Making a soldier's meal of Quebec history

By John Masters-Contributing writer

Quebec City-A traitor is in our midst. Two dozen of us are seated at five long wooden tables, eating dinner. The conversation is pleasant, but one of us has sold secrets to the enemy.

That's the conceit of "Council of War," an innovative, interactive way to let visitors learn a little Quebec history and get a meal at the same time.

We are in Martello tower number two. It's one of four squat, round towers built of thick stone to defend against the Americans in the War of 1812. It sits on the Plains of Abraham, famous for the battle between Wolfe and Montcalm in 1759 that gave the British possession of what had been French-held Quebec.

No battle was ever fought here during the War of 1812, but military intelligence was sold, for $50,000, to the Americans, and someone in this room did it.

At the Council of War, 10 dinner guests are selected to play the parts of actual historical figures. As the meal is served, the 10 act out a short scene that casts suspicion on them all. It's then up to the rest of the diners to determine who the real culprit was.

The quality of the entertainment depends largely on how well the "actors" throw themselves into their roles. The evening I attended was probably about average: two or three were thoroughly into it, adding flourishes and ad libbing, a few read their lines haltingly and without conviction.

The food, on the other hand, is always the same: the typical evening meal a British soldier in the colonies would have had back then. There's bread and cheese, soup, a green salad and a meat and potato stew, all served on tin plates. But it's tasty enough that one of our group went back for a second helping of stew, saying, "I could survive on this for a month."

While we puzzle who the guilty one is, our hosts, real actors playing Lady Elizabeth Lake and Captain Jean LeBreton, teach us how to load and shoot flintlocks, and discuss aspects of the soldier's life in 1812. We know the food was decent, but learn that the discipline could be severe. Capt. LeBreton tells us that "a soldier could legally be whipped 1,000 times in 1812. We have records of one being whipped 800 times in Quebec."

Our hosts also pass around historical objects a British soldier of the time would have known and ask us to identify them. Most are mystifying.

Then, over tea and dessert (plum pudding with hot sauce-a treat, since only officers would have had it), we fill out ballots with our guesses of whodunit. More suspense follows as our choices are whittled down by the hosts until at last the evildoer stands revealed.

A satisfying evening ends with a tour of the tower. You can also visit Martello tower number one, which is a museum, but there's no meal and no drama. There's also no wine. It isn't supplied here, either, but, this being Quebec, you're welcome to bring your own.

If you go

The Council of War is held weekly in July in August. Most shows are in French, some are in English.

For more information visit the National Battlefields Commission website at www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca and click on "Activities."

For information on travel in Quebec visit the Tourisme Quebec website at www.bonjourquebec.com.

published on 04/25/2007