After two initial voyages to Canada, between 1535 and 1536, French navigator Jacques Cartier set out in 1541 to found a permanent French colony in Canada. He was aided in this venture by Jean-François de la Roque de Roberval. The two navigators and some 1,500 colonists settled at Cap-Rouge, now a suburb of Québec City. After two disastrous winters of deep freeze, hunger and conflict with Indigenous Peoples, the colony was abandoned in 1543. Browse these many images to discover Charlesbourg-Royal, the first and then abandoned French colony in Québec City.
Game piece found in the Cartier-Roberval archaeological dig
Émilie Deschênes
During the colonial era, several small games were played in France, including checkers. A game piece was found in the Charlesbourg-Royal dig in 2007. Made of wood, it features a decorative engraving typical of European tabletop games of the time. The piece could also have been used as a wagering token.
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