Our culture.

I chose to participate in the Explore program this summer to learn and improve my French. Here at L'École de Langue et de Culture Québécoise at UQAC, I am getting more than I bargained for, since we're also taught about the Quebecois culture. All it means is that they expose us to things we'd never otherwise know about.
Par exemple...We spent a couple afternoons learning traditional dances and listening to Quebecois music. There were two movie nights where they showed Quebecois films. I watched La Grande Séduction (★★★☆) and Gaz Bar Blues (★☆☆☆).
We were also required to do a project and presentation about something Quebecois in our classes. Some subjects covered by my classmates include Quebecois cinema, (contemporary) music, legends/fairy tales, le Cirque du Soleil (which was founded in Montreal), and the motto "Je me souviens". My topic was Le Rocket, Maurice Richard.
My prof will even sometimes deviate from teaching French grammar in class to explain Quebecois expressions and the way that people here talk, because he knows it's confusing and frustrating to spend all this time learning French and then going into the streets and hearing people speaking something totally different.
But grace à L'École de Langue, I've been able to appreciate that there's a history and richness to Quebec and to the Saguenay that is completely different from the diversity and multiculturalism that is characteristic of Toronto.

Quelques choses typiques de la région Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean:
☼ la tourtière - a slow-cooked deep-dish meat pie made with potatoes
☼ la tarte à sucre - sugar pie
☼ blueberry beer - la bière aux bluets
☼ fair-trade products - le cafe et le chocolat équitable. the place to be here is cafe cambio... en francais ici
☼ rocking chairs - des chaises berçantes
☼ outdoor activities - les activités en plein-air
☼ maple syrup - le sirop d'érable