Off the Shelf with Jean Provencher and Louisa Blair

In this bilingual event, Jean Provencher will talk about the history of English-French relations in Quebec City, while Louisa Blair will examine a tale of murder in the Saguenay involving her distant relatives.

Provencher reflects on the ways in which the daily collaboration between Quebec City’s English-speaking and French-speaking populations has enriched the life of the city. Topics include culture, architecture, and health, as well as the role of significant personalities such as Joseph Morrin, James Douglas and James M. LeMoine.

A historian and writer for nearly 40 years, Provencher has authored or co-authored over 30 works, including the recently published fourth edition of the Chronologie de Québec. He won the 2011 Gérard Morriset award from the Government of Quebec, which recognizes careers dedicated to culture and heritage, and hosts the interactive web site JeanProvencher.com.

Murder in the Saguenay

In the early nineteenth century in the Saguenay, if a man got killed, the closest courtroom was in Quebec City. If the man was your brother and nobody saw, you kept it all in the family. Blair will talk about anglophone families in the Saguenay, including her own, based on resources in Brendan O’Donnell’s bibliography, her own interviews, family lore, fiction and sheer gossip.

Louisa Blair is a writer and editor and describes herself as a maudite anglophone québécoise de souche. Author of The Anglos: The Hidden Face of Quebec City 1608-1850, she lives in Quebec City where she was born.

Organized by QUESCREN, the ETRC, and the Morrin Centre.