400th anniversary of Quebec City
[4] Together, municipal, provincial and federal levels of the Canadian government invested approximately $155 million in the events and infrastructure created for the celebration.
In Canada: Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Toronto, Ottawa, Gatineau, Montreal, Fredericton, Halifax, Charlottetown, St. John's, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Iqaluit; in the United States: Washington, Jamestown, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Lafayette, and Miami;[6] in Argentina: Cordoba,[6] in France: Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Reims, La Rochelle, and Brouage (the birthplace of Samuel de Champlain);[7] in Belgium: the Flemish Region, Brussels, Wallonia, and Namur;[8] in Italy: Turin, Rome, and Milan;[8] in the United Kingdom: London.
[12] The Société du 400e anniversaire de Québec (SAAQ) was a non-profit organization responsible for planning the festivities and events during the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.
[15] 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.
$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.
[13] Another $65 million went to the Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport[18] to expand its terminal to better accommodate the visitors expected for the celebrations.
[21][23] Despite receiving money from both provincial and federal levels of government the Société refused to finance Canada Day or Saint-Jean-Baptiste Daycelebrations as part of the 400th anniversary.
[35] Various artists, including Ima, Marco Calliari, Les Zapartistes, We Are Wolves, Jérôme Minière, Tokyo Police Club, Maurane, and Philippe Lafontaine, performed at the "Grande Place", a temporary outdoor stage erected near Bassin Louise.
[35] Some of the main exhibits included Passagers/Passengers, an interactive installation created by Patrice Sauvé that represented those who have passed through or lived in Quebec City throughout its history,[19] Le Moulin à Images (The Image Mill), an architectural mega projection by Robert Lepage that projected images of the city's history onto Bunge grain silos every night,[39] and the Ephemeral Gardens, which consisted of eleven themed gardens designed and created by artists from Quebec and the rest of Canada, as well as France, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
[41][42] The Wyandot people (also known as Wendats) celebrated the official opening of the Hôtel-Musée de Wendake, both a hotel and museum featuring First Nations artwork, on March 7, 2008.
The show, entitled Coup d'Envoi (Kick-Off), was directed by Denis Bouchard[55] and was performed outdoors at Place d'Youville from 11:15 p.m. on New Year's Eve until midnight.
[56] The show touched on issues like the longevity of the French language, the harsh climate, the intermingling of different peoples, and the battles the city had weathered.
The opening number was performed by traditional Quebec music groups Les Batinses and La Bottine souriante, accompanied by 400 "toe-tappers.
Gregory Charles who was performing at the Capitol de Québec theatre that night, left his concert briefly to walk through Place d'Youville, and to sing Robert Charlebois' "Si j'avais les ailes d'un ange" (If I Had the Wings of an Angel).
[60] This meant that many people had problems accessing the site and thousands of spectators were forced to gather in front of the National Assembly of Quebec instead.
[66] Daniel Gélinas became president and chief executive officer of the Société du 400e shortly after the Coup d'Envoi event took place.
One station featured actors reciting the poetry of local poets, another displayed statements historical figures had made about Quebec City.
[71] Free performances were scheduled featuring Celine Dion, Paul McCartney, the Cirque du Soleil, and various Quebec artists.
