The FIDIC 2008 Quebec Conference offers an exciting and varied social programme. Included in the participants' and accompanying persons' registrations are the Welcome Reception, Opening Ceremony, Monday evening Local Colour Night Evening Cruise and the Wednesday evening Gala Dinner. Accompanying Persons also receive a special package that includes gifts, brochures and information, and they are entitled to use the coach transfers provided free-of-charge by the conference organizers. Extra tickets can be purchased for these events before 1 September 2008. There are also optional events that take place during the conference, but there are no conference-organized post-conference tours.
Buses for optional events and tours will leave from the main lobby of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel, the conference venue, which is in easy walking distance of the three other conference hotels (Hôtel Château Laurier; Hôtel Loews Le Concorde; Hôtel Clarendon). For events included in the conference programme (Welcome Reception; Opening Ceremony; Local Colour Night Evening Cruise; Gala Dinner), buses will leave from, and return to, the Château Frontenac Hotel, Château Laurier and Loews Le Concorde hotels. Those staying at the Clarendon are asked to take buses from the Château Frontenac, which is very close by.
Reservations for optional events, registration in the accompanying persons programme and extra tickets for events included in the conference and accompanying persons' registrations can be paid for online and using the offline registration form.
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| SATURDAY 6 September 2008 |
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Presidents Dinner (For FIDIC Member Association officers only; optional)
19.00 - 23.00. Walking distance from Château Frontenac and other conference hotels. Transport not provided.
Price: EURO 50 per person, taxes included. |
Le Parlementaire - Restaurant de l'Assemblée nationale: the dining room of the National Assembly was opened in 1917 and for a long time was known as the Café du Parlement. |
| The Presidents Dinner is reserved for officers of FIDIC Member Associations. |
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Enjoys an enviable reputation owing to the variety of its menus, its selection of wines, its excellent service and the elegance of its decor. |
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Located in the inner courtyard of the Parliament Building, the impressive beaux-arts style dining room is the work of architects Marchand and Tanguay. |
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A gourmet dinner in unique surroundings, in a setting that evokes Quebec's past. |
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SUNDAY 7 September 2008 |
13.30 - 16.30
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Afternoon City Tour: Historic and Modern Québec (optional)
Buses leave from the Château Frontenac at 13.30 and return to Château Frontenac at 16.30.
Price: EURO 30 per person, taxes included. |
Quebec is the only walled city in North America, and it also has North America's greatest concentration of 17th and 18th century buildings. |
| A three-hour sightseeing tour by bus introducing Québec’s most attractive features. |
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Fine buildings and proud monuments along winding street with public places including: National Assembly and Parliament Hill; Battlefields Park; the Citadel and the walls surrounding the old city; Notre-Dame-de-Québec; Place d’Armes. |
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Place Royale, the cradle of French civilisation in North America - the heart of the old Lower Town along the river-front. |
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Old Port and Petit-Champlain district with its boutiques and art galleries. |
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Parc de la Chute Montmorency outside the city to admire Montmorency Falls, a natural waterfall some 1.5-times higher than Niagara Falls. |
| 19.15 - 21.30 |
Welcome Reception (included in full conference registration and Accompanying Persons Programme)
Beaux-Arts Museum, Battlefields Park
Buses leave the four conference hotels at 19.00 and start returning at 21.00. Includes buffet dinner.
Extra tickets: EURO 125 per person, taxes included. |
Musée National des Beaux Arts: located in the heart of Québec City on a magnificent site, the Battlefields Park, overlooking the Saint-Lawrence River. |
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Three linked pavilions uniting an old prison and the original pavilion. |
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Enjoy an architectural "tour de force". |
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Housing some 20,000 works ranging from traditional landscape paintings to controversial abstracts. |
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MONDAY 8 September 2008 |
| 09.00 - 10.30 |
Opening Ceremony (included in full conference registration and Accompanying Persons Programme)
Palais Montcalm, 995 place D'Youville
Buses leave the four conference hotels at 08.30 and start returning after the Opening Plenary Session at 12.30.
Extra tickets: EURO 35 per person, taxes included. |
Palais Montecalm - a superb theatre - has entertained Québec for almost 70 years. This stately building will be host to the Opening Ceremony. |
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Welcome addresses by Québec leaders. |
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Entertainment and musical acts. |
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Paul Raulston Saul, author and philosopher, Canada |
| 10.30 - 11.00 |
Coffee |
| 10.45 - 15.30 |
Mid-Day Tour: Île d’Orléans (optional)
Buses leave from the Palais Montcalm (Opening Ceremony venue; coffee served) at 10.45 and return to Château Frontenac.
Price: EURO 65 per person, taxes included. |
Île d’Orléans: Orléans Island was inhabited by native Americans long before Europeans set foot on it in 1535. |
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Guided visit of the village of Sainte-Pétronille, often referred to as the "tip of the island". |
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Admire the Montmorency Falls which are higher than Niagara falls. |
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Take in the Beaupré coast and the city of Québec dominating the steep cliffs |
18.30 - 21.30
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Local Colour Night: Cocktail Cruise (included in the full participant's registration and the Accompanying Persons Programme)
MV Louis-Joliet that leaves from the Chouinard Pier (near Dalhousie and Côte de la Montagne, a five minute walk from the Château Frontenac under the Chateau Frontenac). Buses leave from the four conference hotels at 18.30 and strat to return to the hotels at 21.30. Buffet dinner and entertainment included.
Extra ticket: EURO 105 per person, taxes included. |
Discover Québec City during an evening cruise on the St. Lawrence River aboard the MV Louis-Jolliet. |
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Admire a breathtaking view of Québec City perched atop Cap Diamant. |
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Take in the enchanting landscape of Île d’Orléans and the Montmorency Falls. |
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A marching band will greet participants on arrival at the cruise boat. |
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TUESDAY 11 September 2008 |
09.30 - 12.30
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Morning Tour: Cooking Class with Jean Soulard (optional)
Château Frontenac
Price: EURO 50 per person, taxes included. |
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel |
| Internationally renowned chef of the Château Frontenac, Jean Soulard, will reveal some of his secrets and specialities during an exclusive cooking lesson. |
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See how cooking can be simple, yet sophisticated and remarkable. |
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Tour the historic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Hotel, including exclusive areas, and hear stories and anecdotes about famous visitors and events. |
13.30 - 16.30
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Afternoon Tour: Domaine Maizerets (optional)
Buses leave from the Château Frontenac Main Lobby at 13.30 and return to Château Frontenac.
Price: EURO 35 per person, taxes included. |
Domaine Maizerets is located in one of New France’s first concessions. |
| Domaine Maizerets is both a historic site and a vast landscape garden. |
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Floral gardens and historic buildings. |
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Includes a tour of the arboretum. |
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Walking paths through the park and a marsh. |
| 17.30 - 19.30 |
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Young Professionals Technical Tour: River Reclaim (optional)
Buses leave from the Château Frontenac Main Lobby at 13.30 and return to Château Frontenac.
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WEDNESDAY 10 September 2008 |
08.30 - 12.30
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Morning Tour: Beaupré Coast (optional)
Buses leave from the Château Frontenac Main Lobby at 08.30 and return to Château Frontenac at 12.30.
Price: EURO 30 per person, taxes included. |
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a world-famous basilica. |
| Discover Québec City's countryside as you travel through small historic villages overlooking the St. Lawrence River. |
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Discover the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré shrine's history and wonderful architecture. |
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Learn about some of French Canada's most popular legends on a visit to Alphonse Paré's wood sculpture gallery. |
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See a display of 50 hand-wrought silver panels depicting the life of Christ. |
19.00 - 23.00
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Gala Dinner (included in full conference registration and Accompanying Persons Programme)
Québec City Convention Centre, 1000 Boulevard René-Lévesque Est.
Buses leave conference hotels at 18.30; start returning at 22.30 (last bus 23.00).
Extra ticket: EURO 125 per person, taxes included. |
 
Circus entertainment for the Gala Dinner at the Québec City Convention Centre in the heart of Québec City. |
Featuring Cirque Fantastique, an original and exciting concept in entertainment.. |
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Unique and exciting circus acts integrated into a magical gala setting. |
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A world of emotion, inspiration and virtuosity brought to participants by incredibly talented artists. |
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A remarkable and fantastic journey into the wonderful world of the circus. |
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THURSDAY 11 September 2008 |
Post-Conference Tours
The conference organizers are not organizing post-conference tours. Participants are asked to consult Optional Post-Conference Tours information if they wish to make their own arrangements. |
08.30 - 20.30
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Day Tour: Whale Watching (optional)
Buses leave from the Château Frontenac Main Lobby at 08.30 and return to Château Frontenac at 20.30.
Price: EURO 135 per person, taxes included. |
A whale in the St. Lawrence River. |
| Departing from Baie Ste-Catherine, situated approximately 200 km Northeast of Québec City, a three-hour discovery excursion allows participants to explore the St. Lawrence River, an important whale refuge. |
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A three-hour whale watching excursion. |
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Lunch at the renowned Hotel Tadoussac. |
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Two naturalists will be on board to welcome your group and offer an introduction to the fascinating adaptability of the whales to the marine environment. |
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