Chateau Frontenac is nothing short of beautiful. The hotel dominates the city skyline (if one can call it that). The Citadelle was pretty cool, as was the Aquarium in Sainte-Foy. The food was good (save for the duck, far too greasy for this woman's stomach), and the drink wasn't a plenty. Met some really sophisticated cab drivers (who shared his Chopin love with us).
Unfortunately while we were in the lovely city, there was chaos through out Toronto. The cops arresting people left and right, most were completely innocent of any wrong doing, but rights were suspended because a few "important" people were here. My disappointment is not with the protesters (other than the vigilantes, but curiously those were allowed to run rampant causing destruction to my beloved city?), it is with the security squads that abused the citizens they were supposed to protect. For those who are interested in a perspective from a detained man go here. http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2204676030&topic=18059&post=135891#!/note.php?note_id=397205503638&id=511491565
Happy Independence Day to our American friends!
Incidentally, Quebec City was founded only one day ago, July 3, 1608!
In honour of the founding, today's historical figure is Samuel de Champlain
SAMUEL DU CHAMPLAIN
Born: c.1567-1580
Died: December 25, 1635
Samuel du Champlain was born into a family of mariners likely in the French province of Saintonge. There is uncertainty about the year of his birth, the most likely year is 1580 as thought by scholars.
In 1598, Du Champlain's uncle invited him to join him on a ship to transport soldiers to Cadiz, Spain. Du Champlain joined the voyage and while the ship exchanged hands, he took meticulous notes about information he heard about Spanish landholdings in the New World, and gave the information to King Henry II and was rewarded with an annual pension. He returned to Cadiz in 1600, and his uncle had fallen ill and asked him to look after the business affairs. When his uncle passed on 1601, he left Samuel his estate, which included some real estate and a 150 tonne ship. He was given the post of geographer to King Henry II, where he would go to the ports of France and would be given information about the New World from the season fisherman. He also noted the previous failures of France to colonize the Americas, such as: Pierre de Chauvin's loss of the fur trade monopoly. Assigned to renew the fur trade agreement with the First Nations was Aymar de Chaste, and Samuel asked for permission to go with him on his first voyage.
The expedition was lead by Francois du Pont, and from him Samuel would learn much about North America and they established an affable long term friendship. Samuel's goal was to explore further than Jacques Cartier did 60 years earlier, he created a map of the St. Lawrence and upon his return to France, published his journal, Des Sauvages: ou voyage de Samuel Champlain, de Brouages, faite en la France nouvelle l'an 1603 ("Concerning the Savages: or travels of Samuel Champlain of Brouages, made in New France in the year 1603") where he detailed his trip and how he dealt with the Native locals of the area (including meetings with Begouret, a chief of Montagnais.
Champlain made a second trip to the St. Lawrence, again as an observer, and took notes of the areas for a few years. The trip was "lead by Pierre Dugua de Mons, a noble and Protestant merchant who had been given a fur trading monopoly in New France by the king."
Dugua asked Champlain to establish a new French colony on the St Lawrence, and on July 3,1608, Quebec City was founded with the creation of a fortification (a moat, 3 buildings colloquially named the Habitation, and stockades).
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