Term Paper on "French Canada"

Term Paper 4 pages (1257 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

French Canada

Quebec stands for both the French province of Canada as well as the capital city of the region. Referred to as the New France, the region was an impressively successful colony to conduct fur trade operations; during the reign of Louis XIV it was transformed into a royal colony. The region was lost to the British in 1759 and they began to populate it and bring in new ways and traditions. Today, the Quebec Province is the sole French speaking region in Canada. There are also a wide number of English speaking communities, but the French population is trying to preserve most of their traditions and customs (the Columbia Encyclopedia, 2007).

This year, "Quebec City celebrates its 400th birthday - a milestone reached by no other North American city" (the Mail on Sunday, 2006). And there are a wide number of reasons why a foreigner should visit the French province and city, including their impressive culture and major developments.

The Canadian region is divided between the French and English speaking populations and the interactions between the two are rather limited and tense. "French-speaking Quebecers feel estranged from English-speaking Canada, which is leery of granting their province special constitutional status, and they are increasingly persuaded that maintenance of their culture requires separate existence as a nation. (English-speaking Quebecers, a slowly dwindling minority, contemplate their fate in a separate Quebec with fear and trembling.)" (Nuechterlein, 1997)

The duelling cultures of the English and the French however have not managed to become established as independently strong features and most of the region's cultural characteristics come from a strong American influence. "More important, Canadian culture is saturated with American influences. Despite government efforts in recent years to put up barriers to American cultural imports and to establish "Canadian content" rules wherever possible, the American presence is ubiquitous. Canadians read American books, watch American movies, sing American songs. English Canadian culture is not nonexistent, but its condition is perpetually fragile. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the National Film Board, and Hockey Night in Canada all make a difference, but not a defining one. It is difficult to imagine how things could be otherwise" (Nuechterlein, 1997).

The most relevant features of the French Canadian culture include:

The architecture in Quebec is the result of climacteric characteristics, large family size and European influences

Visual arts: "75 self-managed arts centres, 75 centres devoted to contemporary art, and close to 180 professional art galleries" (Quebec Portal, 2008)

Large number of film festivals which reveal a strong and mature industry

Impressive results in international circus, producing a large number of artists

Strong storytelling culture

Dancing is rather new, but it has managed to produce great talents and create an international reputation

More than 400 festivals, traditions preserved from the ancestors who would gather in winter to celebrate

Food is also an important part of the French Canadian culture and it is the result of numerous influences, including the Amerindians and the wide variety of citizens living in Quebec

The French literature in Canada is rather young and it depicts the family, religion and land

The 5,000 professional musicians and 200 composers detain a significant role in the international music

The theatre has developed along the nineteenth century to now offer performances to the liking of all citizens (Quebec Portal, 2008)

The French province, unlike most regions in northern Americas, is extremely well-known for its majesty in combining great food with skiing opportunities. The province also offers its visitors impressive sight seeing possibilities and beautiful views. "Quebec City, Quebec's capital, has many cultural riches. There are magnificent views over the ice flows of the St. Lawrence River from the city, which is the only walled fortress settlement in North America. [...] the annual Quebec City carnival from January… READ MORE

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