Quebec Winter Carnival

The 71st Winter Carnival is open

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

The 71st Quebec Winter Carnival is now open! From Feb. 7 to 16, people will celebrate winter in all its glory. They will skate with Bonhomme, visit his Ice Palace, dance in the Kraft Juke Box, tour the garden of ice sculptures, watch the night parades and enjoy the many partner activities. There is something to please everyone.

“I am very proud to see everyone here assembled to celebrate the opening of the 71st Winter Carnival, to celebrate winter and the cold,” said Bonhomme. “I hope to see you at the Carnival.”

As tradition demanded, May- or Bruno Marchand handed Bonhomme the key to the city at the opening ceremony on Feb. 7. “I want you to take good care of our city because it is the most beautiful winter city in the world, as stated by people from all over the world! You are the master of the city over the next ten days!” With those words, Marchand handed Bonhomme a giant brass key, officially opening the Winter Carnival.

Inspired by the falling snow, MNA for Montmorency Jean- François Simard quoted Gilles Vigneault, “‘Mon pays ce n’est pas un pays, c’est l’hiver,’” he said. “Quebec City and Quebecers love winter. There is no winter in Quebec City without the Winter Carnival! There is no Winter Carnival without Bonhomme.” He continued, “Bonhomme, you have been bringing us joy and sun every winter for 71 years! Every year, we are happy to see you again! On behalf of the Quebec government, I wish you all a wonderful Carnival.”

After the ceremony, the stage was set for the opening show, featuring stand-up comic and singer Mariana Mazza and her guests. Wearing a red fake-fur hat, a Nordiques jacket and moon boots, Mazza had the crowd laughing to her quick wit and vulgar jokes and dancing and singing along with her Bon Jovi covers, “Living on a Prayer” and “It’s My Life.” She asked the crowd not to blow their horns, to which a spectator objected, adding an unexpected comical dialogue to the show. The rest of the show was a mixture of jokes, songs and dance moves performed by Véronique Claveau, Erika Suarez, Rafaëlle Roy, King Melrose and Émily Bégin. Until Feb. 16, anyone with a Carnival effigy can tour the Ice Palace at Zone Loto-Québec (Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale), the ice sculpture garden (Parc de la Francophonie) or the giant Philadelphia Ferris Wheel in the Kraft Jukebox (Place George-V). In Lower Town, visit Bonhomme’s Beach behind Espace 400. There are over 50 partner events and activities throughout the Quebec City region.

For more information, visit carnaval.qc.ca.

The 71st Winter Carnival is open Read More »

Ateliers du Carnaval pull back curtain on night parades

Ateliers du Carnaval pull back curtain on night parades

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Ateliers du Carnaval pull back the curtain on night parades

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Over the past weeks, the staff at Les Ateliers du Carnaval has been working hard to create and restore the iconic floats in preparation for the legendary night parades.

On Feb. 3, reporters were invited to tour the various workshops as staff put the finishing touches on the floats and dancers practised their moves for the parades.

The Ateliers du Carnaval is where the magic of the Winter Carnival is brought to life year after year. It is where 500 people, including 350 artists and artisans, spend 3,000 hours creating temporary art in the dead of winter. With a few coats of paint, some sculpted wood and lots of plywood, the wheeled platforms are transformed into different worlds: Bonhomme’s icemobile, Flip Fabrique’s acrobatic zone, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows float and much more.

On the evening of Feb. 15, residents who missed the Feb. 8 Lower Town Night Parade (see article in this edition) can see the floats come to life at the Upper Town parade, with lights, music and performers, and the nine sequences directed by 11 artistic directors. There will be something for everyone: circus performances, dancers, lights, music and even pyrotechnics. To enjoy the full experience, spectators are reminded to dress warmly and bring their Carnival trumpets and other noisemakers.

The massive 16-foot-high Ubisoft float will capture everyone’s attention. Inspired by the soon-to-be-released action-adventure video game Assassin’s Creed Shadows, this float resembles a traditional Japanese house. The Assassin’s Creed logo is added to the hanging lanterns.

In an adjacent workshop, workers were building Bonhomme’s float. On the day of the tour, there was little to see. Reporters, like the rest of the public, will have to wait for the parades to see the complete show.

The Feb. 15 Upper Town parade starts at 7 p.m. on Grande Allée from Avenue des Érables.

For more information about the parades and other Carnival events, visit carnaval.qc.ca/en.

Ateliers du Carnaval pull back curtain on night parades Read More »

Bonhomme’s ice palace days away from being ready

Bonhomme’s Ice Palace is days away from being ready

Cassandra Kerwin

Cassandra@qctonline.com

From Feb. 7 to 16, visitors with Quebec Winter Carnival effigies can walk among the eight towers of Bonhomme’s Ice Palace and marvel at their height, with the tallest tower reaching 36 feet (nearly 11 metres). It took more than 17 days for snow and ice sculptor Marc Lepire and his team of 10 builders to complete the “Nordic sanctuary” using 2,800 ice blocks, each weighing 300 pounds and measuring 40 inches by 20 inches by 10.5 inches. Once completed, the Ice Palace will cover 5,800 square feet. Be sure to dress warmly when you visit it, because Bonhomme likes it cold, with ideal temperatures between -10 and -15. 

“There aren’t many people who build ice walls,” said Lepire, who has been building a new Ice Palace for Bonhomme every year for 13 years. “The first year I did it, there were 22 of us, and this year there are 10. I had to adapt and find the right people to do it.

“After last year’s abnormally warm weather forced us to close the site early, we had to rethink the structure and the effects of the sun on the ice, even in February,” said Lepire. “This year, we thought of the palace differently – the corners of the towers, the strongest parts, are oriented toward the sun. We hope it will last throughout the Carnival if temperatures remain below -5 degrees.” 

Quebec’s winter wildlife inspired Lepire and designer Jean-François Couture as they decorated the palace. Visitors will discover ice sculpted into moose, trees, owls, traditional snow boots, ceinture fléchée sashes and more. After sunset, everything is lit by colourful LED lights, bringing life to all the sculptures. 

“It’s truly a representation of Bonhomme’s one and only great love: winter,” said  Carnival director Marie-Ève ​​Jacob. “Lepire and his team finished the exterior of the palace a few days ago and now they are working on the interior. Thanks to their skills in sculpting, visitors will discover eight unique towers. The first one represents the snowflake, because Bonhomme was born from a snowflake. At the end, we have a lookout, to see the site from a bird’s eye view. It will truly be another wonderful Carnival experience.”

Visitors must have a Carnival effigy to visit the Zone Loto-Québec. The effigy, available for $39 plus tax, is valid for entry to all the carnival sites from Feb. 7-16. For more information, visit carnaval.qc.ca.

Bonhomme’s ice palace days away from being ready Read More »

Scroll to Top