Stewardship and management

Certain chapters of history seem as unlikely as they are surprising. This was the case with this important battle, the confrontation on the shore of the Châteauguay River, 50 km southwest of Montréal, near the American border.

During the war of 1812-14, the Americans wanted to take the city of Montreal in order to cut off supplies in Upper Canada. However, on October 26, 1813, they were bluffed by Canadian troops commanded by Charles-Michel de Salaberry who used various tactics to unsettle the enemy. He gave his orders in French, sounded the bugles to announce reinforcements that didn’t exist, and asked representatives of the First Nations to shout in the woods while running. The result: He made the Americans believe that there were many men on the front line, when in reality there were only 300!