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Pierre Biard, Jesuit missionary (b at Grenoble, France 1567 or 1568; d at Avignon, France 17 Nov 1622). After long preparation for missionary work, Biard left for ACADIA in early 1611.

Pierre Boucher, interpreter, soldier, seigneur (bap at Mortagne, France 1 Aug 1622; d at Boucherville 19 Apr 1717).

Marcel Trudel, historian (born at St-Narcisse, Qué 29 May 1917; died at Longueuil, Qué 11 Jan 2011), one of the masters of contemporary Québec historiography. He shaped generations of historians, first at Laval (1947-65), briefly at Carleton University and then at Ottawa University (1966-82).

Jean-François de La Rocque, Sieur de Roberval, also called the “Élu de Poix,” lieutenant-general of Canada between 1541 and 1543 (born c. 1495 in Carcassonne, France; died 1560 in Paris, France).

Since works of art were generally imported from France at this time, he was most influential through his paintings for local churches, both during his sojourn in the colony and after his return to France.

​Étienne Brûlé is no longer the mysterious character who has inspired many different representations, ranging from traitor to hero.

Pierre Gaudard, photographer (b at Marvelise, France 6 Oct 1927; d at France 22 July 2010). Gaudard, who immigrated to Canada in 1952, became one of the most respected documentary photographers in the country by the 1960s.

Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel, CB, CMG, DSO, geologist, journalist, soldier and entrepreneur, a pioneer in the field of mechanized warfare (b at Alet, Aude, France 6 Mar 1872; d at Couloume-Mondebat, Gares, France 21 Sept 1964).

Étienne Verrier, military engineer (b at Aix-en-Provence, France 4 Jan 1683; d at La Rochelle, France 10 Sept 1747). After 17 years with the engineer corps, Verrier served at LOUISBOURG as chief engineer 1724-45.

Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, military officer and French colonial governor (b at Orthez, France 12 Feb 1661; d at Cannes-L'Ecluse, France 20 Nov 1732). Subercase arrived at Québec in 1687 as a captain in the Marine.

André Siegfried, geographer, political commentator (born 21 April 1875 in Le Havre, France; died 28 March 1959 in Paris, France). Preeminent French geographer of his generation, Siegfried is the author of several books about Canada and North America.

​Élisabeth Vonarburg, writer (born 5 August 1947 in Paris, France).

Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel, Roman Catholic bishop of Toronto (b near Monistrol-sur-Loire, France 1 Dec 1802; d at Crest, France 29 Mar 1891). Of noble birth, Charbonnel entered the priesthood in the Society of St-Sulpice.

Françoise Faucher, actor, director, and moderator (b at Montmorency, France, 1929). Trained in drama in France under René Simon and Bernard Bimont, Faucher immigrated to Canada in the early 1950s with her husband Jean Faucher, also involved in theatre.

Joseph-François Lafitau, priest, Jesuit missionary, legal philosopher (b at Bordeaux, France 1681; d there 3 July 1746).

Joseph-Michel Cadet, butcher, military provisioner (b at Québec City 24 Dec 1719; d at Paris, France 31 Jan 1781). Born of generations of butchers, Cadet worked first for his uncle, a Québec butcher, and became the Crown's purveyor of meat in 1745.

The original Acadians were from France. Acadia is now part of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The French first began settling in Acadia during the first decade of the 17th century. In 1713, the British took over Acadia. They expelled the Acadians in the 1750s. The British did not trust the Acadians. The expulsion of the Acadians is also known as the Great Upheaval. The expulsion of the Acadians was tragic. In the 1760s, the British let the Acadians come back. Acadia remains alive and well today in the Maritimes. Thousands of Canadians are the descendants of the Acadians.

(This article is a plain-language summary of the Acadian Expulsion. If you are interested in reading about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry, Acadian Expulsion (The Great Upheaval).)

From the late 1660's onwards, several hundred Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) mainly from the Mohawk nation settled in the region of Montréal. Most converted to Catholicism or underwent the process of doing so.