ARCHIVED - The National Battlefields Commission

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

SECTION II - Analysis by Program Activities

Strategic Outcome:
The Battlefields Park of Quebec is a prestigious, accessible, safe and educational historic and urban site.

The role of the NBC is to make the great historical battlefields in Quebec City a national park numbered among the most prestigious parks in the world where the use of historic park in an urban setting is balanced and safe and where the awareness of the assets of the area, as well as its history and the history of the country, is assured.

Program Activities:

2.1   Conservation and Development

As part of this activity, the NBC preserves the legacy and integrity of the Battlefields Park for future generations by maintaining infrastructure, the horticultural landscape and a protected site for Canadian and foreign users and visitors.

Conservation and Development
2008-2009 Financial Resources ($ thousands)			2008-2009 Human Resources (FTEs)
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Planned	Actual	Difference
6,768	7,779	6,863	23	23	0

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status	Performance Summary
Quality maintenance (condition of site) provided overall	Assess client satisfaction with site preservation and improvements	Provide quality maintenance overall	Somewhat satisfactory	Periodic assessments were carried out to obtain a partial idea of client opinions. The NBC gave a 6/10 rating to the quality of the major events site and the sports field after the events were held, but the sites have been cleaned up. Had it not been for these areas, the site cleanliness rating would have stayed at 9/10, despite the higher traffic volume.3
Improvements to some of the infrastructure	Assess improvements to the infrastructure in order to ensure the health and safety of users	Continue marking improvements to some of the infrastructure	Fully satisfactory	The NBC completed the installation of public restrooms (public restroom building) in the centre of the Park, thus improving quality of life for Park users. The NBC gives a 9/10 rating for the improvements made for the benefit of Canadians and visitors
Special horticultural arrangements for the 100th anniversary	Assess the quality of the special horticultural arrangements	Create special horticultural arrangements for the 100th anniversary	Fully satisfactory	A floral arrangements plan was drawn up. Meetings were held to agree on the special arrangements and co-ordinate them with the other units. The NBC gives a 10/10 rating for the quality of the arrangements.
A safe site	Assess the safety of the site	Provide a safe site for all Park users	Fully satisfactory	Thorough monitoring and inspections were carried out to ensure that the site is safe at all times. The NBC gives a 9/10 rating for site safety.

³ In-house method based on repairs carried out, compared with previous years.

Benefits for Canadians

This activity makes it possible for the NBC to offer people one of the world's most prestigious historic parks in an urban setting and the opportunity to use and enjoy it in complete safety.

The activities carried out benefited Canadians and foreign visitors, who could use and enjoy the infrastructure and services provided in the Park, such as green space, flowers, trees, historic buildings, footpaths and cross‑country ski trails. In 2008-2009, they could also enjoy a very activity‑filled park because of the many special activities put on in a safe environment for the NBC's 100^th anniversary and Quebec City's 400^th anniversary.

Performance Analysis

In 2008-2009, the NBC believes that it achieved most of its objectives for the Conservation and Development program activity. The set objectives for making improvements to some of the infrastructure, creating special horticultural arrangements for the 100^th anniversary and improving site security were satisfactorily met. As for overall Park maintenance, maintenance work was planned on the basis of traffic volume. Several meetings with various units and with the partners were held in order to co‑ordinate all of the planned activities. The large number of activities on the site had an impact on the condition of the site. The NBC had to devote substantially more time to those activities than expected and provide support for site cleanups for some events. For example, there was considerable wear and tear on the grounds of the major events site and sports field because of the major events held on the Plains for Quebec City's 400^th anniversary. Despite the precautions that had to be taken in setting up the installations, major repairs had to be carried out. Poor weather conditions were also a contributing factor. Although planning had been done and activities were co‑ordinated, there were unforeseen developments nonetheless. There was substantial damage and the NBC had to co‑ordinate some of the repair work that was done to its satisfaction and at user expense.

In addition, the NBC completed the construction of a public restroom building to meet the needs of Park users. This area had not been well served up until then, although it had a high volume of traffic. Other work was carried out, including the five‑year program to restore the Park's street lamps in order to extend their service life and increase Park user safety.

The 2008 floral arrangements (nearly 60,000 plants, including annuals and perennials) was a huge success. It was a big project, given the more than 225 plant varieties that had to be provided, including varieties with different cultivation requirements. The NBC also received a perfect score of five flowers in the national Communities in Bloom competition for community involvement, as well as a special citation for outstanding achievement. The judges were impressed with the Park's overall cleanliness and commended the horticultural quality and exemplary maintenance of the floral arrangements.

As a new form of Park decoration in honour of the 100^th anniversary, the NBC erected three monuments: busts of Frederick G. Todd and Lord Grey and a bas‑relief of Abraham Martin. It also planted the Louis Hébert Orchard in honour of New France's first farmer colonist, who lived on what he harvested on his lands located in the Quebec City's upper town. In addition, during the Great Celebration of Nature, the Abraham Martin rosebush, the rosebush emblem of the Plains of Abraham, was unveiled. In the Joan of Arc garden, 22,000 plants, including over 150 varieties, were planted along with special formations associated with the 100^th anniversary. Special arrangements were also planted at the Canada tent, for the Plaines Lunes show and at the Park entrances. The Green Space unit successfully decorated the Park for its centennial using vibrant 100^th anniversary colours.

The year 2008 was also a very busy time for the NBC Security Unit. Much more planning had to be done than in previous years because of the large number and scale of the events held on the site. The events associated with the 100^th anniversary, such as the tent and the Plaines Lunes show, and the events associated with the 400^th anniversary, such as the Paul McCartney and Céline Dion concerts, meant that employees and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires had to be on hand more often and that a greater amount of organizing and monitoring had to be done. The operating budgets for monitoring activities and for site use requests (264 in 2008) were respectively increased by 18% and 20%. The number of internal requests for assistance⁴, for example, assistance provided for the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and for the Maintenance Unit, increased by 4%, while external requests for assistance, such as requests from the Quebec City Police Department, the Sûreté du Québec and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, increased by 68%. No major incident was reported during 2008-2009.

⁴ Requests for assistance that concern the Battlefields Park site

Lessons Learned

The NBC learned the following lessons in 2008, a year that was noteworthy for the festivities marking the NBC's 100^th anniversary and the activities held in the Park to celebrate Quebec City's 400^th anniversary:

1. Although the NBC was aware of it, it became much clearer in 2008 that the Battlefields Park was truly a landmark venue in Quebec City (the perfect gathering place) for holding spectacular events, as was the case in 2008, and that the Park would be expected to play a major role for Quebec City's tourism industry and economy in the future. This can be explained by the Park's reputation for having the capacity to accommodate large events and by Quebec City's policy of promoting tourism through the organizing of large shows and relying on the enthusiasm of event organizers.
2. By carrying out site reconstruction work itself after events were held and at organizers' expense, the NBC found that this would facilitate better co‑ordination of the work and ensure that the reconstruction work was done to the NBC's satisfaction within the required time frames.
3. Ensure that all users comply with the NBC's site use policy. In that regard, the policy will be reviewed in 2009-2010.

2.2   Public Education and Services

The purpose of this activity is to raise awareness of the history of the site and its cultural, recreational and natural assets so as to emphasize its dual role as both a historic and an urban park. In support of this activity, the NBC carries out improvements, welcomes visitors, provides quality exhibitions, activities and public services, and disseminates information to Canadian and foreign users and visitors.

Public Education and Services
2008-2009 Financial Resources ($ thousands)			2008-2009 Human Resources (FTEs)
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending	Planned	Actual	Difference
3,215	3,887	4,078	17	17	0

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status	Performance Summary
Successful staging of the festivities for the NBC's centenary	Number of activities offered	Provide activities to raise awareness of the site's history and its cultural, recreational and natural assets	Fully satisfactory	The NBC put on about 10 activities for its 100th anniversary, notably the Plaines Lunes show, a special edition of the Great Celebration of Nature, the unveiling of monuments and the opening of an orchard, the 100th anniversary exhibition in a large tent, and the Big Picnic with Abraham, etc.
Planning and organization of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the historic battles	Number of activities offered	Provide programming to raise awareness of the site's history	Somewhat satisfactory	More than 10 or so activities were planned, such as historical interpretive activities, various conferences, a symposium and exhibitions. Changes had to be made to some to them because of controversy concerning the historical re-enactment of the battles, which was cancelled.
Diversified activities (for both the general public and schools)	Number of activities offered	Put on a variety of theme-based activities	Fully satisfactory	Over 50 different activities associated with school programs, classroom activities, childcare services and playgrounds were provided.
Quality public services	Assessment of client satisfaction with activities and services	80% of the clientele was satisfied with all of the activities and services provided	Fully satisfactory	93% of clients were satisfied
Increased attendance at activities and services	Count the number of visitors at exhibits	1% increase in the number of visitors at exhibitions	Exceeds expectations	The number of visitors at exhibitions was 78,247, an increase of 95%.
	Count the number of participants in activities and services	1% increase in the number of participants in activities provided	Exceeds expectations	The number of participants increased to 119,141 an increase of 33%. Overall attendance (214,833 people) at activities and services provided increased by 5% compared with the year before, including attendance at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand.
	Count the number of spectators at shows	1% increase in attendance at shows provided	Does not meet expectations	17,000 people attended 24 shows put on at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand, a decrease of about 70%. There was also a significant decrease in attendance at shows because of the lower number of shows offered and the cancellation of some shows because of bad weather.
Generated revenues	Total of generated revenues	Estimated revenues of $1,600,00	Exceeds expectations: $2,344,000 in revenue generated	Revenue increase because of higher attendance at NBC 100th anniversary and Quebec City 400th anniversary activities.

Benefits for Canadians

This program activity enables Canadians to learn more about the history of Canada's first national historic park and the historic events that occurred there. Through exhibitions, educational interpretive activities, guided tours, concerts and promotional activities, Canadians and foreign visitors were able to learn about or to increase their knowledge of how the Park and NBC came into being over 100 years ago. They also benefited from the historical information provided in the Plaines Lunes show about the 400 year history of the site since the founding of Quebec City.

Performance Analysis

1. The 100^th anniversary

The NBC believed that it had to celebrate its centenary in 2008, which was an ideal opportunity to raise greater awareness of the site's history and cultural, recreational and natural assets. New activities were therefore added to the regular array of activities offered each year to users and visitors. The NBC believes that it achieved its objective. To implement its program, the NBC put on new exhibitions, for example, an exhibition on the NBC's 100^th anniversary, an exhibition in the big tent on the buildings that once stood on the Plains of Abraham, and an exhibition about the Brown Basin. In addition, special event days were held, such as the Sports Day (Plains in Action), the 200^th anniversary of the Martello towers, the Big Picnic with Abraham, and the landing of Erik Lindbergh in honour of his grandfather Charles Lindbergh. In addition, two publications on the history of the founding of the NBC and the creation of the park were produced. Some new interpretive activities were also provided for visitors, including The Convict's Last Drink and The Chambers Gang. For the occasion, expanded versions of regular activities for the general public, such as the Great Celebration of Nature and Halloween were put on. The big triumph was certainly the Plaines Lunes show, which was presented over five consecutive days and involved an impressive team of nearly 650 volunteers, including 150 from France, over 2,000 characters in costume, 32 horseback riders, 44 dancers, performers from the École de Cirque de Québec, 1,300 costumes put together in part by 13 circles of the Quebec City region Cercles des Fermières du Québec organization, and gigantic sets of scenery constructed by the NBC maintenance staff. The five presentations of the show drew more than 14,500 spectators, for an attendance rate of about 85%, and generated net revenues of $256,000.

The NBC's various units and the many volunteers involved in preparations and putting on the Plaines Lunes show and its series of historical tableaux made an invaluable contribution to the success of the show. People proved to be available, involved and creative to ensure that this show met requirements and expectations

The federal government allocated a supplementary budget of $235,000 to put on the festivities for the 100^th anniversary of the NBC and the Park's creation. The budget for the festivities amounted to $1,075,130.

More revenues were generated than expected, as mentioned in Section III, Other Items of Interest.

2. Preparations for the 250^th anniversary of the Battles

In 2008-2009, commemorative activities marking the 250^th anniversary of the historic battles of 1759 and 1760 were also planned and organized. Activities were put on to raise awareness of the events of the Seven Years War that took place in Quebec City, including the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the Battle of Sainte-Foy.

The NBC had planned a large scale project involving historical re-enactments of these battles that was expected to be the biggest event of this type ever held in Canada and to involve between 2,000 and 3,000 re-enactors, or history buffs who travel the world to participate as volunteers in period re-enactments. Also expected for the occasion were 100,000 visitors. However, this project caused controversy among population and received considerable media coverage. After a period of consultations and listening to opinions, the NBC realized the degree of people's sensitivity to some components of its programming. It therefore decided to cancel the historical re-enactment and to make changes to some activities in order to provide a more restrained and respectful type of programming that reminds people of the importance of historical events and the tragic consequences of the siege of Quebec City for the civilian population. Another factor in the decision to cancel the re-enactment was the risk of not being able to ensure the safety of re-enactors and spectators.

3. Regular Activities

Overall, the NBC believes that it achieved its objectives in terms of providing activities for the general public and the school clientele. Over 50 different activities with themes associated with Plains of Abraham history, culture and nature were offered, compared with about 30 activities in 2007-2008. According to an in house survey, 93% of the clientele said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the activities. The total attendance (214,388 people) for all of the activities, exhibitions and services was higher in 2008-2009 than the year before, for an increase of 5%.

Attendance at the Edwin Bélanger Bandstand was much lower in 2008-2009 than in the previous year (a decrease of about 70%), the reason being the decrease in the number of scheduled shows: 24 shows scheduled in 2008-2009, compared with 35 in 2007-2008. The reasons for the decrease in the number of shows were the production of the Plaines Lunes show and the production of some shows for the 400^th anniversary of Quebec City. Moreover, five shows had to be cancelled because of bad weather, and one show out of two was put on while it was raining.

Lessons Learned

The NBC acquired the following experience when it implemented its Public Education and Services program:

1. Drafting a detailed plan, providing regular supervision and holding special-purpose meetings more frequently would have made it possible to include volunteers more effectively in the preparation work for a project such as the Plaines Lunes show. The contribution of volunteers was vitally important and undeniably well received, but in 2008, it was a matter of putting on this type of show for the first time and some improvements in the way volunteers are managed will be necessary for the next time it is put on.
2. Among the variety of activities held to highlight the Park as both an urban park and a historic park, the history-related activities were the ones that people liked most. While most of the organized activities were successful, other did not achieve the intended objectives. For example, the Plains in Action activity focusing on sports and physical activity attracted only about 750 people.
3. Given population' sensitivity about the Conquest, the type of commemorative activities must be chosen with greater care. The information on commemorative activities should be presented in a clear, detailed way to avoid any misinterpretation.
4. Promotional communications must be further developed to obtain the maximum amount of assistance for the various popular initiatives organized by the NBC.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page