Québec City 1608-2008 - The year 2008 marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City by Samuel de Champlain, an anniversary that celebrates the incredible adventure that is modern Québec and recalls the endurance of the French fact in North America. With meetings and encounters as its theme, the anniversary is an opportunity to focus on the four centuries of friendship between Québec and France. A wide-ranging program of events combining politics, culture, cooperation and economics will take place throughout the year both in Québec and all across France.
In what will certainly be the biggest celebration in Québec history as well as the biggest celebration of France outside French territory, we will celebrate the past, present and future of an unwavering friendship. The founding year of our common past, 1608, evokes the encounter between Europe and America and between the First Nations and the new arrivals, but also between France and what would become Québec. This encounter forms the template of what we are today.
The 2008 celebration of the 400th anniversary of the encounter also honours the present. That first historical contact heralded four centuries of friendship between our two societies, embodied in the here and now by the strong cooperation between Québec and France. More and more every day, the French and the Québécois combine forces to further their technological, scientific, economic, social and cultural progress. The direct and privileged ties between Québec and France are nurtured and deepened by these exchanges.
The values that are the heritage of our two peoples and our two nations have never brought us closer together. We share a respect for difference, a commitment to defending our Francophone identity and a determination to preserve our cultural values. The year 2008 will be more than a commemoration of the past and a celebration of the present-it will be a springboard to the future.
Modern, upbeat and open to the world, the festivities and events surrounding the 400th anniversary of Québec City will get hearts racing in France and Québec to the beat of cultural diversity and sharing. By participating in any of the events, everyone, young and not-so-young, can honour the heritage of those who, through courage and perseverance, brought the French fact to North America, those who expanded its influence and those who, over time, built the framework of an uninterrupted friendship.
Few nations can celebrate four centuries of common history. The tradition we share gives us confidence to face the future. It drives us toward ever more complex relations. And it reminds us, most of all, how much we appreciate our friends.
