Quebec with 10 year old

I’m planning a trip with my eldest to Quebec, probably in the spring.  The main objective is to expose him to something beyond US/English language (wish we could do Europe, but on our current budget Quebec is the best we can do at the moment). 

Personally I’m happy just wandering around a city on foot and seeing the sites and finding stuff by accident.  But with my son I figured I’d better have at least a few things planned ahead.  Any suggestions?  

Also, the last time I was in Quebec was 2004.  Even though all of Canada is technically English/French on paper, my experience at that time was that 90% of signs, etc, were in French only.  Please tell me it is still that way, as exposure to another language and understanding what it is like to be in a place where you don’t understand a lot of what written or being said is kinda the main point.

Hello-Are you talking about Quebec City or another area in Quebec or Montreal? My son LOVED QC when he was little. In the cities, most people are bilingual and will switch to English quickly when you start to speak (esp in touristy areas/downtown). We've also spent a bit of time in Montreal. I think it is possible to have a fairly immersive experience in either QC or Montreal. We travel frequently to Europe but consider Quebec a nice alternative. Has its own very interesting history which obviously is tied into ours. Feel free to PM or ask further questions here.

Quebec City for the most part.  Yes, when I was there people would switch to English, but I just want him to get the feel of walking around and hearing a different language being spoken everywhere.  He is very accepting of others who may not have the same background as us, but experiencing in person what it is like to not be able to understand other people is different than just asking him to imagine what it is like.

I do remember years ago while driving up to Quebec City we stopped for food and ran into people who didn’t speak English, but they were apologetic about it and tolerated my middle school French very well.  I failed both years of middle school French, by the way, but it served me well as I am now able to confidently order a baked potato with cheese at ANY Wendy’s in Canada, regardless of whether they are located in the English or French speaking provinces 

from Bob Roe:   I think a ten year old will really like Quebec City.   It is bi-lingual with lots of narrow streets.  Take a tour bus.  The drivers/navigators are all very funny and history is learned in fun way.   

There will be lots of bilingual signs and announcements, just because it's Canada.  If you take a trip to Isle d'Orleans, which is fairly close, you'll be in an agricultural area with small villages, with more "French all the time".

Visit the fortifications, and the changing of the guard at the Citadel (as I recall, the commands are in French).

You can visit the Quebec provincial assembly, for a tour or a session.  They make a point to mention that it's North America's only French-language governing body.

nohero said:

There will be lots of bilingual signs and announcements, just because it's Canada.  If you take a trip to Isle d'Orleans, which is fairly close, you'll be in an agricultural area with small villages, with more "French all the time".

Visit the fortifications, and the changing of the guard at the Citadel (as I recall, the commands are in French).

You can visit the Quebec provincial assembly, for a tour or a session.  They make a point to mention that it's North America's only French-language governing body.

 So it has changed?  When I was there in the late 90’s, and again in the early 2000’s, all the signs were in French only, completely ignoring the bi-lingual rules they allegedly have.  At one point I parked on a street that had a sign that said something about parking Monday through Friday, and it was a Saturday with a gazillion cars parked there.  When I returned I had a parking ticket, the ONLY other car parked there that had a ticket was from Massachusetts, all the cars with Canadian plates were fine.  Not knowing what the ticket said I brought it home.  A family member who was fluent read the ticket and apparently it claimed that I had parked at a bus stop, and I knew that was complete bullsh¡t.  My mother, whose car I had used for that trip, told me to not pay it, she was never going to Canada herself, and she was also angry that the parking signs were in French only, so she said on principle alone we should ignore it.

I’ll check out Isle d’Orleans.  And I love agricultural areas, so that will be a bonus 

spontaneous said:

 So it has changed?  When I was there in the late 90’s, and again in the early 2000’s, all the signs were in French only, completely ignoring the bi-lingual rules they allegedly have. ..

I wasn't thinking about street signs like "Arrêt" stop signs, I was thinking of shops, menus, etc.

Even the "Changing of the Guard" will have English and French for the loudspeaker announcements.

By the way, if Scully ever does go to Canada and never returns, we’ll know it was because they locked her up because of the 20+ year old parking ticket which is probably up to $10,000 now with fees and interest 

Don't forget their idea of fast foods -- poutine!

And, if you recall, I took the ticket, mailed it back to them and told them what they could do with it.... in English.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

And, if you recall, I took the ticket, mailed it back to them and told them what they could do with it.... in English.

 I don’t remember that part