Cliff Site

Photos by contributor Wayne Adam - October, 2010

 

Plaque Location

The County of Norfolk
In Port Dover, on the north side of the west end of Brown Street
east of the Lynn River, south of Highway 6.

Coordinates: N 42 47.140 W 80 11.771

Plaque Text

Near this spot, March 23rd, 1670, was erected a cross with arms of France and inscription claiming sovereignty in the name of King Louis XIV over the Lake Erie region, as shown in procés-verbal reproduced on this memorial placed here in 1922. Canada was ceded by France to Great Britain in 1763.

Procés-verbal Text

We the undersigned certify that we have seen on the lands of the Lake, called Erie, the arms of the King of France affixed to the foot of a cross with this inscription:
"The year of salvation 1669, Clement 9, being seated in the chair of St. Peter, Louis 14 reigning in France, Mr. de Courcelles being governor of New France and Mr. Talon being intendant there for the King, there arrived in this place two missionaries of the Seminary of Montreal, accompanied by 7 other Frenchmen, who, the first of all European peoples, have wintered on this lake, of which they have taken possession in the name of their King, as an unoccupied land, by the affixing of his arms, which they have attached to the foot of this cross."
In faith of which we have signed the present certificate.
François Dollier, priest of the Diocese of Nantes, in Brittany. De Galinée, deacon of the Diocese of Rennes in Brittany.

Related Ontario plaque page
Wintering Site

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Posted October 24, 2010
An etching of this cross graced the cover of a Parks Canada handbook first printed in the mid-80s listing all the national historical plaques in Ontario. I used that as my bible for years of plaque-hunting. It was gratifying to visit this site in the late 80s or early 90s. I hadn't been back since, so I'm delighted to revisit and photograph it for the website. It's a special place, and one of the oldest HSMB monuments in the country (1922). -Wayne

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