The 300th anniversary of Québec City’s founding was celebrated in grand style from July 19 to 31, 1908. Thousands of visitors flocked to Québec City to commemorate the city’s founding by Champlain. A squadron of warships were launched on the river and some 25,000 military personnel paraded through the streets. Thousands of actors in period costumes gathered on the Plains of Abraham. The festivities cost nearly a million dollars and led to the creation of the Battlefields Park. Do you see a link between the enthusiastic crowds of 1908 and those of the 400th anniversary in 2008?
Historical procession of ecclesiastical members of the court of Henri IV
Keystone View Company
The 1908 tercentenary was grandiose. Actors paraded around, portraying different periods in the city’s history. Here, we see the court of Henri IV, King of France, who gave Samuel de Champlain the order to found Québec City in 1608. The grandeur of these celebrations was only surpassed by the centennial of Canadian Confederation, in 1967.
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