Previous exhibition
April 19th, 2000 — September 24th, 2000
1690 – The Siege of Québec... The Story of a Sunken Ship
This exhibition takes you to the heart of an exceptional adventure-the siege of Québec, in 1690, when Frontenac delivered his famous retort to Phips' envoy: ''O! I have no response to make to your General except from the mouths of my cannons.''
As the 17th century drew to a close, New France and New England were locked in a merciless struggle for political and economic supremacy in North America, revolving around the fur trade. It was in this context that William Phips set sail from Boston in command of a military expedition against Québec in 1690.
The story of a sunken ship
In December 1994, a diver on the North Shore discovered a 300-year-old shipwreck lying in barely three metres of water. The Elizabeth and Mary was one of the vessels in Phips' fleet. After several years of underwater archaeological digs, research and restoration work, Pointe-à-Callière is now presenting the artifacts recovered from the wreck.
...and of the historic figures involved
One of the highlights of the exhibition is a mixed-media show introducing us to eight historic figures, some of them well known and others long forgotten. Meet Phips, de Callière, Frontenac, and Sarah, the wife of one of the militiamen who perished when the ship went down.
This exhibition is the result of close co-operation with Parks Canada, the Centre de conservation du Québec, and the Québec Ministry of Culture and Communications. It also received financial support from the Museums Assistance Program of the federal government.
