Do you know who is Bonhomme? English translation from French: “fellow” or “old chap”. Actually, the meaning has little to do with this character’s cold nature and unique affiliation with Qu?bec City, particularly in the winter time when his arrival signals the city’s Winter Carnival. From January 28 to February 13, 2011 Qu?bec City will be hosting one of the largest winter carnivals in the world!
Here winter is a magical place, where you can find yourself musing over building-size snow sculptures, night dancing in Bonhomme’s Ice Palace, racing downhill in a canoe, or taking a bath in…what else? …snow! During this time the city turns into a gigantic outdoor playground of snow and ice, filled with night parades, outdoor movies and shows, sleigh rides and winter sports, zip lines, snow rafting, a sugar shack, and oh so much more!
A great place for kids and the kid in all of us is Mr. Christie Village where you can partake in skill games and enjoy ice slides, obstacle courses and ice tunnels. You will be assisted by hilarious characters that add both charm and humour to these activities.
Besides the Winter Carnival, Qu?bec City offers unparallel cultural and natural winter attractions. The culture buffs are sure to find unique charm strolling through the city’s snow-covered and softly-lit historic neighbourhoods by night while soaking up the sounds and sights of the season. More active visitors can enjoy the area’s skiing, snow shoeing, or dog sledding, and to keep with the winter motif, why not spend a night in the Ice Hotel?!
The nature enthusiast will have plenty of opportunities to be wowed, as well. The Montmorency Falls Park is a natural phenomenon at 84 meters high, which is 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls!! You can walk the trails to the top of the falls for spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River, ?le d’Orl?ans, and the surrounding mountains. If you are more adventurous, you can ice-climb the falls which is completely frozen during winter, to the very top. In winter frozen spray from the falls freezes and accumulates at the foot of the falls to form enormous icy mound known as the “sugar loaf”, which is great for sledding and climbing!