A Cartier- La Reconnaissance et L'admiration d'un Peuple

Correction. I made an error thinking that this was a monument about Jacques Cartier. It is not. It is about George-Étienne Cartier, an important figure in Canada's confedaration. I will leave the article I wrote about Jacques Cartier, but please be aware of this silly error. 😆

In 1534-42, Jacques Cartier explored the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and navigated up the Saint Lawrence river, making him the first European to travel inland in North America, all the way to the Montreal region, which he claimed for the French crown.

This intrepid explorer and cartographer was actually looking for a passage to Asia when he came across the land that he named Canada, a word borrowed from the native Iroquois language, "Kanata"- village or settlement.

I came across this monument after climbing down a historic hill that I visited to get areal views of the Montreal area. On the way down, I followed the trail instead of the knee-busting stairs that I had used to climb up. It was a wonderful blue day with the sun as bright as ever. I wasn't sure in which direction I was supposed to head, but then I caught sight of this soaring angel and decided to check it out.

As I mentioned this monument actually honours Sir George-Étienne Cartier, not Jacques. In addition to his support of Canada's confederation, he was prominent in the politics of the era that shaped the history of Montreal and Canada at large.

I hope you enjoyed the sights.