Narrator: National Holiday Parade: a Loto-Québec event inviting you to celebrate the holidays everywhere in Québec.
Claudine Prévost: So there are two giants coming now, Marcel, the Nicolas dit Noble Cœur giant who is a tribute to the soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment, which was the first regiment to come to defend New France.
Marcel Tessier: In 1665, of course! Carignan-Salières arrived with Tracy to defend the colony, which seemed to have been overtaken by the Iroquois at the time, especially in Trois-Rivières. So, it is a regiment really. Some well-known people, like Sorel, Lanoraie, Chambly, people who commanded the regiment then, remained here.
Claudine Prévost: They became lords?
Marcel Tessier: They became lords!
Claudine Prévost: And gave their name to municipalities today.
Marcel Tessier: Exactly!
Claudine Prévost: And Champlain you see here, our New France Discoverer.
Marcel Tessier: Ah, Champlain 1608!
Claudine Prévost: We talked about him very, very often last year as we celebrated the 400th anniversary of the French presence here in North America.
Marcel Tessier: A great navigator, he established the first viable colony in North America in New France.
Claudine Prévost: Yes, the giant Champlain, which is presented during the SAQ New France Festival in Québec taking place this year from August 5 to 9.
Marcel Tessier: Yes, it’s important .. [Unintelligible].
Claudine Prévost: So you can also see him there.
Marcel Tessier: Samuel, probably with the Recollects who were the first missionaries to come here in 1615. The Jesuits, in 1625, were brought by Champlain.
Claudine Prévost: And look, Marcel, now the Zuruba percussionist group!
Marcel Tessier: Oh my!
Claudine Prévost: Oh, don’t we love percussion!
Marcel Tessier: Ah!
Claudine Prévost: We feel it right in our gut. So you’ve just seen Zuruba, and now the giant Grand Cru!
Marcel Tessier: Who is a new giant.
Claudine Prévost: Yes, and presented by the SAQ, Marcel, partner of the National Holiday and the New France Festival.
Marcel Tessier: Yes.
Claudine Prévost: They have been supporting the celebrations for a long time.
Marcel Tessier: Right.
Claudine Prévost: So, hello, big giant Grand Cru!
Marcel Tessier: Of course, Grand Cru. To remind us of their different products, huh?
Claudine Prévost: The presence of the giants Champlain, Nicolas dit Noble Cœur and Grand Cru is a collaboration between the SAQ and the Québec New France Festival. The opening parade for the festival will be held on Wednesday, August 5, at 7 pm, showing Champlain, Nicolas dit Noble Cœur and many others, including giants for the National Holiday in Montréal who will be visiting Québec City for the second consecutive year. And now the Chinese Cultural and Community Centre, counting more than 100,000 Chinese men and women in the Greater Montréal Area. And I know that people of my generation will be surprised, Marcel, but at one time, at the time of the Sainte-Enfance, you would be invited to buy your little Chinese!
Marcel Tessier: Yes, the little Chinese children we felt sorry for and we wanted to redeem their souls, the little Chinese, we paid for that! (laughter)
Claudine Prévost: You are watching the National Holiday Parade live from Sherbrooke Street in Montréal. We will be back in a moment. See you in a bit.
National Holiday Parade 2009 – Hydro-Québec – Télé-Vision