I would agree that crushed gravel/hard packed dirt routes, require much more physical energy to cycle..which is why I have always considered bike touring with weight of one's baggage, comparable to serious physical demands and stamina (mental also) as ie. doing intervals.

If any scoffing racer in a cycling kit with their weenie weight bike wouldn't believe tourers, they should try cycling with 20 lbs. of pannier weight on such paths and roads for 6 hrs. in 1 day. By supper one occasionally just settle for MacDonald's instead of cycling around town another 15 kms. to find the cosy bistro/restaurant. Too much energy by that time.

sorry that the route you took didn't meet scenic expectations or more frequency of panoramic/scenic vistas. Did you learn anything about Quebec that you didn't know (aside from the bike route/highways, towns you saw)?

Where else have you cycled in Canada? Just curious, to know what other more scenic areas of Canada that you have experienced from the bike saddle?