Alexis Bidagan dit St. Martin was born on April 18, 1794 at Berthier, just north of Montreal. He used the surname St. Martin all his life, but his formal surname was Bidagan. His first name is pronounced without the silent s: Alexi.In 1822 Alexis St Martin was working as a
Given what is the state of our union today, there is a certain sense of irony in the fact that the most patriotic song in Canada, the National Anthem - O Canada, was written by a French Quebecer, who served as an officer in the Union Army during the American
Joseph Albert Guay was born in Quebec in 1917. The youngest of 5 children, young Joseph was spoiled and always expected to get his way. As a young man, he sold watches and jewelry on commission. He seemed to be a natural, but very persistent, salesperson. When World War II broke
Ever wonder where the ink on US Currency came from? The green ink that has been used since 1862 to print United States greenback banknotes was invented in 1857. Thomas Sterry Hunt, while he was a professor at McGill University in Montréal developed the ink. Hunt was the staff analytical
Very often in Canada, we ignore our heroes. Such is the case of Adam Dollard, Sieur des Ormeaux and a Huron Chief named Anahotaha Dollard. He was a 25 year old professional soldier from France. He was posted to the colony of New France in 1657.By 1660, New France was
Contrary to popular belief, slavery is a very real part of our Canadian history.In 1628, the first black person known to have lived in Canada was a native of Madagascar. He was bought at the age of 7 by the British Commander David Kirke during his invasion of New France
In 1907 Quebec was building the biggest cantilever bridge in the world. Little did they know that on August 29 that they would also experience one of the largest bridge collapses in history. The bridge across the St. Lawrence River, six-mile above Quebec City, was the brainchild of the Quebec
It was June 1953. Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania natives, 17-year old Richard Lindsey, his father Eugene Lindsey and 20 year-old Frederick Claar left home for a bear hunting trip in the Gaspé. About a month later, their bodies, or what was left of them after bears had mauled them, were found in the
Anyone with more than a passing knowledge of American history can recall the existence of a gentleman named Joseph McCarthy. His 1947 House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). They looked for communists under every leaf and bed in America. This was the post war period and everyone was suspicious of
In less than the last 400 years, there have been in excess of 400 shipwrecks on the rocky shores of Anticosti Island.
Anticosti Island is situated right at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Some 8,000 square kilometres in size, Anticosti Island is large enough to have Prince Edward Island
