Quebec City's 400th Anniversary  

In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier landed at the Native village of Stadacona but he did not stay. Seventy-three years later, Quebec City was founded on July 3, 1608, by the famous French explorer Samuel De Champlain.

Quebec is an Algonquin word meaning where the river narrows.


Unfortunately Canadian politics can put a damper on birthday celebrations. The controversy stems around the identity of the province of Quebec.

For separatist French Queberers (not the entire French speaking population of Quebec), Champlain gave birth to a nation with a distinct identity.

For English Canada, Quebec is just one province in the Nation of Canada. The Quebec separatist movement has been a bane of contention in Canadian politics for the last thirty some odd years.

Though this celebration was hailed as an open celebration, major newspapers across Canada wanted to know if it was it a national celebration, meaning Canada wide, or a local, Quebec only Celebration?

Jason Kenney Canada's secretary of state for multiculturalism and Canadian identity quoted: ""We think it's a national celebration, not just for the province of Quebec.

Commemoration Quebec 1608-2008, say on their website, "The 400th anniversary celebrations belong to the citizens of Quebec, not the government,"

They go on to say, A common identity, history and culture are the essential parts of a personality that make a people," the group's website says. "In order (for the province) to remain attractive, this personality of French Quebec has to be clearly valued by making it clear it is at the root of the province's successful development over the past 400 years."

The Federal Government of Canada is trying hard to promote national unity through this celebration and at 11:AM bells were ringing all over Canada to celebrate the arrival of Champlain in Quebec City with approximately 4,000 Churches taken part.

The opening bash features, "a salute to Champlain attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other Canadian and foreign dignitaries, and a military parade highlighting Canada's contribution to the war in Afghanistan."

Our Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper is quoted as saying, "If French continues to be spoken in Canada today, it is thanks to the courage, tenacity and creativity of generation upon generation of Francophones who brought their old-world values and hopes to the new world and helped them take root and grow."

French sovereignists (protesters) have their own alternative celebrations going on in the province's capital.

There will be week-long celebrations for the Quebec City anniversary. Guest appearances from famous celebrities such as Celin Dion and Van Halen, as well as Paul McCartney who will be leading the celebration, on the Plains of Abraham, the historical spot where the British defeated the French in 1759.

There will be fireworks, parades, speeches and more. The regular Quebec citizen and tourists alike will just enjoy the festivities and put aside the politics. I wish everyone could.



Sources:

http://www.theglobeandmai...

http://archives.cbc.ca/do...

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet...

were you aware of the french english conflict in Canada?

Were you aware that Canadian is a bilingual country but actually more english is spoken than quebec