Quebec, Land of European Immigration

Jacques Cartier discovers Canada and Quebec in 1534, the first settlers and the King's Daughters will arrive later in New France...

Throughout its history, Quebec has been a land of predominantly European, and especially French, immigration.

Jacques Cartier is known as the first man to have discovered Canada and Quebec in 1534, and they were followed in 1617 by the first French settlers, Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet, in what was then called « New France ». Their heritage is still noticeable today; they are one of the families with the largest number of descendants on the territory. Despite the transition to the British Empire in 1763, the population remained 95% of French origin, and the 17th and 18th centuries saw strong immigration from the metropole. Thus, from 1791 to 1871, the number of French Canadians went from 140,000 to over a million. However, the 19th century also marked a period of diversification in the population, linked particularly to the arrival of loyalists who remained faithful to the British crown, having left the United States following the War of Independence.

The Irish were numerous in settling during this same period, and in 1860 they represented 23% of the Quebec population. Diversification also came with the arrival of Germans and Poles.

A Period of Strong Emigration Before a Wave of Diverse Immigration

However, if immigration has always been strong in Quebec, the province also experienced periods of emigration at the beginning of the 20th century to the United States. It is estimated that during this period, 5 to 10% of its population joined the American neighbor each year. Even today, immigration remains a fundamental issue at the heart of Quebec policy, thanks in particular to the 1960 « Quiet Revolution », which allowed the Province to control immigration on its territory. They particularly seek to attract French citizens, with success, as they represented the first nationality in terms of the number of arrivals in 2015. It is noted in the same year that immigration is no longer solely European, with China and Iran coming in second and third positions.

Thanks to this immigration past, Canada and the province of Quebec have censuses that will be of great help in finding ancestors who crossed the ocean between 1851 and 1916. Indeed, they include, among other things, the person's ethnic origin and country of birth. Just what you need to help you in your research without « having the baguettes in the air »!

* To get angry in Quebec French.