Fort Richelieu National Historic Site of Canada
Sorel, Quebec
HSMBC plaque
(© Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, 2009 (Catherine Cournoyer))
Address :
Sorel, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1923-05-25
Dates:
-
1642 to 1642
(Construction)
-
1665 to 1665
(Significant)
-
1642 to 1646
(Other addition)
Event, Person, Organization:
-
Governor Montmagny
(Person)
-
Captain Pierre de Saurel
(Person)
Other Name(s):
-
Fort Richelieu
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2011-SDC-CED-007, 2022-SDC-CED-06
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: On du Roi Street near du Fort Street, Sorel-Tracy Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
In 1642, Governor Charles Huault de Montmagny constructed Fort Richelieu near this location to protect the settlements of the colony and the fur trade. At the time, geopolitical upheavals led to clashes in the region between the Algonquin-Anishinaabe, the Huron-Wendat and the French, who were military and trade partners, and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, who were allies of the Dutch. The fort was abandoned in 1646. As the conflicts continued, Captain Pierre de Saurel erected Fort Sorel in 1665, as part of the policy to fortify the Richelieu Valley and to support the offensive against the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Commemorative Intent
Fort Richelieu was designated as a national historic site because:
— From 1642 to 1646, this fort, located at the mouth of the Richelieu River, was responsible for protecting New France’s fur trade and for countering raids made by members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy both in the St. Lawrence Valley and on the Ottawa River.
— At a time of geopolitical upheaval, this strategic region was a setting for rivalry between several First Nations as they sought access to furs and land. This included the Algonquin Anishinabe, the Wolastoqiyik, the Innu, and the Huron-Wendat, who were all military and trade allies with the French, and members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, who were allies and trade partners with the Dutch and were attempting to increase their access to resources by extending their territory further north.
— A new fort was constructed in 1665 as part of France’s colonial policy aimed at fortifying the Richelieu Valley and ensuring better control over its territory, as well as helping in the offensive against the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The fort’s role in the supply network made it an essential component of the defence infrastructure during the French colonial period. The fort was used sporadically until the 19th century and was then destroyed.
Source: HSMBC, Minutes, April 2022.