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When the Israelites got ready to cross the Jordan River to go into the Promised Land, God parted its waters, just as He had parted the Red Sea. The Israelites walked across and the ark of the covenant was carried across on dry ground. God told the Israelites to collect twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan River and this is the reason why:

Let this be a sign among you,
so that when your children ask later, saying
“What do these stones mean to you?’”
then you shall say to them,
“Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off
before the ark of the covenant of the Lord;
when it crossed the Jordan,
the waters of the Jordan were cut off.”
So these stones shall become a memorial
to the sons of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:6-7

The Israelites obeyed God’s command:

Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan
At the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing,
And they are there to this day.
Joshua 4:9

America and other countries around the world set up memorials to help people remember important events in their history. The city of Boucherville, Quebec, did that last week. Last Friday morning, people gathered in the city park beside Boucherville’s town hall, where a statue of its founder, Pierre Boucher, has already stood for many years, along with a plaque explaining his role in New France.

Pierre Boucher
Pierre Boucher

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Ray and I arrived early and mingled with other descendants of Pierre Boucher and the people who were taking part in the ceremonies, including some who were portraying Pierre and his family.

Charlene and her "great, great, great, . . . grandpa"
My “great, great, great, . . . grandpa” and me
One of Pierre's Daugthers
One of “Pierre’s daughters”

First we heard some speeches by a member of the Quebec parliament, the mayor of Boucherville, and others.

Far right: A member of the Quebec parliament and the mayor of Boucherville
Far right: A member of the Quebec parliament and the mayor of Boucherville

Listening in the audience was one of Pierre’s “sons.”

1 4 program

The fife and drum corps . . .

2 1 march

. . . and these “townswomen from the time of Pierre” led us to the place where a new plaque would be unveiled.

2 2 march

We await the unveiling.

3 3 plaque

The new plaque shows a map of the seignory of Boucherville.

3 4 plaque (2)

Beside the plaque, the mayor buried two time capsules.

4 time capsule

Then we all walked to the next memorial.

4 walking

We waited for it to be unveiled.

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The artist who created this new cut-out sign representing Pierre Boucher helped with the unveiling. At the end of the festivities, Ray and I went back to each of these new instructional signs to take photos.

5 2 pierre (2)

Michelle Roy, president of the Boucherville historical society, unveiled the next sign, representing one of the 800 “king’s daughters,” whom the king of France sent to New France. The king’s daughters had been orphaned as girls. They came to New France to become wives and mothers in order to help the colony grow.

6 2 king's daughter

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When Pierre Boucher went on a diplomatic mission to France in 1661, he met with King Louis XIV to ask him for support for the struggling colony. One of the things the king agreed to do was to send soldiers back home with Pierre. The last sign unveiled that day represents one of those soldiers.

7 1 soldier

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The celebration also included the dedication of a totem pole which represents four native tribes who lived in the area in the 1600s.

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The soldiers and costumed volunteers then led us to three flag poles where dignitaries raised the Boucherville, Quebec, and Canadian flags.

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Next we walked to the front of the town hall where a children’s chorus dressed in beautiful blue, white, and yellow costumes in 1600s style sang to us. Then we walked to an open space where the soldiers fired their guns, before they led us to our picnic lunch.

10 1 march (2)

Try to imagine the sound of the fife and drum . . .

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. . . and the march of the soldiers.

10 4 march (2)

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We enjoyed the picnic . . .11 1 a picnic (2)

. . . along with another of “Pierre’s sons” . . .

11 2 picnic (2)

. . . and one of “his daughters.”

11 1 picnic (2)

Our group of descendants of Timothy Demonbreun went back to the statue . . .

12 statue (2)

. . . and over to de Montbrun Street. Pierre Boucher gave each of his sons titles of nobility. The title of nobility that he gave to Timothy’s grandfather was Sieur de Montbrun, which means brown mountain in French. At current count, the descendants spell it twelve different ways, but in Boucherville, it is still spelled the original de Montbrun.

13 street (2)

The historic society of Boucherville wants its residents and the descendants of its founder to remember. This is why they hold grand celebrations every twenty-five years, like the one they held this year for the 350th anniversary of the founding and the 300th anniversary of the death of the founder.

Of much more importance is our remembering our Creator and Redeemer and Comforter and teaching our children to remember Him, too.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits . . .
Psalm 103:1-2

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