René Lepage de Ste-Claire

Rene Lepage de Sainte-Claire (April 10, 1656, Ouanne, Burgundy – August 4, 1718, Rimouski, Quebec) is the lord-founder of the town of Rimouski, province of Quebec, in Canada.

Born close to Auxerre in Burgundy, René Lepage immigrated to New France, with his mother Reine Loury and his aunt Constance Lepage, between 1670 and 1674. There, he joined his father Germain and his uncle Louis, who were installed on grounds of the current parish of St-François, at the north-eastern point of the Île d'Orleans, close to Quebec City. On June 10, 1686, René Lepage married Marie-Madeleine Gagnon, 15 years old, with whom he had 17 children.

Like several of his fellow-citizens, René dreamt to build a great stronghold for his family. With this intention, he left the Île d'Orléans to go live on the coast. On March 17, 1693, the Governor of New France, Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, conceded to him a ground in commoner's condition located behind stronghold of Espinay at the South river, which they called Sainte-Claire. From this moment he added this part to his name, as was the fashion of the time, even without ennoblement.

Too far away from the Saint Lawrence River, he gave up his project of colonization the following year. Indeed, July 10, 1694, René Lepage de Ste-Claire exchanged his ground in the Île d'Orléans (bequeathed by his father Germain) with Augustin Rouer de la Cardonnière, son of a merchant of Quebec City, for the Seigneurie of Rimouski. Rouer de la Cardonnière, owner of the concession since 1688 did not intend obviously to leave the area of Quebec City to go to settle so far.

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