Whenever I fantasize about my ideal, utopian future for Quebec, I think of a society in which anglophones are more familiar with the tremendous depth and vitality of francophone culture.
For whatever reason, Quebec has always punched above its weight by producing an impressive amount of cutting-edge artists, writers, filmmakers and musicians—many of whom are still criminally unknown in the rest of Canada and the wider world.
Maybe it's the freedom inherent in French Canada's relative geographic and cultural isolation that allows for a purer, less 'market-driven' form of creativity—a context that is similar, in some respects, to Scandinavian or smaller Central European countries.
Whatever the reason, Quebec's artists have never been afraid to take risks, capturing a viscerally-felt reality and history not shared by the rest of North America.
For readers who care about Montreal
Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.
![The Best New Cafés in Montreal [November 2025]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2025%2F11%2Fcafeminamina_1747403480_3633806228809203726_64427854713--1-.jpg&w=256&q=75)
Comments
Welcome to The Main's comments section!
Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.
No comments yet. Be the first!