It was first inhabited by an Algonquian tribe which raised corn (called blé d'Inde –'Indian wheat' in Quebec slang).

Subsequently, on 7 October 1535, Jacques Cartier planted a cross on the island proclaiming French sovereignty of this territory.

It was not until a hundred years later that Jesuit priest Paul Le Jeune noticed the ruins of a fence and some Native American farmland cleared when Indians grew corn.

François Marguerie had bequeathed his land to his sister Marie in 1652, who at the time was married to her second husband, Quentin de Moral.

[3] Since then, the island has undergone several improvements, including a marina, a bike path, an interpretative trail, an ice-skating rink and a campground.