Quebec City is a relatively important, if not large, airport for AC and being a capital city, stands to reason it would attempt to maintain a MLL for "VIP" and elite customers, as has been the case for YQR. (YYJ is a major exception, but since YVR is a hop away, most "VIP"s and elites will be connecting onward at YVR and arrive close to flight time for their short hop to the mainland, then can take advantage of the offerings of the domestic, transborder or international MLLs.) It would cost several hundred thousand dollars more a year to staff these small MLLs with an AC employee, so it stands to reason they are not attended to other than by contractor staff who re-stock and clean the places.

As for being landside, that's purely a function of what space is available at airports given their design. During the 60s when YQR and YQB were built, airside pretty much comprised long narrow corridors with small lounge areas clustered around the gates. Not much other space on these upper levels. With the advent of added Security Barriers, there was no option other than putting these two lounges landside.

This is the same design factor that plagues LGA and even SFO, where the lounge AC uses is on the mezzanine landside...as are most other airline lounges at the old parts of the terminal. UA only recently moved airside for its domestic flights because its terminal at SFO was rebuilt in a purpose fashion to accommodate the RCC.

How soon we forget that even the MLL at YYZ T1 Old, was landside too. One only cleared security when departing down the "back" elevators...