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Michael Portillo explores the province of Quebec with his 19th-century Appleton’s Guide to Canada. He takes the fabulously scenic Charlevoix train along the north bank of the mighty St Lawrence River to La Malbaie.

Following his guidebook to the beautiful basilica at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Michael discovers the racks of crutches discarded by the healed and meets modern-day visitors in search of miracles.

The Train de Charlevoix, built to transport pilgrims, now conveys tourists along the north bank of the St Lawrence River to the Murray lakes. Michael tours the fine 19th-century houses, which were once the haunt of the Gatsby generation. Taking to the skies in a seaplane, Michael flies over the Laurentian Mountains to land on an isolated lake, where he fishes for trout for his supper.

At Baie St Paul, Michael heads for the high ground, where he discovers 6,500 tomato vines are under cultivation to produce wine. The waterfall at Montmorency is a spectacular sight – especially from a zip wire!

From Quebec, Michael relocates to Canada’s Central Plains to begin a 1,000-mile journey across the vast Prairie aboard Canada’s last trans-continental passenger line. From the very heart of the country, he travels west to the majestic Rocky Mountains.

On this leg, Michael explores the Manitoban capital, Winnipeg, the nation’s chief railroad centre, known as the 'gateway to the west'. Joining the ranks of the 17,000 Canadian national students to have studied at the giant freight company’s national training centre, Michael has a go at marshalling a wagon.

In the French quarter of Saint Boniface, Michael cashes in at the Canadian Royal Mint and discovers the origins of the half-million Canadians who today identify as Metis. Michael meets a descendant of the 19th-century rebel leader now known as the Father of Manitoba and enjoys their traditional fiddle music.