I am sorry that my comment elicited a "rankle" out of you. I did not mean to denigrate the people of eastern Quebec, all of whom have been as lovely during this trip as they were in 2009. I would like to try to explain why I made the comment.
I have traveled in over 30 countries outside the U. S. and am not one of those ugly Americans who expect people from other countries to communicate with me in English. However, when English is the official language, as it is in Canada, it is somewhat disconcerting to be unable to communicate with large segments of the population of Quebec. Yesterday, while waiting for the ferry, I was speaking with a rider from Drummondville who related a recent conversation he had with another rider from Quebec. That rider, who spoke almost no English, told him he felt uncomfortable during a recent ride on the Cabot Trail because "no one spoke French there". It is wonderful when an ethnic group tries to retain its identity, but when those efforts prevent (either intentionally or unintentionally) many of its citizens from communicating with the outside world, and even with citizens from other parts of their own country, I believe that is overreach. I see many similar examples in South Florida, where a non Spanish speaker feels like an alien in parts of Miami. To be fair, both on this trip and in 2009, I have had countless examples of YOUNGER people either speaking fluent English or at least being eager in their attempts to communicate with me. It appears that many members of the younger generation recognize that the world is becoming much smaller and their mastery of a language other than their native tongue will not diminish their ethnicity. To be even more fair, the "communication issue" (if I may describe it as such) becomes less prevalent as one nears Ontario, as it is the most pronounced in eastern Quebec.
That said, had the "communication issue" been a problem for me (as, quite frankly, it is for many of your fellow Canadians who live west of Quebec and refuse to visit because of it) I would not have returned. Instead, I came back to partake in the "great scenery, great people, great food" and completely agree with you that "this is a truly wonderful place to visit".