Quebec City's 400th anniversary, celebrated in 2008, commemorated the founding of Quebec City in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. Quebec City is the oldest francophone city in North America. Along with Acadia, the city represents the birthplace of French America.
La Société du 400e de Québec, the organization responsible for planning the festivities, was chaired by Daniel Gélinas.
Together, municipal, provincial and federal levels of the Canadian government invested approximately $155 million in the events and infrastructure created for the celebration.
Celebrations took place all over the world. In Canada: Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Toronto, Ottawa, Gatineau, Montreal, Fredericton, Halifax, Charlottetown, St. John’s, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Iqaluit; in the United States: Washington, Jamestown, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Lafayette, and Miami; in Argentina: Cordoba, in France: Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Reims, La Rochelle, and Brouage (the birthplace of Samuel de Champlain); in Belgium: the Flemish Region, Brussels, Wallonia, and Namur; in Italy: Turin, Rome, and Milan; in the United Kingdom: London.