus petit et intime pour
Page 9
leurs enfants ont l’option des garderies en milieu familial, la route
choisie par Chen Zeng pour sa fille, Victoria Legault, 2 ans.
« Je pensais que ça serait plus sécuritaire pour ma fille dans un petit
groupe. Nous sommes sur la liste d’attente des CPE, et les grandes garderies privées sont trop chères et trop loin. »
« Peu importe la garderie que vous choisissez, vous devez poser
autant de questions que possible, » dit Cousineau. « Vérifiez leur certification; visitez la cuisine. Vous pouvez voir comment les employés
traitent les enfants, parce que les enfants apprennent de la garderie.
Quand ma fille couche ses poupées, elle dit, il faut te reposer, mon
amour. »
Rosa Awad, mère de trois enfants à Gatineau et dont le plus jeune est
en garderie en milieu familial, dit aux parents de se donner du temps.
« Retourner au travail après un congé est déjà assez stressant sans se
soucier du bien-être de vos enfants, » elle dit. « Choisir les mauvaises
options de garde est plus stressant à la longue. La bonne garderie aide
à assurer une bonne qualité de vie. »
RBC Financial Planning
Philippe Pomerleau, F. Pl.
Financial Planner, Investment &
Retirement Planning
Royal Mutual Funds Inc.
Quebec City, Quebec
[email protected]
Arthur Aron, MBA
Conseiller en placement
George Lamarre B.sc.
Planificateur financier
Directeur général - Québec
1172, rue Dermot
Québec (Québec) G1W 4C6
Tél.: 418 527-8496
[email protected]
Tel: 581-309-8869
Fax: 418-842-8210
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380-2828 Bd Laurier, 3è niveau
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Tél.: 418-647-5987
Téléc.: 418-647-1775
Sans frais: 1-800-680-3124
[email protected]
ADVERTORIAL - LEGALLY SPEAKING
Owning real estate in Florida at the end of a marital or common-law
relationship
La détention d’un immeuble en Floride lors d’une fin de vie commune
There are many Quebec couples who plan to spend part of
their retirement in Florida or want to make a real estate investment there. They therefore buy property in Florida, separately
or as a couple. In view of this reality, we need to understand
the impact of a possible change in such purchasers’ marital
status.
Plusieurs couples québécois envisagent de passer une partie
de leur retraite en Floride ou désirent faire un placement
immobilier font, individuellement ou en couple, l’acquisition
d’un condominium en Floride. Vu cette réalité, il importe de
comprendre les impacts d’un possible changement dans la
situation familiale de ces acheteurs.
The purpose of this article is to briefly explain co-ownership of
a condo, based on whether the spouses are common-law
partners (called “de facto” spouses in Quebec) or are married.
Our next article will be about sole ownership of a condo.
Le présent article traitera du condo en Floride acquis en copropriété, selon que les conjoints vivent en union de fait ou qu’ils
sont mariés. Le prochain article traitera du cas où seulement
l’un des deux conjoints de fait ou époux est propriétaire du
condo en Floride.
Quebec legislation, as well as Florida’s, does not regulate the
division of the rights of common-law partners at the time of
their separation. It is therefore advisable for them to agree on
the various terms that would apply in the event of their separation concerning the division of their rights to the condo by
signing a contract between common-law partners at the time
of purchasing their condo.
In the event that the common-law co-owners do not have a
contract between common-law partners providing for the rules
applicable to their condo in Florida at the time of their separation, they will need to come to an agreement on all the conditions relating to the division of their respective rights concerning the property. They will need to decide, inter alia, on the
price of the condo to be put up for sale, and identify the type of
debts to be considered and shared, which could prove to be
quite taxing at such a difficult time in their lives, namely, during
their separation.
For married couples, the Quebec rules concerning family patrimony have considerable impact on the partition of the
spouses’ rights with regard to such property if the condo is a
secondary residence used by the family. In fact, this condo
would then be included in the family patrimony and its net
value acquired during the marriage will generally be subject to
partition. If this property is not part of the family patrimony,
notably if it is under a lease to third parties, the rules concerning the spouses’ matrimonial regime will dictate their respective rights when this property is partitioned, at the time the
spouses are divorced.
Taking into consideration the challenges surrounding an issue
of this magnitude, we advise you to consult a lawyer before
embarking on such a project.
Isabelle Tremblay, M.Fisc
Tax attorney
T | 418 | 681 | 7007
jolicoeurlacasse.com
Puisqu’autant en Floride qu’au Québec, la législation ne réglemente pas les droits des conjoints de fait lors de leur séparation, il est conseillé à ces conjoints, par la signature d’une
convention de vie commune signée au moment de l’achat
dudit condo, de convenir des modalités qu’ils souhaitent appliquer lors de leur séparation quant au partage de leurs droits
dans ce condo.
Dans les cas où les copropriétaires-conjoints de fait n’ont
aucune convention de vie commune prévoyant les règles
applicables à l’égard du condo, lors de leur séparation, ils
devront s’entendre sur toutes les modalités relatives au
partage de leurs droits respectifs concernant cet immeuble.
Or, ils devront faire des choix, notamment au niveau de la
détermination de la valeur pour laquelle le bien sera mis en
vente et l’identification et la nature des dettes à considérer et à
partager, ce qui peut s’avérer ardu à un moment difficile de
leur vie c’est–à-dire lors de leur séparation.
Pour les conjoints mariés, les règles québécoises relatives au
patrimoine familial ont une importante incidence sur le partage
des droits des époux à l’égard de ce bien si ce dernier est une
résidence secondaire utilisée par la famille. En effet, ce condo
entrera alors dans le patrimoine familial et sa valeur nette
acquise durant le mariage sera généralement partageable.
Dans l’éventualité où cet immeuble ne fait pas partie du patrimoine familial, notamment, s’il est loué à des tiers, au divorce
des époux, ce sont les règles relatives au régime matrimonial
des époux qui dicteront leurs droits respectifs lors du partage
dudit bien.
Compte tenu des enjeux entourant ce projet, nous vous
invitons à contacter un avocat avant de mettre de l’avant ce
projet.
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 11
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Page 12
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
High costs and political discord persist 15
years after municipal mergers
By Rosanna Haroutounian
P
olitical deadlock over Québec City’s agglomeration agreement shows
that the merger of municipalities, imposed by the provincial government 15 years ago, continues to have repercussions today.
“Québec City’s merger is probably one of the success stories, but one
thing that’s very obvious is that tax-wise, it’s a complete failure,” says Paul
Shoiry, leader of the opposition Démocratie Québec party at Québec City
Hall and councillor for Saint-Louis–Sillery.
Shoiry was mayor of Sillery from 1994 until 2001 when, along with 12
other independent municipalities, it became part of Québec City.
“There was no gain for citizens,” says Shoiry. “Citizens were well served
within the thirteen-city structure, and certain services were already
regionalized.” He says the cities were willing to gradually regionalize even
more on their own to meet the need to share services and equipment.
What happened instead was what became known as the “forced amalgamation process.” In December 2001, then-Parti Québécois premier Lucien Bouchard forced Bill 170 through the National Assembly. From 2001
to 2003, 212 previously independent municipalities across the province
were merged into larger cities as a result of the law.
“The government and the mayor at the time [Jean-Paul L’Allier] wanted
mergers because they said the region would be better served with a more
regional structure, and they also said citizens would save millions of dollars in taxes in the long run,” says Shoiry. “This never happened.”
In the years since the merger, Shoiry says, property taxes have doubled
and even tripled in some parts of the city, while the cost of services has
risen far above the cost of inflation.
In the 2003 provincial election, Québec Liberal Party leader Jean Charest
successfully campaigned on the promise to allow cities to demerge. Referendums later took place to allow merged communities to become municipalities again, but without the same autonomy they had once enjoyed.
Agglomeration councils were created to manage the shared services
between the merged and demerged cities.
Québec City now shares the cost of regional services with L’AncienneLorette and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, the only municipalities that
re-separated from the central city in 2006 during the demerger process.
In 2015, Saint-Augustin saw property taxes increase by 25 per cent to pay
the bill for regional services to the agglomeration.
“The whole merger and demerger fiasco was a huge political error that
we’re still feeling the effects of,” says Westmount Mayor Peter Trent.
Following his city’s merger with 27 others on the island of Montréal,
Trent, a self-proclaimed “spokesperson for the suburbs,” argued the
forced merger was unconstitutional because it eradicated minority
anglophone communities like Westmount. In 2001, a Québec Superior
Court judge decreed that the province did not act illegally, though it did
rush in passing Bill 170.
Continued on page 14
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 13
Quinze ans après les fusions municipales,
coûts élevés et discorde politique règnent
Par Rosanna Haroutounian
anglophones minoritaires comme Westmount. En 2001, un juge de la Cour
supérieure du Québec a tranché que la province n’a pas agi illégalement,
’impasse sur l’entente d’agglomération de la Ville de Québec montre que mais qu’elle a passé la loi 170 de façon précipitée.
les fusions municipales, imposées par le gouvernement provincial il y a
En 2004, le vote dans Westmount a atteint le seuil nécessaire pour parti15 ans, continuent d’avoir des répercussions aujourd’hui.
ciper aux défusions, quoique la ville soit toujours liée à Montréal par l’entre« Les fusions de Québec ont probablement été un succès, mais ce qui mise du Conseil d’agglomération de Montréal.
est évident, c’est que du côté des impôts c’est un échec total, » affirme Paul
« Depuis la défusion en 2006, il y a eu une centralisation progressive et
Shoiry, chef de l’opposition Démocratie Québec
une perte de pouvoir des arrondissements,
à l’hôtel de ville de Québec et conseiller pour
et ça ne fait qu’aller plus vite avec le conseil
e fiasco des
Saint-Louis-Sillery.
d’agglomération, » dit Trent. « Ce n’est qu’une
Shoiry a été maire de Sillery de 1994 à 2001
charade. »
quand, avec 12 autres municipalités indépenDirigé par le maire de Montréal, le conseil est
fusions et défusions
dantes, Sillery est devenue une partie de Quéconstitué de 15 conseillers de Montréal et 14
bec.
maires des municipalités reconstituées.
a été une erreur
« Il n’y a pas eu de gains pour les citoyens, »
Le maire et les conseillers de Montréal
dit Shoiry. « Les citoyens étaient bien desservis
détiennent environ 87 pour cent des votes,
par la structure des treize villes, et certains servitandis que les maires des villes reconstituées en
politique énorme
ces étaient déjà régionalisés. » Il dit que les villes
détiennent environ 13 pour cent, représentant
étaient prêtes à poursuivre cette régionalisation
le poids démographique de chaque ville.
dont nous sentons
graduellement par elles-mêmes pour satisfaire
Dans son livre, The Merger Delusion: How
les besoins de partage de services et d’équipeSwallowing its Suburbs Made an Even Bigger Mess
ment.
of Montréal, Trent calcule que la fusion coûte à
encore les effets
Ce qui a plutôt suivi a par la suite été connu
Montréal 400 millions $ par année. En plus de
comme « les fusions forcées ». En décembre
perdre sa caserne de pompiers et sa cour munidit eter rent
2001, le premier ministre péquiste Lucien Boucipale, il dit que Westmount a été contrainte
chard a poussé la Loi 170 à travers l’Assemblée
d’augmenter les salaires des employés muninationale. De 2001 à 2003, 212 municipalités maire de
cipaux pour égaler ceux de Montréal lors de la
estmount
indépendantes à travers le Québec ont été
fusion.
fusionnées dans de plus grandes villes suivant
« Une meilleure coordination et même
cette loi.
un partage d’impôts entre municipalités serait possible sans fusion, » dit
« Le gouvernement et le maire de Québec de l’époque, [Jean-Paul L’Allier] Raphaël Fischler, professeur associé et directeur de l’École d’urbanisme à
voulaient des fusions parce qu’ils disaient que la région serait mieux des- l’Université McGill. « Les fusions créeraient une structure très large dont la
servie avec une structure plus régionale, et ils ont aussi dit que les citoyens gestion coûterait plus cher, pas moins. »
économiseraient des millions de dollars à la longue, » dit Shoiry. « Ça ne s’est
Fischler dit que même s’il s’opposait aux fusions des villes québécoises, il
jamais produit. »
s’opposait aussi aux défusions qui ont suivi.
Il dit que dans les années depuis les fusions, les impôts fonciers ont dou« Malgré tous ces problèmes et défauts, la nouvelle ville de Montréal
blé et même triplé dans certaines parties de la ville, tandis que les coûts des recouvrant toute l’île pourrait être un essai intéressant des processus de
services ont augmenté beaucoup plus rapidement que l’inflation.
décisions décentralisés dans une grande ville, grâce au système d’arrondisLors de l’élection de 2003, la campagne de Jean Charest, chef du Parti sements, et une superbe opportunité de créer une ville bilingue et cosmolibéral du Québec, a eu du succès en promettant de permettre les villes polite. »
de se défusionner. Des référendums ont eu lieu pour permettre aux comMême s’il dit que le conseil d’agglomération est une institution non
munautés fusionnées de regagner leur statut de municipalité, mais sans démocratique, Trent dit que le maire de Montréal Denis Coderre a reconnu
l’autonomie qu’elles avaient eue auparavant. Des conseils d’agglomération qu’il y a des problèmes et semble ouvert à travailler avec les municipalités
ont été créés pour gérer les services partagés entre les villes fusionnées et pour améliorer le système.
défusionnées.
Fischler ajoute que les efforts de la ville pour combattre la corruption ont
La Ville de Québec partage maintenant les coûts de services régionaux amélioré la gouvernance et les services malgré les complexités créées par
avec L’Ancienne-Lorette et Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, les seules munici- l’amalgame.
palités qui se sont séparées de la ville centrale lors du processus de défusion
« Montréal est un essai très intéressant, dont le succès ou l’échec n’est
de 2006. En 2015, Saint-Augustin a vu ses impôts fonciers augmenter de 25 pas encore clair, » il dit. « Je pense qu’on y retrouvera de bonnes choses si
pour cent pour payer la facture des services régionaux à l’agglomération.
on peut maintenir l’équilibre entre la centralisation et la décentralisation. »
« Le fiasco des fusions et défusions a été une erreur politique énorme,
Trent dit que les citoyens de Westmount sont plus intéressés par les quesdont nous sentons encore les effets, » dit Peter Trent, maire de Westmount. tions locales que celles de l’agglomération, tandis que Shoiry note que les
Suite à la fusion de sa ville avec 27 autres sur l’île de Montréal, l’auto- gens de Sillery sont « passés à autre chose. »
proclamé « porte-parole des banlieues » a plaidé que les fusions forcées
étaient inconstitutionnelles parce qu’elles éradiquaient les communautés
Suite à la page 15
L
« L
,
P
T
W
, »
,
.
Page 14
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
High costs and political discord persist 15
years after municipal mergers
Continued from page 12
Bigger Mess of Montreal, Trent calculates that the merger is costing Montréal
$400 million each year. Along with losing its fire station and courthouse, he
In 2004, Westmount met the population threshold to participate in a says, Westmount had to raise the salaries of municipal employees to match
demerger referendum, in which voters supported separation, though the Montréal’s during the merger.
city is still bound to Montréal through the Montréal Agglomeration Council.
“Better coordination and even tax-based sharing among municipalities
“Ever since the demerger in
could be achieved without
2006, there’s been a progresmergers,” says Raphaël Fischhe whole merger and
sive centralization and reducler, an associate professor and
tion of power of the boroughs,
director of the School of Urban
and it’s simply increasing in
Planning at McGill University.
demerger fiasco was a huge
pace with the agglomeration
“Mergers would create a very
council,” says Trent. “It’s a comlarge structure that would cost
political error that we re still
plete charade.”
more to manage, not less.”
Headed by the mayor of
Fischler says while he was
Montréal, Denis Coderre, the
against the Québec mergers,
feeling the effects of
says
Montréal Agglomeration Counhe was also opposed to the
cil is made up of 15 Montréal
demergers that followed.
estmount
ayor eter rent
city councillors and 14 mayors
“Despite all its flaws and
of the reconstituted municipalproblems, the new island-wide
ities.
Montr��������������������������
������������������������
al could be a very interMontréal’s mayor and councillors hold around 87 per cent of the votes, esting experiment in decentralized decision-making in a large city, thanks
while the mayors of reconstituted cities hold around 13 per cent, repre- to the borough system, and a great opportunity to create a bilingual,
senting the respective demographic weight of each city.
cosmopolitan city.”
In his book, The Merger Delusion: How Swallowing its Suburbs Made an Even
While he says the agglomeration council is an undemocratic institution,
Trent says Coderre has acknowledged there are problems with it as well and
seems willing to work with the municipalities to make improvements.
Fischler adds that the city’s efforts to fight corruption have improved governance and services despite the complexities created by amalgamation.
“Montréal is a very interesting experiment, whose success or failure is not
yet clear,” he says. “I think that the experiment will yield good things if we
can maintain a good balance between centralization and decentralization.”
Trent says Westmount’s citizens are more interested in local issues than
those of the agglomeration, while Shoiry notes that people in Sillery have
“moved on.”
At Québec City Hall, negotiations have reached a dead end. Councillors
in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures are set on rejecting Québec City Mayor
Régis Labeaume’s latest agreement on shared costs. Saint-Augustin Mayor
Sylvain Juneau, a minority on a council dominated by the administration of
ex-mayor Marcel Corriveau, supports the deal.
L’Ancienne-Lorette Mayor Émile Loranger opposed the agreement when
Labeaume first presented it in fall 2015, as did 94 per cent of L’AncienneLorette’s citizens who responded to a municipal survey.
“Regional costs are there and they have to pay for them, so I think we
have to settle this dispute once and for all and then go forward,” says Shoiry.
Pavillon Jeffery Hale Pavilion
Hôpital Jeffery Hale Hospital
“It’s been dragging along for too long now.”
1270, ch. Sainte-Foy G1S 2M4
1250, ch. Sainte-Foy G1S 2M6
Labeaume has indicated that the cost-sharing agreement is not open to
renegotiation.
“The fact remains that the administrative culture of the city is very different from what I had known in Sillery, where there was openness, listening
and consideration,” says Pierre Vagneux, a Sillery resident who was against
amalgamation. He is now the president of Coalition pour l’arrondissement
historique de Sillery, a citizens’ group that has worked for the last 10 years
A COMMUNITY OF CARE
to prevent the city from rezoning Sillery’s historic district into real estate.
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“There are certainly public consultations, but there is no debate or explanation of the choices that are made.”
“T
’
,”
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M
UNE COMMUNAUTÉ DE SOINS
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Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 15
Quinze ans après les fusions municipales,
coûts élevés et discorde politique règnent
L'hôtel de ville de Montréal
Crédit photo : Rosanna Haroutounian
Suite de la page 13
À l’hôtel de ville de Québec, les négociations sont à une impasse. Les
conseillers de Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures sont campés sur leur rejet
de l’entente proposée par le maire de Québec, Régis Labeaume, sur le
partage des coûts. Le maire de Saint-Augustin, Sylvain Juneau, appuie
l’entente, mais est minoritaire sur son conseil dominé par l’administration
de l’ex-maire Marcel Corriveau.
Le maire Émile Loranger de L’Ancienne-Lorette s’est opposé à l’entente
quand Labeaume l’a proposée une première fois à l’automne 2015, avec
94 pour cent des citoyens de L’Ancienne-Lorette ayant répondu à un sondage municipal.
« Les coûts régionaux sont là et ils doivent les payer, alors je pense que
nous devrions régler cette dispute une fois pour toute et avancer, » dit
Shoiry. « Ça traine depuis trop longtemps. »
Labeaume a indiqué que l’entente de partage des coûts n’est pas ouverte à une renégociation.
« Le fait reste que la culture administrative de la ville est très différente
de ce que j’avais connu à Sillery, où il y avait ouverture, écoute, et considération, » dit Pierre Vagneux, un résident de Sillery qui était contre l’amalgame.
Il est maintenant président de la Coalition pour l’arrondissement historique de Sillery, un groupe citoyen qui travaille depuis 10 ans à éviter que
la ville change le zonage du district historique de Sillery pour en faire un
développement immobilier. « Il y a certainement des consultations publiques, mais aucun débat ou explication des choix qui sont faits. »
Photo credit: Arthur Aron
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
New vocations for old churches
By Peter Black
A
few oblong blocks of discreetly
placed granite adorn our property
in the Montcalm quartier of Québec City.
Indeed, here and there in yards around
the neighbourhood you’ll find chunks of
the same type of light grey speckled stone.
On the next street over, for example, someone has even built
a low, elegant garden wall along
the ruelle with pieces of identical
granite.
These occurrences are the
result of a stealthy salvage operation in 1999, when the wrecking
ball went to work on Église Notre-Dame-du-Chemin on Avenue des
Érables. When the demolition workers left at the end of the day, the
locals would show up with wheelbarrows and SUVs looking for hefty
stone souvenirs.
We remember how the crowd gathered to witness the dramatic destruction of the Roman-Gothic-styled church, barely 68 years old, built
when Québec was still in the full grip of expansionist Catholicism.
The condo project that rose atop the massive foundation of NotreDame-du-Chemin at least preserved and incorporated one of the
church’s beautiful stone archways. The new building is classy enough:
it won some kind of architectural award and seems like a very pleasant
place to live.
The conversion of this neighbourhood church is just one example
of a multitude of instances where the dwindling of religious
congregations in Québec has given rise to all manner of conversions of places of worship. In our neighbourhood alone there
are several intriguing cases. Let’s go for a walk.
We can start with a project still under construction, the
massive Lassonde pavilion expansion of the Musée national
des beaux-arts du Québec, on Grande Allée, which required
the demolition of the presbytery and convent attached to
Église St-Dominique. In a sense, the museum project has
preserved the long-term future of the church, in that it has
the right of first refusal if the parish ever decides to sell the
building.
Similarly, farther down Grande Allée, St. Patrick’s Church made
the painful decision in the late 1980s to part with its historic cathedral. Developers demolished it to build a seniors’ residence and
commercial building. In exchange, the parish got a new presbytery
and church built on the same property, as well as financial compensation that ensures the well-being of the parish for some time
to come.
Moving eastward, we come to the former Franciscan chapel
and monastery. The chapel, long abandoned and falling into
ruin, bit the dust in 2009 (and you just might find a few of its
red bricks in a certain backyard barbecue patio). From the
rubble rose the massive L’Étoile luxury condo complex. The
monastery, however, stands as an impressive example of
the architectural lengths one can go to in order to preserve
a historic structure. The contractor took the building apart
brick by brick, stone by stone, preserved the ornate domes,
and then rebuilt it with new materials that reintegrated the
original features.
Page 17
A couple of blocks away is what might be called a potential heritage
tragedy in the making. Saint-Coeur-de-Marie is described as a unique
and extraordinary example of neo-Byzantine architecture; its towering
stained-glass windows are breathtaking. This gem is currently home to
a dimly lit, dripping-damp flea market for used books, vinyl records and
bric-a-brac that seems to scream out for some modern redeemer to
storm in and cleanse the temple.
Saint-Coeur-de-Marie’s fate seems to be in limbo, though new
owners acquired the church a few years ago from a developer who
withdrew a hotel project in the face of the daunting cost of converting
such a massive, deteriorating structure. The city has reportedly made it
clear to the new owners that destruction of the church is not an option.
Let’s pick up the pace on our stations of the religious architecture
cross, so to speak. On Rue St-Stanislas, in the Old City, there’s the stunning new white-on-white interior renovation of the stately Wesley
Temple to create the Maison de la littérature.
The Methodist congregation erected the church in 1848 but moved
out in 1931 when the denomination merged with the Wesleyans to
form the United Church of Canada; the lovely Chalmers-Wesley United
Church on Rue Ste-Ursule became their combined home. The Institut
Canadien de Québec, the manager of the city’s library system, made
the former English church its headquarters (and once hosted a reading
by Mordecai Richler!).
Heading back westward on Rue St-Jean, we encounter a pioneering
example of church transformation, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church. In
the 1970s the city acquired the property with its historic cemetery. The
church became a municipal library, with many of the church features
integrated in the interior and the clock on the tower outside restored
and keeping time. In recent years, the cemetery underwent a complete
revamp that showcases the gravestones that tell all-but-lost stories
of a period of English ascendancy in the city.
Irony of ironies, St. Matthew’s recently hosted an exhibition
of concept models for conversion of the breathtaking but
now abandoned Église St. Jean-Baptiste, just up the street on
Rue St-Jean. Université Laval architecture students created
the maquettes as a class project.
Mayor Régis Labeaume says he’d like to see the church,
where mass was last celebrated in May 2015, converted into
an institute for traditional crafts.
We could hop around the city for other examples of architectural conversions: Le Nef in St-Roch, the Église St-Roch where
boutiques for local fashion designers take up part of the space,
the École de Cirque in the former Église Saint-Esprit, Théâtre
Périscope in the former synagogue, the Augustinian monastery in
the Old City – now a brand new luxury retreat – and the appropriately named L’Anglicane theatre space in the former Anglican
church across the river in Lévis. The list goes on.
There is one more such project that needs to be mentioned
because, as is the case with other congregations, it has given the
church a lifeline. St. Michael’s Anglican Church, on Chemin StLouis, just emerged victorious from a protracted political battle
to accept a developer’s proposal to build four housing units on
the back end of the property containing the irredeemably decrepit manse, and five condo units in the church hall. The actual
church building will be preserved for the current congregation.
As these examples attest, the silver lining of the modern
secular shift, though cold comfort to believers, is that many
of the architectural jewels of Québec’s religious heyday are
finding new vocations.
Page 18
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Les Primitifs take ‘survival of the
fittest’ back to nature
By Michael Bourguignon
what it was,” says Laberge, a 35-year-old Québec City resident and one of
about 20 participants in a recent survival course offered by Les Primitifs, a
ey, kids! Put down your cell phones group of outdoor enthusiasts who teach others how to survive in nature
and pay attention. You just might learn with less than the bare essentials.
something that could save your lives.
This course is taking place at Québec City’s Base de plein air de Ste-Foy,
“Kids today are so disconnected from it will last 24 hours, and it’s all about camouflage. Laberge is here because
nature,” says Philippe Laberge, and, as he has already taken the basic course and is ready to take his survival skills
an experienced outdoor educator, he to the next level.
would know.
These are skills he wishes everyone would learn, including children.
“I remember being outdoors Today, the only children in the group are those of Les Primitifs co-founder
once with a group of kids and Mathieu Hébert, and they won’t be sticking around much past their dad’s
one of the boys asked, ‘What’s introductory remarks to the group. This particular course might be too
that sound?’ It was the intense for them, suggests Hébert, whose opening words are as much a
sound of a river flow- warning as a welcome:
ing. He had no idea
“From 1 to 4 p.m., we will prepare with exercises,” he intones, sounding
as serious as a drill sergeant but
projecting a warmth that sugremember being outdoors
gests his main concern is the wellbeing of everyone around him.
“You will take part in two misonce with a group of kids
sions. We will break for supper. We
will then meet at another rendezand one of the boys asked
vous point and continue these
exercises until 9 p.m. Then we will
go into a hostile zone where there
hat s that sound
t was
will be illicit activities. Tonight we
could travel 10 kilometres, or we
the sound of a river flowing
could travel three.”
H
“I
,
‘W
’
?’ I
.”
Continued on page 20
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 19
Les Primitifs se retournent vers la survie
en nature avec moins que rien
Par Michael Bourguignon
« Je vis en forêt, » explique Laberge. « Si quelque chose arrive, je veux
savoir comment me débrouiller et m’occuper de moi-même. Je ne veux
pas être mal pris. »
Dom Paradis, 36 ans, commence à parler des prévisions météorologiques – une conversation essentielle dans les circonstances, puisque le
groupe passera la nuit dehors, dormant surtout dans des petits abris qu’ils
construiront eux-mêmes.
H
é, les enfants! Fermez vos cellulaires et écoutez. Vous allez peut-être
apprendre quelque chose qui pourrait vous sauver la vie.
« Les enfants d’aujourd’hui sont tellement déconnectés de la nature, »
dit Philippe Laberge, et en tant qu’éducateur d’enfants, il le saurait.
« Je me souviens avoir été en nature avec un groupe d’enfants et un des
gars m’a demandé, C’est quoi ce bruit? C’était l’écoulement d’une rivière.
Il n’en avait aucune idée, » dit Laberge, un résident de Québec de 35 ans
Suite à la page 21
et un des environ 20 participants au plus récent cours de survie
offert par Les Primitifs, un groupe d’enthousiastes de la nature qui
montrent aux autres comment survivre en nature avec moins que
rien.
Ce cours a lieu à la Base de plein air de Ste-Foy, sur 24 heures,
et couvre le sujet du camouflage. Laberge est ici parce qu’il a déjà
suivi le cours de base et est prêt à pousser ses habilités de survie
au prochain niveau.
Il voudrait que tout le monde, même les enfants, apprenne ces
habiletés. Aujourd’hui, les seuls enfants du groupe sont ceux du
cofondateur de Les Primitifs, Mathieu Hébert, et ils ne resteront
pas plus longtemps que le mot d’ouverture. Cette classe en particulier pourrait être trop intense pour eux, suggère Hébert, dont
les paroles du début sont un bienvenu sous caution :
« De 13h à 16h, on va se préparer avec des exercices, » il déclare,
sérieux comme un sergent, mais projetant une chaleur laissant
passer son souci pour ceux présents. « Vous allez prendre part à
deux missions … Nous allons arrêter pour souper … On se revoit
au prochain point de rendez-vous pour continuer les exercices
jusqu’à 21h … Ensuite nous allons dans une zone hostile où il y
aura des activités illicites … Ce soir nous pourrions faire 10 kilomètres, ou trois … »
Quand c’est le temps des questions,
peu de gens lèvent la main. Ce groupe
e me souviens avoir
a déjà fait ce trajet plus qu’une fois.
Même, la plupart ont déjà fait le cours
été en nature avec un
de camouflage l’été – et y ont évidemment survécu – et quelques-uns
s’entraînent pour devenir enseignants
groupe d enfants et un
eux-mêmes.
Hébert a lui-même commencé à
des gars m a demandé
apprendre à vivre en forêt étant jeune.
Il a décidé de commencer à transférer
ses connaissances aux autres après
est quoi ce bruit
27 semaines d’entraînement au Tom
Brown Jr.’s Tracker School aux Étatsétait l écoulement
Unis – un programme mythique pour
les survivalistes, même s’il est peu
connu en-dehors de ce monde.
d une rivière
« La clé, c’est de ne pas ressembler à
ce que vous êtes, » dit le cofondateur
de Les Primitifs, Simon Denis, à propos
du cours de camouflage. En effet, plusieurs participants semblent
sortis d’un film de Rambo; mais s’ils portent attention aux leçons,
Crédit photo : Michael Bourguignon
ils sembleront faire partie du décor – ou être carrément invisibles.
Nous sommes qu’a quelques minutes de la civilisation, alors à Simon Denis, cofondateur de Les Primitifs, se prépare à passer 24 heures
quoi tout ça sert? Ça dépend du participant.
en forêt avec moins que rien.
« J
’
’
C’
C’
,
?
’
’
. »
Page 20
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Les Primitifs take ‘survival of the fittest’
back to nature
Continued from page 18
the humidity, which makes you lose your heat faster.”
Paradis has made the 2 1/2-hour trip from Montréal to attend the
When it comes time for questions, few hands go up. The (mostly male) course, motivated by a passion for travelling light in nature. “For many
group has been down this path before,
years, I’ve enjoyed camping with the
more than once. In fact, most have done
least amount of equipment possible,” he
the summer camo course – and obvioussays. “I just really love it.”
ly survived it – and several are training to
Whatever the attraction, Hébert likens
become course leaders.
what he’s doing to building a bridge
Hébert himself started learning the
back to a time when the first humans
ways of the woods at a young age
learned and practised survival skills out
through wilderness camping. He evenof necessity.
tually decided to transfer his skills to
The proof that those skills have been
others, after 27 weeks of training at Tom
effective? We’re here.
Brown Jr.’s Tracker School in New Jersey,
“Our ancestors, going all the way back
a facility revered by survivalists, if not
to prehistory, had to deal with danger
well known by those outside the survivand find ways to survive every day, and I
alist universe.
think it’s important that we transmit this
“The key is not to look like what you
knowledge to our kids,” he says.
are,” Les Primitifs co-founder Simon Denis
To Hébert, that knowledge is “almost
says of the camo course. Indeed, many
sacred,” constituting what he calls active
of the participants look as if they’ve just
meditation and a reconnection with nawalked off the set of a Rambo revival
ture. It’s also practical, in that it teaches
movie; but if they learn their lessons well,
participants not only about themselves,
they’ll soon all appear to be merely part
as co-founder Denis points out, but
of the scenery – if they can be seen at all.
about caring for others.
Civilization is just a short drive away.
“If someone gets hurt or gets into
So what’s the point? It depends on the
trouble, we stop and help,” he says. “This
participant.
isn’t paintball, where someone gets hit
“I live in the woods,” explains Laberge.
and they’re out of the game.”
“So if anything ever happens, I want to
Those who share the desire to reconknow how to be resourceful and take
nect with nature, at least in the way
care of myself. I don’t want to be stuck.”
Les Primitifs approach it, come from all
Dom Paradis, 36, starts talking about
walks of life, according to Denis.
the weather forecast – essential conver“We have doctors who take courses
Photo credit: courtesy of Les Primitifs with us because they want their kids
sation under the circumstances, since
the group will be spending the night Mathieu Hébert and his team of trainers teach outdoor to discover nature. We have a couple
outdoors, mostly sleeping in makeshift survival classes to adults, children and families.
of architects here today, and I’m a civil
shelters they will build themselves.
servant,” he says.
“That’s proof right there that we really do attract all kinds.”
Paradis is hoping for colder conditions tonight.
“When it’s minus-10, it’s more comfortable than when it’s zero degrees, because it’s when the temperature goes up to zero that you get
St. Patrick’s Church
To learn more or to get in touch with Les Primitifs, your best bet is to track
them down on Facebook. You’re unlikely to find them if they’re in the woods.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Worshiping together in Vieux Québec since 1759
1145 de Salaberry
Québec, QC G1R 2V7
418 524-3544 | Rectory phone
418 524-3541 | Rectory fax
[email protected]
www.stpatricksquebec.com
Mass Schedule
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
and Friday at 11:30am
Saturday at 4:00pm
Sunday at 10:00am
No mass on Thursday
Find us at the corner of Rue Cook and Rue Ste-Anne
Minister:
Organist:
The Rev. Katherine Burgess
David Stafford
Sunday worship at 11:00 a.m.
Bilingual Sunday School every week
Email:
[email protected]
Telephone: 418-694-1347
Website:
www.standrewsquebec.ca
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 21
Les Primitifs se retournent vers la survie
en nature avec moins que rien
Suite de la page 19
Paradis espère des conditions plus froides.
« Quand il fait -10, c’est plus confortable que zéro, parce que quand
la température augmente à zéro l’humidité fait perdre la chaleur plus
rapidement. »
Paradis est venu de Montréal pour suivre ce cours de 24 heures, simplement par passion.
« Ça fait plusieurs années que j’aime faire du camping avec un minimum d’équipement, » il dit. « J’adore ça, c’est tout. »
Peu importe ce qui attire les participants, Hébert compare ce qu’il
fait à faire le pont avec nos ancêtres qui vivaient ainsi et pratiquaient
ces talents de survie par nécessité. La preuve que leurs talents ont été
utiles? Nous sommes là.
« Nos ancêtres, depuis la préhistoire, devaient affronter les dangers
et trouver le moyen de survivre tous les jours, et je pense que c’est
important de transmettre cette connaissance à nos enfants, » il dit.
Pour Hébert, cette connaissance est « presque sacrée », et constitue
ce qu’il appelle une méditation active et une reconnexion à la nature;
mais c’est aussi pratique parce que les participants en apprennent à
propos d’eux-mêmes, comme le dit le cofondateur Denis, mais aussi à
prendre soin des autres.
« Si quelqu’un se blesse ou se trouve dans une situation difficile, on
arrête pour l’aider, » il dit. « Ce n’est pas du paintball, où quelqu’un se
fait toucher et il est sorti de la partie. »
Ceux qui partagent son désir de reconnecter avec la nature, au
moins comme Les Primitifs l’approchent, viennent de toutes les sphères sociales, selon le cofondateur Denis.
« Nous avons des médecins qui suivent nos cours parce qu’ils veulent
que leurs enfants découvrent la nature. Nous avons un couple d’architectes aujourd’hui, et je suis fonctionnaire, » il dit. « C’est la preuve
qu’on attire vraiment de tout le monde. »
Pour en savoir plus sur Les Primitifs, vous pouvez les retrouver sur Facebook. Vous ne les trouverez pas s’ils se cachent en forêt.
Page 22
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Festival d’été de québec: the machine
behind the magic
W
Photo credit: FEQ/ Renaud Philippe
ith headliners like the Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Wu-Tang Clan,
it’s hard to imagine there
was a time when the Festival
d’été de Québec (FEQ) didn’t
draw the big crowds that now
fill the Plains of Abraham each
summer. Daniel Gélinas, the
festival’s general manager, is
often credited with making FEQ
the internationally recognized
– and extremely lucrative – concert event it is today.
“I started to work in economic development, and I just
stepped into culture on the
side,” Gélinas says of the journey
that led him to the FEQ. He first
gained recognition as CEO of
the Corporation de d���������
�������
veloppement économique de la région
de Maskinongé. Then he took
over the reins of the Orchestre
AC/DC Rock or Bust Tour
symphonique de Trois-Rivières,
where he worked for nearly 10 years.
From there, Gélinas got involved in managing more arts festivals in
both Trois-Rivières and Québec City before becoming the FEQ’s general
manager in 2002. While getting involved in cultural events was never one
of his life goals, Gélinas says his personality lends itself well to the role
of general manager because he is able to manage and organize different
components of the event while thinking about their content at the same
time.
Rue Leclerc
“I have that kind of feeling to know what makes the audience happy,”
he says.
Since taking on the role, Gélinas has helped the festival increase its
staff, its audiences, and
ultimately its revenue,
bringing in dollars that
contribute to Québec’s
economy as they get
invested into bigger and
better shows.
“I saw some things
that were wrong in management and in content
and I put my personality
into that,” says Gélinas.
One of the first things
he decided to do was
invest more money into
the content of the FEQ
and turn it into an international music event.
“I applied to have
subsidies from the government and did some
advertising on the radio,
and after that we just [kept] growing,” he says. “After 10 years, the goal was
achieved.”
Gélinas says approximately 55 employees work at the FEQ year round,
while during the summer, the staff swells to 500 people. The budget went
from $6 million in his first year to $25.4 million last year.
“It never stops, and the process is not [set in stone],” he says of the work
that goes into organizing the festival. He says his role as general manager
has also evolved in the years since he took on the position. The FEQ has
divided responsibilities and put directors
in charge of every important component
that goes into creating an international
music festival, including its management,
administration, communications, programming, human resources and sponsorship.
Gélinas compares his current role to that
of an orchestra director who facilitates the
work of each department and helps the
directors achieve their goals.
One of the FEQ’s main objectives is to
create an event that continues to attract
hundreds of thousands of people to the
festival each summer. According to G����
��
linas, some 320,000 people attend the FEQ
each year, translating to about two people
per wristband sold. There were more than
1,400,000 entries to the 300 shows at 10
different festival sites in 2015. Sixty-four
per cent of festivalgoers came from the
Photo credit: FEQ/ Renaud Philippe
By Andrew Greenfield
Continued on page 24
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Festival d’été de québec : la machine
derrière la magie
Page 23
Par Andrew Greenfield
Crédit photo : FEQ/ Philippe Ruel
A
ttirant des têtes d’affiche comme les Rolling
Stones, Lady Gaga et Wu-Tang Clan, c’est difficile d’imaginer que le Festival d’été de Québec
(FEQ) n’a pas toujours attiré les grandes foules
aux Plaines d’Abraham chaque été. On reconnaît
souvent que c’est grâce à Daniel Gélinas, directeur général du festival, si le FEQ a aujourd’hui sa
renommée et ses profits incroyables.
« J’ai commencé à travailler dans le développement économique, et j’ai commencé à faire
du culturel sur le bord, » dit Gélinas à propos
du chemin qui l’a amené au FEQ. Sa renommée
a commencé en tant que directeur de la Corporation de développement économique de la
région de Maskinongé. Il a ensuite pris les rênes
de l’Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières
pendant près de 10 ans.
De là, Gélinas s’est impliqué dans plus de festivals d’art à Trois-Rivières et à Québec avant de
devenir directeur général du FEQ en 2002. L’implication dans les événements culturels n’a peutêtre jamais été son but, mais Gélinas dit que sa
personnalité se prête bien au rôle de directeur
général parce qu’il est capable de gérer
et organiser les nombreuses composantes de l’événement tout en gardant leur
contenu en tête.
« J’avais l’instinct pour ce qui plaît au
public, » dit-il.
Depuis avoir pris le rôle, Gélinas a
fait croître le personnel du FEQ, son
public, et ses revenus, rapportant
des dollars qui contribuent à l’économie de Québec à mesure que le
FEQ s’investit dans des plus grands
spectacles.
« J’ai vu des choses qui allaient
mal dans la gestion et le contenu
du FEQ et j’ai mis de moi-même
là-dedans, » dit Gélinas. Une
des premières choses qu’il a
décidé de faire était d’investir
plus d’argent dans le contenu
du FEQ et d’en faire un événement musical mondial.
« Je suis allé chercher
des subventions du gouvernement pour faire de
la publicité à la radio, et
après ça la croissance a
continué, » il dit. « 10 ans
plus tard, nous étions au
but. »
Keith Urban
Suite à la page 25
Page 24
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Festival d’été de québec: the machine
behind the magic
province of Québec, while 10 per cent came from other parts of Canada and another 10
per cent came from the United States. The remaining 16 per cent come from outside North
America. Just over half of 2015 attendees— 54 per cent— were from the Québec City region.
The festival has three main sources of income, Gélinas explains. Approximately 67 per cent
comes from tickets, beer sales and other sales that take place during the festival. About 19
per cent comes from sponsorship, which is largely from companies within the province. The
remaining 14 per cent of revenue comes from public funding. The FEQ also bought Québec
concert venues L’Impérial Bell and Le Petit Impérial last year and uses them throughout the
year as concert venues for the Nuits FEQ concert series.
A 2010 FEQ survey found that the festival gave back around $7 million to the provincial
and federal governments. This came from taxes paid by festivalgoers who flowed into local
bars, restaurants and hotels. Gélinas estimates that today the tax revenue flowing into the
government’s coffers as a result of the FEQ is closer to $10 million.
Gélinas says the FEQ will soon go public with a new 10-year vision. He acknowledges that
the festival is probably almost “at maximum” when it comes to music and big names, but that
it can still get “bigger.”
“How can we give our festivalgoers and visitors from all over North America and Europe
a second experience, outside of the music?” he asks. Besides noting that the FEQ has conducted focus groups with employees and festivalgoers, Gélinas does not reveal any more
details.
A big project for the FEQ in 2017 will be the Tall Ships Regatta between Europe and
Québec. Gélinas says the challenge of organizing this major event is similar
to that of Québec City’s 400th anniversary celebration in 2008, which he
also managed.
“That was a great success for Québec, and that was probably the biggest
challenge for me in my life – to step into the crisis and the very dark atmosphere where all the media put down this celebration.” He says support from
the community helped to create a successful event for the entire city.
“It’s a very proud achievement for me and all of Québec because that was
the realization of all the people of Québec.”
What’s next for the festival and those who make it happen? We’ll just
have to wait and see. The next edition of the FEQ runs from July 7-17, 2016.
The Rolling Stones
Photo credit: FEQ/ Philippe Ruel
Photo: courtesy FEQ
Continued from page 22
Daniel Gélinas, Festival d’été general manager
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Festival d’été de québec : la machine
Page 25
derrière la magie
Suite de la page 23
Gélinas explique qu’environ 55 employés travaillent à l’année au FEQ,
tandis que pendant l’été le personnel atteint 500 personnes. Le budget
est passé de 6 millions $ sa première année à 25.4 millions $ l’an passé.
« Ça n’arrête jamais, et le processus n’est pas coulé dans le béton, » il
dit du travail nécessaire pour organiser le festival. Son rôle a aussi évolué depuis qu’il a pris le poste. Le FEQ
a divisé les responsabilités et nommé
des directeurs à chaque poste critique
pour la création d’un festival de musique international, comme la gestion,
les communications, la programmation, les ressources humaines et les
commandites.
Gélinas compare son rôle à celui d’un
chef d’orchestre qui facilite la tâche de
chaque département et aide les directeurs à atteindre leurs objectifs.
Un des objectifs principaux est de
créer un événement qui continue
d’attirer les centaines de milliers de
personnes au festival chaque été. Selon
Gélinas, quelque 320 000 personnes
fréquentent le FEQ chaque année, soit
environ deux personnes pour chaque
bracelet vendu. Il y a eu plus de 1.4 million d’entrées aux 300 spectacles sur 10
sites différents en 2015. Soixante-quatre pour cent des festivaliers venaient
du Québec, tandis que 10 pour cent
venaient d’ailleurs au Canada et un
The Rolling Stones
autre 10 pour cent venaient des ÉtatsCrédit photo : FEQ/ Philippe Ruel
Unis. L’autre 16 pour cent venaient de
l’extérieur de l’Amérique du Nord. Un peu plus de la moitié des festivaliers
– 54 pour cent – venaient de la région de Québec.
Le festival a trois sources principales de revenus, Gélinas explique.
Environ 67 pour cent des recettes proviennent des ventes de bracelets,
de bière, et d’autres ventes pendant le festival. Environ 19 pour cent viennent des commandites, surtout de compagnies québécoises. Le 14 pour
cent des revenus qui restent proviennent de financement public. Le FEQ
This spring (April 14-17)…. Norm Foster’s
Opening Night
www.quebecartcompany.com
a aussi acheté deux salles de spectacles, L’Impérial Bell et Le Petit Impérial, l’année passée et les utilise tout au long de l’année pour la série de
concerts Nuits FEQ.
Selon une étude de 2010, le FEQ redonne environ 7 millions $ aux gouvernements provinciaux et fédéraux. Ces retombées viennent des taxes
payées par les festivaliers qui fréquentent les bars, restaurants et hôtels du
coin. Gélinas estime qu’aujourd’hui, les retombées du FEQ s’approchent
plutôt de 10 millions $.
Gélinas dit que le FEQ va bientôt
dévoiler sa nouvelle vision étalée sur
10 ans. Il reconnaît que le festival est
probablement presque « à son maximum » de son potentiel de musique et
de grands noms, mais qu’il peut toujours devenir « plus gros ».
« Comment pouvons-nous donner à
nos festivaliers et visiteurs de partout
en Amérique du Nord et en Europe une
deuxième expérience, hors de la musique? » il demande. À part noter que le
FEQ a établi des groupes d’étude joignant employés et festivaliers, Gélinas
n’offre pas plus de détails.
Un grand projet pour le FEQ en 2017
sera la Course des Grands Voiliers entre
l’Europe et Québec. Gélinas dit que le
défi d’organiser cet événement majeur
ressemble à celui du 400e de Québec
en 2008, qu’il avait aussi dirigé.
« Ça a été un grand succès pour
Québec, et c’était probablement le
plus gros défi de ma vie – prendre le
contrôle de l’organisation en crise avec
une atmosphère très sombre et avec
les médias qui se moquaient de notre célébration. » Il dit que l’appui de la
communauté a aidé à en faire un succès pour la ville entière.
« C’est un accomplissement dont je suis très fier, et dont Québec est
fière, parce que c’était l’accomplissement de tous les gens de Québec. »
Qu’est-ce qui s’en vient pour le festival et ceux derrière? Nous devrons
attendre pour voir. La prochaine édition du FEQ se déroule du 7 au 17
juillet 2016.
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Page 27
Page 28
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Gabrielle Shonk in studio at last
By Catherine Musgrove
A
fter two years of dedication and hard work, Québec City-based singersongwriter and jazz vocalist Gabrielle Shonk is set to launch her first
CD this spring.
Born in Rhode Island but raised in Québec City, Shonk, 27, has become
a favourite in the local music scene and says the debut recording is a
highlight of her burgeoning career.
“I think the most memorable event in my career so far has been the
making of this album. It has been a real blast,” says Shonk. “Everyone was
all very connected on the project. It has been something special.”
The new self-titled CD is a reflection not only of Shonk’s talent as a
Continued on page 30
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Gabrielle Shonk enfin en studio
Par Catherine Musgrove
Page 29
calme et pure. Ça représente notre culture, » elle dit.
Même si son album n’est pas encore en magasin,
près deux ans de travail acharné, l’auteurShonk prépare déjà son prochain album. « Mais ça
compositeur-interprète et chanteuse jazz
ne me prendra pas deux ans la prochaine fois, »
Gabrielle Shonk lancera son premier album
elle dit en riant. « J’aimerais aussi jouer plus
cet automne.
de guitare sur le prochain. »
Née au Rhode Island mais élevée à
Parmi ses plans pour une carrière interQuébec, Shonk, 27 ans, a gagné une
nationale, Shonk a participé à l’édition
reconnaissance sur la scène musicale
2014 de La Voix, où elle a été capable
locale et dit que le lancement est le
d’attirer l’attention des quatre juges
point fort de sa carrière à ce jour.
lors des auditions aveugles. Elle a
« Je pense que le moment
choisi l’artiste québécois
le plus mémorable de ma
Louis-Jean Cormier comme
l y a eu une montée incroyable coach. Son approche sensible
carrière jusqu’à présent a été
la création de cet album. Ça
à la musique, sa voix unique et
a été incroyable, » dit Shonk.
sa performance sincère lui ont
de talent local dans les six
« Tout le monde était tellement
gagné plusieurs admirateurs
connecté au projet. C’était
parmi les 2.7 millions de télésdernières années
adore et
quelque chose de spécial. »
pectateurs. Le vent dans les
Son nouvel album éponyme
voiles suite à cette expérience,
reflète non seulement le talent j apprécie ce qui sort de
elle s’est lancée dans la prouébec
vocal de Shonk, mais aussi sa
duction de son album.
capacité de chanter tant en
« J’ai adoré être à La Voix.
anglais qu’en français. L’album a 11
Sur une note personnelle, c’était cool
chansons originales écrites ou coécomme défi. Ça m’a sortie de ma zone
crites par Shonk; sept sont en anglais,
de confort, » dit Shonk. « J’ai pu faire
quatre en français.
la tournée de petites villes, et les gens
Ses racines musicales sont dans le
sortaient pour venir me voir. Ça m’a
folk et le pop, mais les harmonies mélopermis de performer devant des gens qui
dieuses des chansons de l’album révèlent
m’écoutaient vraiment. La Voix m’a permis
une influence du soul. Shonk décrit l’album
de me prouver et de montrer que je pouvais
comme introspectif. « C’est comme une fenêtre
faire de quoi de plus gros. »
vers mes influences jusqu’à présent, » elle dit.
« Mes parents, qui m’ont toujours encouragée, ont eu
Suite à la page 31
une influence importante sur moi en tant qu’artiste. Ils écoutaient
toujours le folk, le soul, le Motown, et j’écoutais tout ça aussi, » dit Shonk.
« Le blues a eu une influence importante à mon style. »
Son premier souvenir de performance est d’avoir chanté avec son
père. « Je me souviens de chanter Le lion est mort ce soir et Let’s Twist
Again! »
Shonk a commencé des cours de musique très jeune, et a éventuellement choisi la guitare acoustique. En quatrième année elle a ajouté
des cours de chant à ses leçons. Elle a commencé à écrire ses propres
chansons à 14 ans. Un an plus tard, elle commence à chanter devant le
public, son acte solo faisant le premier acte pour des groupes de punk
rock et d’autres artistes régionaux.
« J’adorais la guitare et la musique au secondaire. Nous avions un
excellent enseignant qui nous permettait d’explorer différents genres
et styles, » dit Shonk. Parmi les premiers favoris de Shonk, on comptait
Metallica, les Beatles, James Taylor et Norah Jones.
Après le secondaire, elle a continué ses études en musique au Campus
Notre-Dame-de-Foy, un CÉGEP privé près de Québec, et ensuite à l’Université Laval où elle a obtenu un diplôme de bachelière en musique et
vocalisations jazz.
Aujourd’hui Shonk apprécie la montée de popularité des musiciens
locaux à Québec.
« Il y a eu une montée incroyable de talent local dans les six dernières années. J’adore et j’apprécie ce qui sort de Québec. La musique est
A
« I
. J’
’
Q
. »
Page 30
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Gabrielle Shonk in studio at last
Continued from page 28
loving and enjoying what is coming out of Québec. The music is calm and
pure. It represents our culture,” she says.
vocalist, but of her ability to sing flawlessly in both English and French.
Even though her debut hasn’t yet hit the shelves, Shonk is already
The CD has 11 original songs written or co-written by
making plans for another album. “But it won’t take me two
Shonk: seven are in English, four in French.
years next time,” she laughs. “I would also like to play
Though her roots are grounded in folk and
more guitar on the next one.”
pop, the harmonious and melodic songs on
As part of her plans for an international caher album reveal a soul influence. Shonk
reer, Shonk entered the 2014 edition of the TV
describes the CD as introspective. “It is like
talent contest La Voix, where she succeeded
a window into all of my influences until
in turning all four chairs at the blind audinow,” she says.
tions, choosing Québec artist Louis-Jean
“My parents have always been great
Cormier as her coach. Her sensitive
supporters and have had a great influapproach to music, unique voice and
ence on me as an artist. They were alheartfelt performance won her many
ways listening to folk, soul, Motown,
new fans among the show’s 2.7 miland I listened to it all,” says Shonk.
lion viewers. With the momentum
feel like my nglish roots gained from this experience, she
“Blues music was a huge influence
on my style.”
launched into the production of her
Her earliest memory of peralbum.
had a big influence on my
forming was singing with her dad.
“I loved doing La Voix. On a per“I especially remember singing ‘The
sonal level it was a cool challenge.
music t is my first language
Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and ‘Let’s Twist
It got me out of my comfort zone,”
Again!’”
says Shonk. “I was able to tour small
Shonk began music lessons at a
towns, and people came out to see
it is my beginnings
young age and eventually turned to
me. It allowed me to perform in
acoustic guitar. In Grade 4 she added
front of people who were actually
voice lessons to her training. She
listening to me. La Voix allowed me to
started writing songs when she was
prove to myself that I could do some14. A year later, she began performing
thing bigger.”
live, opening as a solo act for punk-rock
Though she got a major boost in the
bands and other regional artists.
French-language music market from her
“I loved taking guitar and music in high
success on La Voix, Shonk hasn’t forgotschool. We had a great teacher who allowed
ten her English-speaking beginnings. The
us to explore different genres and styles,” says
daughter of a francophone graphic designer
Shonk. Some of Shonk’s early favourites were Meand an American-born blues musician, Shonk
tallica, the Beatles, James Taylor and Norah Jones.
spent her early years in Rhode Island and didn’t speak
After high school, she pursued music studies at Campus
French until she was five.
Notre-Dame-de-Foy, a private CEGEP near Québec City, and Univer“I feel like my English roots had a big influence on my music. It is
sité Laval, where she graduated with a bachelor of music degree in jazz my first language, it is my beginnings.” She now hopes to go on tour to
vocals.
promote her first album and perform for new audiences, whatever their
Today Shonk is enjoying the rise in popularity of Québec City’s local language.
musicians.
She advises other young artists to “just get out there and do it.”
“The last six years have seen a tremendous rise in local talent. I am
“Don’t wait to follow your passion,” she says.
“I
E
.I
;
.”
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Gabrielle Shonk enfin en studio
Suite de la page 29
Même si le marché francophone la propulse depuis son succès à La
Voix, Shonk n’a pas oublié ses débuts anglophones. La fille d’une graphiste francophone et un musicien du blues états-unien, Shonk a passé
ses premières années au Rhode Island et n’a pas appris le français avant
l’âge de cinq ans.
Page 31
« Je sens que mes racines anglophones ont une grosse influence sur
ma musique. C’était ma première langue, c’est mes débuts. » Elle espère
maintenant partir en tournée pour faire la promotion de son album
devant de nouvelles foules, peu importe leur langue.
Elle conseille aux autres jeunes artistes : « sortez et faites-le. »
« N’attendez pas pour poursuivre vos passions, » elle dit.
Page 32
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
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Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Take a stroll through Québec
City’s secret botanical garden
By Larry Hodgson
Q
uébec City tourists rarely stray
far from the Old City. With
its centuries-old buildings and
picturesque charm, it can keep
visitors busy for days. Why would
they even think of wandering
out into the city’s rather bland
suburbs?
Well, if you love gardens and plants, you might want to consider a visit
to the Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens, only about a 15-minute
drive from Old Québec, in the Ste-Foy neighbourhood. Or take
the 800 or 801 bus from Place d’Youville; you’ll be there in 30
minutes.
This is Québec City’s most complete floral park, with more
than 4,000 species and cultivars on view. It’s fairly small as botanical gardens go, only about six hectares (15 acres), but that
still allows room for lots of variety. In spite of all its attractions,
the garden remains little known, even to locals.
Page 33
bird watchers!) and of course, you wouldn’t want to miss the very earliest
spring blooms in the bulb garden that start in March and peak in April.
Admission is free, but visitors are encouraged to make a donation to
help support the garden. Parking is free on weekends. On weekdays, when
you do have to pay, penny-wise visitors can park across the street at the
Place Ste-Foy shopping centre. Just grab a lunch there to justify your stay
and bring it to the gardens: picnicking is allowed and even encouraged!
Come for a stroll or come to discover: it’s a garden you’ll adore.
The Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens are located at 2460 Hochelaga, Québec (Québec) G1K 7P4. For more information, call (418) 656-2046 or
visit www.jardin.ulaval.ca.
Plants for all tastes
A water garden greets you as you arrive, and to the right
you’ll find a huge trial garden of new annuals, at its most
spectacular from June through September. If you walk straight
ahead, though, you’ll discover the heart of the garden: the
herbacetum, dedicated to herbaceous plants (perennials and
annuals).
Farther back is the rose garden, and then the pergola with
its collection of climbing plants and a colourful collection of
rhododendrons and azaleas. Theoretically, the latter can’t survive Québec’s frigid winters, but nobody told them that; well
protected from north winds by surrounding vegetation, they
have grown to massive sizes. There is also a large arboretum
with a peony and daylily garden in its centre, a vegetable garden, a compost demonstration site and much more. In other
words, something to please all horticultural tastes.
A Teaching Garden
This intriguing garden was designed as a teaching garden
for Université Laval’s horticultural students by professor Roger
Van den Hende, who founded the garden in 1966 just off the
main campus. The oldest part of the garden is the herbacetum. It’s a systematic garden, something rarely seen in North
America, where plants are grouped by botanical family rather
than use. It makes for unusual combinations, such as petunias
growing next to tomatoes (both are in the Solanaceae family),
cabbages next to sweet alyssum (both are crucifers) and clematis next to their relatives, the buttercups. Bring a camera and
take plenty of pictures; you’re bound to learn a lot of things
you never knew as you wander along row after row of plots
where all the plants are clearly labelled.
The Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens (called Van den
Hende Gardens for short) is officially open from May through
October from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Unofficially, it’s open all winter
too (numerous bird feeders attract lots of avian traffic . . . and
The water garden near
the entrance introduces a
microcosm of plant and
animal life to the garden.
Photo courtesy Roger Van den
Hende Botanical Gardens.
Page 34
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Empress of Ireland: The forgotten loss
By Mark Lindenberg
Nor did Lorie and her classmates learn about the largest maritime disaster
in Canadian history in school.
In 1964, Lorie Pierce’s grandmother pointed out an article in a weekend
newspaper supplement commemorating the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland. Lorie was 13 at the time, the same age her
grandmother had been at the time of the sinking.
“I carry this knowledge as a personal loss,” she says. “I quietly despaired
that no one would understand the impact the sinking had on so many
families.”
In 1992, 78 years after the Empress sank to the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, Lorie Pierce, who was living in Vancouver at the time, met
Lorraine Rouleau, who grew up in Sainte-Angèle-de-Mérici, 45 kilometres
C
an you imagine, in today’s climate of 24-hour news and information,
not knowing about the largest maritime disaster in Canada’s history?
For decades, relatively few Canadians have known of the sinking of the
Empress of Ireland.
Rammed by the Norwegian-built collier Storstad on the night of May
29, 1914, in heavy fog on the St. Lawrence River, the Empress of Ireland
suffered irreparable damage. Captain Henry George Kendall attempted to
save as many of those aboard as possible. Still, 1,012 crew and passengers
perished when the ship went down.
Bound for Liverpool from the Port de Québec, the ship took only 14
minutes to sink in 130
feet of water off Point-auquietly despaired that no one
Père near Rimouski. The
town’s French-speaking
inhabitants provided aid
would understand the impact the
and comfort to survivors.
Some of those who died
sinking had on so many families
that night included Laurence Irving, an English
author and playwright, Sir Henry Seton-Karr,
a British MP, and James and Ellen Faulkner,
a married couple with 10 children, originally from Wolverhampton. One of the couple’s
great-great-granddaughters, Lorie Pierce,
now lives in Québec City.
Pierce’s grandmother became her link to
the past. Nell Pierce, a widow, lived with Lorie
Pierce’s parents for 41 years, sharing an adjoining bedroom with, and helping to raise,
her granddaughter. Lorie was the only girl in a
family of boys, which strengthened her bond
with Nell.
“She would not talk much about her early Men on deck of the Empress of Ireland off the coast of Vancouver.
life,’” Lorie Pierce recalls. Two years after losing
her grandparents aboard the ocean-going Empress, Nell lost her father from Rimouski, the town nearest the disaster site.
when he and six of the men of the family left their new home in London,
Rouleau doesn’t remember how old she was when she learned of the
Ontario, to fight in the First World War. She was 15 at the time.
vessel’s fate. “I had not started school yet. I saw the name Empress of Ire“She carried these memories silently, and with a heavy heart. As a child land on a plaque. I asked my mother what it meant,” Rouleau says. “She
I did not know the extent of her sadness,” her granddaughter says. The
family tragedies were “topics of conversation the adults did not address.”
Continued on page 36
‘I
.’
1847
Une histoire chorale
S AT U R D AY M A R C H 1 2 , 2 0 1 6 , 8 P M A N D S U N D AY M A R C H 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 , 2 P M
AT PA L A I S M O N T C A L M / B I L I N G U A L C O N C E R T ( E N G L I S H A N D F R E N C H )
T I C K E T S O N S A L E AT T H E B I L L E T T E R I E D U PA L A I S M O N T C A L M
4 1 8 - 6 4 1 - 6 0 4 0 / 1 - 8 7 7 - 6 4 1 - 6 0 4 0 / PAL A ISMO NTCAL M.CA / B I L L E T E C H . C O M
LESPRODUCTIONSCIBLES.COM
IRELAND IS A COUNTRY OF FAMINE.
QUEBEC IS THE HOPE OF A BETTER LIFE.
GROSSE-ÎLE IS THE DOOR.
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Empress of Ireland :
La perte inconnue
Page 35
Par Mark Lindenberg
P
ouvez-vous imaginer, dans notre monde des nouvelles instantanées, ne pas être au courant du pire désastre maritime de l’histoire
canadienne? Pendant des décennies, relativement peu de Canadiens connaissaient l’histoire du naufrage de l’Empress of
Ireland.
Percutée par le Storstad, un navire à vapeur norvégien, l’Empress of Ireland a disparu dans une épaisse
brume nocturne du Saint-Laurent, emportant avec
elle 1 012 passagers et membres de son équipage.
Le capitaine George Kendall a beau tenter de
sauver le plus d’âmes à bord que possible. Quand même, 1 012 vies
sont perdues.
Le vaisseau, parti du Port
de Québec en direction de
Liverpool, n’a pris que 14
minutes pour couler dans
130 pieds d’eau à la hauteur
de Point-au-Père, près de
Suite à la page 37
Photo : gracieuseté de Lorie Pierce
Gauche à droite : George Page,
Florence (nee Faulkner) Page,
Thomas Page, Nell Pierce
Page 36
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Empress of Ireland: The forgotten loss
Continued from page 34
identified and sent home for burial,” Pierce
says. Rimouski’s strong collective memory
told me that a ship was down there, and
of the event means that Pierce’s great-greatthat people drowned.” Her parents were
grandparents, and others still entombed in
teenagers at the time of the disaster.
the Empress’ final resting place, will not be
“The church and the people of the town
forgotten.
took in survivors, giving them food, clothThe Musée de la Mer, originally founded
ing and whatever else they could. After my
in 1980 near Rimouski, is now the Pointemother died . . . we did not talk about it.”
au-Père Maritime Historic Site, where the
But the community did not forget. The
sunken vessel’s story is still told and its artitragedy is memorialized in songs such as
facts preserved. With the 100th anniversary
Cyrice Dufour’s La Catastrophe de l’Empress
of the sinking in May 2014, knowledge of its
of Ireland and A.S. de Pierreville and Philas
personal effect on people like Lorie Pierce
Champagne’s evocative and terrifying Le
is becoming more widely known. Between
naufrage de l’Empress of Ireland, neither of
May 2014 and April 2015, 265,000 visitors
which recoil from the horror of that night,
attended the Empress of Ireland memorial
and both of which hint at the Catholic faith
exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Histhat may have helped rescuers deal with the
tory in Gatineau.
extent of the tragedy: there were only 465
But the Empress’ memory is not without
survivors.
controversy: money paid by the Canadian
Pierce feels that her and Rousseau’s muMuseum of History to diver and private
tual connection to this relatively unknown
collector Philippe Beaudry for hundreds
national catastrophe strengthened their
of artifacts from the ship prompted sevfriendship beyond the everyday. Rousseau
eral museum staff members to raise ethical
not only knew about the event but was part
questions in a 2012 letter to the institution’s
Photo credit: Mark Lindenberg executive committee, three months before
of a community that had participated in the
The Empress of Ireland monument, erected in the collection was bought. Among the
rescue efforts.
Those rescue efforts “made it possible for Mount Hermon Cemetery in Québec City by the issues: would paying money for archeomy great-great-grandmother’s body to be Canadian Pacific Railway Company
logical objects motivate plundering for
profit?
Some worried that the
answer was yes. Others
did not want to chance
Sailors taking children’s bodies in coffins from the
losing an important part
Lady Grey at the port of Québec following the
of Canada’s heritage.
sinking of the Empress of Ireland in May 1914.
According to a January 2016 article in Le
Journal de Montréal, the
legal stance was that
Beaudry’s years-long recovery effort was undertaken at a time when the
wreck was not protected
by Canadian or Québec
law.
“When I first learned
that divers were visiting
the wreckage, I had a
very negative reaction.
This was, after all, my
ancestors’ burial site,”
says Lorie Pierce. “In the
past 10 years, I have been
involved closely with
museum education. I
am thankful that these
artifacts have been retrieved.”
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Empress of Ireland : La perte inconnue
Suite de la page 35
Page 37
l’évocatrice et terrifiante Le naufrage de l’Empress of Ireland, deux chansons qui ne se cachent pas de l’horreur de cette nuit, et qui font allusion
Rimouski. Les habitants francophones ont offert de l’aide et du confort au catholicisme qui aurait peut-être aidé les sauveteurs à se faire un sens
aux rescapés. Parmi les morts de cette nuit, on compte Laurence Irving, de la tragédie de la nuit – il n’y a eu que 465 survivants.
auteur et scénariste anglais, ainsi que James et Ellen Faulkner, originaLorie croit que leur connexion mutuelle à cette catastrophe nationale
lement de Wolverhampton, un couple marié ayant 10 enfants – arrière- méconnue a donné à leur amitié une qualité hors de l’ordinaire. En plus
arrière-grands-parents paternels de Lorie Pierce, résidente de Québec.
de connaître l’existence de l’événement, Lorraine faisait partie de la
Sa grand-mère est devenue le lien de Lorie
communauté qui avait participé aux efforts de
avec le passé. Nell Pierce, nouvellement veuve, a
sauvetage.
avais perdu
vécu avec la famille Pierce pendant 41 ans, dorCes efforts « ont rendu possible l’identificamant dans la chambre à côté de sa petite fille et
tion du corps de mon arrière-arrière-grandespoir que
contribuant à son éducation. Lorie était la seule
mère et qu’il soit retourné chez elle pour y être
fille dans une famille de garçons, alors elle avait
enterrée, » dit Lorie. Le souvenir collectif de
une affection particulière pour Nell.
à Rimouski veut dire que son arrièd autres puissent l’événement
« Elle ne parlait pas beaucoup de sa jeure-arrière-grand-père et les autres corps toujours
nesse, » se souvient Lorie. Deux ans après avoir
avec l’Empress ne seront pas oubliés.
perdu ses grands-parents sur l’Empress, à 15 comprendre l impact
Le Musée de la Mer, originalement fondé en
ans, Nell a aussi perdu son père quand lui et six
1980 près de Rimouski, est maintenant devenu
des autres hommes Pierce ont quitté leur maile site historique maritime de Pointe-au-Père,
du naufrage sur
son à London, en Ontario, pour combattre dans
où l’histoire de l’épave est toujours racontée et
la Première Guerre Mondiale.
des artéfacts sont préservés. Mai 2014 marquait
« Elle portait ses souvenirs dans le silence, tant de familles
le 100e anniversaire du naufrage, et on connait
et avec le cœur lourd. En tant qu’enfant je ne
mieux l’effet personnel du désastre sur les gens
connaissais pas l’étendue de sa tristesse, » dit
comme Lorie Pierce. 265 000 visiteurs ont fréLorie. Les tragédies de famille étaient « des sujets de conversation dont quenté l’exposition commémorative de l’Empress of Ireland au Musée
les adultes ne parlaient pas. » Elle n’a pas non plus appris l’histoire du canadien de l’histoire en 2014 et 2015.
pire désastre maritime de l’histoire du Canada à l’école.
Mais la mémoire de l’Empress n’est pas sans controverse. Le Musée
En 1964, sa grand-mère a soulicanadien de l’histoire a payé le
gné un article dans un supplément
plongeur et collectionneur privé
du journal de fin de semaine comPhilippe Beaudry pour des centaimémorant les 50 ans du naufrage
nes d’artéfacts du navire, poussant
de l’Empress of Ireland. Lorie avait
plusieurs membres du personnel
13 ans à l’époque, le même âge
du musée à des questionnements
que sa grand-mère avait lors du
éthiques dans une lettre datant
naufrage.
de 2012 au comité exécutif du
« Je connais ça, j’en ai soufmusée, trois mois avant l’achat de
fert personnellement, » elle dit.
la collection. Parmi les questions :
« J’avais perdu espoir que d’autres
payer pour des objets archéologipuissent comprendre l’impact du
ques pourrait-il motiver le pillage
naufrage sur tant de familles. »
à profit?
En 1992, 78 ans après la perte
Certains s’inquiétaient que la
de l’Empress au fond du Saint
réponse soit affirmative. D’autres
Laurent, Lorie, vivant maintenant
ne voulaient pas risquer la perte
à Vancouver, a rencontré Lorraine
d’une partie importante de l’hériRouleau, qui avait grandi à Saintetage canadien. Selon un rapport
Angèle-de-Mérici, à 45 kilomètres
paru en janvier 2016, la position
de Rimouski, la ville la plus près de Monument à la mémoire de l’Empress of Ireland à Pointe-au-Père
légale est que les efforts de Beausite du désastre.
dry, s’étalant sur plusieurs années,
Rouleau ne se souvient pas l’âge elle avait lorsqu’elle a appris le sort ont eu lieu à un moment où l’épave n’était pas protégée par les lois canadu navire, « mais je n’avais pas encore commencé l’école. J’avais vu le diennes ou québécoises.
nom de l’Empress of Ireland sur une plaque. J’ai demandé à ma mère ce
« Quand j’ai appris pour la première fois que des plongeurs visitaient
que ça voulait dire, » dit Rouleau. « Elle m’a dit qu’un navire était là, et l’épave, j’ai eu une réaction très négative. Après tout, c’était la tombe de
que des gens s’y étaient noyés. »
mon ancêtre, » dit Lorie. « Dans les 10 dernières années, j’ai été impli« L’église et les gens du village ont pris soin des rescapés, leur donnant quée de près dans les efforts d’éducation du musée. Je suis reconnaisde la nourriture, du linge, et tout ce dont ils avaient besoin. Après la sante que les artéfacts aient été recouverts. »
mort de ma mère… on n’en parlait plus. »
Selon Lorie, la reconnaissance du Musée canadien de l’histoire sera
Mais la communauté n’a pas oublié. La tragédie figure toujours dans une partie importante de l’histoire qui sera préservée, tant sur un niveau
des chansons comme La Catastrophe de l’Empress of Ireland de Dufour et national que personnel.
« J’
’
’
Photo : G.Bouchard
. »
Page 38
Les Juifs de Québec
By Pierre Anctil & Simon Jacobs
ISBN: 9782760543430
Price: $35.00 (paper), $25.99 (eBook)
Publisher: Les Presses de l’Université
de Québec
L
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Book Reviews
es Juifs de Québec : Quatre cents
ans d’histoire, chronicling Québec City’s religious and secular
heritage, is a gateway into the
city’s Jewish history. That Jews
have lived in La Vieille Capitale
for centuries is not news, but the
circumstances under which they
lived may surprise some.
Relations between Jews and
francophone Catholics, separated
by language and religion, weren’t
always harmonious. Despite scant
archival information, the authors’
research has enabled them to create a chronological record of Jewish participation in Québec society,
both the negative aspects (Esther
Brandeau’s 1738 deportation to
France because she was Jewish)
and the positive ones (Sigismund
Mohr, the engineer who facilitated
the creation of Canada’s first commercial hydroelectric development
at Montmorency Falls near Québec
City, was a Prussian Jew).
Juifs, with contributions from
other researchers and authors, is
rich both in language and explanations of Jewish life and ritual which
may seem arcane to some. Widespread use of photographs and
statistical information offers depth.
Anctil, a University of Ottawa
professor, and Jacobs, a Jewish
Quebecer originally from the UK,
have created a thorough, compelling book. Meticulous research,
thoughtful analysis and beautiful
presentation make this engaging,
informative and educational reallife story worth the time.
Review by Bobbi Zahra
Alone Against the North
By Adam Shoalts
ISBN: 9780670069453
Price: $32.00
Publisher: Viking
T
he author of Alone Against the
North, Adam Shoalts, is a selfproclaimed adventurer and explorer
who has ventured into regions along
the Ontario-Québec border that
were never explored or professionally mapped until 2013. Shoals has
explored many different remote
areas around the world, including the
Amazon, but took it upon himself to
explore two rivers in the Hudson Bay
lowlands in his own country to compile this book. Originally accompanied by a friend, Shoalts went on alone
when his partner decided to carry on
the exploration of an unnamed river
and to map the Again River, which
had never been documented.
It is a story of brutal perseverance
and stamina which few adventurers
could equal. Portaging and paddling his canoe while fighting off
polar bears and relentless black flies,
Shoalts manages to document and
photograph a hitherto completely
unexplored area of Canada. His
determination and dedication to
his work and to the Royal Canadian
Geographical Society, which partially
financed the expedition, push him to
his limits physically and mentally. He
continues his solo journey despite
bouts of hypothermia and injuries,
eventually discovering new waterways and waterfalls now considered
scenic attractions.
Shoalts eventually reaped the rewards of his efforts. In 2013 he was
elected a fellow of the Royal Canadian
Geographical Society for “extraordinary contributions to geography.”
Review by Job Patstone
The Goal
By Andrew Caddell, Dave Stubbs &
Philip Caddell
ISBN: 9781928049425
Price: $16.95
Publisher: Deux Voiliers Publishing
Canada: Images of the Land
By J.A. Kraulis, introduction by Roy
MacGregor
ISBN: 9781770856240
Price: $49.95
Publisher: Firefly Books
T
W
he ponds and ice rinks around
Québec City may have turned
into mush due to our unusually
warm winter, but curling up with a
good book about hockey can make
up for the weather. The Goal by
Andrew Caddell, Dave Stubbs, and
Philip Caddell is a charming collection of stories about the game that
many Canadians consider their
national passion.
A series of personal anecdotes
interwoven with stories of years,
teams and players gone by, The
Goal is for hockey players and
fans of all ages. Hockey holds a
significant place in the childhood
of many Canadians, and this book
includes numerous stories from
Andrew Caddell’s own days as a
young hockey player. The readers will come away with a better
understanding of many local
hockey traditions, such as the significance of a windbreaker covered
in a blinding pattern of champion
crests.
One of the authors, Philip Caddell, passed away in 2004, but his
storytelling lives on in this book.
The funniest anecdote in the book
is from his days as an office boy.
It involves the Montréal Maroons’
unexpected Stanley Cup win in
1935, an old horse that was likely
destined for the glue factory, all of
the black hair dye in a several-mile
radius and a bet gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Review by Cara Gerard
ith his book Canada: Images
of the Land, photographer J.
A. Kraulis takes us on a breathtaking
journey through one of the most
picturesque countries on Earth— our
own. Through stunning photos, readers visit the places that make Canada
recognized around the world for its
undeniable natural beauty.
Kraulis’s pictures successfully capture the essence of Québec’s landscapes. Through this book, we get
to enjoy our province’s magnificent
forests and its vast bodies of water.
You will be especially mesmerized
by the pictures of Cap au Trou, on the
Magdalen Islands, and of the forest of
La Mauricie National Park, majestic
with its fall foliage. However, because
snow is an integral aspect of Québec
life, I would have liked to see at least
one picture of our winter landscapes.
Still, Kraulis offers a faithful representation of La Belle Province.
Kraulis, who was raised in
Montréal, is one of Canada’s most
gifted photographers. If you wish to
use this book as a source of inspiration for future journeys, make sure
that you have a pen and paper nearby, because you will certainly want to
write down the names of the places
you will go on your next trip.
Review by Aurélie Roy
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Page 40
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Book Reviews
The Homes We Build on Ashes
By Christina Park
ISBN: 9781771332330
Price: $22.95
Publisher: Inanna Publications
Death of a Dummy
By C.F. Carter
ISBN: 9781939816771
Price: $15.95
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
Speak to Me in Indian
By David Gidmark
ISBN: 9781771860536
Price: $19.95
Publisher: Baraka Books
Superbosses
By Sydney Finklestein
ISBN: 9781591847830
Price: $36.00
Publisher: Portfolio
T
I
I
S
he Japanese occupation of
Korea was never mentioned in
my history classes. I knew Canada
had a role in the Korean War, but
the events precipitating it and the
agony of rebuilding life in a country divided were excluded from the
account of the Second World War
that I was taught.
In her debut novel, The Homes We
Build on Ashes, Christina Park paints a
vivid picture of Nara Lee’s upbringing
in Japanese-occupied Korea. Nara
had a typical childhood – going to
school, playing with friends, coming
home to family – save for the constant threat that the very people she
learned, played and laughed with
every day could be thrown in jail or
even killed because they were considered traitors to the state.
Everything familiar in Nara’s life
is taken away as she journeys from
an orphanage to hard labour in a
Japanese factory, then back to a
Korea that has been left bewildered
by various invaders, both ideological
and territorial. Nara is uprooted again
when she follows her family to Canada and faces the reality of losing her
identity in order to gain some sense
of belonging.
Park, a Korean Quebecer, tells a
story rich with religious underpinnings and lessons about history,
resilience and compassion.
Review by Rosanna Haroutounian
n C.F. Carter‘s first book, Death
of a Dummy, we are drawn into a
story of murder and intrigue. Paul
Wainscott, newly arrived in Québec
City from Vancouver, quickly makes
friends with some questionable
characters. Paul has come into possession of an old building in VieuxQuébec and inadvertently meets
up with some of the locals, two of
whom end up dead before he has
a chance to get to know them. With
the help of a woman named Dottie,
who resides in his newly purchased
building, Paul discovers an old wax
museum in the basement which he
decides to reopen in order to make
some extra money. Dottie and Paul
make new costumes for the old wax
figures and restore the old museum.
At the same time, they discover a
clue which could perhaps explain
why two of Paul’s new friends were
murdered within days of each other.
It turns out one of the murder
victims, an antique dealer, had made
some strange and illegal purchases
that raise questions about why
someone may have wanted to kill
him. With a million-dollar artifact
coming into play, Paul himself ends
up solving the mystery, much to the
surprise of the local police.
This book is presented as the first in
a series, and we are eagerly awaiting
the next Wax Museum Mystery.
Review by Job Patstone
n Speak to Me in Indian, David
Gidmark weaves a haunting
love story between Shane Bearskin, a Cree man from James Bay,
and Theresa Wawati, a young
Algonquin woman from northern
Québec. Living in Montréal, Shane
and Theresa find themselves constantly seeking a return to their
cultural roots. Both are studying
in the big, inhospitable city. Shane
wants to be a teacher so he can
return to his childhood village and
teach Cree children, while Theresa
is studying to become a lawyer,
hoping to defend her people.
As they struggle to find a
balance between their desire for
an education and their yearning
for home, they are forced to
face a series of hardships that
truly put their love to the test.
Upon learning that Theresa has
leukemia and only a few months
to live, the young lovers decide to
make the best of their remaining
time together. They move to the
wilderness, have a baby, and find
ways to celebrate their cultures
together.
Gidmark’s story is a simple, yet
devastatingly beautiful, account
of human life which emphasizes
the everyday importance of
heritage and pride.
Review by Rosanna Haroutounian
Subscribe to Life in Québec Magazine today:
LifeinQuebec.com/magazine-subscription
uperbosses, like many management books, is about best practices. If you’re a line employee, you
might want the kinds of opportunities
and responsibilities that superbosses
can lavish on their protégés. If you’re a
supervisor, you might wonder how to
create an environment in which your
supervisees can thrive, inside a workplace with rigid hierarchies.
Using anecdotal research drawn
from interviews and other sources,
Sydney Finklestein, a Canadian-born,
Concordia-educated
Dartmouth
College management professor, describes the superboss. How do the
actions and reactions of a superboss
differ from those of more traditional
bosses? Why does a superboss do
what they do? When can such traits
be most useful? Who are the superbosses? Alice Waters’ story is a welldeveloped example of women in such
roles, Stephen Colbert’s, a clear progression from employee, to protégé,
to potential superboss, and Larry Ellison’s the most extreme. What might
be expected of you, if you report to a
superboss? That’s covered, too.
The last chapter provides some
questions to help discover superbosses, manage like one, and nurture a
superboss culture, while acknowledging that many organizations have processes, structures and mindsets that
work against creative thinking. And
that’s the challenge for Finklestein’s
audience: How will you move from
best practices to buy-in, not only
across departments, but across organizations?
Review by Mark Lindenberg
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
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“Rendered in beautifully poetic prose…
An empathetic yet flawed man drives this
wonderful novel, the first from an author
ready for a glittering literary career.”
placement publicitaire
stratégique?
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
BARAKA BOOKS
MATTHEW MURPHY
Vous souhaitez un
MATTHEW MURPHY
A BECKONING WAR
Il nous fera plaisir de
Prochaine parution :
le vendredi 10 juin 2016
Matthew Murphy was born and raised in Sudbury,
Ontario. He currently lives in Montreal, where he works as
a writer and a teacher. A Beckoning War is his first novel.
Date limite de remise :
le vendredi 27 mai 2016
www.barakabooks.com
Contactez-nous :
[email protected] ou
(418) 948-4144
$24.95
isbn 978-1-77186-068-0
978-1-77186-068-0| 334 p | $24.95
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“Creditable first novel. #WW2
in Italy.”
Margaret Atwood on Twitter
***
“Rendered in beautifully poetic
prose… An emphathetic yet
flawed man drives this wonderful novel, the first from an
author ready for a glittering
literary career.”
A BECKONING WAR
Captain Jim McFarlane, a Canadian infantry officer, is
coming apart at the seams. It’s September 1944, in Italy,
and the allied armies are closing in on the retreating Axis
powers. Exhausted and lost, Jim tries to command his
combat company under fire, while waiting desperately
for letters from his wife Marianne. Joining the army not
out of some admirable patriotic sentiments but rather
because of his own failings and restlessness, he finds
himself fighting in a war that is far from glorious. Murphy
has brilliantly captured our ambiguous relationship to war.
Page 41
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
APRIL 2016
Distributed by IPG
[email protected]
Inc.
LIBRAIRIE AGRÉÉE
DE LANGUE ANGLAISE
ACCREDITED ENGLISH BOOKSTORE
Livres Trois Canons, Place Naviles, 3400-SS2, chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois
Québec (Québec) G1W 2L3
Tel: (418) 204-4325 | Email: [email protected] | Web: LivresTroisCanons.com
Page 42
Life in Québec Magazine | LifeinQuebec.com B March/Mars - June/Juin 2016
Stretch your food dollar until
it screams for mercy
By Ross Murray
T
he cost of household groceries has mounted in recent
months due to fluctuations in the
dollar, poor growing conditions,
the approach of the End Times, and
so forth. With the likelihood of high
food prices continuing indefinitely (or if not indefinitely,
at least until further notice), here are some tips
on stretching your food
budget.
Regrow your produce
Don’t throw out those scraps! Many vegetables will
regenerate from unused cuttings; for example,
green onions. After using the green ends, reserve
the white tips and roots and place them in
a jar of water. They will sprout
new greens
in a matter
of days,
saving
you pennies if not
entire dimes
on your grocery bill! Be
sure to change
the water every few
days. The water will
stink like some kind
of onion gangrene
plague when you pour
it down the sink, but the
bonus is that this will suppress your appetite. More
food dollars saved!
“cultural norms” or “food inspectors.” You haven’t lived until you’ve tried
garlic roasted glutes! If you don’t have a butcher, see the guy in the van
behind the laundromat. Ask for Sal.
Or grow your own!
Growing your own meat takes a little time, patience and disregard for
zoning regulations, but it’s a great way to save money and impress the
ladies! (“Ladies” here is a gender-neutral term meaning “any biped not the
least bit interested in bass fishing.”)
First, take a beef tendon (a glute will do, too) and wrap it in a poultice
consisting of grass clippings, kerosene, mustard, cat dander, the sweat
of three swarthy Turks, brewer’s yeast and the shredded remains of your
manuscript, telling the story of how you met your sweetheart at a Rambo
movie (working title: First Blood, First Love). Bury the package in a small
1985 Chevette at a five-degree angle four feet underground. Burn your
lawn. Read Infinite Jest: it’s totally worth it. When finished reading or after
eight months, whichever comes first, dig up the package and, if the Meat
Gods have smiled upon you, you should have an eight-to nine-inch cow,
which you can now cook and devour whole, thanks to its very supple
bones. Think of it as underground veal.
Do you live near a zoo?
I’m not saying that security is lax at
zoos, and I’m not saying it’s not
lax. But I am saying this: “panda
steaks.”
What about
vegetarians?
I never eat ’em. What?
Oh, I see. Forget I said that.
Here’s a penny-saver for
the meat-free. Save up
all your food-soiled paper
towels – approximately a
week’s worth. Cut the paper
towels into small squares,
soak in liquid (onion gangrene plague water will do),
stack, then drizzle with lemon
and Elmer’s Glue. Place under a
heavy weight in a warm area for
three days. Voilà: tofu!
Eat a hearty breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the
day, and oatmeal is a great, economical way to
fill your belly, especially if you pad it with seasonal,
locally grown products such as berries, pine
cones, bits of tarpaulin, whatever’s underneath the seat cushions, or gravel. The sky’s
the limit when it comes to fighting the unruly
mobs in the street in order to come up with
what I like to call “forage porridge.”
Take the corporate approach
It is scientifically proven that children eat. In the name of austerity and to
satisfy investors (i.e. you), consider right-sizing
your family to correspond with your food budget
by laying off one or more children.
Your food purchases will go further
and your home will smell better and
anda steaks
Purchase cheaper cuts of meat
be less sticky. Rest assured that, staNo need for sirloin every night. Ask
tistically, it’s quite unlikely that any
your butcher about the many flavourful cuts of meat that might not harm will come to your pre-emancipated children. Unless they look
make it onto your grocery store shelves because of “low demand” or particularly delicious.
P
?
Ca f é- b a r a rt efaC t
u n e
T a p a s
e T
c o c k T a i l s
d a n s
a m b i a n c e
j a z z
c h a l e u r e u s e
T a p a s
a n d
c o c k T a i l s
i n
a
c o z y
j a z z
a m b i a n c e
du jeudi au samedi
de 20 h à 23 h
enTrée libre
Thursday To saTurday
from 8 pm To 11 pm
free enTrance
Pour informations / for information
418 692-2211
8, rue saint-antoine, québec

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