Barry Chris - Fodors Montréal & Quebec City 2015

Ask Quebecers what they think of their city, and theyll rattle off tons of things to improve: potholes, bureaucratic corruption, construction strikes, parking meters, and the list goes on. Then ask them if they would move anywhere else in the world, and the answer is always a confident no. Any indication that the cold weather is gone and Quebecers will head to an outdoor terrace.

Locals in both Qubec City and Montral enjoy their city in the summer, with after-work drinks, picnics on the weekends, volleyball in the many parks, and with impromptu rendezvous outdoors. One of the most important rules here is to absorb as much sunlight as possible before the snow plows arrive to roar down the streets yet again. The European feel makes locals proud to call Qubec their homeand its a vibe that remains active, as exiles from France and Italy make their way to this province to find work in their native languages.

With the massive success of home-grown band, Arcade Fire, international record labels are paying more and more attention to the city. The emerging Montral music scene is comparable to Seattles Indie music explosion of the 1990s. Bands such as the Sam Roberts Band, Half Moon Run, and Chromeo are making Montral concert halls the place to be.

Politics in Qubec are as entertaining as hockey, and Montrealers recently saw changes at both the provincial and municipal level.

Quebecers went to the polling stations in April 2014 and the result surprised not just locals but all Canadians, when the incumbent separatist party, the Parti-Qubcois, lost by a majority vote to the Liberal Party. With the Liberals now in power, talk of provincial separation has ceased, discussions about the controversial Charter of Values have been shelved, and the Pastagate nonsensein which the French-language police, responsible for the preservation of the language, wanted to ban the word pasta from an Italian restaurant menuhas ended.

On the municipal level, Montrals new mayor, Denis Coderre is a young, hip, charismatic politician who loves hockey and his city with equal zeal. He saved the bankrupted Bixi bike-share scheme, hates graffiti, and promises to make Montral a top tourist destination in North America. Things are looking good.

Things are looking up in Montrals Downtown arts district, the Quartier des Spectacles, as it continues to expand and grow. Its also the only place in the world with year-round artistic projections on the building facades and windows. Enjoy the views, but watch your stepwater fountains shoot up beneath many of its concrete walkways.

As for Qubec City, its emerging as a premier stop for summer concerts and festivals. On the Plains of Abraham, outdoor performances accommodate more than 250,000 spectators, and people come from all over to watch under the stars. Past performers such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Paul McCartney, and Rush have helped put Qubec City on the entertainment map, and in 2014, Journey and Lady Gaga entertained fans.

Montrals soccer team, The Impact, began competing in Major League Soccer in 2012. After that the fan base increasedand adding the popular (and hunky) Italian heavyweights such as Marco De Vaio and Argentinian midfielder Ignacio Piatti probably didnt hurt with bringing in some new fans, either.

Not wanting to feel left out, Qubec Citys mayor, Regis Labeaume, has decided that one of his priorities will be getting an NHL team back in town. Hes building a C$400-million stadium, scheduled to be ready by the fall of 2015, but theres no team yet: if you build it, they will come seems to be the thinking.

Montral has come a long way since its 2009 introduction of Bixi, the bike-rental scheme that has since expanded to New York City, London, Chicago, and many other cities. Using the system, you pay to take a bicycle from a rental station and then leave it at a station near your destination. Every year more bike paths are added to city streets (there are at least 500 km [300 miles] of them now), much to the chagrin of some drivers. In 2014 came with the announcement that Bixi had gone bankrupt, but after some discussions, the new Montral mayor, Denis Coderre, stepped in and said the city would take over ownership for at least one year. Much remains to be seen for the future, but many think the city will continue to keep it going. Fans of the scheme have their fingers crossed.