The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 57

GAZETTE RA1RE, DU COM ET LITTE de MONTREAL. 3 Juin 1778. IIS $1'" I Uistf 'ifj fj ri MirWrrnv v5B2S5 5HSf 1 11 ITHI II AUX CITOYENS. YV I TO PQ: I'lvA rui I I Ublillemeni d'uri Papier Pttodique, noa II n-i. I ft I i 'SS II P1' rapport i moi-mtme que pit If I -fWwS I I lfvintag que tn raimfz.

Jevoii I I I 1 I que ptufeurs d'Ottn oui Mcfeun.Ven. If" "'Nl' ZSZZrjrzZ: I 'I iM I Wttragwt par km Soufoipoont, i que Jt II -w I ITS KJ I malgri la di(n prfftnte de ce-qui pwt Fl, I ifcf-f I JLUr -fr IWMim 1 I jr r.r i 17 33 Jyjr tit fc 49 is Birth of a paper: A twist of fate turned the press Two hundred years ago today Fleury Mes-plet, Montreal's first printer, using Montreal's first press, turned out the first issue of Montreal's first newspaper. The folded sheet of paper, hardly bigger than a birthday card, bore as little resemblance to today's Gazette as Montreal then did to Montreal now. Montreal in 1778 was a town of only 8,000 people, all of whom spoke French. It was a dark, walled town, compressed within 18-foot-high stone fortifications that kept the wilderness north of SL James St.

at bay. Montreal was a wilderness outpost in a cold, rough world. That world, on June 3, 1778, was a tumul-tuously different place. The American Revolution was still raging, Britain had just declared war on France and the French Revolution was yet to come. The French philosopher Voltaire had died that week at the age of 83.

These events had profound effects on Montreal and life-and-death effects on La Gazette, the French literary sheet born that day and destined to evolve into the big-city daily you are now holding in your hands. A history by Edgar Andrew Coliard: Page 3 People Montreal! What they've said about you. From Twain to Camillien Houde to Trudeau Sport The greatest team on earth. The Canadiens are more tnan just the best in hockey The Newspaper Behind the scenes at The Gazette. Come on backstage and meet your newspaper Business River City.

The mainstream of the St. Lawrence gave birth and worth to Montreal Entertainment The 30s and 40s. When Montreal rollicked and roistered and never closed. ti '3 V. I'll 1 i': fit, ffe if I.