Many years before Québec province existed, Those who arrived from France to colonize "la Nouvel France" called themselves "Canadiens". They did so because of Jacques Cartier. In 1535, it is said he was directed to the village of Stadacona (now known as Québec) by 2 young natives. They pointed to "Kanata" - the village. In the Huron and Iroquois tongue, this word means village or enclave. With no other name to call the area, Cartier baptised the city and the whole region "Canada". The name was adopted as indicated by the Nouvelle France maps of 1547. These indicate all of the territories north of the St-Lawrence river as «Canada». In 1636, Jeanne Mercier and Claude Poulin (my ancestors) arrived in "Canada". Their strength and dedication to build this new land are etched into the plaque on the footing of the sculpture of Louis Hébert in the Parc Montmorency in Québec. They are cited as one of the founding families of Québec in the region of "Canada" of Nouvelle France. It wasn't until 1763 that the British Royal Proclamation created the Province of Quebec. The legislative conditions and rules of governning (as laid out by this proclamation) made this region a British province.
In 1791, to please loyalists, the British adopted the Constitution Act which divided Canada into two separate political entities - the Lower (with a francophone majority) and Upper (with an English majority) Canadas.
In reaction to the patriot rebellion and as a follow-up to the Durham report, the British authorities eventually adopted the Union Act in 1840. This act, in effect unified the two Canadas into one entity. It also introduced active measures to assimilate those who for more than 200 years had called themselves "Canadiens". As English Canada now called themselves "Canadians" the Canadiens in turn began identifying themselves as "Canadiens français".
Claude Poulin/Jeanne Mercier had nine children and these eventually formed their own families multiplying and over time moving to other parts of the Canadian landscape. From Québec to Trois Rivières to Sainte-Anne de Beaupré to la Beauce and eventually in the XIXth century they headed west to Saskatchewan and eventually back east to Ontario.
Born in Windsor, Ontario in 1945, I am to this day a proud franco. with deep "Canadien" roots - roots dating back to the early years of MY Québec city.
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