Destination Snow: It’s Carnival Time in Québec
By Jean Miracle Whittaker

Carnival time in Québec is always a time for celebration but this year the event has even more to offer as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Québec’s winter festival has roots going back to 1894, when local French colonists organized what was already a tradition of rowdy partying before Lent. The residents needed a way to help get themselves through the hardships of the long, cold winter and the Québec carnival filled the bill. Two world wars and economic depression caused interruptions in the carnival. It was not until 1954 that the festival celebrated today took its current form.

In 1954, a group of business people reorganized the event to spur economic development in old Québec City. The organizers created the carnival’s popular mascot, Bonhomme Carnaval, a festive snowman embodying the image of snowmen from the memories of generations of children. Bonhomme wears a red hat and a colorful fringed belt resembling a traditional Amerindian belt.

Today, the Québec Winter Carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world, and third in size on the list of all carnivals after Rio and New Orleans. The theme for this 50th anniversary event, which runs from January 30 to February 15, is “Let’s Carnival On.” Planners aim to mix the traditions with some new touches. Opening and closing ceremonies will pay tribute to memories of past carnivals and celebrate the work of carnival volunteers over the past 50 years. But they’re not just focusing on the past. Organizers want to continue to find even more winter activities to enjoy in the future.

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This year’s activities at the carnival include two night parades featuring colorful floats, marching bands, and, of course, Bonhomme the snowman. The parades alone are expected to draw up to 200,000 spectators. The popular spectacle of the International Snow Sculpture Show brings in teams of sculptors from over 30 countries. A canoe race on the frozen St. Lawrence River has been a tradition since the first Québec Winter Carnival.

Dog sled racers speed through the snow-covered streets of Old Québec, drawing thousands of spectators. At least 30 teams race on a six-kilometer (3.75-mile) course. For some of the crazier carnival goers, a snow bath is held each year and requires participants to take three plunges into the snow in only a bathing suit.

There are so many activities that there is something to please every taste. Other events include a soapbox derby, a painting symposium, a dog agility competition, sleigh rides, a flapjack breakfast, ice fishing, and snow rafting, among many others. A trip to the carnival is never complete without a visit to the ice palace. A palace is built each year with bricks of snow creating a magical atmosphere for visitors and continuing a favorite carnival tradition. For more information about the Québec Winter Carnival: http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/.

Founded as a fur trading post in 1608, Québec City is a beautiful walled city with a European atmosphere. Skiers need not travel far from the city to hit the slopes. Stoneham Mountain Resort is the closest resort to the city with just a 20-minute drive to the slopes. Scenic Monte-Sainte-Anne is just 16 kilometers (25 miles) away. Le Massif, also a convenient distance from Québec City, provides spectacular views of the frozen St. Lawrence River below the slopes.

For more information about Québec City:
http://www.ski-canada.com/resorts/quebeccity.html

For more information about Stoneham Mountain Resort:
http://www.ski-canada.com/resorts/stoneham.html

For more information about Mont-Sainte-Anne:
http://www.ski-canada.com/resorts/montsteanne.html

For more information about Le Massif:
http://www.ski-canada.com/resorts/lemassif.html

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