the origin of the logo:"JE ME SOUVIEN", on all Quebec registered cars. Thanks

Hi pei,

That is a very interesting question.  "JE ME SOUVIEN" (I remember) is
the official motto of Québec and is on its Coat of Arms. The
provincial government of Quebec, the Parti-Québecois, put it on the
license plates, urging all of its citizens to never forget the
significant part the French Regime played in the history of North
America and the battles fought against the British Army. The turning
point came at the battle of the Plains of Abraham in Québec City in
1759 and 1760, forever changing the course of North American history.
Today, the site is a National Battlefield.

The Plains of Abraham: 
http://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/welcome.html

Present day photo:
http://rtsq.grics.qc.ca/quebec/dc011.htm

Digital History: The Fall of Québec:
http://digitalhistory.org/quebec59.html

QUÉBEC AFFAIRS: With PETER BLACK
http://www.tomifobia.com/abraham.html

Ofcourse it is open to interpretation and what one chooses "to
remember" is up to each individual.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any questions, please
post a clarification before rating my answer.

Thank you,
hummer

Search Strategy:
://www.google.ca/search?num=100&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&q=%22plains+of+abraham%22&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Terms Used:
"Plains of Abraham"

---

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 17 Feb 2003 07:21 PST

Hi pei,

Please note that the correct spelling is "JE ME SOUVIENS".

Here is one interpretation, as the regimental motto ("Lest we forget"):
http://www.harrypalmergallery.ab.ca/galquecty22nd/levesque.html

The Québec's coat of arms was adopted in 1939, with "Je me souviens" as the motto:
http://canada4life.ca/provinces.php?prov=6

hummer

---

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 17 Feb 2003 08:05 PST

Hi again pei,

More on the history of the motto -

The motto was adopted in 1883 (pre-dating 1939) and suggested by
Eugene Taché:
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Emblems, Provincial and Territorial: Coat
of Arms:
http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&TCE_Version=A&SectionId=637682&MenuClosed=0

hummer

"The overriding reality of life in Quebec these days is that
everything is loaded with significance. Everything matters. There's
always much more to it than meets the eye, whether it is the head
office moving out or the one staying in, language laws, referendum
rumors or the new Je me souvien motto on Quebec's 1978 license plates.
All of it is a direct result of French Quebec's overtime rush to
identify, assert and save itself."

The source of the above excerpt is the article "A Department Store
Bankruptcy that was a Cultural Setback for Quebec" by James Quig.
http://www.lib.uwo.ca/business/dupuisfreres.html