Mr. Speaker, in 1724, François, Jacques, Jean and Pierre Archambault, four brothers under the age of 20, settled in New France on the banks of the Richelieu River, on land that was then part of the seigneury of Contrecœur. Other families joined them, and in 1750, the community was large enough to get its own church. After the deportation in 1755, the community became home to many refugees, who settled in what is now known as the Rang de l'Acadie.
On November 23, 1837, reinforcements from Saint-Antoine helped secure a Patriotes victory in Saint-Denis. One of those reinforcements was Georges-Étienne Cartier, who later switched allegiances. To this day, Saint-Antoine retains both its character and its history. When my ancestor, François Guertin, cleared his land 300 years ago, he could hardly have imagined one of his descendants rising in Parliament to mark the 275th anniversary of his village, one of the most beautiful villages on earth.
I wish all the people of Saint-Antoine a happy 275th anniversary.