Nicolas Tardy

Nicolas Tardy, native of France, was a miller and owner of a flour mill in the district of Roman, in the township known as Peage, in Drôme. Married to Philomène Audrapt, they had at least six children.

In 1906, Nicolas and three of his children, Augustine, Joseph-Constant and Ylysse as well as Augustine's son, Henri Tardy, aged eleven, arrived in Quebec. They had been hired for a five-year period as land-clearers, in order to colonize the land north of Mont-Laurier, County of Labelle, up to 22 miles north of the railway line.

At that time it was utter destitution in this area. After their five-year contract was completed, the Tardys went to Montreal and settled on the east side of the city. The Canadian Pacific railway yards were under construction just then, resulting in a scarcity of housing. The Tardys therefore became involved in the purchase of building lots and the construction of houses.

After a while, Nicolas decided to return to France with Ulysse, who was too young to remain on his own in Canada. However Joseph, Augustine and her son stayed behind. Later, in 1912, after his military service, Ulysse came back to Canada on a French ship, the Niagara, the first ship to cross the Atlantic after the sinking of the Titanic. He settled in Sturgeon-Falls in Ontario on a farm where all his children were born; in 1930 however he and all his family returned to Montreal.

Today, most of the descendants of this Tardy branch are found in Montreal and the surrounding areas.