♪ Wow, that is awesome.

♪ (jingling) [Brandy] I'm a journalist and I'm traveling across my home country, Canada.

On this journey, I'll be experiencing some of Canada's most fascinating destinations.

My next adventure begins in the French-speaking province of Quebec.

♪ ♪ accordion and street noise I've come to Quebec City.

It is the capital city of the province of Quebec.

I'm here because I want to learn about the rich French-Canadian culture and the Indigenous Tourism on offer here.

(traffic noise) Quebec is the only Canadian province that is primarily Francophone.

It has adopted the Charter of the French Language also known as Bill 101.

This law means that French is the official language of Quebec and is used by the provincial government and in Quebec society.

One of my favorite things about Quebec City is the food, and I've come to a restaurant that's really original.

It's called Tanière, and I'm with chef François-Emmanuel.

He focuses on boreal cuisine.

Tell me what boreal cuisine is?

So for me, boreal cuisine is to look at the forest and the other environments that surround us and to bring it to the table.

And we find ingredients that the people know they exist, but they don't really know what they can eat it or don't even know they exist.

So here I bring something from the trees that we have in the region of Quebec.

We use different parts of the tree to show to our guests.

Right now, we're in a place from 1686, so this place is separated in three different vaults and the first one we decide to, to create a menu of bites to start the evening to focus on the nature.

So, François-Emmanuel, I'm so impressed that you love the forest and that it has inspired your cuisine, your work.

So, tell me about these different ingredients.

So, the last one, the, the small bottle.

It's an oil that we infuse with the branch of white pine tree.

Wow.

Smells a bit like citrus.

So, when we thought about the series of bites from the forest, we were in the winter it wasn't that much thing in the forest, but there was a lot of trees.

And this is when we start to to dig in it and to find ingredients from trees.

So, a white pine tree in this one?

Yep, it's only the branch that we infuse for about 20 to 30 minutes.

This one looks like a balsamic vinegar, but this is the syrup made from birch tree.

A birch tree?

Wow.

This is a made from, uh, maple place.

Wow.

A maple shack.

This one is sap from a fir.

[Brandy] From a fir tree?

[François-Emmanuel] Yeah, absolutely.

[Brandy] Whoa.

It's so thick!

You will see the smell is very exotic, even if it's a tree that we find in northern place.

It's like citrus.

Very citrusy, very like, uh, exotic.

When you I'm thinking about, uh, pineapple a bit into it also.

Wow.

Fantastic.

Those are dry leaves from poplar tree.

We use that to do a pastry sometime.

Uh, and we just have to, to take those leaves, they're dry.

And then we blend in with sugar and we can add that in any pastries.

Those are little buds of a spruce tree.

Uh, so as many coniferous tree, uh, they're very acidic.

Uh, there's a lot of, uh, C vitamin in it.

We pick them early in the spring and then we can freeze them to preserve them for all year.

And then we can just as, just as they're fresh, like they preserve, really good.

Can I bite one?

Absolutely.

Go for it.

(chuckles) Wow, that's really intense.

And this is a spruce tree?

Absolutely.

When this is the season of the buds of the coniferous tree, I walk in a forest with my girlfriend and I'm always at the back picking some, uh, new buds.

Try it to see which tree is tasting what?

Wow, what a lucky girlfriend.

I can say that much.

All this food!

Ok, so what are we going to do here?

Here, I'll show you something with... something even more special.

It's an essence made from small cherry tree.

Cherry tree?

Small cherry trees, so this is pronounced Cerisier de Pensylvanie.

And whoa, it smells like almonds.

Absolutely.

So, this is from a forager in a place called Albanel and his name is Fabien Girard, and Fabien is doing very, very, uh, very great things with the forest.

This essence is just an example, and we use it to mix it with local nuts.

So those nuts are called ash nuts, ash walnuts.

You can taste it if you want.

You got this from the forest?

Those are farmed but at a place called Cap-Tourmente, this is about 30 kilometers from here.

Uh, this is indigenous nuts from Quebec.

Actually, when we open this restaurant, I read about the, the, the books of Champlain, what he wrote when it came for the first time in Quebec and he note that in this neighborhood, there was this kind of tree.

And Samuel de Champlain is a very famous person.

Who's that?

He's like the founder of...?

[François-Emmanuel] The founder ofthe city, yeah.

[Brandy] Yeah!

Wow.

Incredible.

[François-Emmanuel] So, we, we look at, look into the stories to, to do food in a restaurant.

That is so cool.

So, I use those nuts.

As you can see, they're not too strong.

They're very delicate.

And we mix them with this, this essence to do the illusion of almond paste.

But we don't have any almond here and, I just, we have this a little plates, all the plates are from Ottawa, we designed them with Loam Clay Studio and we use this mixture of nuts and small cherry tree.

And I like just to hide it a bit with shredded nuts.

[Brandy] This is so fun.

Then here at the bottom, we have just puff bread that we top with, uh, cherry powder and we cut branches of small cherry trees so sometimes people don't really heard about those kind of trees, so we like to show them so people can, they touch it, see how the bark look.

[Brandy] Oh yeah, this is wonderful.

I can imagine that this feels a little bit like you're a kid and you're playing in the forest.

Yeah.

(laughs) You have the best job.

And then we have also small cherry tree that we, uh... we shred to make a bit of smoke of small cherry tree.

So, when we're ready to go for service, we smoke it a bit.

Whoa.

So, you're smoking this with the cherry.

What is this one here?

It's a small cherry tree also.

Whoa.

So, it's all small cherry tree.

And then when we arrive to the table, this one won't last long.

It's probably the last week that we serve it.

So, I don't mind to show it.

We just serve it like this.

This is the smell.

And then you can take the top of the bowl as a, as a dip for your puff, but you can try it if you want to.

Of course, I want to try this!

This is amazing!

So, this is a cracker that I'm dipping into... um.. What kind of trees again?

It's a mix of ash walnuts with essence of small cherry tree.

Ash walnuts with essence of small cherry tree.

It smells like almonds.

Mmm!

That's incredible.

Thank you.

[Brandy] So how would you describe your food, in French?

If you could give me one sentence in French, what would you say?

[François-Emmanuel] One sentence in French?

I would say that... [Brandy] And what does that mean in English?

[François-Emmanuel] So that's mean that we're doing a food that is not only original, but it needs to taste very good.

We're not like, uh, picking stuff in the forest and just to bring it to people so they can know they exist.

They need to be very specific and to fit into the recipe.

[Brandy] And it's very local.

[François-Emmanuel] Absolutely.

Everything is local.

[Brandy] You make fantastic food.

Thank you so much for inviting me here.

Thank you so much for inviting me here.

You are more than welcom.

and teaching me about the boreal forest... in your food!

[François-Emmanuel] (laughs) Thank you very much.

Thank you .

♪ [Brandy] My next adventure is around 25 kilometres or 16 miles east of Quebec City in Île d'Orléans.

Only around 7,000 people live here permanently but from mid-June to mid -October it's bustling with visitors who want to see the beauty of the island countryside.

I've come to Île d'Orléans and this beautiful island is known for its agriculture, especially the strawberries here which look amazing.

I'm at a Jam Factory and I'm with Vincent Paris.

He owns Tigidou.

Tell me what does "Tigidou" mean?

Oh, Tigidou - it mean: it's perfect.

It comes from the English This Jig Do.

So, we transform it: Jigidou.

Tigidou.

So it means "Do this jig" "This Jig Will Do" [Brandy] Oh, fun.

And how did you get involved in jam making?

Oh my god, it's a long story.

I was born in Strawberry Field, so my first job was picking up those, those strawberries.

But I got to move on and go studying, go seeing Montreal and then do some advertising stuff.

And I came back to my land.

I came back to that wonderful land.

And what else to do to transform those lovely strawberries and jam?

[Brandy] So, when people come here, Vincent, what can they do?

What kind of experience can they have?

[Vincent] We welcome them on a Jam Bar so we, they can taste every kind of different creative approach of jam.

We do it seasonally and daily, so they taste it.

And then they go shopping at the little boutique on the riverside and they can smell the jam, the fresh jam of the day.

So, what are we going to make today?

Because I can't wait.

Today we're going to cook one of the famous we have.

It's the, with the fresh mint and strawberry with a splash of fresh lime.

It's really good.

Ok, what's our first step?

So, the first step, it's - clean them.

So, you have to pick up the strawberries and take the tails off with using a knife.

[Brandy] These look really juicy.

What kind of strawberries do you use?

[Vncent] We prefer to cherry picking our strawberry, so we have different varieties better for the jam.

So now we have our own variety.

We grow on the farm for us and it's special.

It's exclusive.

It's really good.

It's Tigidou.

Right?

It's secret.

Can I jump in here?

Yeah, go ahead.

So, I'm taking the tail off and I'll just put that in there.

That's OK. And then how many do you want me to do?

[Voncent] I think you have a couple of baskets, so you can have maybe 30 basket to do?

What!?

No, come on.

How many strawberries do you use per jam?

Oh, it's...

I never count them, really.

Never count the many strawberries.

I think I'm using about four or five baskets of wood basket for a batch.

Wow, this is so much fun.

These look really juicy.

Really plump.

Yeah, they're really good.

That's one of the best strawberry in Canada.

Can I taste it?

Yeah, go ahead.

Mmmmm.

Oh yeah, they're good.

You know what, there's a lot of, I would say like, it's very juicy, there's water in here, you know, like liquid?

MM-hmmm.

But you can taste a different, different variety.

This one is the special one, more sweet.

This one is perfect for a strawberry.

I want that one.

Mm.

There is a difference.

It's a different, different taste.

Whoa.

That's really different.

This is like candy.

Exactly.

That's bizarre.

Bizarre?

This is one of the best.

Did you put sugar in here?

This is one of the best.

No, it's one of it's... it's a special variety.

We make it grow in the farm.

I have never had a strawberry like that Vincent.

Let's call her Tigidou.

Mm-hmm!

Wow, look at the color!

Isn't it?

Wow.

That's totally different.

[Vincent] So different variety.

Different tastes.

Different jam.

[Brandy] Wonderful.

Ok, so what's next?

What's next?

It's we need a pot and we need some sugar.

It's a, we... We're working with the organic cane sugar only.

This is a special.

Give us a different taste of our jam, and we're using fresh lemon and fresh lime just to spice it and help to pick the natural pectin in it.

Our jam, we don't use any pectin, so it's really fresh, natural and less sweet.

[Brandy] And who taught you how to make jam?

[Vincent] I have a chef who taught me the beginning and I've made my own research.

And you know, there's a master jam maker in France, so I'm learning from them.

A small batch at the time.

Organic sugar.

Fresh citrus.

And little batch at a time.

Small batch.

This is the secret of making good jam.

(coninues) What's next?

We have to cook them - slowly, gently and not that much.

Voilà.

So, you know, Brandy, that takes a couple of minutes and there's come some secret, too.

We have to keep.

So, I cook some jam this morning.

The strawberry mint.

And I'm going to make you taste, taste it.

So, what are we going to do?

It's going to use little those little container, and we're going to use some fettuccine as a spoon.

Yum!

And... taste this.

It's really fresh.

Made that in the morning.

Smells wonderful.

Voilà!

[Brandy] Wow.

So, thank you so much.

I can't wait to taste this.

I can notice that you can see, like - big chunks of strawberries.

Mm hmm.

Ooh, it's so good and it's not that sweet.

No, we use less sugar than mainly what's the... what the commercial brand using.

So, it makes really the strawberry taste better.

But how do you get those big chunks of strawberries or is that a secret?

Oh, that's one of the secret.

Brandy, come on.

So, you know, when people come here, they want to learn about French Canadians.

They want to learn about this culture that is special and unique to Quebec.

What do you think is so special about it?

First, the accent and the language, it's brand...

It brings all the culture and the way we think and the way we eat and the way we speak and the way we enjoy life.

So, I think French, it's going to make really difference, a big difference when you travel and when you experience your travel.

And can you describe this jam for me in French so I can hear your beautiful accent?

Cette une confiture est la meilleur confiture du monde.

"It is the best jam in the world."

Yeah, that's right.

You are good.

You're good.

My French is still up to par.

Thank you so much, Vincent, for inviting me here, and I know you couldn't show me all the secrets, but I've learned a little bit that I will add to my own jam-making at home.

It's lovely to have you here.

Thank you.

From Île d'Orléans I travel around 35 kilometers or 22 miles west to Wendake.

Today, Wendake refers to the urban reserve of the Huron-Wendat Nation but this settlement dates back to the 17th century.

Wendake is an accessible Indigenous community that has a strong tourism industry.

My hotel in Wendake is called the Hotel -Musee Premieres Nations.

Here I explore the on-site Huron-Wendat Museum, participate in a craft workshop, taste Indigenous recipes and learn about Iroquoian storytelling rituals in the Ekionkiestha' National Longhouse.

Come to the Longhouse, Ekionkiestha'.

Yeah "Wendake".

It means "welcome".

[Brandy] The province of Quebec has a flourishing Indigenous tourism industry.

There are about 250 authentic Indigenous tourism experiences on offer throughout Quebec.

Close by is the Saint-Charles River where you can rent canoes and enjoy a wonderful day on the water.

I'm very excited to be here going on a canoe trip in Wendake.

I'm with Brian Atatise.

He's an Indigenous guide.

Brian, tell me, what can people do when they come to Wendake?

What kind of Indigenous experience can they have?

There is lots of things to do there, like visit Huron site mainly, about the history of the Huron people.

Very interesting history.

There's also ah, arts and crafts stores, about four of them on the village.

And... a lot of other businesses too, like industrial businesses also and restaurant.

Tell me what it's like to be a guide here?

[Brian] It's very enjoyable.

I am a tourist guide for the Huron Traditional Site, and what we do is very exciting and fun for the tourists that come to visit us.

[Brandy] And what is it like when you're at the site?

Are people asking you about the history of the Indigenous people?

What are they thinking about?

[Brian] First of all, we love people when they come from around the world.

They, very interesting people and they come there and do a tour or a canoe canoe trip here, and they ask a lot of questions about our history.

[Brandy] And what does it feel like to be Indigenous today?

[Brian] I love it.

I love, I love being Indigenous.

I see nothing wrong with that.

And even though there's a dark history behind it, I still love it.

[Brandy] And do you think people are interested in learning about the history and learning about the people?

[Brian] When I, when I'm at the Huron site, you should see the.

the faces of the people.

They are very interested.

Their eyes light up and they ask a lot of questions.

They're very interested in the history of the people of Canada, original peoples.

[Brandy] And I think also coming here and having a canoe adventure is so wonderful because we're with you.

We're having an Indigenous guide and we're also close to nature.

[Brian] Exactly.

Look at look what you got out here.

That's what you, that's what people want.

It's a very, very... energetic out there.

Very - it brings you, brings, brings you to life.

[Brandy] Well, I can't wait.

Thank you so much.

Let's get on those canoes.

[Brian] All right!

Let's do it.

♪ Traveling by canoe evokes thoughts of the fur trade for me.

At the beginning of the 17th century the Huron-Wendat were one of the most important suppliers of furs to the French who came to Canada for the fur trade.

The Huron-Wendat traveled by canoe, supplying furs to the French posts on the St. Lawrence River.

They exchanged furs for French goods.

Today the Huron-Wendat Nation has approximately 4,000 members and its economy is flourishing.

The Nation enjoys international acclaim for their canoes, snowshoes and moccasins.

The Huron-Wendat are also well-known for their entrepreneurial nature which intrigues me.

♪ So, I have come to visit with Lara Siouï.

She is a traditional paddle maker, she's from the Wendat Nation.

Tell me what it's like to be an entrepreneur?

Oh, being an entrepreneur Wendake is very nice for me because the community is very near from Quebec City.

We are about 20 minutes, so it's easy for me to make relations, a business relation and have access to organizations.

So, entrepreneur in Wendake is good for me.

It seems like a very welcoming community.

Yes, very, very much.

So, can you tell me a little bit about your Indigenous background and how it is connected to your work?

The paddle representing a lot for me, it's not just an object, but it's a symbolic object for me and for, for us because our ancestor was paddling to go to ah, place to place literally and to make trade.

So, it, it's a message that we call it like to "go forward," like to make trade, and today it's, it's to make, to make trade, yes... but it's, it's a message to think about like how we can go forward with the paddle between us, between other nations, between all the people in the world.

So it's positive for me.

Lara, what is it like to be a Wendat woman today?

Wendat woman today is...

I think we have a lot of issues by our history.

Sometimes it's difficult to hear it and to see other communities or other person to have difficulties, difficulties about our history.

But we have to make it positive.

We have to, uh, to deliver our message positively and to be positive for the future too.

Wendat woman is uh, very nice because it's particular and we have to be proud about our history.

It's very important we have the most beautiful history about our ancestors, and so we have to be proud of it and go forward with projects like this and encourage to show our talents here.

Can I make a paddle with you today?

I'd love to learn about it.

Of course.

Thank you so much.

Ok, so what's the first step?

I begin it for you.

So, the first, the first thing I have to sand it.

And after that, I have to, um, burn our logo.

After that, we have to, um, paint it and we have to make the design.

We have a lot of design, but for you, I made you the medicine wheel.

The medicine wheel is a metaphor for a variety of spiritual Indigenous people.

So, the medicine is four-color and it's a circle and you have four colors.

So, you have the yellow, the white, the black and the red.

And it means a lot of things.

So, it can means the four seasons.

It can means the four direction, it can means four variety or state of spiritual... spirituality.

It can means four cycles of life.

So, it's very spiritual and popular for us.

So how did your company come about?

What's the history of your company?

It starts with my mother, so it's a matriarchal, matriarchal project.

We have the idea in the forest because we used to pass a lot of time in forests, her and me, and we decided to take paddle and embellish them and we bring it at the community at Wendake and the people said to us, “Wow, that's beautiful”, and we have a very nice response, response from them.

So, because of that, I think we decided to commercializing them and now we are selling the paddle around the Canada and USA.

I'll do this.

[Brandy] Looking beautiful.

I love it.

Yeah, colors are very nice.

♪ Wow, it looks amazing.

Look now.

whoa!

She's beautiful, huh?

That is gorgeous.

Wow!

And you can take it off there.

This is the final step.

You can do it if you like.

I can?

I'll just let you.

Sure.

Thank you so much, Lara.

This is wonderful.

What can people do with this paddle?

Oh, they can take it for decoration.

You have a lot of size, so you can take it for decoration at home, but you can take it to go and canoe, too.

If you want to do canoe, it's OK. Well, thank you so much for teaching me about how you make these beautiful paddles and for sharing your culture with me.

It's just been wonderful.

Thank you.

Tiawenhk.Thank you.

Merci.

Merci.

I've had such a wonderful time here in Wendake, I've learned so much about the Indigenous people from today and also the past.

It's wonderful to see indigenous tourism continue to grow in Canada, and I can't wait to add more experiences to my itineraries.

♪ ♪ ♪