What’s New in Québec This Summer

By Newsdesk May 29, 2023 10:00am

Canada’s Québec has a lot to offer travelers this summer. From art, adventure and festivals, to the culinary scene, accommodation and transportation, the destination has rolled out a list of new, one-of-a-kind experiences for travelers to enjoy.

Art and History

Cirque du Soleil’s latest blockbuster, “ECHO,” premieres this summer under the Big Top at the Old Port of Montréal. Three years in the making, and written by storyteller Es Devlin, “ECHO” is the 20th show for the Montréal circus, and tells the story of human evolution. The protagonist, Future, and her loved ones will explore the precious balance between humans, animals and the world they share. Driven by a spirit of collaboration, the characters join forces to rebuild the planet one step at a time.

The Canadian Malartic Mine opens its doors to visitors, in collaboration with its partner museum, Musée minéralogique de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Guests can enjoy a guided tour of the open-pit gold mine, the largest of its kind in Canada.

Beginning in late June, “Cité Mémoire,” an outdoor multimedia video extravaganza, will light up many of Charlevoix’s destinations. The artistic, playful and poetic journey unveils the history of Charlevoix. Covering 772 square miles, the new attraction includes 60 points of interest, six augmented reality experiences, four projections, a podcast and a free mobile app. Projections are held along the river, in the Pointe-au-Pic area, with scenes emerging from surprising surfaces such as a rock face and the ground. The must-see activity for the whole family is available in English and French, free of charge.

Adventure

After acquiring the Saint-Yves church in Rimouski, the Riki Bloc climbing cooperative is transforming the church into an indoor climbing center, slated to open in August. The former site of worship, which was closed for five years before the conversion, will be 10 times larger than the cooperative’s previous downtown location, with plans to bring climbing competitions to the venue. The Riki Bloc center will also house a café, boutique and equipment rental center.

The mountains of Québec are prime mountain-biking terrain. To meet surging demand for the sport, the 2023 season will build on the trend with upgrades and new features coming to mountain biking networks in Québec ski areas. With great downhill, cross-country, enduro and family-friendly beginner trails, ski resorts are ready to welcome mountain bikers of all ages.

Unique Accommodations

Animal and outdoor lovers can sleep on an alpaca farm at Alpaga Bersi. Five campsites for tents, RVs and a ready-to-camp chalet are available. Throughout July, visitors can couple their visit to the alpaca farm with a pick-your-own cherry orchard.

The Sainte-Marie de l’Isle-Maligne church in Alma will reopen in late June as Autel-Relais, offering a new accommodation option with a unique mission: a restorative grounding experience inside a completely renovated heritage building. The innovative concept has just 10 rooms custom-designed for cyclists and a range of amenities, including the legendary Saint-Crème ice cream stand. It’s the perfect stop for a gourmet pick-me-up before getting back in the saddle and heading down the region’s famous bike route, the Véloroute des Bleuets.

Festivals

Inspired by the Centre d’Art de Kamouraska, the “Archipel Festival” will run from July 14–16 in six heritage sites in greater Kamouraska. It brings together 40 artists from the region to showcase local architectural gems such as Chapelle de la Grève, Saint-Denis-de La Bouteillerie; the church in Saint-Germain-de-Kamouraska; the old courthouse in Kamouraska; the site of the Saint-Pascal Agricultural Fair; and the Miller wharf in Kamouraska.

Culinary

The Bon Appétit agency, which provides a range of gourmet tourism and agritourism experiences, announced that in April 2023, their digital gourmet passport, BonApp! will offer 10 tastings with 10 artisan producers, along with access to exclusive products. The passport includes around 50 destinations in Québec.

Transportation

In summer 2023, as part of a pilot project, Alstom’s Coradia iLint is the first green-hydrogen-powered passenger train to operate in North America, running between Charlevoix and Québec City.

For more information, visit www.bonjourquebec.com.