Engineering Pilgrimage in Quebec City

Quebec City is located on the North shore of the St Lawrence River. To cross the river, one can take the ferry, or one of two bridges, the newer Pierre Laporte Suspension Bridge, or the historic Quebec Bridge, the object of my pilgrimage.

The construction for the Quebec Bridge started in 1904, but due to design errors, it collapsed on Aug 29, 1907, killing 75 people. After a Royal Commission of Inquiry, construction was underway again. Unfortunately, when the main span was lifted into place on Sept 11, 1916, it collapsed again and killed 13 people. Finally, the bridge was opened on Aug 22, 1919 by the Prince of Wales, almost 12 years after the first collapse. To date, it is still the world’s longest cantilever bridge span, and is the westernmost complete crossing of the St Lawrence River.

In order to commemorate the Quebec Bridge disasters, graduates from Canadian engineer schools were given iron rings to be worn on the pinkies of their dominate hands. They serve as constant reminders of our social responsibilities and that our work must be of the highest quality.

When I received my iron ring upon graduation, I knew the history of the bridge, the story of how they melted the iron from the collapsed bridge to make the early iron rings, and the significance of the ring. However, I always wanted to see this infamous bridge in person. You can imagine my excitement when I found out this bridge is only 10km from where I was living in Quebec City.



The suspension bridge in the back is the Pierre Laporte Bridge, built in 1970 to cope with increased traffic. The beautiful cantilever bridge in front is le Pont du Quebec, and the origin of my iron ring.

YQB Jour 24 - Chinese food in Québec?!

With its strong French heritage, it's not surprising that people in Québec pays a lot of attention to food. My stay here has been a gastronomical ecstasy. However, I will not describe the two to three hours dinners I've had most nights, nor the many bread, pastries, cheeses, and wines I've indulged in. All that you can get in France. Instead, I will focus on a few unique Québécois dishes.

There are a few dishes in Québec that has the word 'Chinese' in them. They are not authentic Chinese food, nor do they incorporate a lot of Chinese ingredients. Rather, from what I've been told, they were food commonly eaten by the Chinese railroad workers during the early 20th century. And those names stuck in Québec.

Chinese Pate - In Québec, it's called 'pâté chinois'. In the rest of the world, it's called 'Shepherd's Pie'.

Chinese Noodles - Macaroni, vegetables, meat, and soy sauce somehow make this western food take on a Chinese name.


Poutine - This is an authentic Québécois food. French fries, gravy, and cheddar cheese curd. If you had it for lunch, you can skip dinner, and probably breakfast the next day. There's enough calories in one serving to fuel an athlete for a World Cup final game, overtime, and a few headbutts.

YQB Jour 23 - Winter in Québec

How cold does Québec get in the winter? I have no idea. But if this picture is any indication, I don't want to be here in February.

YQB Jour 21 - Lost in Translations

Funny quotes from Francophones:

- when explaining the word "rotten" in French
"when a fruit gets so old it becomes alive again"

- when referring to checked luggage on an airplane
"put it in the basement of the plane"