Managing a Public Park
The National Battlefields Commission is responsible for managing the Battlefields Park (Plains of Abraham), Des Braves Park, and Pierre-Dugua-de-Mons Terrace. Every year, it receives numerous requests from organizations to hold a variety of activities.
As the manager of a public park, it strives to maintain a balance in the use of the territory, ensuring a harmony between event authorization and the preservation of the park's peaceful nature. In this regard, the Commission prioritizes public activities and events over those restricted to private groups.
This policy has been drafted to inform the various organizations wishing to use Battlefields Park, Braves Park, or Pierre-Dugua-de-Mons Terrace about the requirements for using the Plains of Abraham territory. These requirements will facilitate better planning for the presentation of major, significant, and minor events.
The NBC considers a major activity to be any activity that has the potential to attract more than 10,000 persons, that requires the installation of one or more pieces of infrastructure, and that exclusively occupies part of the park.
The NBC considers an important activity to be any activity that has the potential to attract fewer than 10,000 persons, that requires the installation of at least one piece of infrastructure and that exclusively occupies part of the park.
All other activities not covered by previous Subsections are considered minor.
Festivals, concerts and other performances (with the exception of regular program at the Edwin Bélanger bandstand) as well as exhibitions and symposia. Holding such activities requires installing infrastructure, and sometimes the exclusive occupation of part of the park or more.
These activities, generally organized by educational institutions, community groups or charitable organizations (Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc), include picnics, outdoor classes and fundraising activities, as well as non-competitive activities, such as treasure hunts. These activities do not require the installation of any infrastructure nor the exclusive occupation of a part of the park, except on rare occasions
All sports activities, such as championships, competitions and recreational activities (cross-country, marathons, etc). These activities may require the installation of infrastructure and sometimes the exclusive occupation of part of the park.
Public demonstrations (car shows, union demonstrations, political gatherings) that can take place in certain parts of the park, as well as any activity involving a gathering that starts in the park and moves out of it (eg, a parade). These activities do not require the installation of any infrastructure, except on rare occasions.
These activities sometimes require the occupation of a specific part of the park, and often occur on the same day.
These activities encompass all activities, including those described above in previous Subsections, for which admission in any form is charged, including a ticket, pass, button or stamp, for an exclusive part of the park.
Strict criteria are applied when evaluating applications. The NBC reserves the right to study each application, to evaluate its impact on the sites that it manages, and to decide whether or not an event will be held. If need be, an application may be submitted to the NBC board of directors for a specific decision.
