Quebec City – A Ghost Town

As we explored Quebec City in the month of June of 2020, at the beginning of COVID19 pandemic, we realized one thing quite quickly: what was supposed to be a bustling town on a summer weekend was now one where stores were closed and streets were empty. 

This was something we easily came to the conclusion of on a late Saturday night where we scrambled to find a place that would deliver food at 8 pm or one that would even be open for us to go pick up the food from. Before the pandemic, eight o’clock in the evening would only be the beginning of a long and busy night.

The McDonald’s in the area was temporarily closed. If such a popular fast-food chain closed down, I’d like to imagine how much more of a struggle small local places are going through. (We were shocked enough to take a picture!)

The recommended place by the hotel staff was surprisingly closed at that time. We searched the Saint-Jean street by the Saint-Jean Gate and noted that not a single place was open.

The bright side

On the upside, for sightseeing, this seemed to be the best time to go exploring. With everything so cleared up, monument photography or scenery photography no longer involved climbing over one another to get the best angle where no person would be present. 

Not the only place

Quebec City was not the only ghost town we visited: Niagara Falls, Parc du Bic in Rimouski, Percé, and even BUSY Toronto had quieted down somewhat (stay tuned for those articles!). 

One thing’s for certain, the city landscapes that we’re all used to aren’t going to be the same for a long while. Several places closed down, some temporarily, some permanently. The only thing we can do to support the places we love is to buy local products and encourage our local artisans, shop owners, and producers.