Pierre LeSueur and Marguerite Messier travelling from Montréal to Louisiana in 1704 and 1705 for a new life, in a new colony

Guest Speaker: Marcel Lussier, Eng., M.Sc.

When:  Thursday, May 17, 2018, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Centennial Hall

            288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Pierre LeSueur, coureur des bois, explorer and trader, decided to migrate to Louisiana and to establish his family in the Biloxi area, a new French fort on the Golf of Mexico. He travelled by sea on a boat called the Pélican from France to the Caribbean’s. First stop in Saint-Domingue (Haiti), then in Cuba.

During that time, his wife Marguerite Messier and their five kids left Montréal by canoes heading to the Great Lakes, spending the winter at fort Michillimakinac. In springtime, she travelled south down the Mississippi River and arrived at fort Biloxi in June 1705.
The lecture will explain the path, the difficulties and the surprises met by both members of the LeSueur couple!

Our speaker, Marcel Lussier, Eng., M.Sc., has been sanitary engineer and environmental adviser for 22 years for Hydro-Québec (on the retired list in 2003).

Three years (2003-2005) as president of an Environmental Consulting Group of the International Joint Commission Canada-United States studying the water levels of Lake Ontario and of the St-Lawrence River.
Searcher (or inquirer) and lecture in historical or environmental conferences, such as FRONTENAC, LASALLE, D'IBERVILLE or CLIMATE CHANGES and WATER PROBLEMS.
Member of different Historical Societies and also Member of Parliament for Brossard-LaPrairie (2006-2008).

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Murder Will Out – Two Centuries Later

Guest Speaker: John Kalbfleisch

When:  Thursday, April 19, 2018, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Centennial Hall

            288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Robert Watson was a member of the prominent Ogilvie flour-milling family. When a shotgun blast tore into his back in 1827, it not only horrified the bustling city of Montreal but also launched a mystery that endures to this day: who killed the unsuspecting Watson, and why? Mr. Kalbfleisch has long been fascinated by the crime, and his new novel, A Stain Upon the Land, wrestles with those two haunting questions.

Longtime Montreal Gazette journalist John Kalbfleisch began writing a regular column on the city’s history for the newspaper in 2000. His novel A Stain Upon the Land was published in June 2017. He is also the author of Le cadeau royal: Histoire de la ville de Mont-Royal / The Royal Gift: a History of Town of Mount Royal (2013) and This Island In Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past (Véhicule Press, 2008), and is the co-author of Montreal’s Century: a Record of the News and People Who Shaped the City in the 20th Century (Trécarré, 1999).

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Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière

followed by

Les droits des femmes dans le Bas-Canada

Guest Speakers: Jean-Pierre Raymond and Andrée Aubut

When:  Thursday, March 15, 2018, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Centennial Hall

            288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in French with English PowerPoint slides, followed by a bilingual question period.

First, Jean-Pierre Raymond will talk about "Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière", first leader of the Quebec Liberal Party 150 years ago and first Prime Minister of the Quebec Liberal Party in 1878-79. He is a descendant of the two engineers Michel Chartier de Lotbinière and Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry. He is the father of two engineers who will be generals in the First World War and his four daughters married engineers one of which will be general. He is also the father of sustainable development in forestry.

Following this, Andrée Aubut will commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in Canada with a presentation entitled "Women's Rights in Lower Canada", recalling that women have already had the right to vote in Lower Canada between 1791 and 1849. She will explain how women like Louise-Magdeleine Chaussegros de Léry, her daughter-in-law Mary-Charlotte Munro de Fowlis and her granddaughter Julie-Christine Chartier de Lotbinière benefited from the peculiarities of the French law known as Coutume de Paris enshrined in the Act of Quebec for the second version of the province of Quebec (1774). Julie-Christine is the mother of Henri-Gustave.

Both presentations will be in French and the Power Point in English, allowing for a bilingual presentation.

Jean-Pierre Raymond is a retired engineer, passionate about history who studies the first Canadian engineers.

Andrée Aubut is a retired teacher who is interested in the history of women in Nouvelle-France and under British regime and in particular the laws that applied to property rights.

The two personifies in period costumes historical figures like the couples Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry and Marie-Renée Legardeur de Beauvais, Michel Chartier de Lotbinière and Louise-Magdeleine Chaussegros de Léry, Ralph-Henri Bruyère and Janet Dunbar and finally Henri-Gustave Joly and Margharetta-Josepha Gowen.

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Pirates of North Atlantic

David Kirke and Elcid Barrett

Guest Speaker: Roy Wright

When:  Thursday, February 15, 2018, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Centennial Hall

            288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Although less notorious than the Caribbean, the North Atlantic has had its share of romantic swashbucklers.
The Atlantic Provinces and Quebec claim buried treasure and other folklore, but some truly significant historical figures as well. We will focus on one exponent of each tradition: Elcid Barrett, folklorically more famous today than even Captain Kidd, thanks to Stan Rogers, and David Kirke, who was knighted for capturing Québec from Champlain in 1629. Their stories illuminate the role pirates and privateers have played in our history and mythology, and their fate in retirement highlights the societal advances made since then, if not more enlightened political policy. Indeed, we still live in an age of piracy.

Join us for a singalong with Roy Wright.

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 West Island, 1667-2017

Guest Speaker: Pierre-F. McDuff

When:  Thursday, January 18, 2018, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Centennial Hall

            288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Pierre-F. McDuff has contributed to many important published biographical books including the just released book on the Mayors of Montreal edited by our board member Jacques G. Ruelland.

After a short introduction, we will look at the evolution of the parishes of Lachine, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, St-Laurent, Pointe-Claire, Ste-Geneviève and the Ile-Bizard. These parishes delineated the first municipalities on the island of Montreal, created between 1845 and 1855.

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St. Lawrence Seaway:

from Procrastination to Realisation

Guest Speaker: Fred Parkinson

When:   Thursday, November 16, 2017, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where:  Centennial Hall

             288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

First talks between Canada and the United States were held in 1895 considering a water navigation system from Montreal to Lake Ontario. Commitment was lacking, however the discussions did lead to establishing the International Joint Commission (IJC) in 1909 to deal with questions on rivers shared by both countries. By 1949 the need for the waterway connection had become pressing, so serious negotiations were undertaken with the IJC playing an important part. Progress was hindered by vocal opposition from the railways and various other well established business and political interests, but in the end the economics of the mining, industrial and agricultural sectors out-weighed these negative arguments, so an agreement was in place, and construction of the Seaway began in 1954.

Building the two American locks and 5 Canadian locks as well as the powerhouse at Cornwall-Massena required major modifications in the river and along the shorelines. A total of 11 communities were inundated, with two being removed to locations above the final water level. Highways and railways were re-routed. The overall system was hailed as the largest navigation project ever undertaken in the world.
The Seaway was completed and operational in 1959, and in 190 days that year transited 25.1 million tonnes of cargo. Ship traffic grew steadily until 1979, when 80 million tonnes went through, but since has decreased so it now carries about 40 million tonnes per year. Lock and channel improvements have been gradually extending the navigation season, so that in 2006 ships had access for 283 days.
Annual economic benefits shared by many industries and agriculture in both countries resulting from reliable water transport to the Great Lakes provided by the Seaway have been estimated at more than $ 35 billion US.

Fred Parkinson, Retired Consulting Civil/Hydraulic Engineer, spent a 45-year career working in the fields of hydro-power development and river navigation. He was associated with a number of studies to improve the Seaway lock operations during ice conditions and participated in studies on physical hydraulic models to widen and deepen the navigation channel downstream from Montreal. At the same time, he was retained to develop new operating systems for several locks on the Rideau and Trent Canals and overseas for the Panama Canal. 

Working in the hydro-power field, his first project in Québec was Carillon on the Ottawa River. Hydro-Québec was embarking on a major development programme, and Fred worked on hydraulic design studies for projects on the Manicouagan and Outardes Rivers in the Lower St. Lawrence Region and on the La Grande, Eastmain and Caniapiscau Rivers in the James/Hudson Bay Regions. He also did key design and development studies on major hydro-power schemes in British Columbia and Manitoba. This experience led to short term expert consultations overseas: Iraq, Pakistan, Nepal, Madagascar, Philippines, Viet Nam, Nigeria, Sudan, Bolivia, Belize, Venezuela and Columbia. His final consulting work was as an expert witness in court concerning the flooding along the Rivière des Ha Ha in the Saguenay Region in 1996.
Following retirement, he served for eighteen months on an International Joint Commission sub-committee to study and make recommendations on modifying Seaway operations to provide water level control of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River that was more acceptable to the many different stakeholders, in particular, environmental interests.

Last Minute special guest at the lecture:

Dr. Murray Clamen, retired Secretary of the Canadian Section of the International Joint Commission, will give a short slide presentation describing the operations of the I.J.C. and describe a few typical studies involving rivers and lakes along the border between Canada and the United States.  Prior to becoming the Secretary, Dr. Clamen was the IJC lead technical advisor for over a decade on all issues related to trans-boundary water management in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River System.

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My Experiences of Expo 67

Guest Speaker: Gary W. Sims

When:  Thursday, October 19, 2017, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Centennial Hall

            288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Our guest speaker will talk about his experiences on Centennial Events and his experiences leading up to the opening and closing of Expo 67 and afterwards.

Gary W. Sims started collecting Centennial & Expo 67 items in 1964. He put on small exhibitions at neighbours and friends house on different countries. He volunteered at the Lachine Museum, and then in 1966 at the museum, put on an Exhibition on the Centennial and Expo 67 its crown jewel. Gary was appointed by the City of Lachine in 1967 as a Director of Lachine 67 which coordinated Centennial Events and the 300th anniversary of the founding of the City of Lachine.  He wrote a weekly column on Centennial Events called Centennial Report in the Lachine Messenger. As a Director of Lachine 67 and writing the newspaper column, Expo 67 Incorporated gave Gary a special press pass that allowed him complete access to the site. During this time he met many heads of state and other celebrities. With this pass he was given V.I.P and press packages as he visited each pavilion on the Expo site as well as many other special items which he has preserved and saved over the last 50 years. Gary considers this time of his life the most exciting. The privileges he was given in 1967 were never taken for granted and will never be forgotten.

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The Rich World of Family History Research

Guest Speaker: Gary Schroder, President, Quebec Family History Society

When:   Thursday, September 21, 2017, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where:  Centennial Hall

             288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Family History Research has become one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. The purpose of this presentation will be to explore some of the major types of historical documents that are used in genealogical research in Canada, the US, the UK, and other parts of the world. These include civil registrations of birth, marriage, and death, church registers, census records, probate records, land records and even dog records. This evening we will see how to pursue your own family history, leap over 'brick walls', and track down elusive indigenous ancestors in Canada.

Gary Schroder is or has been
- President of QFHS, the Quebec Family History Society, since 1995.
- Chair of the 'Roots' International Conferences on Family History held at McGill University in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2011, and 2015.
- Teacher of family history courses at McGill University and Champlain College.
- Lecturer to genealogical and historical societies across North America.
- Speaker at the 2001 International Conference on Irish Family History held at Trinity College, Dublin.
- Member of the Special Advisory Board of Library and Archives Canada.
- Editor of numerous publications, e.g. Christ Church, Montreal Marriages 1766-1850.
- Frequent guest on Canadian Radio and Television answering a wide variety of genealogical questions and promoting the educational value of family history research.
- Research consultant on the American, British, and Canadian versions of the “Who Do You Think You Are” television series.
- Originator of the All Day Genealogical Seminars at the QFHS Library.

His primary research interests are Canadian, English, Irish, and British (Military) resources for genealogists. 

His first known ancestor in Canada was his 3rd-great-grandfather Cornelius Flynn who arrived in Quebec City in 1805. Cornelius Flynn 1787-1861, native of Cork, Ireland, served in the Royal Navy for over twenty years and was wounded aboard the HMS Agamemnon during the Battle of Trafalgar.

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Fleury Mesplet (1734-1794) and the Birth of Freedom of Expression in Quebec (1776)

Guest Speaker: Jacques G. Ruelland Ph.D.

When:   Thursday, May 18, 2017, from 19:30 to 21:00

Where:  Centennial Hall

             288 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, H9W 4A4

Lecture in English followed by a bilingual question period.

Born in Marseilles, educated in Lyon, the printer Fleury Mesplet (1734-1794) one day decides to flee the intolerance that reigns in France at that time to seek refuge in England. He meets Benjamin Franklin, who recruits him as a Francophone printer of the American Continental Congress, fighting against the English. He prints the Letters sent by the American Congressmen to the inhabitants of the Province of Quebec to incite them to join against their common enemy: the English. In order to reinforce this purpose, Franklin arrives in Montreal in 1776; Mesplet accompanies him: he shall be the instrument of the North American rebellion against the European oppressor. But the project fails; the American patriots are decimated by the English. However, Mesplet decides to remain in Montreal, despite a “preventive” imprisonment of almost a month. With the aid of a few friends as enlightened as he was by the philosophy of the Enlightenment (Valentin Jautard, Pierre du Calvet, etc.), he founds in 1778 the first journal of opinion in the country, the Gazette littéraire, and the first think tank, the Montreal Academy - which perhaps hides a French Masonic lodge. After another hard imprisonment of three years, Mesplet recovers his wife, his friends, his workshop, his values ​​and his fights; he creates in 1785, on a new basis, a second newspaper, the Montreal Gazette, which survives him even today. Beyond the centuries, between the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, Mesplet’s story reminds us that the struggle for freedom of expression is still valid.

Born in Spa (Belgium) in 1948, Jacques G. Ruelland immigrated to Canada in 1969, holding a printer technician diploma from Liège (Belgium). He holds presently a BA and an MA in philosophy of science, a second MA in history, a third one in museology and a Ph.D. in history of science. He taught philosophy at the Collège Édouard-Montpetit (Longueuil) for 31 years (1979-2010), and he currently teaches history as an associate professor in the History Department of the University of Montreal. He also works currently as a museologist for the Musée des Maîtres et Artisans du Québec (Saint-Laurent), and the Museums (a set of five museums) of Mont-Saint-Hilaire. He signed some fifty books published in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia, and translated into various languages. He chaired la Société de philosophie de Montréal and la Société des écrivains canadiens; he was secretary of la Société historique de Montréal and la Société de philosophie du Québec. He won several awards for his works, including twice the Percy-W.-Foy Prize awarded by la Société historique de Montréal in 1987 and 1988, as well as the Special French Prize and a Special Mention at the awards ceremony of the Minister of Education of Quebec in 1995. In 1999, Dr. Ruelland was awarded the Gold Medal of Cultural Enlightenment in French Literature by La Renaissance française (a French association sponsored by the Government of France) for the multicultural character of his work, and was knighted in the Order of Academic Palms in 2003 by the Government of France for the quality of his teaching and writings. Web site: www.ruelland.ca

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