Adventures in Rural Quebec

[Camelyn]

I spent the day yesterday at a BBQ hosted by a friend of a friend. She lives on a small family farm in Ormstown Quebec. What makes this farm unique is that the property sits off an old fur trading trail, and the house they live in is one of the many trading posts that were scattered along this trail.

I went to her BBQ last year, and I promised myself if I were invited again, I would bring my camera to at least try to record the feeling of history, peace and stories on the wind that I get in this place tucked away almost untouched, in a quiet corner of my province.

The Trading Post

Notes:
- The first 4 pictures are my appartment building and its surroundings, and the 5th picture is a bridge we crossed to get to Ormstown.
- The last picture is for Oz and Mirlyn. See? Told ya thee was a strip club right behind my house

 

[A.B.Normal]

Nice ,I will have to take a closer look later ,I've gotta run off to work right now.

BTW the impending photoshops of the stripclub sign should be interesting too.

 

[Oz]

That looks fantastic cam! and the countryside looks ok as well

Seriously.....that fur lodge place looks absolutely gorgeous

I only managed to get through the first ten or so photo's before me stupid dial-up took a fit and froze.......but will get through the rest laters

 

[Raven]

Those are some amazing pics! God I wouldnt mind seeing that for myself.

However knowing the vantage point some pics were taken from I could stand not to see that

 

[unclehobart]

Are all of the traffic signs in French? I hope not. An espion like me would surely get lost.

 

[Oz]

Are all of the traffic signs in French? I hope not. An espion like me would surely get lost.

That's wot I was thinkin'......although, I should manage to get lost just as easily in french as in English...

 

[chcr]

Very nice Cam. I grew up around places like that in rural upstate New York. Of course as a kid I didn't realize how cool they were.

 

[Nixy]

Oh, pretty much everything is in french...prepare yourselves for complete and utter confussion...

 

[Oz]

Oh, pretty much everything is in french...prepare yourselves for complete and utter confussion...

Oh well, I should feel right at home then

*is usually in a similar state, even on home turf*

 

[Camelyn]

Are all of the traffic signs in French? I hope not. An espion like me would surely get lost.

Traffic and road signs in Quebec are either symbolic or bilingual. In fact, Quebec was the first to devoloped a comprehensive and benchmark collection of road sign symbols design to be understood at a glance without text, that was used by nations worldwide as the basis for their own revamped road sign systems.

'Course this innovation was completely politically motivated, but what the hell, whatever works

Edited to add linkage: Quebec Road Signs

 

[Dave]

fantastic pics Cam. when i was younger, there were areas like that near me. maybe not quite as vast. they are just about all gone now. subdivisions. all these carbon copy colonials. its a shame. nice to see places like that are still around.

 

[tonksy]

Traffic and road signs in Quebec are either symbolic or bilingual. In fact, Quebec was the first to devoloped a comprehensive and benchmark collection of road sign symbols design to be understood at a glance without text, that was used by nations worldwide as the basis for their own revamped road sign systems.

'Course this innovation was completely politically motivated, but what the hell, whatever works

Edited to add linkage: Quebec Road Signs

thank heavens...my french in abyssmal...but i did learn je suis americain from all the old world war II movies.
beautiful pictures, cam

 

[Oz]

My french is erm.........bad

Turnay a gouche

Turnay a droit

Erm..

Bier!

Orangina

La fram

where is the bloody l' syndicat d' initiative silly voulez vou type person?

And the most important one....

Non escargo silly voux pratt......if I want summit lumpy slimey and tasting of garlic I'll give a french whore cunnilingus

 

[Mirlyn]

I spent the day yesterday at a BBQ hosted by a friend of a friend. She lives on a small family farm in Ormstown Quebec. What makes this farm unique is that the property sits off an old fur trading trail, and the house they live in is one of the many trading posts that were scattered along this trail.

I went to her BBQ last year, and I promised myself if I were invited again, I would bring my camera to at least try to record the feeling of history, peace and stories on the wind that I get in this place tucked away almost untouched, in a quiet corner of my province.

Beautiful! I love the sunset shot. So are the buildings actually lived in day-to-day, or just a summer retreat? Any of it completely original, or has some been restored? Are they 100% brick walls? How thick are the walls? What do/did they farm? Any other livestock aside from sheep? Any idea when the buildings were built?

Inquiring minds want to know!

The stone wheel and random farm implements reminds me of camp...

Now, about that strip club....is it a real dive or does the sign do it justice?

 

[A.B.Normal]

BTW the impending photoshops of the stripclub sign should be interesting too.

Well if no one else is gonna

 

[Nixy]

Cam: really, it's all bilingual? *remembers the transcanada through Quebec and everything being french*

 

[HomeLAN]

Sweet. There are still a few places somewhat like that in rural GA, but they're getting few and far between.

Next time I go up to Mom's place or to Karen's uncle's farm, I need to remember the camera.

 

[paul_valaru]

wow, that looks beautiful.


as to the strip club, it's not a bad place, clean and they have a free buffet on wednesdays

 

[Camelyn]

Cam: really, it's all bilingual? *remembers the transcanada through Quebec and everything being french*

Yep Nixy. Especially on federal roads. Signs are bilingual. For example on the Champlain bridge in the middle of Montreal, speed warnings are flashed in both languages. On the provincial roads, signs will be symbolic mostly. It's only on the small municipal roads that you may find sign in french only, Like a stop sign. However all non road signs will be completely in french, anything commercial, for example. Tourist info is usually either symbolic or bilingual though.

 

[Camelyn]

Beautiful! I love the sunset shot. So are the buildings actually lived in day-to-day, or just a summer retreat?

They live in the trading post house year round. its a small non-commercial family farm.

Any of it completely original, or has some been restored?

Not sure, but from what I can see there have been restorations and repairs, however I believe that the stone on the house is original.

Are they 100% brick walls? How thick are the walls?

The small farmahouse (not the trading post) is made of brick. I dont know much more about it, because it is currently not being lived in (and the door was locked ). The trading post itself is stone, with walls that are 2 feet think, for insulation purposes during the harsh winter. You'll also notice there are very few windows, again, because of the cold winters.

What do/did they farm? Any other livestock aside from sheep?

The have free ranging animals, and I saw cows, sheep, horses and donkeys wandering in and out of the area (a tad disconcerting to turn a corner and come face to face with a random cow). Its not a commercial farm, so they don't make a living at it. The owner is a producer for CBC radio.

Any idea when the buildings were built?

The trading post is a couple hundred years old at least. The barns and farmhouse are probably much younger though.

Now, about that strip club....is it a real dive or does the sign do it justice?

Beats me, seems busy enough though I certainly got enough looks when I pulled into the parking lot, with two kids in the back seat, and took a pic of the sign in the middle of the night As for the establishment itself, beats me. I keep asking friends to take me because I've never actually been to a strip club, but for some reason, it just never pans out. And I don't really feel up to going there by myself, you know?