(Quebec) The Prime Minister of Quebec made a “historic announcement” with nationalist overtones on Thursday. His government wants to open within two years the first National Museum of the History of Quebec, the very place where the mother house of the defunct Blue Spaces was to have stood.
“My goal, the one I give myself, is that Quebecers leave here saying ‘I am proud to be Quebecois’,” declared François Legault during the announcement, which took place at the Camille Pavilion. -Roy from the Seminary of Quebec, in the capital.
Several elected officials from the CAQ were present at the announcement, but none from the other political parties. The Prime Minister, however, recalled the memory of a former Prime Minister of the Parti Québécois. “The last national museum opened in Quebec was 40 years ago by René Lévesque. It’s the Museum of Civilization,” he recalled.
This new history museum, which is due to open in the spring of 2026, will therefore be the fourth national museum, after the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal and the Museum of Civilization.
The Legault government believes that this new establishment will fill a void by presenting the history of Quebecers.
I think it’s important to start with Champlain, at the very beginning, to show how it was not easy to survive in America, a small minority that speaks French.
François Legault, Premier of Quebec
The great chief of the Huron-Wendat nation, who is often present at political events in Quebec, was not invited to the announcement. But the Prime Minister assured that the new museum will highlight “the presence of the indigenous nations who were there before us and who helped us over the years.”
PHOTO YAN DOUBLET, LE SOLEIL ARCHIVES
The new museum will be established in Quebec, at the Camille-Roy pavilion of the Séminaire de Québec, which is currently undergoing renovations.
From Celine Dion to Mike Bossy
The Musée de la civilization will have the mandate to establish the content of the museum in its infancy. The establishment will be supported by a scientific committee led in particular by historian Éric Bédard, professor in the history department of TELUQ.
“The goal is to offer a history of a people of French language and culture, a history that is unifying, in which we will be able to take a tour from the beginnings to today,” explained Mr. Bédard.
He assures that the museum will not be “nationalist”, but indeed national.
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Historian Éric Bédard
I don’t think the story we’re going to tell you will be an activist story. It is the story of a nation, with many things of which we should be proud, but also gray areas that we will not sweep under the rug.
Éric Bédard, professor in the history department of TELUQ
What are the beginnings, exactly? Explorers, as the Prime Minister mentions?
“When does the history of Quebec begin? It’s a real subject. With the scientific committee, we will think about it, he said. But it is certain that the Quebec people share the territory with nations and we will have to tell their story and talk about this contact, it is very important. »
“It is said that history begins with writing, and before history, there is prehistory. Perhaps the natives are a bit of the prehistory of Quebec,” adds Mr. Bédard.
The historian recalls that the Musée de la civilization has temporary exhibitions on the history of Quebec, but does not have a permanent exhibition on the subject. “Last summer I was in Corsica, there are two history museums in Corsica, they have 400,000 inhabitants, I think we were due! », says Mr. Bédard.
The Prime Minister mentioned the presentation of key characters or moments, both from the world of sport (Maurice Richard or Mike Bossy) as well as literature (Michel Tremblay, Marie Laberge and Dany Laferrière), or even song (Les Cowboys Fringants , Gilles Vigneault and Ginette Renaud)…
Will there be a place for English speakers in this historiography? asked a CBC journalist. “I see a place for people like Leonard Cohen, they are part of our history, so I see a place for them,” replied François Legault.
A cost of 92 million
The works in the new museum will come in particular from the collection of the Musée de la civilization. “We have a collection that includes 680,000 objects, artifacts, so there will be no issues. Our challenge will rather be to choose, there are so many possibilities,” indicated the general director of the Musée de la civilization, Stéphan La Roche.
Mr. La Roche emphasizes that several states have a national history museum, notably the United States, Catalonia, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Portugal… According to him, there was room for this new institution. “The Museum of Civilization is a society museum, it is not a history museum,” he says.
This new establishment will be born in some way from the ashes of the Blue Spaces. Announced with great fanfare in 2021, these were to be set up in the 17 regions of Quebec to honor “the history of heroes and builders”. This network of museums was intended to convince Quebecers to forget “Cancún or Puerto Plata” to visit the province.
But the explosion of costs got the better of the project. The bill was first estimated at $259 million, then flirted with $1 billion in early March. It was at this time that the CAQ government announced the end of the project, ten days before the presentation of a provincial budget with a record deficit of 11 billion.
Only 4 of the 17 announced projects could see the light of day. The one in Quebec, in the Camille-Roy pavilion of the Séminaire, will therefore become a history museum. The 1854 building had to be restored and fitted out to museum standards. The cost is estimated at 92 million.
Heritage buildings acquired by the State in Amos and Percé were renovated at great expense. Quebec has also made an offer to purchase a wing of the former convent of the Petites Franciscaines, in Baie-Saint-Paul, but still does not know if the work will go ahead.