Beauce, Quebec

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For other meanings, see Beauce (disambiguation)

Beauce is a major geographic region located south of Quebec City in the province of Quebec. The region is overwhelmingly rural and borders the American state of Maine.

Beauce (like other Quebec regions such as Gaspésie and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean) is well-known throughout Quebec for its rural settings. Beaucerons (Beauce's residents) are negatively stereotyped as being very versed in alcohol drinking, party-oriented, bar fighting and drug consumption. But, they are also positively stereotyped closely-knitted in regards to family and neighbours with a strong sense of community, built around their "épluchette de blé d'inde" (Corn on the cob get-together). These regional celebrations might explain the strong social cohesion in Beauce, especially amongst the youth. Such attributes are somewhat similar to redneck or white trash's stereotypes in the USA.

Recently, a music festival named Woodstock en Beauce reached some popularity in the province of Quebec and to a lower extent in Canada and the United States. The music festival tries to recreate the famous Woodstock Festival which is emblematic of the late 1960s hippie movement. The festival is recognized for the large amount of illegal drugs consumed by the participants and tolerated by police officials. Nonetheless, this year more than 2 pounds of Magic Mushrooms have been seized.

The region is also distinguishable for its Beauce French accent which differs from other Quebec accents. (e.g. It is known for saying "orjé" instead of "oreillé").

The major cities are Saint-Georges, Sainte-Marie, and Beauceville.