Quebec

Delivering on its “beautiful province” nickname, Quebec is a Canadian charmer that provides the perfect blend of outdoor adventure and cultural pursuits. The region is home to 27 national parks, and it lays claim to one of the largest rivers in the world, the St. Lawrence, dotted with old coastal villages, islands, bird sanctuaries, marine mammals and lighthouses. It also makes a splash with its urban pleasures. Montreal, the second-largest French-speaking region outside France, brims with its museums and music venues, while Quebec City takes the spotlight for its European flavor and Old World accents. Outside the main cities, regions like the Laurentians and Eastern Townships offer tranquil retreats.


Quebec City

Quebec City is just winding down its year-long 400th birthday fete, with the final event being held this month. During the celebrations, Quebec had a chance to show off its French flair, namely in Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising stone buildings, such as the imposing Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, and winding streets lined with shops and restaurants. “Quebec City, from an American point of view, is like being totally immersed in a French-speaking area or neighborhood without going as far as France,” says Paule Bergeron, account executive for the media with the Quebec City Tourism. “There is a lot of heritage and history; it’s a unique city that is very clean and safe.”

Other attractions include the Plains of Abraham west of the Parliament Hill District--a historic, 108 acre plateau within The Battlefields Park.

Quebec City has its charms in any season, according to Bergeron says.

“We have the Ice Hotel in Quebec, and you only have to drive a half-hour to be in full nature for snow sports like dogsledding, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing,” he says. “The same thing goes for the summertime, with canoeing, kayaking, trekking and horseback riding.” Quebec City is well-equipped for conventions, with more than 12,600 hotel rooms in the Greater Quebec City area, most of which are close to the Quebec City Convention Centre, which in 2006 received the International Association of Congress Centres Apex Award for the “World’s Best Congress Centre.”

Bergeron notes that there was growth in tourism during the 400th anniversary this year, with some 5 million people transiting through the city. There was also a boost in meetings and conventions. “We’re hoping we will be able to keep such good numbers for 2009 and years to come, but a lot of companies chose Quebec in 2008 because there was so much going on,” Bergeron says.

In the wake of the 400th anniversary celebrations, several improvements to the city will remain, including easier access to the shores of the St. Lawrence River thanks to the construction of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain. The project includes the creation of a long green space between the river and Boulevard Champlain.

Another permanent fixture is the nearly 30-foot-high Tourny fountain, courtesy of La Maison Simons, a retailer whose history is deeply rooted in Quebec City.

Access to Quebec is also getting easier, according to Bergeron.

“Our airport was remodeled for 2008, and we are increasing the number of direct flights from the U.S.--Newark, Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit.”

Several hotels in Quebec are undergoing renovations, including the Hilton Quebec, estimated at approximately $12 million. Enhancements to the lobby, two meeting facilities, executive lounge and 90 guest rooms have been completed, with 100 more guest rooms to be refurbished by the end of the year. There is also a new executive lounge on the 23rd floor overlooking the city. Chateau Mont Sainte-Anne is currently undergoing a $5 million renovation, while the Four Points by Sheraton Quebec is opening Golf de la Faune, a links-style golf course set in a natural environment.

Off-site venues include the Chapel of Musee de l’Amerique Francaise’s New France Gala, where guests can dine wearing 18th century garb. Groups can also take a boat ride on the St. Lawrence River with views of Montmorency Falls or host events at the various museums in the city. To the east of the city lies the Charlevoix region, including its star destination, La Malbaie. The region offers activities such as downhill skiing and ice canyoning, and a wealth of meeting space at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu.


Montreal

Known for its jazz scene, underground shopping and proximity to Mont Royal Park, Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, is a natural draw for groups.

Downtown lends access to the underground city, 20 miles in length and filled with stores and restaurants, while the to the southeast sits Old Montreal, famed for its cobblestone streets, Bonsecour Market--an old farmer’s market—and the Old Port neighborhood, now a recreational and historical area maintained by Parks Canada.

Montreal has received numerous accolades from the press in the last few years. Wallpapermagazine recently featured Montreal as one of the top cities for design and architecture, while Gourmet Magazine has focused on the city’s dining scene, which now spans some 5,000 restaurants. Other publications showcase the arts and creativity that flourish in the city, which remains the international headquarters for Cirque du Soleil.

“The main reason meetings and conventions flock to Montreal is for its international flavor,” according to Patrick Guidote, assistant director for international media relations for Tourisme Montreal. “In Montreal, everybody is bilingual; it’s very much a fabric of the city. Latin and French culture are very prevalent, and there is a relaxed attitude about the city. We work to live, not live to work. It’s a great stepping stone for any group looking to grow international in scope and have the comfort of North America.”

Montreal offers 26,500 rooms—15,000 located downtown, 8,000 in deluxe properties and 4,000 connected to the Palais des Congres, the city’s main convention center, via weather-protected walkways.

Venues open to groups include the Bonsecour Market, which can accommodate up to 6,000 people. Another historic site, the old Windsor rail station, can host up to 5,000 people. Groups can also hire local circus schools, such as Cirque Eloize, to perform or provide team-building programs, and they can take advantage of Montreal’s island setting with water activities ranging from white-water rafting to kayaking.

Montreal is expanding its hotel offerings with several newly opened properties. In April, Le Crystal de la Montagne opened with 59 condos and 131 suites. Other newcomers include the 162-room Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites Montreal Airport, the 136-room aloft at Trudeau Airport and Opus Montreal.

Other hotel projects include an upcoming Westin Montreal, which will open in February in an Old Montreal landmark across from the convention center that formerly housed one of the city’s newspapers. The hotel will offer 423 guest rooms, 30 suites, a 7,600-square-foot ballroom and 9,000 square feet of prefunction space.

Also in February, The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal will be transformed into the Residences at Ritz-Carlton, Montreal. After a $100 million investment, the hotel will reopen with 130 rooms, 35 apartment residences and 15 apartment suites.

In 2011, the Waldorf=Astoria is slated to open with 250 hotel rooms, 76 residences and 15,000 square feet of meeting space.

Meanwhile, the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure recently finished a renovation, the InterContinental and Holiday Inn are getting extensive makeovers, and Hotel Nelligan is adding 44 rooms and meeting space.

Other top meetings properties in town include Hyatt Regency Montreal and Le Centre Sheraton Montreal.

Southeast of Montreal are the Eastern Townships, known for scenic landscapes and outdoor activities, including downhill and cross-country skiing, dogsledding and snowshoeing during winter and hiking boating and kayaking during summer Golf is also popular, with 33 golf courses in the area, while the region’s icon is the monastery Abbaye Saint-Benoit-du-Lac. Venues for groups include the Art Gallery of Sherbrook, Granby Zoo, Bleu Lavande lavender farm and the <> train, which offers group rentals.

Chateau Bromont, Hotel Cheribourg and Delta Sherbrooke Hotel and Conference Centre are among the major group hotels.


Outaouais Region

In the southwestern part of Quebec, the Outaouais region is adjacent to the Laurentians and Ottawa, Canada’s capital.

The region hosted more than 300 meetings and events in 2007, mainly in Gatineau. Part of the appeal for Gatineau and the Outaouais region is its accessibility; it’s located 20 minutes from the Ottawa International Airport and less than 20 minutes from Ottawa by train. “We get day trips from Ottawa,” says Jose Lafleur, assistant director of communications for Tourisme Outaouais.

But the region has its own lures, including the Casino du Lac Leamy and the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which offers group banquet facilities.

“You can get culture and an urban experience, but close by you also get nature,” Lafleur says. Heading outdoors, there are 150 golf courses in the Ottawa and Gatineau region. For the adventurous, the Coulonge Falls thrills visitors with zip lines over the impressive canyon, and groups can also go white-water rafting on the Ottawa River or explore Parc Omega, a 1,500-acre territory where North American wildlife can be observed in their natural habitat, including wolves, bears and buffalos.

Groups can stay at properties such as the Hilton Lac-Leamy, with 33 000 square feet of meeting space, and the Wakefield Mill Inn & Spa, located in a restored 1838 grist mill. Hotel upgrades at meetings-friendly properties include a $3 million-plus renovation of Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello and a new conference room at L’Auberge du Draveur, accommodating up to 325 people. Additionally, the Best Western Cartier Hotel and Conference Centre recently revamped its guest rooms and meeting space, and Le Nordik-Nature Spa is adding a meeting room for up to 80 people.


Laurentians

The Laurentians is a leisure mecca, with no less than 30 luxury spas, 14 downhill ski areas and 45 golf courses. The region takes its name from the chain of mountains that runs down its northern side.

“We are a good retreat area for groups who like to play outdoors,” says Helene Prudhomme, meetings coordinator for the Laurentians Tourism Association.

The Upper Laurentians boasts some 4,500 lakes and rivers and the region’s highest peak, Montagne du Diable. The Laurentians Gateway is home to Oka National Park and the Riviere Rouge, which provides white-water rafting and kayaking opportunities, and in winter is home to the region’s cross-country ski trails. Meanwhile, the Laurentian Heartland has golf courses, restaurants, hotels and the Laurentians Contemporary Art Museum.

One of the region’s biggest attractions is Mont Tremblant for downhill skiing. Groups can also host a banquet at the top of the gondola for 400 people. Next year, a casino is slated to open in Mont Tremblant village.

“During fall when the colors change, it is so beautiful, or in summer you have a view of the lake,” Prudhomme says.

Hotel options in the area include the the Manoir Saint-Sauveur, with 20,000 square feet of meeting space and a spa. In the Mont-Tremblant area, groups can find established hotel chains such as Fairmont, Marriott, Hilton and Westin, as well as the Chateau Beauvallon and Wyndham Cap Tremblant Mountain Resort, located at the summit of a mountain.


For More Info

Eastern Townships Tourism    819.820.2020    www.easterntownships.org

Laurentians Tourism Association     800.561.6673    www.laurentides.com

Quebec City Tourism     418.641.6654     www.quebecregion.com

Tourisme Charlevoix    418.665.4454     www.charlevoixtourism.com

Tourisme Montreal     514.844.5400     www.tourisme-montreal.org

Tourisme Mont-Tremblant     819.425.2434     www.tourismemonttremblant.com

Tourisme Outaouais     819.778.2222     www.tourismeoutaouais.ca

Tourisme Quebec    514.873.2015     www.bonjourquebec.com