Over the last few weeks I’ve been talking with folks organizing the bicentennial celebrations of the War of 1812. One of the possible events I’m most excited about is the re-enactment of the Battle of York when the Americans invaded our sleepy town. Re-enactors would come ashore around Marilyn Bell Park near Jameson and Lake Shore, and battle across the CNE grounds towards Fort York (hopefully the looting of the city will not happen this time around). If I had my way, we’d also re-enact burning down the White House as well as host a zombie walk of dead British and American soldiers too, but we’ll see if those things ever happens.
So it was interesting (and slightly ironic) to read today that the battle of words between federalist and separatist factions has led to the cancellation of the re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the defining moment in the Brit’s attempt to take over New France, which led to the eventual creation of Canada.
The Globe and Mail article says:
For weeks a war of words erupted in newspapers, on the web and on open line radio shows where extremists on both sides threatened to use violence to either stop next summer’s re-enactment from taking place or protect it against disruptions.
It appeared as though a modern version of the Plains of Abrahams battle was in the making, which led the head of the federal agency known as the National Battlefields Commission André Juneau to back down from his idea to re-enact the 1759 French defeat at the hands of the British.
“Given the excessive language in the past few days and the threats mad through the media, we could no as responsible agency compromise the security of families and children who could attend the event,†Mr. Juneau said in cancelling the event. “It was odious and unreasonable to have suggested that the Commission planned to celebrate a military defeat.â€
Mr. Juneau said that separatists should carry the blame of the cancellation of the event because of the threat they made to disrupt the event. “They have to carry the responsibility for what they said,†Mr. Juneau said, refusing to express any regrets for the controversial proposal to hold the re-enactment.
Quebec’s historical corps with its hundreds of volunteers was poised to re-enact the historical battle and had nothing but harsh words against the vocal separatists who led the battle to have the even cancelled.
15 comments
Separatists threatening to use violence to get their way. Hey, the FLQ rides again!
Revisionist history is separatism’s modus operandi. “Je me souviens”, but only the chapters we want to.
The important battle must be re-enacted. In Toronto, if need be.
Not all of history has to be re-enacted in order to be remembered.
Maybe we should re-enact Dieppe? The expulsion of the Acadians? The refusal of refugee Jews in World War II? The internment of Japanese Canadians? After all, it would be ‘revisionist’ not to do so.
Let’s be like Northern Ireland. They commemorate all of their old conflicts.
That’s right A.R., Toronto can borrow the important battle. We all know that nothing worth re-enacting has ever occurred there.
99% of people in Quebec could not care less.
Re-enact the battle in Toronto… Non-sense!
Re-enact the battle anywhere… non-sense too!
Come on! It’s not about forgetting the past or even re-writing it: they are asking to pay respect to their ancestors who lost their live in that 7 years War. I think WE should respect that right they have to say NO.
We, as anglos-british-americans have nothing to say on this matter. We as Canadians should be proud to have that background too (the french that is). We should stand beside Quebec and support them…
I’m sure most of you don’t even know that this re-enactment was not really organized by Canadians – Reenactors from the STATES where going to be the main attraction there.
Todd: reenact whatever you like. If you prefer the local battles of the War of 1812, go for it. Enjoy your freedom.
IMHO: Canadians experience their history in a very different way than Americans do. While Americans are very good at marketing their history, occasionally sacrificing accuracy for high production values, Canadians prefer their history a bit more subdued. Where they have multi-million dollar blockbuster hits like The Patriot and Pearl Harbor we have Heritage Minutes and Canada Vignettes. It’s not like we don’t have enough dramatic fodder for a high-budget feature-length film, it’s that nobody really wants to see our history depicted in such a manner (See: Passchendaele). It’s not that we don’t love our history, its that we don’t love our history /that way/.
As a result of this difference in attitude reenacting is a lot more common, a larger enterprise, and is generally seen as more acceptable in the US.
I’ve been to War of 1812 reenactments at Fort Erie, and while I really enjoyed the atmosphere, costumes and heritage crafting, I was a bit uncomfortable with the actual battle scenes and often found myself (unexpectedly) averting my eyes.
It’s very much a question of respect for the dead.
On one hand, if used properly a reenactment can be used to emphasize the serious implications and real consequences of war.
On the other hand, if the event is planned for families there will be limit to how traumatizing it can be, and the expectation that the event will be entertaining, as well as educational.
It’s really murky moral ground for such a public event.
Although privately, if you wanted to get a Burning Schoolhouse and paint it white, that might be more than a little awesome.
I just want to highlight the real defenition of Historical Reenactment.
Reenactment is a type of roleplay in which participants attempt to recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. There is many level of historic accuracy: Some associations of reenactor are more like “actors”, other ones REALLY try to represent a period in all its small details. I call that “scientific reenactment”.
Now, reenacting is not always a replay of a war or a battle!!!! Some associations just represent every day life of every day people. And in my book, this is much more interesting, a broader approach of history.
I found this website the other day. This seams to be a Quebecois association that recreates battles, but also a lot of civilian periods. By their photos, I can tell they are very close to the details!
http://lashim.com
and more photos here:
http://lashim.myphotoalbum.com/
I don’t really understand this desire to reenact wars. It’s true our country is built on military victories, but is that really something to be proud of or something to regret? Those parades in Northern Ireland are juvenile and only aggravate the sectarian hatred between Catholics and Protestants. To say that this reenactment wasn’t intended to celebrate a defeat is a completely anglo-centric view. Obviously if you are celebrating a battle there has to be a loser to have a victor. I’m glad it’s not going to happen.
It is not be about whether to re-enact or not re-enact a battle. It is about whether threats of violence should be used to deter people from performing what would otherwise be legal activities.
The vast majority of Quebecers had no problem with the re-enactment. It is disgusting that threats of violence have stifled freedom.
And how do you know Mike that MOST quebecers had no problem with it?
You went there and organized a poll on the topic? I think you would be surprised how many people are just very grossed out with the idea. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you have no clue of how things are perceived outside the Quebec medias – the city of Montreal – the politician world.
Im surprised they even suggested reenacting it in the first place. In many ways, all of the French/English problems we have today go back to that moment. I think its a little insensitive to suggest they recreate an event that was less than glorious.
While I agree that a re-enactment is not necessary to remember history and while I’ll acknowledge that this particular event may not have been very well conceived, I think canceling it was a mistake. It speaks to a much more fundamental issue of Canadian history and identity, confronting our past and the strength of our democratic ideals.
I blogged about this (in my first ever posting) at http://buckeach.blogspot.com.
I am not Canadian though my grandmother was (Comeaux). I am however a scholar of the Seven Years War who viewed the reenactment of Ticonderoga (French Victory) last summer in New York and found it exciting in a “time-machine” sort of way. I made hotel reservations to see this reenactment and I am very disappointed. If after 250 years fols still have resentments I say they have some mental health issues. Whether it is my family in Canada or minorities in the USA ….holding onto the angers of the past only hurts you not those you resent.
Resentments are like peeing in your pants…everyone sees it but only you feel it.
Hopefully I can cancel my reservations.