Welcome to the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America! As you browse the site, you will learn about the heritage of French-speaking North America, as well as about its history and diversity. Get to know the people who preserve and cherish it, discover the places where it finds expression and become familiar with the trends that have shaped and influenced its evolution throughout history.

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Men hoisting a boat onto the ice, Quebec City, 1863.

By Ferland, Catherine and Fournier, Martin

Adapting to Winter: Transportation

Winters in Quebec are long and harsh. When the first French immigrants settled on the banks of the Saint Lawrence, adapting to Quebec’s winter was a major challenge. Every aspect of day-to-day living was affected—agriculture and food supply, transportation, lodging, clothing, human relations, and culture. Amerindians were instrumental in helping the settlers to adapt. Then, as one generation gave way to the next, the ingenuity of the inhabitants and their determination to alleviate the hardships of winter led to the invention of ever more effective tools and equipment and the developmen...

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The English version of the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America is online since December 15th, 2009. It features an ever growing number of articles, documents and resources on the heritage of French-speaking North America.

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Encylcopedia of French Cultural
Heritage in North America

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