National Battlefields Commission chief steps down

The man at the centre of a sovereigntist-fuelled controversy over an aborted battle re-enactment on the Plains of Abraham has resigned as head of the National Battlefields Commission.

A spokeswoman in Andre Juneau's office said the resignation was unrelated to the battlefield brouhaha.

A news release said Mr. Juneau's departure after 14 years is effective Nov. 15.

It said Mr. Juneau decided to leave the commission after 14 years for personal and family reasons, and to take on a new challenge – believed to be in local media.

Mr. Juneau cited security concerns when he cancelled the proposed re-enactment last February after angry sovereigntists claimed it was an insult.

The Aug. 1 re-enactment was intended to mark the 250th anniversary of the historic battle near Quebec City that pitted British general James Wolfe against his French rival the Marquis Louis de Montcalm.

Members of the Bloc Quebecois called for Mr. Juneau's resignation when he appeared before a parliamentary committee in Ottawa the day after he cancelled the event.

Mr. Juneau said he was prepared to resign if the government asked.

Organizers had expected some 2,500 people to participate in the re-enactment. The last re-enactment, in 2004, generated nearly $30-million in tourism spending.