Carney stands by Plains of Abraham speech that rankled Quebec’s political class

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday stood by his comments about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, remarks that had drawn a swift rebuke from Quebec’s political class and demands for an apology.

The controversy erupted on Thursday when Carney said the 1759 battle in Quebec City — during which the British defeated the French, who would ultimately lose control of New France — symbolized the beginning of a partnership between two peoples.

Carney said the battle became a symbol of collaboration rather than domination — despite the fact the defeat led to significant attempts by the English to assimilate francophones. In response, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said the comments reflected Ottawa’s “long tradition of colonialism.”

On Monday, Carney did not back down. During an announcement in Ottawa, he said the resilience of francophones created the Canada that we know today, where French, English and Indigenous peoples are considered the nation’s founders.

He said he began his speech last week in Quebec City — on the site of the historic battle — “by recognizing the struggle of francophones during the history of Canada. I mentioned and even stressed the efforts of some in our history to pursue a policy of assimilation.”

“I said that it was because of the resilience of the French-speaking people that Canada was created, a Canada that recognizes two founding peoples and, after a certain period of time, three founding peoples, including Indigenous people.”

Quebec politicians from various parties had accused Carney of attempting to rewrite history by overlooking what that famous defeat has meant to the province’s French-speaking population.

“Mark Carney delivered a speech rewriting history, presenting the conquest as the beginning of a ‘partnership’ and ‘adaptation’ rather than ‘assimilation,’” said provincial French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge in a post on X.

But Carney insisted he had acknowledged the “very difficult” moments in history in last week’s speech. He had cited the Durham Report — a report to the British government recommending the assimilation of French Canadians by establishing the dominance of the English-speaking majority in Upper Canada, what would become Ontario. That report also recommended the deportation of the Acadians, mainly due to their refusal to swear unconditional allegiance to the Crown.

“It’s a very difficult history,” Carney said Monday. “But over time, we have protected and, after another period, strengthened the French language, Quebec culture, institutions such as the Civil Code, and other institutions.

“And that is the genius of Canada,” he added.

For his part, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet called for an apology for what he considered a “deplorable mistake” on the prime minister’s part. “What the prime minister of Canada said about the Plains of Abraham is unacceptable,” Blanchet said.

The New Democrats also called for an apology. “He (Carney) put his foot in his mouth,” said the NDP’s Alexandre Boulerice, the party’s lone Quebec MP. “And it’s a reinterpretation of history that makes absolutely no sense to the vast majority of Quebecers.”

During a weekend policy meeting, the PQ leader, who promises to hold a sovereignty referendum by 2030 if he wins the October election, focused on Carney’s speech. The prime minister’s comments about the so-called “partnership” had, in effect, launched the referendum campaign for Quebec independence, St-Pierre Plamondon said.

He referred to Carney as the “leader of the NO camp” — the side that would argue Quebec should stay in Canada. Carney did not acknowledge that part of St-Pierre Plamondon’s statement when questioned about it on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2026.

Michel Saba and Émilie Bergeron, The Canadian Press