Ian Brown’s take on cancelled Plains of Abraham re-enactment battle

This is what I discovered about putting on a historically accurate, 18th-century British officer’s uniform and standing on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City pretending I was General James Wolfe: I might have looked like an overgrown lunatic playing dress-up, but when I actually slipped the coat and hat on, it felt surprisingly grave. It made me want to be serious.

Globe and Mail feature writer Ian Brown came to spend a couple of days in Quebec city to know more about the Plains of Abraham, the canceled re-enactment, and the various groups who battled for this cancellation.

Taking an Ontarian journalist, dressing him up as a British soldier for a photo shoot on the Plains of Abraham on St-Jean-Baptist day (Quebec National Day)…. That was daring, but fun!

Globe’s article on the web includes a very neat audi slide-show with many of my photos.

harry04.jpg
Globe reporter Ian Brown, dressed as a British soldier, takes note as he speak with reanactor Harry Hunkin on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City June 23, 2009. Photo Francis Vachon for the Globe and Mail

Ian Brown
Globe reporter Ian Brown, dressed as a British soldier, poses on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City June 23, 2009.

RRQ
A police officer blocks RRQ (Reseau de resistance de Quebec – Quebec Resistance network) protesters from approaching a small group of counter-protesters on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city July 1, 2009. The RRQ held their annual protest against Canada in front of Wolfe’s monument. Photo Francis Vachon for the Globe and Mail.

Wolfe
A Quebec and a « patriot » flag fly in front of Wolfe’s monument on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city

RRQ Patrick Bourgeois
RRQ (Reseau de resistance de Quebec – Quebec Resistance network) leader Patrick Bourgeois gestures as he speaks during a protest in front of Wolfe’s monument on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city

Comments (14)

  • I was very encouraged to find this site. I wanted to thank you for this special read. I definitely savored every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.

  • Il faut comprendre que la reconstitution de la bataille d’abraham était désapprouvée par une large majorité de la population Québécoise selon des sondages. L’annulation aura donc été conforme avec la volonté populaire. Non, il n’y a pas de guerre entre le Canada anglais et le Québec et c’est comme ça pour l’immense majorité d’indépendantistes et de Québécois. Nous allons faire l’indépendance pour nous et non contre d’autres.

  • The war between Upper and Lower Canada is long, long over. It’s ironic while Quebec and the rest of Canada live in peace with each other, that a historical re-enactment would create such resentment and, ultimately, be canceled. Some French separatists or historicists certainly aren’t very tolerant of being reminded of the historical account.

    To the people’s comments above (which are all great), surely the greatest form of false indignation, or ignorance, is to sport the badge or flag for a cause, without knowing the said badge or flag isn’t authentic (i.e. wrong colour, design, etc).

  • Je regarde la troisième photo et ce que je vois ce n’est pas une personne ayant une revendication ou une protestation à faire valoir mais bien un jeune en manque d’attentions avec toute l’arrogance de son ignorance.

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