Paul Dupuy’s Trois Héros de la colonie de Montréal is a book with a clear mission: to save three founders of Montreal from being forgotten. Written in 1887, it’s less a novel and more a passionate reconstruction of three lives from the 1600s, using the historical records Dupuy could find.

The Story

The book is a triple biography. Dupuy introduces us to Jérôme Le Royer de la Dauversière, the spiritual visionary in France who dreamed up the whole project of a missionary settlement on Montreal Island. Then there’s Jean-Jacques Olier, another key founder in France who provided crucial support. Finally, we meet Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the soldier on the ground. He was the one who actually led the first settlers, faced down the immense dangers of a new world, and physically defended the tiny outpost of Ville-Marie. Dupuy traces their journeys from idea to action, showing how their combined efforts—one with a dream, one with influence, and one with a sword—managed to plant a colony that would one day become a major city.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me was the author’s own voice. Dupuy isn’t a detached scholar; he’s a Montrealer writing for other Montrealers, saying, "Look, we’re losing this!" His frustration with the gaps in the record is palpable, and his excitement when he finds a detail is contagious. You get a real sense of the immense difficulty of those early years—the isolation, the constant threat from conflict, the sheer willpower it took to not just pack up and leave. The three "heroes" aren’t presented as perfect legends, but as determined, flawed men who committed to an almost impossible task. Reading it makes the old stones of Old Montreal feel different, like you finally know some of the names of the people who laid them.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for anyone with a deep interest in Montreal’s origin story. It’s for the local history fan who wants to go beyond street names and dates, and for readers who enjoy seeing how history is pieced together from fragments. Because it was written in the 19th century, the style is formal but clear. It’s a short, focused dive into the founding moment of a city, told with the urgency of a man trying to light a candle before the past goes completely dark.