A Lost Voice

On September 12, 1759, the British army under General James Wolfe defeated Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, and the French army on the Plains of Abraham which marked the end of French dominance in North America. Now, 250 years later, an event that marks the first step in the founding of Canada will not be celebrated because it has become apparent that our country is willing to put nationalism before its own history. Canada’s history will once again disappear from the grasps of the general public and find itself amongst a shadow of controversy, because of a group of individuals who feel that re-enacting the famous battle would be a disgrace to their French ancestors.

The re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was too take place this summer with 2000 individuals in full costume, detailed right down to replica weapons. However, because of the growing safety concerns, and the threats of violence that have been issued by the protestors, the re-enactment has been cancelled. Andre Juneau, head of the National Battlefields Commission, has claimed that he’s received about 150 threatening letters which he turned over to Quebec authorities. Furthermore, the Battle of Saint-Foy, often referred to as the Battle of Quebec, has also been cancelled due to the recent controversy that has been brought forward by the protestors. The Canadian media has done an astounding job of voicing the concerns of those who are protesting the event, such as the Parti Quebecois, but what they have failed to address is the impact this has on Canadian history and history alone.

I was surfing the web a few evenings ago and came across a website dedicated to the commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg, the pivotal battle of the American Civil War. It was the high number of casualties, more than any other during the American Civil War, which finally broke General Lee and the Confederates. Too this day it is still commemorated, re-enacted, and more importantly, remembered for its significance and place in American history. Now, I am not completely naive and I do realize that Quebec is its own independent province with its own provincial government – but they are part of a whole nation. Our history needs to remain collective and the Seven Year’s War is part of that history. Should Canadians be deprived of learning about the trials and tribulations of their own history in a way other than reading a history book? Forget the fact that the Seven Year’s War is considered by many as the first global war and that our ancestors were a part of that. It’s our past and it needs to be remembered, whether we like it or not; we need to remember what actually happened – not what others want to remember.

Historians interpret historical events and their impact on individuals in the political, social, and economical context. Canada is geographically a large nation, with a relatively short history – it cannot afford to pass on these interpretations for the benefit of its future if Canada wishes to keep its history collective, rather than watch its own past break apart. History helps us understand where we are today by illustrating the founding of government, its institutions, and more importantly, the people that helped create this nation. It gets sticky, however, when history is interpreted and bent to conform to the passions and beliefs of a certain group or individual.

The protestors are upset not only because the Battle represents the loss of French dominance in North America, but it is often seen by many as the beginning of British or English oppression in North America. Furthermore, some have claimed that we should be celebrating “positive” events in Canadian history, ones that avoid controversial issues and one that look at our entire nation as a whole.

Fair enough, but what about taking into account the Quebec Act of 1774, an act approved by British parliament that gave the French the right to practice Catholicism and restored French Civil Law for private judicial matters? This doesn’t seem like a whole lot of British oppression too me. In fact, it seems like the beginning of a nation built around the idea of compromise.

The re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham is noted to possibly still continue, but as Horst Dresler, president of the Quebec Historical Corp, stated – it won’t be held in Quebec because of the fear of violence that has been addressed by protestors towards the issue. Should the protestors have a right to protest? Absolutely. Should their voices and concerns be heard within the media? Most definitely. But threatening violence and using intimidation is not an acceptable way to go about protesting such a concern. A compromise can be made – something Canada and its leaders tend to be very good at. Succumbing to the opinions of others while leaving the rest of the public without a say should not happen in any democratic country. The Canadian federal government needs to recognize the fragility of an event such as this and work with those who oppose it to find a common ground in which we can all celebrate our history. The Canadian federal government also needs to think about its own history and clear its eyes of the French, English political smoke-screen. Because without a compromise- where is history’s voice in all of this?

History is always going to have victors and losers; we’ve seen that with great historical events such as the Battle of Thermopylae, the French Revolution, the American Civil War and both World Wars. These conflicts, unfortunately, are followed by the loss of life. Most of the time it is those who suffer defeat who lose the most. The Seven Year’s War was no different, it had both a victor and loser, the British and French, with casualties on both sides, and the impact it made was a milestone in both Canadian and British North American History. To refuse to commemorate such an event is to let the past escape us. As Canadians we need to celebrate our history collectively. History needs advocates and more importantly a voice, because without those who stand up and chose to learn and teach it, history itself may simply become lost in the intangible web of the past.
- Ty