Dollard des Ormeaux Mai 1666 Statue

A volley of arrows whistled past. The Dollard des Ormeaux Mai 1666 Statue stands as a stark reminder of a pivotal moment in Montreal’s history. The statue commemorates Adam Dollard des Ormeaux, a young soldier in New France. He led a small group of French, Huron, and Algonquin men against a much larger Iroquois force in 1660. The Dollard des Ormeaux Mai 1666 Statue, inaugurated in Parc Lafontaine in 1920, depicts this crucial battle. Dollard, though only 24, took command of the garrison of Ville-Marie, present-day Montreal. The Iroquois were a constant threat, raiding settlements and disrupting the fur trade. Rumors swirled of a planned Iroquois invasion to destroy the French colony. Dollard, dreaming of glory, proposed a daring plan. He would ambush Iroquois hunting parties at Long Sault. Maisonneuve, the governor, approved. Dollard and sixteen Frenchmen headed up the Ottawa River. They joined forces with Huron and Algonquin allies. At Long Sault, they occupied a small, abandoned fort. Then they waited. Instead of small hunting parties, a force of 700 Iroquois warriors appeared. Dollard and his men were vastly outnumbered. They held off three attacks, their bravery echoing through the forest. But in the end, they were all killed. The Dollard des Ormeaux Mai 1666 Statue captures this sacrifice. The Iroquois, though victorious, suffered heavy losses. They abandoned their planned attack on Ville-Marie. Dollard’s actions, memorialized by the Dollard des Ormeaux Mai 1666 Statue, bought precious time for the fledgling colony. His story became a symbol of courage and selflessness in the face of overwhelming odds.