User:Mrmagikpants/jeandequen

Quen's first job was that of a college professor. After he left France for Quebec in 1635, he taught at the newly opened college of Quebec. Jean de Quen taught there for two years before joining the Sillery mission, an initiative aimed at educating local peoples. A little later, Jean went back to Quebec, after leaving the mission, to minister the Notre-Dame-de-la-Recouvrance. After the church he was ministering burnt down, Quen went on to the Montgais mission of Tadoussac, which he would lead for 10 years. ==Quen's Journey Jean De Quen went on to earn the trust of the natives of Tadoussac, a large center of trade among the Native peoples. Nobody had yet officially explored explored all of the Saguenay River, located along the Tadoussac’s banks. Previous explorers’ attempts at getting to the lake proved futile, because of the reluctance of the Natives to let the “white men” see the lake. When Quen heard that to newly converted locals had become sick near the lake, and forced to stop their journey to the Jean de Quen’s religious outpost, Quen convinced the Natives to lead him across the length of the Saguenay, to the so-called Lac Piékouagami. The Natives had no choice but to concede. Thus, bringing two Montagnais with him as guide, Jean de Quen began to boat across the Saguenay. Quen managed to travel 120 miles in five days, and arrived at his destination quickly.

Upon seeing Lac St.Jean Quen wrote this in his journal:

“This lake is so large, that one hardly sees its banks; it seems to be round in shape. It is deep and very full of fish; they fish here for pike, perch, salmon, trout, dories, white-fish, carp, and many other kinds. It is surrounded by a flat country, terminating in high mountains, distant 3, four or five leagues from its shores. It is fed by the waters of fifteen rivers, or thereabout, which serve as highways for the small nations which are back in the country, to come to fish in this lake, and to maintain the intercourse and friendship which they have among themselves.”

Quen died of a fever on October 8, 1659.

• Virtual Museum Of New France
• Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online