Le Jeune's life provides a glimpse into the lives of enslaved people several decades before New France became involved in the slave trade
October 13, 2023 Quebec, Quebec Parks Canada
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Supply Canada and Member of Parliament for Québec, unveiled a bronze plaque commemorating the national historic significance of Olivier Le Jeune during a special ceremony at the Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site. The unveiling was made on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.
As the first documented person of African descent to live permanently in what is now Canada, Olivier Le Jeune was a person of national historical significance. From childhood, he was enslaved, forcibly transported to Europe and then to the Americas, arriving in Quebec in the early seventeenth century. There, he learned French from the Jesuit Paul Le Jeune, and was baptized a Catholic in 1633, contributing to his break with his African identity.
Olivier Le Jeune's tragic life provides a glimpse into the lives of enslaved people several decades before New France became involved in the slave trade.
Few details are known about the life of Olivier Le Jeune. He is thought to have been born either in Madagascar or on the Guinea coast. He arrived in Quebec during the English occupation (1629-1632) and was sold to a French clerk. When Quebec was returned to France by England in July 1632, Le Jeune was "given" to Guillaume Couillard de Lespinay. The latter sent him to the Jesuit Paul Le Jeune to learn the fundamentals of catechism and to learn the French language. He was baptized as Olivier on May 14, 1633. This is probably when he became known as Olivier Le Jeune. He died on May 10, 1654.
The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes the important people, places and events that have shaped our country to help Canadians connect with their past. The sharing of these stories fosters understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, heritage and realities of Canada's past and present.
