The Quebec Winter Carnival ice canoe races took place this week. It is always such a thrill to watch the departure of so many crews from Louise Basin, in the Port of Quebec, see how men and women paddle with their feet, gaining leverage from ice flows, sometimes waving to the cheering crowds, and then head out across the Saint Lawrence River to Lévis and back, a few times.
The weather was ideal – getting down to -17°C overnight, which meant there was good ice cover on the river, whereas once the races started in the early afternoon, the temperature was about -4°C with brilliant sunshine.
The ice canoe races serve as a reminder that winter is not to be endured, but rather is a season to be celebrated. In any case, after my repeated trips to Nunavut in the Far North of Canada, usually in the deep of winter, I find winter weather in southern Quebec quite tolerable, and even relaxing.
The general vibe in Quebec City and Lévis is that winter snow and ice here provide a setting for conviviality.
