Life in Quebec 

More than 7.5 million people live in Québec, which covers an area of about 1.7 million km².

Language

French and English are the two official languages in Canada. In Quebec, French is spoken by a majority of the population and is the language of the public service. At the Université de Sherbrooke, French is the language of instruction and administration. Admission to the Université de Sherbrooke and life in general in Quebec both require a very good proficiency in French.

Yet, because Quebec is part of North America where English is spoken by a majority of the population, English as a language of communication is very important. In almost all fields of study, students who cannot read English will face difficulties in their studies due to the large amount of reference material published in English. Students must have a sufficient knowledge of English.

Climate

There are various regional climates in Quebec. Sherbrooke has what is referred to as a continental climate that entails strong fluctuations, warm, often humid summers and cold winters. During the winter season, it is necessary to dress accordingly when going outside. However, homes and buildings are comfortably heated (approximately 20ºC).

Tableau of Seasons in Quebec

Currency

The Canadian currency is the dollar ($) divided into 100 cents. Coins come in 0.01 (penny), 0.05 (nickel), 0.10 (dime), 0.25 (quarter), 1.00 (one-dollar coin or a “loony” because it bears a symbol of the loon) and 2.00 (a two-dollar coin or a “toonie”). Bank notes come in $5, $10, $20 and $50. Sometimes, people carry $100 and $1000 bills.

Exchange Rates

To check the actual value of the Canadian dollar, see the Currency Converter from the Bank of Canada.

Clothing 

If you already have warm winter clothes, you should bring them with you. If not, wait until you arrive to buy adequate winter clothing, such as a warm coat, winter boots, gloves, a hat and a scarf. You can then face the worst winter storms and even enjoy a variety of winter sports.

As our summers are warm and humid, those of you who will be spending the summer here should bring clothing appropriate for that type of weather.

Université de Sherbrooke students are not required to adhere to any particular dress code.

An idea of clothing costs

Clothing costs vary from one store to another. One way to buy reasonably-priced clothing is to wait for department store sales. You can expect to spend about CAD$450 the first year, at least those of you who arrive without winter clothes.

The following prices could be useful:

• A good coat costs from CAD$75 to $250.
• Boots cost from CAD$50 to $150.
• Pants cost from CAD$40 to $80.
• Jeans cost from CAD$40 to $60.
• Shirts cost from CAD$20 to $40.
• Shoes cost from CAD$40 to $100.

For more information

For more information on life in Quebec, please see the International Students section of the Student Services Web site (en français) of the Université de Sherbrooke.