Mathieu Beausejour: Kings and Queens of Quebec

French & British Monarchs

1. Louis XIV (1643-1715)
2. Louis XV (1715-1774)
3. George III (1760-1820)
4. George IV (1820-1830)
5. William IV (1830-1837)
6. Victoria (1837-1901)
7. Edward VII (1901-1910)
8. George V (1910-1936)
9. Edward VIII (1936)
10. George VI (1936-1952)
11.  Elizabeth II (1952 - present)

Cultural & political milestones in Quebec

1663 - “New France” becomes a royal province.
1712 - New France territory extends from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains, and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.
1754 - Great Britain and France begin war for control of the Americas.
1759 - British troops defeat French forces after three-month siege of Quebec City.
1763 - War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the northern area of New France is renamed Quebec by the British.
1821: McGill University established.
1834: Foundation of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society.
1848 - Use of French  in the Parliament and Courts legalized.
1867 - Quebec joins the nation of Canada.
1884 - Founding of La Presse newspaper.
1892- Electric streetcars start running in Montreal.
1896 - Birth of Wilfred Laurier, the first Quebecer to be elected Prime Minister of Canada.
1917 - Riots throughout Quebec when federal government enforces conscription.
1936 - Foundation of the Union Nationale.
1939 - Quebec adopts the motto Je me souviens (I remember).
1940 - Women gain right to vote and run for office in provincial elections.
1948 - Paul-Emile Borduas, Jean-Paul Riopelle and other artists publish the Refus global.
1967 - Expo ‘67 opens in Montreal; Charles de Gaulle shouts “Vive le Quebec, libre!” from the balcony of Montreal city hall.
1968 - Parti Quebecois formed; Celine Dion born.
1970 - Front de liberation du Quebec terrorist activities result in martial law in Quebec.
1980 - Referendum regarding sovereignty-association is rejected by 60% of Quebec voters.
1989 - Ecole Polytechnique massacre.
1990 - Formation of the Bloc Quebecois.
1995 - Second referendum on sovereignty is defeated by a slim margin.
2006 - House of Commons recognizes that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada.

Montreal-based Mathieu Beausejour is a self-taught visual artist who has been presenting his installations, interventions and images since the mid-1990s. His works have been shown in Canada, in Europe and the Americas in artist-run spaces, private and public galleries, museums and during events. Cultural activism and curating are also part of his practice. A solo exhibition of his work is scheduled for 2010 at the Windsor Art Gallery in Windsor, Ontario. Visit his web site at www.mathieubeausejour.com.

All images courtesy of the artist.