Enjoyment is a sure bet in Quebec

By CHRIS ROSIE

What comes over people when they are away from home? They will find themselves enjoying activities that they would not give a second thought to at home. Nothing odd, then, that this Aucklander's first visit to a casino should be on the shores of the St Lawrence in Quebec.

Think casino, particularly for one whose gambling has been restricted to the office Melbourne Cup sweep and a minimum weekly Lotto investment, and think barn-like places where rows and rows of slot machines wait like soldiers to mesmerise the unwary before bayoneting the wallet and leaving it discarded, its contents having been unceremoniously drained.

The Casino de Charlevoix, 90 minutes' drive north-east of Quebec City on the St Lawrence shore, does not live down to such perceptions. No garish entrance for a start. Not only is its regular entrance muted or so it seemed on a Quebec autumn evening with snow in the air it has an underground access from the adjacent Le Manoir Richelieu. No warehouse-like interior, either. Even the slot machines are spread around in small clumps in defined areas. And it was just as easy to sit at the bar in amiable company with no overt pressure to gamble away the life savings - or the last of the holiday budget.

That, of course, is not to say that the primary function is at all disguised. A refurbishment last year more than doubled the size of the casino, providing more than 900 gaming sites of which 800 accommodate slot machines. Blackjack, with 12 tables, is the dominant card game while three roulette wheels keep the customer guessing.

But the real fun of the evening, it has to be admitted, was not in gambling. It was in watching as a Canadian acquaintance took $5 worth of quarters and proceeded to lose them eventually after more than half an hour of highs and lows. There were enough occasions on which 20 or 30 coins came tumbling with a satisfying clatter into the trough to sustain interest. That interest was further heightened by the Royal Canadian Mint's millennium project, in which Canadians had submitted designs for a new 25c coin for every month of 1999 and 2000. So, there we were, burrowing into the little heaps of windfall in the hope of finding those ones my Canadian friend needed to complete the set.

It has to be admitted that, on reflection, there was a certain irony in coming across the June issue coin in a casino in Quebec. It depicts an early 20th-century steam engine, which the Mint describes as "recognising the thousands of workers who built the railway that connects our nation from coast to coast and truly symbolises the unity that binds Canada's diversity." Unity? In Quebec? In an establishment that tends to polarise social analysis? But that was on reflection. At the time, the surroundings encouraged relaxation, not deep political thoughts.

"Surroundings" is the key to the Casino de Charlevoix. When the gambling appetite is whetted, the Charlevoix region in summer offers a wealth of activity choices, including whale-watching cruises, fishing, rafting and kayaking, golf, horse-riding and hiking. When the winter snows arrive, the countryside turns into a playground for skiers, skaters and snowboarders.

Interested in gentler pursuits? The picturesque nature of the region and its cultural heritage have made it a mecca for poets, painters and writers. Permanent artistic communities are scattered throughout the Charlevoix, while it also draws artists on pilgrimages from afar.

And, at the end of the day, retire to the aforementioned Le Manoir Richelieu. Staying in the hotel is an experience in itself. Originally built of wood in 1899 on a cliff-top overlooking the St Lawrence to cater for the region's growing popularity as a recrea-tional destination, the Manoir Richelieu was destroyed by fire in 1928. Within a year it had grown from the ashes, redesigned in the French castle style.

In 1998, it was bought by a consortium made up of Canadian Pacific Hotels, the Quebec Lotto organisation (which runs the casino) and a labour-sponsored venture fund. Ten months and around $150 million later, it was reopened last June in time to celebrate 100 years as a class act in the resort business.

Thus, beyond the amenities expected in a quality hotel, can be found anything from the cigar room to the spa with its 22 treatment rooms. The entrance hall transports the weary traveller into a world of European grandeur. All three restaurants offer fine food and a permanent reminder of the spectacular natural surroundings. And, to place it firmly in the 21st century, the hotel offers 15 meeting rooms with the latest in high technology aids.

Of course, reminders of the casino are never too far away. Come down for breakfast and don't be surprised to find the restaurant doing heavy trade, in a sedate fashion of course, with many of the older set from Quebec City, bused in for a day or two to try their luck at the pokies. And even they add to the tone.

* Chris Rosie travelled to Canada courtesy of the Canadian Travel Commission and Canadian Airlines.