Tag Archives: July 28 2021

COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Community Calendar of Events

Compiled by QCT staff

From July 20 to Aug. 10, pick your own blackcurrants and gooseberries at the Du Capitaine farm, 4748 chemin Royal, Saint-Jean de l’Île d’Orléans. These flavourful berries, rich in vitamin C, grow in clusters on thornless bushes. The farm is on a cape, surrounded by lavender bushes and fruit trees. Get a great view of the St. Lawrence as you pick. Wear closed-toed shoes and bring a hat, sunscreen, water, a picnic lunch and enough plastic containers to bring your berries home. Activities may be cancelled in case of inclement weather. Call 418-956-2614 for more information.

Wednesday, Aug. 4 at noonMusical Wednesday concert at Chalmers-Wesley United Church, 78 rue Ste-Ursule in Old Quebec, featuring the traditional Scottish music trio Crépuscule (Christian Haerinck, Dominic Haerinck and Daniel Fréchette). All concerts are free, although donations are welcome. Two gift certificates from the Café-Bistro L’Omelette (Café de Paris) will be drawn at the end of each concert up to Sept. 1. For more details about the concert series, visit chalmerswesley.org.

Voice of English-speaking Québec (VEQ) offers Out and About activities for English speakers 50 and older including free transportation. Weekly outings include shopping trips, nature activities, excursions to Île d’Orléans, visits to museums, ice cream parlour trips and more! Visit veq.ca/ourcommunity/upcoming-events for details. To offer suggestions or to register, contact Maria Hoyt at 418-683-2366 ext. 224 or maria.hoyt@veq.ca.

The Library of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, located in the Morrin Centre, 44 Chaussée des Écossais in Old Quebec, is now open. Reservations are required. To reserve your time slot, visit morrin.org/en/explore-the-library.

The Festival d’opéra de Québec takes place from July 27 to Aug. 7. Highlights include L’opéra français en fête on July 30 at the Grand Théâtre, Georges Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de perles on July 31 and Aug. 2 and 4 at Théâtre La Bordée, Les leçons de Maria Callas on Aug. 1, 3, 5 and 6 at Le Diamant and the ever-popular roving Brigade Lyrique, which has promoted opera in Quebec City parks and public spaces with free outdoor performances since the festival’s beginning. For more details and to reserve your tickets, visit festivaloperaquebec.com.

The Domaine Forget in Saint-Irénée presents many free concerts by students of the International Music and Dance Academy, and outdoor activities such as yoga in the sculpture garden and movies at dusk. Concerts in the Grand Hall feature well-known singers and musicians such as Les Violons du Roy, Gregory Charles and Marc Hervieux. For information and reservations visit domaineforget.com, call 1-888-336-7438 or 418-452-3535 or visit the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix Facebook page.

The Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France are taking place from Aug. 5 to 15 in a new interactive format. For details, visit nouvellefrance.qc.ca/en/program and see Cassandra Kerwin’s article here.

OBITUARY: Dr. Jay Q. OUELLET, DC

Dr. Jay Q. Ouellet, DC (1954-2020)

Jay Q. Ouellet died in Quebec City on Dec. 27, 2020. He is survived by his beloved wife Martine René, his daughter Jessika, his grandchildren Alyssia and Felix, his brother David (Sophie), his sister-in-law Renée, nieces Marie and Jamie and nephew Ryan. He was predeceased by his mother Jo (Quart) Ouellet and his brother Gary Ouellet.

Jay succumbed to advanced small cell lung cancer. When first diagnosed, he was given one month to live, but he took matters into his own hands and found the best help he could. He was one hell of a fighter who lasted three and a half more years, which is a tribute in itself. This gave him time to marry Martine René, the love of his life, who was right beside him until his last breath. Kudos to Martine and all the staff at Hôtel-Dieu Hospital and CHUL.

Jay’s cancer was caused by smoking too many cigarettes. In heaven he will be joined by his Mom, his brother, his godmother, two of his mother’s brothers and his beloved grandfather, all of whom died as a result of smoking. Please give that a thought before reaching for your next one.

Jay was not only a great chiropractor but also a great astrophotographer. He was profiled several times in the local newspapers, including the QCT. His pictures also made their way to the cover of Astronomy Today, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and even as a clue on the TV show Jeopardy! He has many photos of himself and the megastars he treated (as a chiropractor) over the years: Bon Jovi, Elton John, Paul McCartney and so, so many more. Jay was one-of-a-kind … the one and only chiropractor to have done it all. He will be missed.

A funeral service will take place at Montmartre Canadien Chapel, 1679 chemin Saint-Louis, on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 11 a.m. Visitation will take place from 10 a.m.

Nature Conservancy BioBlitz helps Canadians discover biodiversity

Nature Conservancy BioBlitz helps Canadians discover biodiversity

Press release

From July 29 to Aug. 2, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is holding a nationwide virtual event encouraging people to observe nature and learn more about habitats and species in their backyards, neighbourhoods and wherever they find nature. The Big Backyard BioBlitz is part of the non-profit organization’s mandate to connect Canadians with nature. By registering for the event at natureconservancy.ca/2021bioblitz and then going out into nature to take photos, people can make a meaningful contribution to conservation and our understanding of wild species and natural habitats.

Citizen science is just what it sounds like: community members like you contributing to science. Data collected from backyards and greenspaces across the country can help build our knowledge about wildlife and even inform conservation actions. “Anyone can participate. It’s a great way for people of all ages to look at nature more closely and learn about the plant and animal species close to home,” said Dan Kraus, senior conservation biologist at the national office of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “Spending time outdoors is also beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing. This is a great way to connect with nature and fellow nature lovers, while contributing to our collective knowledge of Canada’s wildlife.”

Here’s how it works: People can register anytime during the BioBlitz week at natureconservancy.ca/2021bioblitz. They will then receive access to a participant package with instructions on how to submit their photos, as well as activity sheets for kids, fact sheets and resources to learn more about species identification. They can then head outside and observe plants, animals and insects, snap photos and upload the images on the application. Photos will be reviewed by a global network of scientists.

Last year our Big Backyard BioBlitz resulted in over 20,000 observations, including almost 2,000 in Quebec with 581 observed species. Help us gather even more information this year. Who knows what you’ll discover?

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 14 million hectares (35 million acres) from coast to coast to coast, including 48,000 hectares (close to 119,000 acres) in Quebec. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.

This pickerel frog was one of 581 species observed
in Quebec last year by Nature Conservancy BioBlitz
participants. (Photo courtesy of the Nature Conservancy of Canada)