1 Barnabe Gagnon-Gaignon 1523-1581 Tourouvre,Perche,France
2Pierre Gagnon-Gaignon 1560-1633
Tourouvre,Perche,France
3Jean Gagnon 1610-1670
Aubin Tourouvre,France To Quebec
4Jean Gagnon 1648-1687
Chateau-Richer,Quebec
5Joseph Gagnon1685-1761
Chateau-Richer,Quebec
6Dominique Gagnon 1730-1810
Baie-St-Paul,Quebec
7Dominique Gagnon 1755-1841
Eboulement,Quebec
8Charles Gagnon 1787-????
Malbaie,Quebec
9Alexis Gagnon 1836-????
Malbaie,Quebec
10Louis-E Gagnon1868-1953
Grande-Baie,Quebec
11Edmour Gagnon 1889-1960
Grande-Baie,Quebec
12Raymond Gagnon 1935-1993
13Ross Gagnon 1968-
14Cooper Gagnon 1998-
14Cohen Gagnon 2001-
13Stephen Gagnon
14Patricia Gagnon 1992-
14Emily Gagnon 1999 Is this the way the Gagnon's came from France?
Samuel de Champlain's First Voyage - 1603The Path to Settlement
At the turn of the century, exploration had taken second place to fur trading with the Native People of the New World. France was financially strapped and even the new king, Henri IV, lived little better than a pauper. Protestant by birth, Henri had converted to Catholicism to help him rule the Catholic-dominated country. France was poor, but the Catholic Church was very rich.
King Henri then filled his government with Huguenots (French Protestants) and rewrote the tax laws and set up agricultural programs that helped France get back on track. However, he was convinced that trade income from New France was the answer to the country's financial problems.
Following the lead of the Dutch and Spanish, King Henri decided to create a company to oversee the colonization and fur trade of New France rather than to depend on private funding. To that end, he founded The Canada and Acadia Company in 1603 and granted to it a fur trade monopoly over all the land from present-day Philidelphia to Cape Breton Island.
Aymar de Clermont de Chaste was appointed Vice-Admiral of France who sent Samuel de Champlain, probably on commission from King Henri IV, on his first voyage to Canada. Champlain's instructions were to retrace Cartier's route from over a half-century earlier and to begin setting up trade relations with the Iroquoians and with any other Indian Nations he encountered.
Champlain was no novice to the sea. He had been born in the coastal town of Brouage in 1567, the son of a navy captain. He was later in King Henry IV's army and sailed to the West Indies with the Spanish forces. It was on his return to France that he met de Chaste.
In the first of his 21 voyages to the New World, Champlain sailed to Tadussac at the mouth of the Saguenay River on the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River. Tadussac was, at that time, the only inland trading post and was used by all the major European countries. It was at Tadoussac that Champlain had his first encounter with the Natives of New France and was fortunate enough to have arrived at a time when the Natives were holding their annual celebration. In his journals, Champlain refered to the natives as 'sauvages' ('savages') as they appeared uncivilized and barbarous, eating with their fingers and wiping their hands on their own bodies or on their dogs.
Champlain became intrigued by the Saguenay River and sailed into it as far as his large ships would allow. When they could travel no further, Champlain asked his Native guides what lay upstream and was told of rapids and falls and of a far-away salt-water sea (Hudson Bay).
Champlain returned to the St. Lawrence and continued sailing up the river. He searched for Stadacona, but the village was no-longer there. They passed the mouth of the Richelieu River which the guides called 'the Iroquois route' and warned Champlain of the dangers of the Iroquois, mortal and long-time enemies of the Natives north of the St. Lawrence. Nevertheless, Champlain sailed up the river as far as the Saint Pours Rapids. He was told of a lake further south (Lake Champlain) and of another river which emptied near the cost of Florida. Some historians believe the Natives may have been talking of the Mississippi, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Others believe that they were talking of the Hudson River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean at New York.
Returning to the St. Lawrence, Champlain continued upstream, noting that the village of Hochelaga was also gone. Eventually, Champlain reached the rapids at Lachine and, after shooting the rapids in a canoe, gained the admiration of the Natives. Friendly relationships with the Iroquoians who met with him grew quickly. The kidnapping of Iroquoian Chief Donnacona by French explorer Jacques Cartier almost 70 years earlier (see 1536) had not been forgotten by the Natives, but they clearly understood the benefits of trade with the Europeans and were anxious to re-establish friendly relationships.
During his visit there, Champlain asked questions about the land beyond. He was told of a great nework of lakes and rivers and he learned of the existance of Niagara Falls. With the Natives sketching in the sand and on birch bark, Champlain learned the basic lay-out of the system. He was convinced that the Pacific Ocean and the route to Cathay was not far away, but he decided not to continue his search during this voyage. Instead, he decided to return to France with his news and departed on September 20.
In his journals, Champlain noted that Trois-Rivières would make an ideal spot for settlement. He also wrote that he had never seen a more beautiful country.
On his return to France, Champlain discovered that de Chaste had died and that his friend, Pierre du Gua de Monts, Lieutenant General of Acadia, was now in charge of the monopoly. The King named Champlain as de Chaste's successor as Vice-Admiral of France.
In 1604, Champlain would return to the New World to found the first permanent settlement in Canada.
He was 59, lived in Port Bickerton, Guysborough County, died Febuary 26 1993. Born in Port Alfred, Que., he was the son of the late Joseph Edmour and Anna Marie (Sergerie) Gagnon. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy; member of Royal Canadian Legion, Arras Branch 59, Antigonish.He worked for 35 years for the Department of Fisheries Canada and Canadian Coast Guard. After retiring, he was active in organizing the local Terry Fox Runs. He is survived by his wife, the former Joy Harpell; two sons Stephen Joseph, Port Bickerton; Ross Eugene, Halifax; seven brothers, Joseph Leopold, Joseph Albert, Joseph Fernand, Joseph Gerard, Joseph Laurent, Joseph Jean Claude, Joesph Magella,all of Quebec; three sisters, Marie Antoinette (Mrs. Guy Gagnon), Marie Ghislaine (Mrs. Jacque Legendre), Marie Carmen (Mrs. Harvey Simard), all of Quebec. He was predeceased by a brother, Joseph Thommy.
The letters seem to take forever in the snail mail. I told Stephen to send an email address to try and speed thing up. It was not long after we meet Marie-France. Stephen and I talked through emails and soon later on MSN with her. She was very good in E
This was one of the first trips that my brother and I ever made together on our own. I guess that made the trip extra special. Stephen is pictured here with me, our Uncle Fernand and our Uncle Albert.
We had learned that some of our uncles and aunts lost their homes in the Saguenay floods in 1996. Here is a link of the news stories. 
Here is a picture of the lake that emptied out after the below picture of the dam broke. I think the lake was called Lake Ha Ha.
