From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Bretons/Mario Mimeault
A nineteenth-century French-Canadian historian, Benjamin Sulte, wondered whether Bretons were the kind of people the agricultural colony of New France needed. He concluded summarily that “they were not suitable, either in quality or in number.” In reality, Bretons were no less qualified to be pioneers in New France than people from other French provinces. Statistics show that two-thirds of the Breton settlers came from the countryside, and 50 percent of them came from the two departments that are least tied to the sea, Ille-et-Villaine and Loire-Atlantique.
A substantial proportion of the migrants who crossed the Atlantic had occupational skills. Many of these tradespeople came seeking to upgrade these skills and obtain the master’s status that accompanied their three years’ service. All occupations and social classes were represented: a baker’s apprentice, Guillaume Bâtard, who did not stay; a surgeon, Daniel Beauregard, who stayed but left no heirs; a locksmith, Pierre Coeur, who established a family. Hence, occupational diversity was a characteristic of Breton settlement in Canada.
Most Breton men who agreed to stay in Canada came from the military. The French government sent soldiers across the Atlantic throughout New France’s history. In the 1670s the Carignan-Salières Regiment helped the colony defend itself against the Five Nations. Later the government sent the Marine detachments: 262 Breton soldiers from these detachments accepted the government’s offers of land after their discharge. Following the conquest, some forty Bretons who had served in Montcalm’s regiments stayed on North American soil. Of all Breton immigrants who settled in New France, 20 percent came from these three military units.
Bretons who settled in New France also came from a wide range of social classes. Most were commoners like Pierre Lafleur, a bargeman’s son from Roscanvel. However, a number of Breton immigrants, such as Jean-Marie-Josué Boisberthelot de Beaucours, served in top positions in the colonial administration. Because personal destiny was not limited by social barriers as it was in old France, some unusual life paths were possible in the colony. Bertrand Chesnay dit La Garenne, who started as a simple merchant, acquired the fief of Lothainville in 1664, became its seigneur, and took pride in living in its manor. In contrast, Joseph de Montenon, Sieur de La Rue was the son of the king’s tax collector in Quimper. He became a farmer in Pointe-aux-Trembles near Montreal and spent his life in the fields.
Recent Breton immigrants to Canada have been even more occupationally diverse than their predecessors. All walks of life are represented in this recent wave, from decorative artists through managers and civil servants to butchers, pastry chefs, restaurant owners, and tradespeople. For a time, however, there may again be a rural flavour to Breton migration. Seeking to revitalize Quebec agriculture, the Quebec Department of Agriculture launched a promotion campaign in the Breton countryside in late 1993. The government would like to attract young farmers who would keep lands in the St Lawrence valley in agricultural production.
Most Breton immigrants to New France were male. This can be easily explained. The country had to be opened up before families could be settled in the New World. Authorities were concerned with clearing agricultural land and looked for workers who were inured to hardship. Few couples or ready-made families crossed the ocean, and there were virtually no family ties among the first generation of Canadiens who came from Brittany. Two brothers, Louis and Pierre Lebrice dit Kirouac, were rare exceptions. When people set out on an adventure, it was more likely to be a personal endeavour on their part than the penchant of a group.
The profile of post–World War II Breton immigrants to Canada is quite different. There are more women in this recent wave than there were in previous centuries. Even though most people who decide to cross the Atlantic Ocean still do so individually, the number of whole families who venture forth has increased substantially.
