1759 re-enactment stirs ancient hostilities. A slap in the face, say sovereigntists
In the United States, they have Civil War re-enactments all the time. In Canada, historical anachronism is a potential powder keg — especially when federal tax dollars are involved. When word got out that Ottawa is helping bankroll a recreation of the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham, in which the French were defeated by the British, setting the stage for the loss of New France, Quebec nationalists were enraged. Societé Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the group Imperatif francais are running web petitions and planning protests on Parliament Hill. Organizers say they’re forging ahead despite vaguely threatening emails, setting the stage for a modern-day battle — one hopes with lower stakes.