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Explorers of Canada, Part V: Samuel de Champlain

© David Newman

Its weird that the one who really started this country up for colonisation and interior explorations, the man who is called the Father of New France, the Father of Canada is FIFTH, who usually, in our Canadian history classes was second after Cartier (Cabot wasn't that important, also he was 'English').

Samuel de Champlain was born in Brouage, Saintonge, France, in 1567. Since his father was a captain on a ship, as was his uncle, he received a great navigation education. His uncle was acting as pilot-general of the Spanish fleets to bring back Spanish soldiers home, and Samuel accompanied him. He soon became commander of the "St. Julien" which went to the West Indies and Central America, where Champlain conceived plans for a canal on the panama isthmus.

On his return from this voyage, he was ordered to leave for the New World once again, but this time, in the north. He sailed in march of 1603, and landed at Tadoussac. He ventured as far as the Saint-Louis rapids where Cartier had stopped in 1534. He returned to Tadoussac and charted the area. He then returned to France only to return again in 1604 accompanied by Du Guay, Sieur de Monts who was to establish a colony in 1604 (one that predates Jamestown). They started their settlement on L'isle de Saint Croix but changed location after a hard winter for Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal).

From 1604 to 1606, Champlain ventured south and charted all the coastline until Cape Cod. After a brief return to France, in 1607, he return to the Saint Lawrence up to a place called, by the Algonquians, Quebeq or The Narrows. He decided to build a settlement there, near the Algonquin village of Stadacone. After a war with the Iroquois, to secure friendship with the Montagnais and Algonquians, he returned to France.

He returned back to Canada but returned shortly afterwards to marry Helen Boulle. While in France he got the Count de Soissons interested in the colony and in 1612, de Soisson was Governor of Canada and Champlain his Lieutenant.

He returned to Canada in 1613 and decided to visit the Outaouais river (Ottawa in English), which he had been told led to the North Sea. From there he returned to Quebec.

The colony was on the edge of extinction and was not until the Duke de Montmorency became Governor that the Colony began to prosper.

The English fleet of Sir David Kirk arrived at Quebec in 1628 and asked Champlain to surrender. He refused, so they left. They cought up with supplies comming from France and captured it, leading to Champlain's eventual surrender.

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