A poor but passable translation:
It is known well that the Vikings passed by Newfoundland, but there's a difference between a fish and fur counter and the establishment of Quebec in 1608...
Surely his tongue was planted firmly in his cheek at the controversy over whether St. John's or Quebec City is the oldest city in Canada.
Meanwhile aboriginal people across the country are laughing themselves silly at the whole debate.
And on the Wet Coast, there's some consternation that their anniversary is going thus far unblessed by federal funds:
Funding of Quebec fête sparks debate about relative worth
Quebec City, 110 million; British Columbia, zero.
That's the score so far in the federal funding game for two parts of
the country celebrating historic milestones this year.
The Quebec capital, marking the 400th anniversary of its founding by
Samuel de Champlain, has already been granted $40 million from the
Department of Canadian Heritage to pay for birthday festivities, with
an additional $70 million in federal money for infrastructure
upgrades, including restoration of historical sites.
Meanwhile British Columbia, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its
establishment as a British Crown colony, has yet to be promised a
penny from the federal government.
Charles Parkinson, the executive director of the BC150 Secretariat,
which is organizing the celebration, said he requested funding from
the federal government last winter, but the request stagnated.
"We went there, but we didn't really hear anything (back)," he said.
However, after persistently arguing his case to the federal
government, Mr. Parkinson said he now believes that some money will be
forthcoming.
"Five or six weeks ago, we received a call from Ottawa saying, 'We're
really interested and we want to talk seriously', " Mr. Parkinson
said. "The signs coming from Ottawa have been very, very positive.
It's been slow, but they've been positive."
Officials from Heritage Minister Josée Verner's office declined an
interview request, but sent an e-mail via the Heritage Department,
saying the department will consider funding the B.C. celebrations once
it receives a detailed request.
Mr. Parkinson said he intended to send the detailed request this week.
Hedy Fry, the Liberal MP for the B.C. riding of Vancouver Centre, said
she hopes the federal government will contribute about $20 million.
"I am being very generous when I say, I know that the federal
government will be very supportive of this, given that there is a
precedent in other provinces' centennials and in Quebec's
celebrations," Ms. Fry said in an interview with the Citizen this
week. "I think that they should do it from a point of principle."
It's undisputed that Quebec City is extremely important historically,
as a hub for the fur trade and a base for the French exploration and
colonization of North America.
But some argue that the government's hype around Quebec has gone too
far, entering the realm of historical hyperbole. Promotional material
from the Department of Canadian Heritage states that "the foundation
of Quebec City also marks the foundation of the Canadian State" and
that "French is the founding language of Canada."
But B.C. historian Jean Barman argues that Canada, as we now know it,
did not have a single founding moment. Rather, there were different
founding events in different territories, which eventually became
provinces and came together to form today's Canada.
The establishment of B.C. as a Crown Colony in 1858 was one of those
founding moments, she argues, because the imposition of British rule
stopped the territory from falling into the hands of the expansionist
American republic.
"If it hadn't been for 1858, it's very possible that Canada as a
country would not go coast to coast," said Ms. Barman.
So, if the 400th anniversary of Quebec's founding is worth $110
million to the Canadian taxpayer, what's the relative worth of B.C.'s
150th celebration? Or the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's landfall
in Newfoundland in 1497? Or the 100th anniversary of Alberta and
Saskatchewan joining Confederation in 1905?
Prominent Canadian historian Jack Granatstein says it's impossible to
gauge the relative importance of different historical events -- or to
compare the money allocated to different celebrations, in different
places, at different times, under different governments.
"You can't. You really can't," he said. "Is an apple more important
than an orange? Who knows? And it's a mug's game to try and play
that."
Yet the $110 million granted to Quebec City has raised eyebrows -- and
perhaps some envy -- among other historic hotspots that received less
federal government largesse.
According to figures from the provincial government, Newfoundland
received $5.5 million from the federal government for its Cabot 500
celebrations in 1997. And the small Nova Scotia community of Annapolis
Royal, which was colonized in 1605 --pre-dating Quebec City by three
years -- received just $250,000 from the federal Heritage Department
to celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2005.
Federal Funding of Recent Historical Celebrations
Quebec City 400th celebrations, 2008 400th anniversary of the founding
of Quebec City by Samuel de Champlain.
- Government of the day: Stephen Harper's Conservatives
- Federal contribution: $40 million (celebrations); $70 million
(infrastructure)
British Columbia 150th celebrations, 2008 150th anniversary of the
establishment of the Crown Colony of British Columbia
- Government of the day: Stephen Harper's Conservatives
- Federal contribution: $0 (at the time of publication)
John Cabot 500th celebrations, 1997 500th anniversary of John Cabot's
landfall in Newfoundland.
- Government of the day: Jean Chrétien's Liberals
- Federal contribution: $5.5 million (celebrations and infrastructure)
Annapolis Royal 400th celebrations, 2005 400th anniversary of the
founding of Port Royal by Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Dugua, Sieur
de Monts.
- Government of the day: Paul Martin's Liberals
- Federal contribution: $250,000
Alberta and Saskatchewan centennials, 2005 100th anniversary of
Alberta and Saskatchewan joining Confederation.
- Government of the day: Paul Martin's Liberals
Federal contribution: Saskatchewan: $3.1 million (celebrations); $3.1
million (infrastructure); Alberta: $3.5 million (celebrations); $60
million (infrastructure)
-srbp-