Just because school’s out doesn’t mean the learning has to stop! Feel like conquering outer space? Finding out how things are made or where they come from? Travelling back through time in a reconstituted village or factory? These are just some of the activities that await you and the whole family in a few of Québec’s most historic tourist regions.
 The development of Québec’s regions was strongly influenced by the many industries that took root there. One of the most impressive achievements in Québec is undoubtedly the One of the most impressive achievements in Québec is undoubtedly the Robert Bourassa Generating Facility in the James Bay region. Learn all about electricity production and transport at the on-site interpretation centre, along with the history of this colossal construction project. If you and your family are curious about that history and enjoy visiting interpretation centres, you’ll be quite impressed by a visit to the Cité de l’énergie. It showcases the rich legacy of Shawinigan through four themed sections: the hydroelectricity, aluminum, pulp & paper and electrochemical industries. The Musée du Fjord lets you fully experience the surprising diversity of the Saguenay Fjord ecosystem. In the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, the Cité de l’Or explains the history of gold mining operations. Onsite, visitors have the opportunity to be miners for a day, descending below the Earth’s surface into a former gold mine. Even the stars and planets have their interpretation centre: the Space Science Centre at the Cosmodôme in Laval, where visitors can embark on their own conquest of space. Those with an interest in environmental and ecological issues will enjoy a visit to the many exhibits, multimedia presentations and interactive displays at the Biosphère, on Île-Sainte-Hélène in Montréal. Last but not least, to see Montréal from a whole new angle, ride the funicular up the 140-metre (460-foot) Montréal Tower for a unique vantage point on the city and its surroundings.
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Québec takes pride in its past, and pays tribute to its heritage in the many historic sites and themed villages located just about everywhere in the province. |
 Québec takes pride in its past, and pays tribute to its heritage in the many historic sites and themed villages located just about everywhere in the province. At the Village Québécois d’Antan in Drummondville, period recreations bring the years 1810 to 1910 to life: 70 buildings have been reconstituted, and costumed characters revive the traditions of the era. The Site de la Nouvelle-France, in the wonderful City of Saguenay, is devoted to 17th-century Québec, with a particular focus on the First Nations people who lived in the area. In the same region, the Village historique de Val-Jalbert recalls the hopeful period ushered in by the construction of a pulp mill and the workers’ village that flourished on the site during the years 1901–1927. Close to 30 National Historic Sites administered by Parks Canada are in Québec. They include Fort Lennox National Historic Site of Canada, on Île aux Noix, which has the distinction of being the most authentic British fort extant in North America. A tour of the site, located 50 minutes’ drive from Montréal, takes visitors on a journey through the daily lives of 18th-century soldiers and their families.
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In the Eastern Townships, for example, the Wine Route takes visitors on a tour of several vineyards in the region. |
 Québec is also home to myriad rich local products and craftspeople with the desire to share their passions. Agrotourism, popular in all regions of the province, is a delightful, multi-sensory experience for visitors. In the Eastern Townships, for example, the Wine Route takes visitors on a tour of several vineyards in the region. Other local products are a source of pride in the Townships – honey is featured at the Ferme Lune de Miel, soap is celebrated at Savon des Cantons, and lavender products are in the limelight at Bleu Lavande.
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