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By Ted McDermott The people of Québec City don’t require water—much less warmth—to boat. Each year, as part of the city’s Winter Carnival, you can find teams pushing canoes across snow-covered streets and the iced-over St. Lawrence River. Called, fittingly enough, ice canoeing, the sport started, according to legend, as a competition between families seeking mail delivery contracts. Today, there are races and associations and a huge, 40-team competition during the city’s Winter Carnival, the world’s largest. If you’re in Québec City on the weekend of February 6 through 8, you can see this singular pastime taking place on rue Saint-Joseph or the frozen river. You can also attend the Calgary Flapjack Breakfast or Normandin Soapbox Derby or Outdoor Dance Party. And that’s just some of what’s going on during one weekend of this more than two-week-long event. Between January 30 and February 15, Québec will be celebrating, rather than avoiding, the city’s long, cold winter. Family activities, sports and nightlife will take place throughout the winding, snowy streets of the city and in the breathtaking areas around it. There will be night parades, ice fishing, concerts, snow sculptures, skating, football and horse-drawn sleighs. There even will be dogsled races through the streets of Old Québec. With all of this, winter isn’t a deterrent to visiting this vibrant and historic Canadian city—it’s an invitation. If you accept it, you’ll find one of the North America’s oldest and most picturesque cities. Founded as Kébec in 1608 by the great French explorer Samuel de Champlain, Québec has just finished celebrating its four-hundredth anniversary. In that long timeline, it has gone from an outpost in the French colonial enterprise to the capital of New France to the capital of Lower Canada to what it is today, a provincial capital with a population of more than 600,000. Despite all its many changes, the city retains much of its history as well as its French origins. Ninety-five percent of the population is French-speaking. That said, it is easy enough to get around the city with English, as most people who work in service or tourism are bilingual. The cultural difference, however, is obvious. The French Canadian mix of Old World charm and New World fortitude is a legacy of the city’s difficult beginnings in this remote corner of North America and its ability to thrive despite many obstacles. Coming here by boat along the St. Lawrence Seaway, you will be struck by the pristine landscape. As you approach the city, you will be taken aback by views of the Château Frontenac and the spires and rooflines spread out below it. Located at the heart of the historic district of the Old Port, the Port of Québec Marina is the ideal location for those looking to moor in the city. Before arrival, simply contact the lock keeper on VHF channel 71 to indicate that you wish to enter or leave the marina. Reservations, especially during summer weekends, are recommended, but transients are welcome. With more than 415 slips and facilities for vessels up to 200 feet in length with a draft of 20 feet, it can accommodate most every craft. Each berth has a drinking water hook-up and a 30-amp hydro hook-up (50- and 100-amp hook-ups are also available). Gasoline or diesel can be obtained at the service station. Dockage for boats up to 59 feet in length is $1.85 per foot, per night, and the marina offers discounts for stays of one week or longer. On the marina site, the Riviera Cafe offers an unparalleled view of Québec City. It’s a good place to begin a visit, but it’s only a starting point. Because of the marina’s ideal location, you will be within walking distance of most of the city’s major tourist attractions. The city certainly warrants a longer trip, but many of the highlights can be seen in a well-planned day. From the marina, it’s a short walk to Old Québec (or Vieux-Québec, in French), a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Treasure that is alive with a rich history. Circumscribing this historic area are the city’s imposing fortifications. Declared an historic monument in 1957, the wall forms a 2.9-mile-long belt. A path, which runs atop the ramparts and gates, includes interpretive signs that allow visitors to become acquainted with the evolution of the defense system of the last fortified city in North America.