Québec City , Québec |
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the various geographical elements of the site ( cliff , banks , river , water ). The project had a major focus on sustainability – more than 99 % of waste was managed ecoresponsibly - and building material sources locally which added 10 % to the construction cost . The mayor of Lévis , Gilles Lehouillier , justified the decision . “ Such a building increases the quality of life of citizens and becomes a source of pride .”
In addition to the ports , Québec benefits from a mixed economy . As a provincial capital the public sector is robust , as is tourism . Unemployment is well below the national average , aided by a manufacturing sector focussing on pulp and paper products as well as food manufacturing . Global names with HQ in the city include fashion retailer La Maison Simons , engineering firm BPR and numerous investment trusts . Frima Studio and Ubisoft are leading names in the computer games industry .
Business tourism is also supported at the Québec City Convention Centre , which welcomes more than 200,000 delegates annually . With a convenient location at Old Québec ’ s
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Above : Cool heads on the ocean research decks
Right : Québec City overlooking the mighty Saint Lawrence River which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean
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doorstep , the Centre was named Best Convention Centre in the World in 2006 by global venue association AIPC .
The next generation of leaders are educated at universities such as Université Laval . Dating back to 1663 the university received a Royal Charter issued by Queen Victoria 1852 and is the oldest centre of higher education in Canada and the first North American institution to offer higher education in French . It ’ s ranked among the top 10 Canadian universities in terms of research funding and holds four Canada Excellence Research Chairs . There are 17 other universities in Québec , including TÉLUQ , or Télé-université , is a distance learning school at the Université du Québec founded in 1972 . TÉLUQ offers about 400 distance learning courses , including 100 graduate courses . It also offers two master ' s degree programmes and one PhD programme .
The universities also have strong research provisions , working with NGOs and the private sector . Laval ’ s Institute for Nutrition and Functional Foods works closely with Merinov , Canada ’ s largest integrated centre for applied research in fishing , aquaculture ,
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and the processing and development of aquatic products .
Meanwhile , the city ’ s mission to develop sustainably and sympathetically with the environment continues with the ongoing development of the Samuel-De Champlain promenade . The challenge was to reclaim the edge of the river to make way for an urban boulevard winding through the heart of a linear riverside park . The multi award-winning project blends improved regional public transport with cycleways and footpaths that both open up and protect the natural environment . The objective – to ‘ give the river back to Québecers ’ – is well on the way to becoming a reality .
The city ’ s mission to develop sustainably and sympathetically with the environment continues with the ongoing development of the Samuel-De Champlain promenade .
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