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History

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In 1908, Quebec City celebrated its 300th anniversary at a magnitude never before seen in the city.[1] The Prince of Wales, the future King George V[2], attended the celebrations which were mainly focussed on the city’s military history. One of the lasting legacies was the creation of The Battlefields Park in the heart of the city[1]. The site, approximately 1km2 in size[3], includes the Plains of Abraham, the Martello Towers and the Parc des Braves.

On December 1, 1998, after Quebec’s second unsuccessful bid to host the Winter Olympics (for the 2002 and 2010 Games), the mayor of Quebec City Jean-Paul L'Allier, suggested turning the city’s efforts towards organizing a celebration in 2008 for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City[4].

Organization of the Celebrations

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Large banner on the SAAQ building in Quebec City

The Société du 400e anniversaire de Québec was a non-profit organization responsible for planning the festivities and events during the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City. Their mission included organizing and promoting events and activities, working with other groups and encouraging contributions to and raising funds for the project. Preparations for the celebration began in 2000, when the organization was formed.[5] Locals from Quebec City and regional organizations were invited to a town hall in 2001 to welcome proposals for the celebrations[6]. Between its creation and the end of January 2008, 11 directors left or were dismissed from the organization. On January 2, 2008, Daniel Gélinas, the head of the Quebec City Summer Festival, became the president and chief executive officer of the Société du 400e. After his appointment, many officials were dismissed as part of an organizational restructuring.[7][8]

A total of 185 full-time employees were hired to cover planning and operational activities leading up to and during the event. They were overseen by a board of directors, as well as four commissioners from the three levels of government and the First Nations community. Approximately 1,500 volunteers devoted nearly 52,000 hours to helping the festivities run smoothly[5].

Major provincial institutions also created their own programming for the occasion. The Museum of Civilization (now the Canadian Museum of History), the Musée National Des Beaux-Arts du Québec, the Opéra de Québec (Opera of Quebec City), and the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec (Quebec Symphony Orchestra) each contributed exhibitions and/or shows, showcasing history, art, and music to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the city.[9] Over 2 million visitors participated in the various activities and shows that were offered[5].

Funding

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All three levels of government contributed funding for the events and new infrastructure planned for the celebrations. $140 million was spent on infrastructure: construction of the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain, creation of Espace 400e and redevelopment of Bassin Brown, Pointe-à-Carcy and Baie de Beauport[10]. Another $65 million went to the Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport[11] to expand its terminal to better accommodate the visitors expected for the celebrations. The Société du 400e received $85 million for organizing the festivities: $40 million from the Government of Canada, $40 million from the province of Quebec and $5 million from Quebec City[11].

Of the $40 million given to the Société by the federal government, $10 million was dedicated to promoting the festival; $9 million was allotted for the development of Espace 400e; $6.6 million to fund the festival from July 3-6 during the actual anniversary; $2.8 million was devoted to fund francophone activities; $2.6 million to create the Moulin à Images (Image Mill); $2.5 million for the opening show Coup d’envoi (The Kick-Off) on December 31st, 2007; $1 million for the show Le Chemin qui marche (The Walking Road), and another $1 million for other shows[12].

Bassin Louise (Louise Basin) and Espace 400e under construction in November 2007

The organization had a goal of generating $5 million in revenue through sponsorships, on site concession and ticket sales, and the sales of official merchandise including food, clothing, household objects, dishes, books, and DVD’s[10]. In the end, the Société raised $21 million, most of which was used to add more concerts to the festival schedule and extend the celebrations from the original closing date of October 2008 until the end of the year[12]. Despite receiving money from both provincial and federal levels of government the Société refused to finance Canada Day or Fête nationale (Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day) celebrations as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations[13].

Development and Preparation

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Just as The Battlefields Park was created to honour the 300th anniversary of Quebec City, several major construction projects were undertaken in the city to leave a lasting legacy of the 400th anniversary celebrations.

Baie de Beauport (Beauport Bay) - a full redevelopment to create a year-round recreational site. The size of the beach was doubled and buildings, sports fields, and pedestrian and cycling paths were added to the site[14]. An effort was made to preserve the natural habitat and provide protected areas for birds. Estimated to cost $19.3 million, the work was completed in the summer of 2008 and paid for by the Government of Canada.[15]

Bassin Brown (Brown Basin) - a $7.1 million site redevelopment in order to create an Interpretation Centre and new lookout points onto the Saint Lawrence River and the city skyline. The site, where British soldiers landed in 1759 during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, was given back to Quebec City by the Port of Quebec authority, in honour of the city’s 400th anniversary[15][16]. The redevelopment links the site to the Upper Town of Old Quebec City with a pedestrian walkway[16].

  1. ^ a b "Champlain a repris sa place à Québec | Louis-Guy Lemieux | soleil dossier 400e". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  2. ^ "Début des célébrations du tricentenaire de la ville de Québec". bilan.usherbrooke.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  3. ^ "The Battlefields Park / Plains of Abraham". www.telegraphe.com. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  4. ^ "Quelles FÊTES! | Julie Lemieux | soleil dossier 400e". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  5. ^ a b c "Ville de Québec - Rapport d'activités de la société du 400e anniversaire de Québec". www.ville.quebec.qc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  6. ^ "Ville de Québec - Le 400e, c'était..." www.ville.quebec.qc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  7. ^ Dion-Viens, Daphnée (January 26, 2008). "Congédiements au 400e - Gélinas veut tourner la page". Le soleil.
  8. ^ Normandin, Pierre-André (January 24, 2008). "L'hémorragie continue". Le soleil.
  9. ^ "Ville de Québec - La programmation associée". www.ville.quebec.qc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  10. ^ a b "Ville de Québec - Rapport d'activités de la société du 400e anniversaire de Québec". www.ville.quebec.qc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  11. ^ a b "Bonne fête Québec - Legion Magazine". Legion Magazine. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  12. ^ a b Allard, Marc (January 25, 2008). "Le grand ménage se poursuit". Le soleil.
  13. ^ Porter, Isabelle (March 14 2006). "La Société du 400e anniversaire de Québec veut éviter une guerre de drapeaux". Le devoir. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Ville de Québec - Baie de Beauport". www.ville.quebec.qc.ca. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  15. ^ a b Lemieux, Julie (April 28, 2007). "Les grands travaux de 400e". Le soleil.
  16. ^ a b "Brown Bassin Interpretation Center |". glcrm.dev.tremblayagenceweb.com. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
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