Bother! Is there anything else sort of similar? We're bringing the family from New Zealand, so the whole northern Christmas/winter snow thing is new! want them to experience what they can - it will be a bit different from Xmas at the beach here!! thanks

Alas the week before Christmas is not winter yet. Not by the calendar and not by real weather that can be very iffy around. 95% chances of White Christmas in Qc but it can happen just a few days prior to Chrstmas and, other years by the end of November.

There will be the slide on Terasse Dufferin and the ice rink at Place d'Youville and some runs might be in operation at Mont-Saint-Anne, near the city. And there will be the Christmas decorations, that's for sure.

It will be winter enough for us!!!! We will just have to hope for snow! Thanks for your advise..

Funny I just hit this post that has been dormant for a while and did a bit more research and discovered that Village Vacances Val Cartier will be opened starting December 15 or 16. Ideal for your family if you have real winter clothing. It is at some distance from the Old Town so you will have to either rent a car for a day (ONLY IF the weather is clear and sunny and roads completely snow and ice free) or arrange some kind of private transportation. Here's the link www.valcartier.com/glissades-d-hiver/en/

Well, I am sure NOT hoping for snow. It turns into dreadful slush in the city