In June 2022, Quebec discreetly launched a first Quebec Commemoration Strategy. The goal: “to ensure the full contribution of commemoration in the construction and maintenance of collective memory”. And “increase the participation of citizens from all regions of Quebec in gestures of commemoration”. All set at $6.2 million over three years. Commemorate more? On command ? Last text on the commemorations in a series of three.
Since then, the Ministry of Culture has established a Reference Framework for government commemoration, as well as a call for projects to finance “commemoration initiatives”.
“Two editions of this call took place”, as the ministry clarified Duty. “138 projects were proposed and 62 were selected. A total of nearly $2.6 million is invested in the initiatives of the first two editions. » One component targets exclusively Indigenous applicants.
Among the projects selected, we find the commemoration of the summer of allumettières in Gatineau. Historical comic strip for the 350e of Saint-Ours. That of the seigneury of Petite-Nation. 150 years of the Augustinians of the monastery of the Hôtel-Dieu du Sacré-Coeur de Jésus in Quebec. A commemoration of the survivors and departed of residential schools in Listuguj.
Also, the 50e anniversary of the Louiseville arena. A mural on a wall in Montreal for the 100the anniversary of the death of author Laure Conan. A book produced by the Théâtre du Rideau vert for its 75th anniversary. The 100e anniversary of the Center Vacances Lac Simon website. A commemoration of the 175e anniversary of the death of priest Jacques Paquin. One for the lighthouses of the Magdalen Islands. Another one in memory of missing indigenous children.
“Commemoration is a collective phenomenon. The scale of this community can vary,” recalls Karim Chahine, trained in history and literary studies, who observes the commemorations in Quebec.
“If the 100e of the Lac Simon holiday camp may be puzzling at first glance, but for the locals, it can be a central vector of community life, which thus takes on great importance. »
“In this specific case, there are heritage buildings there. The site welcomed settlers at the beginning of the 20th centurye century, it creates a connection with regional and national history. »
A man who wanted to feel only in a purely historical way would resemble someone who had been forced to deprive himself of sleep, or an animal who was condemned to constantly chew the same foods. It is therefore possible to live without almost remembering, to live even happily, like the animal, but it is absolutely impossible to live without forgetting.
The projects of the first edition of this strategy were to be carried out in 2022 or 2023; those of the second edition will take place in 2024. The aid is given at a maximum of $50,000. It’s not enough to celebrate loudly.
“It’s certain that we would always take more,” replies Audrey Desrochers, director of the Maison Dumulon Corporation, in Rouyn-Noranda. “But we are really used to doing a lot with almost nothing. For us, this amount [50 000 $] makes all the difference. »
It constitutes the bulk of the financing of the 100e anniversary of the heritage site of Maison Dumulon, to which will be added municipal and federal aid, and that of local mining companies.
“We got a lot less from the federal government. We found the provincial program less severe: they accepted our project to illuminate the site, where the federal government considered that it did not meet the criteria. » The money will help finance an exhibition, its inauguration with a show, and a few other events.
Lots of little stories
The Quebec Commemoration Strategy highlights regional histories. And gives rise to many small projects, all over the place. Among the observers consulted by The dutywe sometimes see it as an opportunity to give smaller communities the opportunity to commemorate, sometimes in a sprinkling manner.
If the opposite had been promoted, according to Mr. Chahine, “we could have blamed the government for favoring a certain conception of the national story, of big History, to the detriment of other conceptions which shape small history”.
This program “is not a government seal of approval saying, ‘This is important to us.’ This is just one program among others. The organizations apply it, or not,” continues the specialist. “If those who apply are arenas, summer camps, and they meet the criteria, the government will grant them the money. »
The Société des musées du Québec (SMQ) notes that in the last call for tenders, 11 museum institutions were granted financial assistance for a total of 28 projects. “39% of the projects selected come from museum institutions,” notes its general director, Stéphane Chagnon.
“This raises the question of the place of commemoration within museums and their role in this regard. » A question which raises – domino effect – that of the lack of human and financial resources in the museum network, which already has its hands full responding to its fundamental missions.
“We can always question the ministry’s ability to disseminate information on this new program,” says Karim Chahine. Because neither the Grands Ballets canadiennes nor the École supérieure de ballet du Québec, which this year are celebrating the 100e by Ludmilla Chiriaeff, did not know of the existence of this program.
Broad vision and small programs
Critics may dispute that so many memory institutions seek out money to benefit their own promotion. Although she refuses to spit in the soup, Audrey Desrochers sees this problem.
“Commemorations are always delicate: memory must not be exploited. On the one hand, I will defend that the Dumulon house is the cradle of Rouyn… On the other hand, with my training as a historian, I know that the ideal would have been to first do an analysis and survey people around us to see if this commemoration was important, and how to do it. Except that doing that would require quite a bit more funding…”
A call for projects like this “is a drop in the bucket in the grand vision of heritage, history and memory,” believes the general director of the SMQ. “Is this broader, clearer, macro vision there? » asks Mr. Chagnon.
Karim Chahine and other historians interviewed by The duty all highlighted the absence of a national commemoration calendar as a real gap.
“It is certain that there are blind spots” in the Strategy, continues Mr. Chahine. “We must also question the absence of criteria to determine who will have a state funeral, a decision which currently depends entirely on the Prime Minister’s Office. But it’s a start. If the program becomes recurring every year, it will eventually become known,” he believes.