September 16, 2024 Vive Le Quebec

La Belle Province.

Quebec is a beautiful place, and this trip left very little doubt about how beautiful it can be. In Montreal, the architecture was an amazing dichotomy of eras – old-world brick and sandstone in the shadow of new glass highrises created a stylish blend of centuries. If you could get rid of the traffic, it would be perfect.

But that goes for almost every big city these days. 

I had a safety course in Montreal so my wife and I took advantage of the opportunity and made a six-day holiday out of it.

The weather was hot and sunny and our experience was wonderful. The history of Montreal is second only to the history of Quebec City. It almost felt like we were in Europe – almost. The traffic was intense and the crowds in the streets felt claustrophobic. Yet the streets were clean and I was surprised by the lack of police presence everywhere. It was a refreshing change from the omnipresence I’ve seen in Kelowna and Vancouver.

We wandered the streets of Montreal for a few days, We covered almost all of the famous St. Catherines Street and explored the Avenue Saint Dennis. Blues music rang out in the night wailing the greats from Muddy Waters to BB King and everything in between. We sat on the patio of the Bistro ah Jojo and grooved to the rhythm as the night went on. People flowed around us and the music fueled our souls.

We staggered back to our hotel filled with the joy of a rockin’ and bluesy evening.

The next day we drove around and discovered more of the fair city. The freeway system is impressive, and we explored the other side of the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. Montreal is an Island in the highway of water that flows from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. We stood on the river bank and stared at the water flowing by. Hundred old locks slowed mighty water way allowing ships to traverse its rapids. It’s another world from the rivers we have in the west.

As we drove back into Montreal the radio announcer told us about upcoming concerts. Including a show by the band Big Sugar that night at a place called Le Ritz Bar PBD. We looked at each and agreed, we should go see Big Sugar play. The other concert happening was on Friday and it was Judas Priest at the Bell Centre. Unfortunately, I couldn’t convince my honey to go see those icons of Heavy Metal.

We arrived at the door of Le Ritz Bar PBD, not knowing what to expect. But we thought with the name Ritz it would be some swanky venue.

It was anything but. There wasn’t a chair or a table in the house and the bartender sold us drinks in plastic cups. He laughed when I asked him and told me that it was usually an underground live music house. As for the name? It the letters PBD stood for  “punks don’t bend,” the bartender laughed as he handed me a plastic glass of wine for my wife. 

None of that mattered.

Big Sugar rocked the joint and we forgot all the comforts of life as we swayed to their eclectic mix of blues, rock, funk, and Ragae. The only original member was the Lead singer Gordie Johnson, but his young sidekicks were up to the task of playing such classics as Diggin a Hole and If I Had My Way. They played two sets and rocked the place down. Our ears were ringing well into the night as we rode the metro system back to our hotel.

Quebec City is a place of history unparalleled in Canada and possibly all of North America. It was a place we had to see while we were this close.

On our way to Quebec City, we went a long way in the countryside to see Krista’s parents’ farm she used to go to every weekend as a kid. Until the age of fifteen, my wife and her family packed up every Friday, sun, rain, sleet, or snow, and made the one-hour fifteen-minute drive to St. Beatrix in the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains. It was very cool to experience her memories with her as we drove the winding back roads. It took two stops before we decided that the farm she saw was the same place. She thought the driveway was much longer. Funny how our memories of things as a kid seem so much smaller when we become all grown up.

After our detour in the Quebec Countryside, we arrived in Quebec City. It was a time warp driving the streets of downtown Quebec City.  Our first stop was at the Plains of Abraham. Although not much there except a field and museum, I sensed the history of one of Canada’s defining moments. We also got into the museum for free with twenty minutes left. If ever in Quebed City I highly recommend going to that museum. 

Old Quebec was a magical place. It felt like we’d been transported backward in time and across the ocean. It is the gateway to the Saint Lawrence River and it has been for almost five hundred years. 

That night we found a small pub with Jazz musicians jamming out. It was a musical experience I’d never had before. An experience I’m not sure I will see in places like Kelowna or Vancouver. The talent flowing from the vocal cords and fingers of the band filled us with musical energy, an epiphany from a musical era long past.

In the morning we left Quebec City and cruised a highway back to the airport in Montreal. We had time to spare so we stopped on the street Krista grew up on. It was very cool seeing her old home through a fifteen-year-old’s eyes. 

It was a trip long coming and one I hope to repeat one day. La Belle Province did not disappoint.