The National Battlefields Commission says it is cancelling a controversial re-enactment of the 1759 French-British battle that had been scheduled for the Plains of Abraham this summer.

Commission head Andre Juneau says there are too many safety and security issues to take a chance on holding the event.

Quebec sovereigntists promised to protest outside the re-enactment and there had been threats against organizers.

Sovereigntists say staging the clash would have been an insulting reminder of the defeat of their French ancestors.

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham is seen by many as the end of francophone autonomy in North America and the start of British dominance.