Oh to hell with it – let’s go with the blindingly obvious for once!
Having been there many years ago (1999), I will soon be returning to say ‘Bonjour’ to my old friend, Québec, a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province that has a predominantly French-speaking population, and the only one to have French as its sole provincial official language. The Gallic association is proudly held, its roots going back to the days when Québec formed the heart of French North America. Québec was Canada in its early days, its status a key to the country’s development over centuries.
In 1939, the government of Québec unilaterally ratified its coat of arms to reflect Québec‘s political history: French rule (gold lily on blue background), British rule (lion on red background), Canadian rule (maple leaves) and with Québec‘s motto below “Je me souviens”. Je me souviens (“I remember”) was first carved under the coat of arms of Québec‘s Parliament Building façade in 1883. It is an official part of the coat of arms and has been the official licence plate motto since 1978, replacing “La belle province” (the beautiful province).
I am looking forward to my return visit.
