I will never forget the look of amazement on my sons' faces when, after attending their first Quebec Winter Carnival parade, they finally got to meet the festival's mascot, the all-too-famous Bonhomme Carnaval, in person.
There we were, my two boys, 5 and 3, standing in -30 weather, waiting for the colourful floats and torch lights to come down Cloutier Boulevard during the first of the many night parades they would attend over the years. My sons' eyes lit up as Bonhomme Carnaval streamed by, waving to the crowd.
These are memorable experiences shared by children and adults alike over the years. And with every winter came another carnival with the same freezing temperatures that people were determined to overcome just to take part in the party atmosphere that unfolded. It was a unique way to enjoy a season that more often than not prompted many to simply head south for a warmer climate.
Taming the blistering cold and the chills of winter into a family festivity, however, has not been a small task. But that is what Quebec City has succeeded in doing as it gears up for its golden anniversary. More than one million visitors from Canada and around the world are expected at the hundreds of venues and events running Jan. 30 to Feb. 15.
Yet it hasn't always been easy for the seven-foot-tall snowman-like mascot who turns 50 this year. While nothing much has changed about his looks -- he never removes his red stocking cap or traditional Québécois red sash -- he has had to mask some trying times. And for a city that prides itself on holding the world's biggest winter festival, the road to glory has been fraught with uncertainty from the start. Few believed that the carnival could become a major annual winter festival. It took Louis Paré, a Quebec City tourism officer, four years to persuade local businessmen to organize the first carnival in 1955. The city had organized winter festivals on a regular basis since 1894, but the event had died out after the Second World War.
This was a time when ski resorts Mont-Sainte Anne and Stoneham were still undeveloped mountains and there was little to attract tourists to the historic Old City during the cold months. An annual winter festival made good business sense.
Paré understood the need to create a mascot to market the event. A local businessman, inspired by a scarecrow-type figure used in European festivals, suggested creating a jovial snowman, dressed in traditional Quebec garments that the coureurs de bois wore centuries earlier. After all, besides being one of the oldest cities in North America, the region also had one of the highest levels of snow precipitation in the world. So Bonhomme was born, someone who would disappear to the North Pole at the end of the festival and return to rule over the city in the middle of each winter.
The carnival, and Bonhomme, quickly built up a following. Locals bundled up and braved the wintry streets to watch the nighttime parades, admire the ice sculptures and cheer on the canoe races across the frozen St. Lawrence River. By the late sixties, visitors from Canada and beyond started coming to Quebec for the carnival.
Bonhomme, meanwhile, was joined by a queen and duchesses, appointed by local parishes, who followed him around to all the events. A snow palace was erected every year in a different style, and its twinkling lights glistened throughout the carnival. The fun often ended with head-pounding hangovers from too much caribou -- a mixture of a cheap wine and 100-per-cent alcohol -- sipped throughout the night from a hollowed-out plastic red walking cane. (Today's stricter liquor law is slowly sending the caribou into history.) But the magic of winter took care of the rest. The festival took on a life of its own, setting its own rules and taking over a city when for two weeks people wanted nothing more than to break the monotony of the winter months.
Over the years, there were bumps. Two years of unusually mild weather and plenty of rain played havoc with most events, forcing numerous delays and cancellations. Other years, poorly organized parades left crowds shivering and disappointed with the quality of the marching bands and handful of floats presented at the closing ceremonies.
By the early eighties, the city was so fed up it wanted to cancel the event permanently. "This happened at least three or four times over the last 50 years, but each time local residents demanded that the event be held," recalled the carnival's historian, Jean Provencher. "No doubt people here have a passion for this event."
But Bonhomme's real midlife crisis hit a decade ago. Fewer and fewer locals were signing up for the races or bringing their kids out to watch the parades and visitors often left disappointed. The carnival had also gained a reputation for being a drunk-fest and during one final-night parade, sloshed spectators pelted Bonhomme, the carnival queen and seven duchesses with snowballs. Organizers responded by trying to rebuild Bonhomme's image with southern celebrity, inviting Disney characters to the event. But residents didn't take kindly to have U.S. icons overshadow their beloved mascot.
Demoralized, heavily in debt and close to obliteration, Bonhomme was showing the strains of his overweight, debt-ridden, middle-aged demeanour. "People said: 'Enough is enough. We are not going to tolerate Hollywood's characters. This is after all the Quebec Winter Carnaval.' That's when a major shift took place," Provencher said.
Viewed as being sexist, the carnival queen and duchesses were eliminated. To reduce the carnival's deficit, events, such as the Basse-Ville parade held in the nearby suburb of Charlesbourg, were cancelled. But these measures proved unpopular, and the Basse-Ville parade was reinstated.
Organizers realized that the carnival had to return to its roots and rebuild ties with local residents. The event now focuses on the traditions and values of its local population by attracting families back with a kid-centred atmosphere. The carnival is also back on solid footing, generating profit and building momentum with activities geared to the public's demand for simple, wholesome fun. Today, it generates more than $28-million each year for the local economy and is only outranked in size by carnivals in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.
This year, to mark 50 years, there will be new events and a grand finale on the final weekend with free access to many activities and free champagne for everyone on the Plains of Abraham. And in the years to come, organizers aim to gain greater international recognition, especially as Quebec celebrates its 400th anniversary in 2008. So, as he hits the big 5-0, Bonhomme appears to be aging better than many expected. He has regained the pride of his followers and rules once again over Quebec's winter season.
Ice palaceBuilt originally out of blocks of snow, the palace is now made of ice. It remains a carnival highlight, erected along the Old City wall in front of the Quebec National Assembly. This year's version will feature a medieval design equipped with a dungeon, where it's said that those not wearing the official Bonhomme effigy pass may be locked up, a tradition started in the fifties.
In a public square in historic Quartier Petit Champlain and Place Royal, copies of the different ice palaces built over the past 50 years will be on display. The ice palace is open every day of the carnival from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
For the familyFamily participation has clearly been the focus of the carnival's attention and new events will be launched this year including horse-pulled sleigh races, snowshoe competitions and free downhill-skiing lessons. This is in addition to the traditional ice-skating, tobogganing, snow rafting and soapbox derby that are held all over the city from around the Château Frontenac to outside the Quebec Museum on the Plains of Abraham. The children's village, sugar shack and most outdoor activities will take place on the Plains of Abraham. At Place Hydro-Québec, there will be a reconstruction of the Montcalm Market and daily music shows.
Ice sculpturesThe carnival has evolved into an important cultural event, but it has yet to take full advantage of the international attention it has drawn over the years. For instance, the snow-sculpting and ice-sculpting competitions, which have been part of the official program for the past 27 years, have grown to the point where sculptors from around the world vie to participate. Not even the -30 temperatures prevented a team from Kenya -- that's right, Kenya -- from entering the snow-sculpturing competition last year.
The sculpting competition, with Canadian, international and student categories, starts Jan. 30 at Place Desjardins.
Carnival racesA similar case can be made for the canoe races across the frozen St. Lawrence River. As the event enters its 50th year, it can boast being the oldest race of its kind, making it world-famous among competitors.
The preliminary races will be held Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m. on the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Lévis. Finals are slated for Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
La Grande Virée, a classic dogsled race, winds through the streets of the city on Jan. 31 starting at 1 p.m. The starting gate is at the Château Frontenac.
EntertainmentMusicians perform on weekends on a bandstand on the Plains of Abraham and there will be a special concert on the final weekend in front of the ice palace. Night parades will be held on Feb.7 at 7 p.m. in Charlesbourg, and again at the same time on Feb. 14 in Upper Town. In addition, the official carnival trumpet corps will hold a special concert on the final weekend of the festival in front of the ice palace.
If you go
THE REAL BONHOMME
Bonhomme's identity is a closely guarded secret. He is also a busy snowman, and now has two body doubles to help him do the job. Every carnival-goer wears a pass around their neck bearing a small effigy of Bonhomme, which have become collectors' items. Few can boast of having all 50 effigies, each one representing each year the carnival was held.
INFORMATION
For more information about the daily program and special activities, as well as accommodations and Carnival packages in Quebec City, call 1-866-422-7628 or visit http://www.carnaval.qc.ca. A Carnival Effigy Pass costs $7 a person (children under 12 are free) and provides access to most activities on the three main sites. Participation in some events, such as snow rafting or ice fishing, costs an additional $2 to $10 a person. For more information about Quebec City's many boutique hotels and fine restaurants, such as Serge Bruyère, Louis-Hébert or Café d'Europe, visit http://www.bonjourquebec.com or http://www.quebecregion.com.
