Quebec City has always been a very symbolic place for me and my family. I’ve gone there regularly since I was a child, and I’ve performed there a lot. I grew up in Quebec and half of my family is French, so I was very much brought up in that environment.
The city certainly is the most beautiful in Canada, and it renews my sense of wonder and romance about my heritage. For me, one of the most important aspects of the place is its geographical location. As you’re driving along the St. Lawrence River, a city that looks like Prague suddenly appears in the distance. And it’s not large, so there isn’t urban sprawl to dull its impact.
And then when you’re up on top of its fortified hill and you look east and north, there’s just this vast wilderness of la belle province. It’s very heartening to know there’s still virgin territory out there.
Whenever I go to Quebec City, my French-Canadian blood simmers, and I’m reminded of my ancestors who have lived in the province for centuries. There’s something very ancient about the experience, and I seem to go back in time and slow down when I’m there. Everything stops, and I just have to walk everywhere and pause. I’ll turn a corner and I’m unexpectedly flung back 200 years. It’s nice to be able to slow down like that — it makes me feel more alive.