Celebrations for Quebec City's 400th anniversary are underway, but party goers are split on whether to toast Canada's beginnings, or the cradle of French civilisation in North America.

Quebec City, once the centre of New France — a French colony that covered almost half of what is today the United States and Canada — is celebrating the 400th anniversary of its founding on 3 July 1608 by French explorer Samuel de Champlain.

The city, set up during the early days of the fur trade, is now a bustling urban centre with a population of some 700 000.

Partying began in the early hours of 1 January when some 50 000 people braved low temperatures to go to an open-air event that included live music and a historic re-enactment.

Critics savaged the event, which they dismissed as childish, and the following day the anniversary organisers resigned.

The new team is organising a series of events that include a performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8, a performance of the Starmania opera. They also have opened an exhibit tracing the history of Quebec migrants.

Special exhibition

France's Louvre museum on Thursday is opening a special exhibition in the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts to showcase its vast treasures to North Americans.

And much more is scheduled to come, including performances by the famed Cirque du Soleil, singer Celine Dion, and a sweeping stage epic titled "Kiugwe" that draws from the myths of the local aboriginal Huron nation.

On 3 July Quebec's biggest stars will pay tribute to Champlain in song and music. Organisers are also promising a performance by a yet-to-be-identified international superstar.

Behind the scenes Prime Minister Stephen Harper has angered Quebec separatists by suggesting the festivities are not just a celebration of Quebec City's roots, but also a celebration of the beginnings of Canada.

Separately, native Canadians decry the gala as a sour reminder of European colonialism.

"Everyone has a different reason to celebrate," Daniel Gelinas, president of the organising committee, told AFP.

Celebrating different histories

"That's why there will be a mix of goings-on, for Quebec nationalists who want to celebrate Francophone pride, or for visiting Anglophones, international stars will sing in English. Each will have his own reason to celebrate."

Some fear that packing too many themes into one celebration will create conflict among the different groups.

And a group called "The Other 400" was recently formed to highlight the contributions of aboriginal Canadians to the country's history. The group dismisses the main festivities as senseless, and are aiming to hold a separate event on the sidelines of the main festivities.

"Our history, our city and its residents are being sold out," said the group on its website. According to "The Other 400," Quebec's legacy does not start with Champlain, but with aboriginal peoples who were chased from their ancestral homes by Europeans centuries ago.

AFP