In 1642, Montreal was established on this small triangle of land, where the St Pierre River joins the St Lawrence. In 1611, Samuel de Champlain moored here and cleared the land, recognizing the site as a remarkable natural haven for boats. Thirty one years later, the missionary Maisonneuve had a wooden stockade put up to protect the new Ville-Marie settlement. A 10m/33ft high obelisk, The Pioneers, commemorates his landing.