Languages: English and French
I love doing all the tours that are offered and even the ones that are not offered! If you want a special, one-of-a-kind researched tour, I am your man.
Travel Experience: I was brought up in England before moving to Canada. I have travelled around Europe but especially love the villages (and wines) of southern France. I have been across Canada and many parts of the USA, the Caribbean and Guatemala. The next best thing to travelling is meeting people from other places when they visit Quebec City.
Background: Considered somewhat of a Renaissance man, I moved to Quebec City to play viola with the Quebec Symphony. I left the orchestra in 2009 to develop and run the Morrin Centre, where I also helped develop the ImagiNation writer’s festival, the Celtic festival and various other cultural events. I am also a historian having researched and co-edited a book on the Jewish history of Quebec City, published by the Presses de l’Université du Québec. This has given me a unique insight and perspective into the history of the province and this city in particular. For the last four years I have been the President of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, a province-wide organization dedicated to the promotion of historic sites, research, historical societies and museums with an interest in Anglophone history.
Why I am a Tour Guide: I love my adopted city and the surrounding countryside and greatly enjoy showing and sharing it with visitors. I am passionate about bringing history to life, allowing people to see the city, peeling back the mysteries of different time periods and seeing how they connect with other places and times. It isn’t all about history though: how did Quebec society develop; why do we speak French; what is poutine? These are some of the mysteries that can also be touched on! But in the end, meeting people from around the world is so invigorating for me, finding out what you do too.
On my tours I like to insist on:
Curiosity, questions and laughter! I especially enjoy unusual questions, the ones that I have to go back and do some research on. They keep me on my toes and hopefully make me a better guide.