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Imagine going to work without any traffic jams. Or being able to enjoy walks in nature just a few minutes from home, every day. In Saguenay, this reality could be yours. Living in Saguenay means having the opportunity to realize your full potential in an environment where everyday simplicity exists in perfect harmony with safety and well-being. Doesn’t that sound like the dream? Read our blog post to discover all the good reasons to choose Saguenay as your new home!
Finally, you’re about to arrive or have just arrived in Quebec, in the wonderful city of Saguenay. To date:,you’ve found your first accomodation, your children are registered for school
and you’re preparing for you first Saguenay winter .
But, surprise! When you knock on your neighbour’s door to ask for some sugar, to finish making your blueberry pie, she answers warmly, “Go get some from the dépanneur,” since she doesn’t have any more.
Dépanneurs: what are they? Quessé ça? And why do we preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to bake a pie, but the weather report shows the temperature outside in degrees Celsius?
In Quebec, like in every country, we like to do things our own way. This article will let you in on our little local quirks!
You can get chips at the dépanneur—and at the pharmacy!
To some people, the word “dépanneur” refers to someone to call when your car breaks down (tomber en panne). But, here in Quebec, it means something totally different! A dépanneur is a small grocery store that common necessities. In the store, you can buy anything from chips to chocolate bars and other snacks too. In Saguenay especially, dépanneurs sell little bags with tortillons (cheese sticks) or fresh cheddar cheese curds that come from one of the many cheese factories in the region! It’s also where you can get basic ingredients for our renowned poutine.
Many dépanneurs are found in gas stations. Generally, they are open every day of the week, from early in the morning to late at night. That’s why we say that they dépannent or bail you out! You’ll come across one right away, they’re very common. Some are even open 24 hours!
If someone mentions the pharmacy, what comes to mind? Immediately, we think of a store that offers medicine and other medical supplies. This is absolutely the case for our pharmacies, but wouldn’t you know, many pharmacies also sell things like chips, chocolate bars, perfumes, beauty products and even school supplies! Brands like Jean Coutu, Uniprix, Pharmaprix, Familiprix and Brunet are the most common names in Quebec.
Tipping at restaurants is essential!
In the mood for a nice restaurant dinner, a delicious poutine from the diner or a microbrewery beer? In Saguenay, you have many choices in local, gourmet cuisine. Just know that leaving a tip at the restaurant is a very important part of the meal when it comes time to pay your bill. Some jobs are tipped, like waiters in restaurants and bars, and the tip makes up a significant portion of these employees’ revenues. That’s why it’s so important to tip!
When you’re at a restaurant, the tip is usually 15% of your bill before tax, but you can always tip more for good service!
Another important vocabulary lesson: the three meals are called déjeuner (breakfast), dîner (lunch) and souper (dinner or supper). Dinner or supper is usually eaten around 6 p.m., so generally, restaurants close around 10 p.m. Throughout the rest of the day we eat collations (snacks).
Shopping and doing your groceries (faire son épicerie)
“Magasiner” means to go shopping, for example, at a store. The logic follows: We magasine (shop) in the magasins (stores)! And by the way, most stores are open all week, 7/7 (with some exceptions on Sundays) and close later on Thursdays and Fridays (around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.). On Sundays, it’s normal to close at 5 p.m. and in the lead-up to the winter/Christmas holidays, most stores close at 9 p.m. most nights.
We shop (magasine) in stores or boutiques, but we “fait son épicerie” at the supermarket, we don’t “fait les courses” (as francophones elsewhere say). Large supermarket chains (IGA, Maxi, Super C, Métro, Provigo, etc.) generally close at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on weeknights. In the summer, you can go to the farmer’s markets in Saguenay to meet the produce growers and artisans who make fresh, local products!
Another particularity when it comes to magasiner (shopping) and faire l’épicerie (grocery shopping): prices are listed without taxes. Remember to plan for additional costs to be added when you get to the cashier! Certain necessary products, like fruits and vegetables, eggs, bread, dairy products and meats are not taxed (unprocessed or frozen products).
Finally, when buying alcohol, remember that beer and some wines are available in grocery stores. But stronger alcohols are sold exclusively in SAQ stores (Société des Alcools du Québec).
Units of measurement: inches, feet and pounds?
Here’s where things get a bit hairy! While Canada officially uses the metric system, since the 1970s, the Imperial system, a holdover from British colonialism, is still entrenched in our lives. In the day-to-day, people use both systems!
To give you a bit of an idea of what this looks like, here are a few conversions for reference:
- 1 inch=2.54 cm
- 1 foot=30.48 cm
- 1 pound (lb)=0.45 kg
- 20 degrees Celsius=68 degrees Fahrenheit
What does this mean in practice?
External temperatures are given in Celsius, but pool temperatures (for example) are expressed in Fahrenheit. If your pool is 80 °F, you’re in for a lovely afternoon enjoying water that’s 26 °C. However, if the outside temperature is 0 °C, you can bet that your pool is freezing or frozen!
Oven temperatures are often in Fahrenheit. Pay attention when reading recipes so you don’t burn anything: tourtières are best when cooked at 375 °F! And kitchen measurements are in millilitres, not grams.
Generally, areas and surface measurements are measured in inches and feet, especially in construction. But remember that distances are expressed in kilometres!
Finally, things are sometimes weighed in pounds and sometimes in kilograms—it all depends on the scale! You can count on one thing: one of those measurements is much more flattering!
And just a reminder that the metric system is the official measurement system, despite persistent habits. Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out quickly enough!
Moments of relaxation
In Saguenay, the average car trip is only 17 minutes. Less time on the road means more time for hobbies and hanging out with friends!
After work, it’s common to have a traditional 5 à 7: you meet up with colleagues and friends to have a drink. Often, this is paired with dinner!
Throughout the year, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take time to relax and discover Saguenay’s great outdoors with your family. Did you know that Quebec has 13 public holidays? Most of these are statutory and paid, depending on your employment contract.
- New Year’s Day
- The day after New Year’s
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Journée nationale des Patriotes (the Monday before May 25)
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Quebec’s national holiday (June 24)
- Canada Day (July 1)
- Labour Day (first Monday of September)
- Thanksgiving (second Monday of October)
- Christmas Eve (December 24)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- Boxing Day (December 26)
- New Year’s Eve (December 31)
It won’t take long to find out that living in Saguenay means settling and growing in a place where quality of life is everywhere! Click here to discover all the reasons to choose to settle in Saguenay
Discover our local lingo
In Quebec, on top of our quirky, local habits, we often use expressions d’icitte, which are unique to the region. In Saguenay more specifically, our language is colourful and distinctive, and we are very proud of it!
To be properly prepared to hear and recognize these expressions, read our useful little glossary!
