Facing the ocean between Point of Minimes and Point Palice, and protected by the Ile de Re and the Ile d'Oleron,is the dynamic and charming city of , the principle populated area of the Charente region.

Rich in maritime history since the XII th century, La Rochelle has beome an important port for fishing, commercial and recreational uses. Perhaps to Canadians, its most important role was that of a port of embarkation for the thousands of pioneers who came to New France from 1600 to 1850.

From La Rochelle and its present day suburbs of Dompierre-sur-Mer, Aytre, Perigny, Sainte Soule, La Flotte, Ars-en-Re, St-Martin-de-Re,and Andilly came persons with such illustrious names as, Arseneault, Beaudoin, Bouchard, Denis, Dion, Doyon, Filion, Marchand and Trudeau. From the surrounding cities such as Niort, Poitiers, and Angouleme came Allards, Blais, Emards, Paquets, Rousseau and Simards to name only a few.

The city whose ancient towers of Nicolas, and La Chaine guard the entrance to the inner port, and the old 'city center', luxuriates in its age, its history and its memories of the thousands of pioneers whose last glimpse of France must have been the through which the settlers passed, on their way to boarding ships taking them to the the new world.