Fete Nationale festivities are getting a boost from the federal government.
Ottawa is contributing $2.4 million to fund activities in multiple cities, including Whitehorse, Toronto, Moncton, and Winnipeg.
But for the first time, that federal money will also go in part to Quebec City – it split evenly among the six cities.
“It's the first time there's federal funding for St-Jean in Quebec,” said Heritage Minister Melanie Joly. “I think it's great news. I think all of Canada should be happy and proud to be celebrating its francophone roots.”
Although for a generation the celebrations on June 24 were fervently pro-independence, that tendency has faded as public opinion regarding Quebec's independence has shifted.
Joly said the goal is, as part of the Canada 150 celebrations, to honour and promote the French language and francophone culture.
"We believe that the Fete Nationale is for all quebecoises and quebecois and notwithstanding what is the political allegiance," said Joly.
The festivities will, as always, feature well-known and up-and-coming artists and musicians.
In Quebec City, that means there will be an extra celebration on June 24 on top of the event planned on the Plains of Abraham on June 23.
Quebec's Francophonie Minister Jean-Marc Fournier said the politicization of the holiday has mostly run its course and he doesn’t see any issue with the federal funding.
"For those who want to oppose, well we are in a democracy, they can do that, but I prefer to be in a group that wants people to be closer together rather than split them," said Fournier, adding the intention is to have an inclusive celebration. “I think that if we look at the first 100 years of our federation, there were tensions between French and English. If you look at the results of the last 15 years, we see a change.”
St. Jean Baptiste celebrations will be part of a week and a half of parties across the country, with National Indigenous Day celebrations on June 21, Canada's Multiculturalism Day on June 27, and Canada Day on July 1.
