The year 1967 marked the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. It was also the year Montréal hosted the Universal and International Exhibition, better known as Expo 67. French president Charles de Gaulle was invited to Canada on an official visit. However, he refused to arrive in the country via the federal capital of Ottawa, as protocol dictates. He preferred to arrive instead in Québec City, the bastion of French in North America.