Who am I?
It is important to briefly introduce myself so that the reader
will have some idea of where I am coming from, intellectually
and geographically. I was born in Calgary and lived most of my
life here. After graduating in mechanical engineering from the
University of British Columbia in 1951, my business and engineering
career of over 30 years involved the oil and gas industry and
several years at the head of a farm equipment manufacturing business.
A twelve year highlight was the management of the social and environmental
aspects of major engineering projects. Several years ago I changed
my career to documentary art photography.
Examples of my photographic work can be seen in the book Calgary,
Places & People published by myself in 1983 and 125 Portraits,
Companions of the Order of Canada , published in 1992 by the Canada
Communication Group(Queen's Printer). Other details of my biography
and photographic achievements are in the back of this book.
From my home in Calgary, I can see the prairies to the east and
the Rocky Mountains to the west. From Calgary I have crossed Canada
many times by car and by air. Although my capability in the French
language is limited there are ways for a human to communicate
that do not require spoken or written words. The relationship
of a documentary art photographer and subject can be a very special
and sensitive way of communicating.
Earlier Memories of Québec
My early memories of Québec are scattered and certainly
not profound. The first trip to Québec was in 1954 when
I was an engineering officer in the Supplementary Reserve of Calgary's
403 Squadron. A summer exercise brought the squadron of World
War II Mustang fighters to Saint Hubert south of Montreal. While
there we were allowed a few days off base. It was then that I
had my first opportunity to visit Québec City, albeit as
a tourist.
In the 1960s I was president of Golden Arrow Manufacturing Limited,
a Calgary business founded by my father. Some of our farm spraying
equipment was designed specifically for Ontario and Québec.
For the Québec market we used the trademark Flèche
d'Or and produced French language sales brochures and instructions.
I don't recall a law requiring the use of French at that time,
but French literature was obviously needed if we wanted to sell
equipment to francophone Québec farmers.
On one of my overseas business trips in 1964 I recall talking
with a francophone Québecer who was sitting beside me in
the airliner. I asked him his reaction to De Gaulle's recent Montreal
speech in which De Gaulle exhorted "Vive Québec! Vive
Québec libre!" My fellow passenger's reply was "Vive
Québec! But Canada first!" Years later I had to have
a tire repaired in a local Québec City garage. One of the
mechanic's friends was nonchalantly sipping on a beer, passing
a little time. In the search for an understanding of Quebec I
asked him his opinion on political affairs. His answer was quick
and clear --- "There is only one thing that matters and it
is hockey!" His response was no doubt reflective of many
Canadians.
While working for an ambitious Dome Petroleum in the late 1970's
I spent a few days in the Québec City region exploring
possible sites for a liquid natural gas storage and regasification
facility along the tide water of the Saint Lawrence River. In
more recent years, starting in 1984, I have visited Québec
City several times in the course of photographing Companions of
the Order of Canada, and Canadian war veterans and their memorials.
In September 1991 I was there to photograph Their Excellencies
Hnatyshyn at the Governor General's summer residence in The Citadel
in Old Québec.
Reflecting on these scattered experiences helped me realize how
little I knew of the feelings, the perceptions of Québecers.
Purpose
With constitutional tremors occurring from time to time, there
is a need for Canadians to know and understand more of their nation,
especially the personality of Québec. However as we examine
some perceptions of Québecers, we also need to examine
our own attitudes that are so much based on perceptions of inadequate
history and selective memories.
Canada is a large country. From my own experience it takes over
thirty driving hours to get by car from Montreal to Calgary. Because
of the great distance it is not common to see cars with Québec
licence plates in Alberta. However, I remember that some years
ago the Québec plates were inscribed with the words "La
belle province" which had a nice friendly ring to them. Then
the words changed. I understood that the new words "Je me
souviens" translated as "I remember". The question
is...what is it that Québecers remember? My goal was to
listen and to see. Interwoven with that was the exploration of
my own memories of Québec. This book shares with the reader
my personal memories, and the feelings of the 39 Québecers
that met me, talked to me, wrote to me and faced my camera in
the winter of 1992.
Method
In order to explore the project in my own way it was necessary
for me to take the initiative at my own risk. If Québec's
poet Gilles Vigneault says that his country is not a country...
it is winter, then my timing was most appropriate. I knew one
place where I could carry out the work quickly, in one central
location, on foot and in the winter -- North America's only walled
city: Old Québec City. It helped that Calgary and Québec
City have been "twinned" since 2 April, 1956. Calgary's
Mayor Al Duerr kindly endorsed my goals and provided an introduction
to Québec's Mayor L'Allier.
There were additional reasons for locating the field work in Québec
City. Much of Canada's history has its deepest roots in Québec
City. It was there that in 1759 the British army and navy were
successfull in one of the battles with the French army for the
control of a major part of North America colonized by France.
It was a battle of European empires fought on Canada's soil. The
name Québec comes from the Algonquins and refers to that
place where the Saint Lawrence narrows at Québec City.
The identical name of the city and the province allows the city
residents to proudly proclaim that they are Québecers twice
over!
To discover the meaning of "Je me souviens" I decided
I would take the portraits of a diverse group of Québecers
and ask each one to give me a written statement of what "Je
me souviens" meant to them. I wrote a form letter in English
and had it translated into French. These letters are in the back
of the book.
Finding the people to be photographed was time consuming but not
difficult. A Calgary friend, originally from Sept- les, gave me
introductions to several of his friends that live in or near Québec
City. Another friend living near Québec City introduced
me to a few of his relatives. The General Manager of Calgary's
Palliser hotel introduced me to his counterpart in the Château
Frontenac. I found many of the others as I poked around in Québec
City commercial establishments.
"Je me souviens" is not only the motto of the province
but it is also the motto of the Royal 22nd Regiment. One of the
battalions of the well known "Van Dooz" is stationed
in the Old Québec fort named The Citadel. Through my work
on the Companions of the Order of Canada I knew Col Gordon Lewis,
a retired officer of the Royal 22nd and Director of Honours in
Government House, Ottawa. He gave me an enthusiastic introduction
to the regimental association which eventually led to a luncheon
with LCol Daigle, the battalion commander in The Citadel. Major
Bob Girard who headed the regiment's museum, at that time, then
took the responsibility of finding veterans of the regiment who
were willing to participate in the project.
Portraits and the statements of the people I met can be found
in the Gallery of
Quebec City, and the Gallery
of the Royal 22nd Regiment.
Memories of Quebec Feb/Mar92
On 17Feb92 I flew from Calgary to Québec City and for the
next 29 days set up residence in the Château Frontenac,
the most dominant building near the summit of the steep Cap Diamant
cliffs overlooking the mighty Saint Lawrence River. From my ninth
floor room I could easily see across to the south shore city of
Lévis, the distant downstream le d'Orléans, the
harbour of Québec at the mouth of the St-Charles River,
the nearby Basilica and historic Québec Seminary. During
the day the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Pierre Radisson could
be seen anchored at the corner where the Saint Lawrence turns
to avoid le d'Orléans. From my hotel room the state of
the weather could be seen for miles and I could walk to most of
the destinations needed.
With the exception of one day of pouring rain, winter was the
norm, including deep snow, cold temperatures and high winds. Ironically
the twin city of Calgary was experiencing an unusually mild winter
with temperatures occasionally exceeding 20 degrees Celcius.
Québec City is so deep within the North American continent
that many people probably don't realise that it is subject to
ocean tides. My first view of ice moving rapidly "upstream"
due to tidal current was unexpected and a bit disconcerting. On
rare occasions the Saint Lawrence has had a solid ice cover at
Québec City. Normally, however, the ice is kept moving
by the powerful tide, the assistance of the Canadian Coast Guard
icebreakers, the passing of the occasional oil tanker, and the
regular crossings of the two ice strengthened ferries between
Québec and Lévis.
There is more to Calgary than the Calgary Stampede as there is
more to Québec City than the Québec Carnival. In
that context I arrived in Québec the day after the 1992
Carnival. In the short time available I wanted to work within
an everyday atmosphere with minimal distractions involving tourists
and special events. However the remnants of the Snow Palace across
from the National Assembly and the artistic snow carvings just
off the Grande Allée could still be seen. Within a few
days of my arrival all signs of the 1992 Carnival were demolished
and cleaned up by city crews. A few Carnival items remained for
sale in local souvenir shops.
The Citadel or fort has a single winding portal through its exterior
wall. During the summer the entrance is open above, but in winter
it is covered with a sheet metal roof. This winter roof provides
a practical means to deal with the heavy snowfall that would otherwise
plug up the narrow passage with snow or with workers endeavouring
to remove the snow. I made my way through this passage for several
days in the course of the rendezvous with each of the veterans
I photographed. They included J. C. Closson, J. B. Grimard, Lauréat
Laberge, Robert Lavoie, Charles-E Lesveque, Paul Mimeault, Paul
Néron, Lucien Pallascio, Gérard Poitras and the
current Chief Warrant Officer of the regiment, Ronald LeBlanc.
In WWII the Royal 22nd Regiment initially saw action in the 1943
Italian campaign. One of the veterans of the Italian campaign
is LCol Lucien Turcotte. He was the first veteran in Québec
City to confirm interest in the "Je me souviens" project.
He started by inviting me to dinner with his wife Raymonde in
their home near The Citadel. Their warmth and friendship was a
good beginning to the project. In the following days he showed
me a few of the interesting historic military locations in Québec
City including the Drill Hall designed by Eugène-Etienne
Taché , the Garrison Club in Old Québec and the
inner parts of The Citadel itself. I took LCol Turcotte's portrait
in the dining room of the Officers' Mess where in the background
you will see a portrait of The Queen, Colonel of the Regiment.
After our initial visit I didn't see LCol Turcotte again...it
turns out that he was very busy digging out specific facts about
Québec and Canadian symbols which he subsequently wrote
out as his statement of "Je me souviens" . One of the
facts he mentioned had to do with our national anthem. The music
of O Canada was written by Calixa Lavallée. The lyrics
were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. It was first played
by the military band of Les Voltigeurs on June 24, 1880 in Québec
City. The lyrics were in French and have never been changed. They
are:
English versions of O Canada came later. The most popular version
was written by Mr. Justice Robert Stanley Weir in 1908. With some
amendments, the Weir version was officially recognised by Parliament
in 1968. The current official English version is:
The French and English versions are not translations but are
reflections of two different cultures.
From the very start of the "Je me souviens" project
I had the advice and assistance from Eric and Monique Gourdeau
who live near Québec City. It was Eric who introduced me
to his brother Claude and their aunts Blanche and Marguerite Gourdeau.
The Gourdeau ancestors first came from France to Québec
in the early 17th century. Jacques Gourdeau de Beaulieu was a
seigneur who owned a part of historic le d'Orléans.
Monique Gourdeau is from the Taché family and it was she
who first told me that the author of "Je me souviens "
was her ancestor. Eugène-Etienne Taché (1836-1912),
an engineer and surveyor, was the architect of the Québec
National Assembly. The plans approved in February 1883, included
the Québec Coat of Arms and the motto "Je me souviens
". A biography extracted from a Taché family genealogy
is at the back of this essay.
Eugène-Etienne Taché (1836-1912)
It was after my visit to Quebec that I found a little more information
on the source of the Québec motto "Je me souviens"
. It was sent to me by Alexandre Taché, O.M.I., General
Secretary, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. It seems that
Eugène-Etienne Taché did not write an explanation
for the choice of the motto, if he did the explanation has not
been found.
The Taché family has other important Canadian roots. Recognised
as the first father of confederation, Sir Etienne Paschal Taché
presided at the Québec Conference of 1864. His biography
is found at the back of this book. He was the father of Eugène-Etienne
Taché.
I regularly took meals at Au Relais de la Place D'Armes in Old
Québec. It was convenient, inexpensive and a way to meet
Québecers. The waiter, Marc Côté, became one
of my photographic subjects. I also met Mdm Préfontaine,
a retired lady and regular customer of "Au Relais".
She was friendly and informative but unwilling to be one of my
subjects. She preferred to recommend Monique Duval a retired journalist
of Le Soleil and a Member of the Order of Canada.
Monique Duval was a very good participant. She became one of my
photographic subjects, and then, to my surprise and delight she
told me that Eugène-Etienne Taché's daughter was
alive and living in Québec City. It was Monique that introduced
me to Michelle Fragasso and her mother Marie-Clara-Hélène
Fragasso, daughter of Eugène-Etienne Taché. Marie-Clara-Hélène
Fragasso celebrated her 100th birthday on July 31st, 1992! Highlights
of Clara Fragasso's life include the bearing of four sets of twins.
Nelson Vigneault, originally from Sept- les, has a graphic arts
studio in Calgary. He introduced me to the Martin/Bretons, Judge
Gobeil, Antoine Bouchard and Sister Marie-Cécile Vigneault.
Claude Martin and his wife Suzanne Breton live across the river
in Lévis. To get to their home it required a short walk,
a ride on a funicular railroad, and a ferry trip through the ice
floes of the mighty Saint Lawrence, all of which took less than
half an hour. Claude picked me up on arrival at the Lévis
terminal and several minutes later I was at their home overlooking
the Saint Lawrence.
In order to use the remaining afternoon light we quickly agreed
that I would take their portraits at a nearby viewpoint park.
We stumbled through the deep snow(more was falling) in the park
to get to a covered viewpoint. While the viewpoint was covered
it offered no protection from previously melted snow that had
run over the floor of the viewpoint and subsequently froze. It
was so slippery that we had to hold on to the railing just to
stand without falling. Our original intent was to have the portraits
taken so as to include the view over the river to Québec
City. Unfortunately by the time we arrived the falling snow eliminated
any view of Québec City!
The Martin/Bretons invited me to join them for dinner with their
three school-age children. The parents are fluently bilingual,
Claude is an engineer and Suzanne is a kindergarten teacher. In
passing she mentioned that she also speaks Chinese, has been to
China more than once and intends to go again.
Antoine Bouchard is an ordained Catholic priest, but he works
as a Laval professor specialising in organ music. It was a sunny
but cold winter day when we took the funicular down to Lower Old
Town to explore sites for a portrait. As we walked along the shoreline
we spent some time watching the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Pierre
Radisson as it moved through the brightly shining ice in the Saint
Lawrence. After finishing our photographic duties we returned
to my hotel where we had a very pleasant lunch and discussed some
possibilities for his remarks on "Je me souviens".
Judge Gobeil picked me up at my hotel to take me to his office
where he wanted the portrait to be taken in his official robes.
Later, I mentioned that I would like to find an artist (painter)
as a subject. It was through his help that I found Suzanne Laurendeau.
Suzanne Laurendeau, a painter, has her studio on the third floor
of an older building in Lower Old Town. The studio is large and
bright and Suzanne was working when I arrived. Suzanne is unilingual
French and she quickly perceived that I was not fluent in French.
She went off to find someone else in the building that could act
as a translator. While help did arrive we eventually agreed that
it wasn't necessary and would probably distract from our need
to work together. With my limited French and appropriate body
language we succeeded to get some good portraits. Suzanne's picture
was taken as she worked on the finishing touches of one of her
paintings.
Beauport is a suburb of Québec City. With a short taxi
ride I found myself at one of the important buildings of the Sisters
of Charity of Québec. There I met Sister Marie-Cécile
Vigneault. She is unilingual French and a shy person in front
of the camera. At her suggestion she called for help from Sister
Frances Callan who was originally from the United States. I mentioned
to Sister Callan that my purpose was to get just a little bit
better understanding amongst Canadians..... I said that if I could
even build one small brick in a house of understanding I would
be satisfied. Sister Callan then told me that there is a poem
using that metaphor although the objective is slightly different.
The poem was written by a priest from France by name of Michel
Quoist. Sister Callan later found the poem and translated it for
me as follows:
Some of the people I met along the streets include: Ronald
Rousseau, Jean-Claude Gagnon, François Könitzer, Marie-Josée
Labbé, Gertrude Grogan and Mohamed Drouai.
In order to meet more people in everyday activities I took my
weekly laundry needs to a laundromat. It was there that I met
Ronald Rousseau in his laundromat on Saint-Jean street. He was
in the midst of organising and carrying out renovations on his
business, so he didn't feel he had the time to properly respond
to the "Je me souviens" project . He did however give
me some names of a few avant-garde artists that he knew, one of
which was Jean-Claude Gagnon.
Gagnon lives in an apartment in the old Saint-Jean Baptiste quarter
of Québec City He is a musician but also refers to himself
as a repairman for poetry and a sample of his work was written
for "Je me souviens" . One of his methods of communicating
art is through an international list of mail artists i.e. they
share their written and visual art through the mail.
As I walked along Rue Saint-Jean I passed a photographic studio
named Edwards. Judging by the name and the many historic photographs
in the reception area, it appeared to be an older anglophone establishment.
There were some customers speaking in French with the lady behind
the counter. When the customers left I spoke to the lady who turned
out to be Gertie Grogan, the daughter of Mr. Edwards, the founder.
She with a brother continue the profession of their father. She
graciously agreed to be a participant and provided some experience
of how well people in Québec City can work and live together,
in two languages.
Mohamed Drouai is a cook in a Tunisian restaurant located across
the corner from the old Saint Jean Baptiste church. He is bilingual,
speaking Arabic and French. I met him a few doors away from the
restaurant in a Tunisian pâtisserie, where I often stopped
to snack and warm-up on cold days.
François Könitzer and Marie-Josée Labbé
are students, currently working full time as waiter and waitress
in an offstreet bistro near the Laval University site in Old Québec.
The clientele of the bistro seemed to be primarily from the university.
I met François and Marie-José while I was having
lunch in the bistro. After some discussion they agreed to participate,
but they wanted to have their portrait taken at night, at their
favourite bar on Rue Sainte-Angèle. The bar was so dark
the film and camera could barely do its job, but as you will see,
the location made for an interesting portrait.
In the offices of the local Anglican cathedral I was given some
names of leaders in the anglophone community. Subsequent subjects
included: Ann Martell, Marianna O'Gallagher and Clive Meredith
who all came to meet me in the Old City.
I stayed the whole period in the Château Frontenac. That
gave me the opportunity to meet and photograph, the General Manager,
Gilbert Cashman; the Doorman, Bernard Chabot; the Guest Relations
Manager, Anne McKenna; a permanent resident and President of the
Canadian Bar Association, Paule Gauthier; an art gallery partner,
Sylvain Fortier; a coiffeuse, Annick Gignac and a coiffeur, Éric
Therrien.
As I mentioned earlier, Calgary and Québec City have had
an official "twin-city" relationship since 1956. The
two incumbent mayors continue the 'twin-city" relationship
as a means to improve communication and friendship in two distant
parts of Canada. I photographed Mayor L'Allier in the large reception
room next to his office in City Hall. In the background hangs
a painting of the French explorer, Jacques Cartier.
I didn't intend to contact Premier Robert Bourassa in the course
of my work. With the exception of Mayor L'Allier I was generally
not looking for incumbent politicians. As it happened, however,
as I got on the hotel elevator at the 9th floor where I was staying,
there was Robert Bourassa. In French, he asked me if I was in
commerce. I responded in French and told him that I was a documentary
art photographer from Calgary working on a special project about
Québec. The interview lasted only seconds as we rapidly
descended to the main lobby where we departed. My reactions are
not very swift even in English, and in French the brief conversation
may not have been what I thought. Subsequently I wrote the Premier
on the chance that fate was in action, however, there was no response
and fate went no further.
Near the end of my work in Québec City the local English
language media discovered my activities and I had the pleasure
of being interviewed live on CBC's CKMI television station by
Karen Macdonald. Karen also wrote an article about my project
in North America's Oldest Newspaper, the Chronical-Telegraph.
That interview led me to a subsequent rendezvous with Karen and
her husband François Vézina who both agreed to be
participants.
On the 17Mar92 I returned to Calgary with film to process, remaining
statements to get, and my own experiences to digest and organize.
I didn't expect and didn't get complete and conclusive answers
to the thoughts and feelings of the Québecers I met. The
portraits and the statements of my subjects do, however, give
some clues to the nature of Québec's distinct society.
Reflections
Je me souviens" is a very powerful provincial slogan. It
is a reminder of the deep feelings of Québecers of all
political persuasions.
"Eugène-Etienne Taché, the author of "Je
me souviens", composed an eloquent visual history of Québec
in his designs of the provincial legislature, the provincial finance
building and the federal armories, all situated in Québec
City. The lines and shapes of his buildings were clearly French
rooted, but his vision of Canada was also well illustrated by
his use of symbols on the exterior of the buildings; design symbols
of the Irish, Scottish, French and English inhabitants of Québec,
sculptures of aboriginals and the historic English and French
speaking men and women leaders of Canada.
Taché's love and respect for Canada were officially recognised
in 1903 when King Edward the VII awarded him the Companion of
the Imperial Service Order. When Tache's words, "Je me souviens"
were first authorised as Quebec's motto on February 9, 1883 it
was a way for him to express the thought, in words, "I remember"
Canada, and of course Québec, that was so eloquently stated
in his visual work.
Since returning from my winter trip to Québec I had the
opportunity to meet Bernard Landry, a Parti-Québecois activist
visiting in Calgary on April 23, 1992. An Alberta Progressive
Conservative-->constituency meeting had given him the opportunity
to proclaim his determination to separate Québec from Canada.
He told how easy it it would be and how happy everyone would be,
if he and his party were the leaders of a new independent nation.
His theme was an extension of another political slogan "Maîtres
chez nous" or "Masters in our own house" (the house
being francophone Québecers).
During the reception I asked Landry what "Je me souviens"
meant to him. He quickly responded that the motto was authored
by Eugène-Etienne Taché. He went on to say that
it translates as "I remember" and means that Québecers
should remember that they were born under the lily (refers to
France) and suffered under the rose (refers to England), since
The Conquest (1759-1760).
Aspirations in the slogan "Mâitres chez nous"
and the metaphoric relationship of the rose and lily were historic
grounds for discontent in the hearts of many Québecers,
however "Mâitres chez nous" is no longer an aspiration,
it is a fact, and England no longer has any significant power
in Canada. Within the existing Canadian political structure and
practice, francophone Québecers now have as much practical
control of their destiny as anyone in the world. The enthusiasm
for "independence" is understandable because it may
"feel" good in the anticipation, but in the practice
it could turn out to be a notion that at its best is unlikely
to be as good as being part of Canada and at the worst could be
a disastrous illusion that would create major emotional wounds
for Québec and whatever is left of Canada.
The history of Canada is not well known or well understood. Historians
are human beings that, like all of us, choose their facts and
interpretations according to their own biases. For that reason
there is no single national history that is agreeable, understandable,
complete and true. Provocateurs from all parts of Canada take
advantage of that uncertain history.
If our attitudes are shaped by what we believe we remember, then
we should be cautious on what is "remembered". Although
our constitution is important to organize our collective and individual
relationships it is our personal attitudes that make or break
our relationships with each other.
The Québecers I met in Feb/Mar92 had mixed perceptions
on the meaning and significance of "Je me souviens"
. For some, the preference was to relate to personal memories,
for others, the importance was in remembering the language and
culture of France that rooted in Québec. The veterans reflected
the pride of their French-Canadian regiment, the remembrance of
fallen comrades and their allegiance to Canada.
The Canadian relationship to France is not exclusive to Québec.
After WWI the government of France donated, in perpetuity, 250
acres of land to Canada in recognition of the sacrifice Canadian
soldiers made to win back French soil. The Battle of Vimy Ridge
on the 9th and10th of April, 1917 was an event that marked the
evolutionary independence of Canada from the British Empire. When
I first saw the beautiful Vimy Memorial in April 1988 I felt deep
emotions for my country. The flags of France and Canada stood
side-by side.
One of the battalions that fought at Vimy Ridge was the 22nd.
After WWI that battalion was reformed as a regiment in Canada's
permanent army and is now known as the Royal 22nd Regiment. The
Royal 22nd, also known by anglophones as the "Van Dooz"
served in WWII, Korea and a wide range of UN peacekeeping chores.
The members of that regiment that I met in 1992 are clearly proud
to be Québecers and clearly proud to be Canadians. Their
statements that follow this essay are proof of their positive
attitude towards Québec and Canada.
In Dieppe, France, in a central park named Place Du Canada, there
is a community monument that commemorates the long-term relationship
of Dieppe and Canada. The events marked start in the early 16th
century and culminate with the Dieppe Raid by Canadians on 19Aug42
and the liberation of Dieppe by Canadians on 1Sep44. The base
of the monument is inscribed with the words "NOUS NOUS SOUVENONS"
(We remember). Above the monument, beside the ancient château,
the Canadian Maple Leaf Flag flies proudly side by side with the
Tricolour of France. Along the coast there are monuments of several
Canadian regiments that took part in that raid, including the
French-Canadian regiment Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal .
The preceding references to France are mentioned to remind all
Canadians that the Maple Leaf Flag is well respected in France,
the ancestral home of Québec culture. That respect was
earned by the blood of Canadians, including French Canadian units,
that fought as part of the Allied Forces in two world wars.
In closing, it is said that a cynic knows the cost of everything
and the value of nothing. We Canadians of all political persuasions,
should strive to set our cynicism aside, stop keeping score of
our historical resentments and appreciate more the value of today's
Canada. The higher values of Canada are measured by how the people
see themselves and how they see each other, how they feel about
themselves and how they feel about others. How much we appreciate
these values will depend upon our will to understand, our attitudes.
To place one brick in the construction of the house of understanding,
this Calgarian, Albertan, and above all Canadian, says "Je
me souviens..." I remember.... the Canadians I met in Québec,
their friendliness and their special place in Canada. What Québecers
visually and verbally expressed to me can be shared by all Canadians.
Notes:
-Alexandre Taché, O.M.I
Quebec's Motto: "JE ME SOUVIENS"
(See Madeleine ALBERT and Gaston DESCHENES, "Une devise centenaire:
"Je me souviens", in Bulletin de la Bibliothèque
de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec, Vol. 14, no
2 (Avril 1984), pp. 20-30).
First mention of Quebec's motto "Je me souviens" appears
on the plans for the provincial parliament buildings drawn by
Eugène-Etienne Taché in 1883. Taché added
the motto to the province's coat-of-arms approved May 26, 1868,
that had remained without one.
Approval of the plans and contract for the construction of the
parliament buildings were signed on February 9, 1883. It may be
said that the motto became official on that day.
On December 9, 1939, a new coat-of-arms was approved for the province
and the motto "Je me souviens" appears on it.
Eugène Taché never left any explanation about the
origin of the motto - at least, it has never been found. There
are, however, several opinions about it.
Conrad Laforte suggests it may have been taken from a poem by
Antoine Gérin-Lajoie entitled "Un Canadien errant":
"Va, dis à mes amis, que je me souviens d'eux".
Or else, from a poem by Victor Hugo: "J'entendais près
de moi rire les jeunes hommes, et les graves viellards dire "Je
me souviens". O patrie! O concorde entre les citoyens!"
André Duval proposes another interpretation. It could be
an answer to Marquis de Lorne's motto "Ne obliviscaris"
(Lest you forget), sculpted in the entrance of the parliament
building. Quebec's answer: "Je me souviens".
More recently, Michel Desgagnés proposes that since the
whole building was an homage paid to the men and women that have
made our history (as expressed in the sculptures, paintings, decorations
of the buildings), Taché simply summarised his inspiration
in the motto "Je me souviens".
Sir Étienne Paschal Taché (1795-1865)
Sir Étienne Paschal Taché (1795-1865), statesman,
was born at St. Thomas, Lower Canada, in 1795, the third son of
Charles Taché of Montmagny, and through his paternal grandmother
a descendent of Louis Jolliet (q.v.). He was educated at the Quebec
Seminary; and he fought on the British side throughout the War
of 1812. He then studied medicine, and for many years was a country
doctor in his native parish. In 1841 he was elected to the Legislative
Assembly of Canada for the county L'Islet, and he sat for this
county until 1846. From 1846 to 1848 he was deputy adjutant-general
of militia for Lower Canada, with the rank of colonel; but in
1848 he re-entered political life as commissioner of publicworks
in the Baldwin-Lafontaine administration, and was appointed a
member of the Legislative Council. In 1849 he changed his portfolio
for that of receiver-general; and this portfolio he retained in
the successive Baldwin-Lafontaine, Hinks-Morin, MacNab-Morin;
MacNab-Taché and Taché-Macdonald administrations
until his retirement from office in 1857. From 1856 to 1857 he
was also technically prime minister, though the real head of the
governmnet was John A. Macdonald (q.v.). From 1857 to 1864 Taché
continued a member of the Legislative Council; and in 1858 he
was created a knight bachelor, and in 1860 an aide-de-camp of
the Queen, with the honorary rank of colonel in the British Army.
In 1864, however, he was called from his retirement to become
again prime minister in the second Taché-Macdonald administration;
and, on the defeat of this government in June, 1864, he was pressed
into service as the technical prime minister in the "Great
Coalition." As such, he presided at the Quebec Conference;
but before Confederation had been acccomplished, he died at St.
Thomas on July 30, 1865. He wrote Quelques réflexions sur
l'organisation de volontaires (Quebec, 1863).
Acknowledgements
I owe a great deal of thanks to all the people mentioned in the
book who willingly gave of their suggestions, initiatives, time
and thought. My friend, Nelson Vigneault, originally from Sept-Iles,
and now from Calgary introduced me to many of his friends living
in the Québec City region. Most of the participants' statements
were translated by the themselves or their friends. I tried to
be faithful to what they wrote or told me.
email received 12Aug97:
Hello Harry,
I received your message, and figured I would answer right away.
Then off to bed for a long day at work tomorrow. The part of your
site that interested me the most was, your tour of Quebec. Coming
in contact with the people, the way you related it made it like
a personal experience for me. I love to read everything I can
concerning Canada, it helps me to understand a country I found
out I didn't know much about. It personalized it for me, made
me feel like I belonged there. It all ties in with my search of
my ancestors, not just names, but personalities, the individuals
who made me what I am, and the circumstances that makes me a American,
and not a Canadian. The sense of belonging is very strong at this
point in my life, for both my parents have passed away, and I
only have one blood Aunt remaining alive, and a Aunt and Uncle
by marriage left. Yes, I still live in Dudley, Massachusetts.
I visited Canada in 1955, for two weeks, and I have to tell you
I felt very comfortable there, almost like I had come home. My
search for ancestors, and their points of origin has a two fold
reason, to honor the memory of my parents, and their parents,
etc..etc.., but also to leave behind a history for my children,
and Grandchildren, because if my generation doesn't put the puzzle
together personalizing all these ancestors, it will be lost forever.
I'm honor bound, and feel compelled to complete as much of the
genealogy, and accompaning history as I can before I pass on.
Which I might add I don't feel is emminent..hopefully!!! Thank
you for responding, and I really loved your article, you write
very well.
Truly..Joanne