Ste. Marie was the first European settlement in Ontario.
More than 60 Frenchmen, or 1/5 of the total population of New France lived there at one time or another.
Some 1200 km (800 miles) of rough forest separated the mission from the rest of New France and the only access was by canoe and foot.
The first French settlements in North America took place in a context of European expansion. French fishermen and traders joined the Portuguese, English, and Dutch in exploiting the wealth of furs, fish and timber recently discovered along the western fringe of the Atlantic.
The Jesuits soon established a routine based on the rules of their order. At Ste Marie among the Huron, they grew a half-bushel of wheat for sacramental bread and had a keg of wine available for Mass. They gave the Indians cloth and knives in return for their daily food.