The Government of Canada Commemorates the National Historic Significance of the Hopital-General de Quebec Cemetery

QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC--( Sept. 16, 2005) - The Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today unveiled a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating the national historic significance of the Hopital-General de Quebec Cemetery.

"This cemetery, which has existed for nearly 300 years, is steeped in the history of Quebec and Canada," said Minister Dion. "Today, through the records kept by the Augustines, it continues to enhance our knowledge of the Seven Years War and other significant events that have shaped our nation. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to thank the congregation for its precious contribution to preserve our collective heritage."

The Hopital-General de Quebec Cemetery, one of the oldest still remaining in Quebec City, holds more than 1,000 graves of Canadian, French, British and Amerindian officers and soldiers who died during the Seven Years War (1755-1763), of which 277 died during the battles of the Plains of Abraham (1759) and of Sainte-Foy (1760). Their names, places of birth and even sometimes their ages have been recorded in the parish register by the Augustines, creating an invaluable document for future generations.

Recognizing the historic importance of this exceptional site, which was identified as a cultural icon by Quebec in 1977, the Quebec Ministere de la Culture et des Communications has provided the Augustines with the necessary financial resources to conserve and present the cemetery. It was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 1998. In 2001, the Augustines mandated the Commission de la capitale nationale du Quebec to lay out, maintain and preserve the cemetery for future generations. Improvement work on the cemetery, the construction of a mausoleum to Montcalm, the creation of a memorial to the victims of the Seven Years War and the installation of interpretative panels, have created a large and impressive commemorative area for the public.

Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of the Environment regarding the national historic significance of places, people, and events that have marked Canada's history. It is one means of informing the public about the richness of our cultural heritage, which must be preserved for present and future generations.

(Also available on the Internet at www.pc.gc.ca under What's new.) 

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President William Howard Taft joined a crowd of thousands in Burlington in 1909 to watch a floating re-enactment of Champlain's 1609 "discovery" of the lake that bears his name.

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