Legend says that the Canadian game of checkers was introduced here by a voyager who, after
having discovered the game in Europe, tried to reproduce it, adding a row of squares all around.
Therefore, instead of having 100 squares (10 by 10), the game of checkers played
here has been mainly the 144 squares (12 by 12). That's why the latter is called "le jeu de dames canadien" (Canadian checkers"),
which was very popular among the french speaking communities of Quebec, Ontario and New England. Canadian checkers is played with the same rules
and finds its origins from the 100 squares game, also called pool checkers (or draughts), that made its appearance in France (or Holland) in early 18th Century.
But here is additionnal information from the Historian E.-Z. Massicotte, who published an History of Canadian Checkers
in the "Manuel du Jeu de Dames Canadien" (by Joseph-O. Roby in 1922). He brings a different (and more realistic) version of the introduction
of the 144 squares checkers in Canada:
"Pool checkers having been introduced in France during the first quarter of the 18th Century, might have been imported by soldiers or French settlers who arrived in Canada between 1727 and 1760, or by some mercenaries from the British Army or settlers after the cession, or, finally, by the Regiments of Meuron and Watteville who came in 1812. It seems likely that the game of checkers was known in Montreal at least in 1739, as Jean-Pascal Soumande, born in Montreal in 1704 and married in the same city in 1726, being in Paris for business, in December, January and February 1739-40, was going to a cafe each day and played checkers with a friend. It's even after one of those games that he found death! It was 6 o'clock at night, on February 7, 1740, when him and his friend left the cafe. The streets were slippery following the freezing weather. Soumande suddenly lost his balance and collided with an officer who was passing by. Instantly, the latter took out his sword. Soumande took out his own, but before he was ready received a sword-thrust in his belly and fell to the ground... The wounded was lifted and transported to the surgeon where he died without having said a single word. In the confusion that followed this tragic event, the officer disappeared letting no traces. (1)
But now comes the question: which kind of checker game, was playing the unfortunate Soumande? The old french game (64 squares) or pool checkers? I would tend to conclude it must have been the old game, as there's no clues letting us think pool checkers on 100 squares was known here before the 19th Century. Or, if our compatriot was playing pool checkers, he probably learned it during his trip. Anyway, a proof that the old french game was played in Canada, is that only here it's called jeu franc (2), abbreviation of french (français) opposed to or to distinguish it from the pool checkers game. However, a fact is preoccupying me: during my works through the legal and notary documents, I have yet not been able to find any mention about the game of checkers! Nevertheless, I read numerous inventories from the 17th, 18th and beginning of 19th centuries, and noticed that people had (owned) card games, "solitaires" and trictracs.
Among the hypothesis unverifiable we can put up about the origins of Canadian checkers, here is one that has a chance to be plausible. The regiments of Meuron and Watteville were mostly made of Swiss, Belgians, French and Polish, incidently people who came from Countries where the pool checker game was played on 100 squares board and also on 144 squares (3). And these soldiers, probably needing to play to break the monotony of garrison life, couldn't ignore a game so popular in their respective Countries. What adds even more probability to that hypothesis, is that the said regiments were laid off in our Country and that many of their soldiers married Canadian women and settled in the Montreal region. Incidently, its precisely in that part of our province of Quebec that the Canadian checkers game was (it seems) born. There is here, at least, a remarkable coincidence!."
(1) Bulletin des recherches historiques, 1910, p. 271
(2) The "jeu franc" is now called english checkers
(3) A part of the introduction of the "Traité du Jeu de Dames" by Van Damme, published in Gand, Belgium, in 1871, lets no doubt about that fact. Here what can be read: "We again introduced the game of checkers on a 144 squares board, named the double checkers board. Each partner having 30 pieces. This game is unquestionably more complicated than the modern game and offers wider combinations, but the 100 squares game already offers so much ressources that we'll never be able to know all of its artifices". - Balédent, Le Damier, vol. III, p. 722.
