peashooter85:The Last French Colony in CanadaUntil the after the French and Indian War (known to the
peashooter85:The Last French Colony in CanadaUntil the after the French and Indian War (known to the rest of the world as the “Seven Years War”, much of Canada was a French colony. However, when the British defeated the French in the war, France lost all its territories in Canada to Britain with one exception; the small islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.Located a mere 16 miles from the coast of Newfoundland, the 93 square mile islands of St, Pierre and Miquelon are all that remains of the French Empire in Canada. In the Treaty of Paris after the French and Indian War, France retained the islands in order to maintain a fishing presence in the North Atlantic. During the American Revolution the island was seized from France by the British, but returned in 1816. For the next few centuries the island’s population grew and prospered, only disrupted by some squabbles over fishing rights with the mainlanders. During World War I and World War II, many of the islanders fought and volunteered for the French Army. During prohibition, the islands were a major port in the smuggling of illegal booze to the United States.Today there are over 6,000 residents of St. Pierre and Miquelon, most of whom making a living in the fishing industry. -- source link