The essays of this volume were gathered together on the occasion of a conference held at the Centre for Canadian Studies and Research of the University of Nantes. The theme of the conference emerged out of earlier reflections on the fact that there was only a small range of works on the vast topic of Contribution and Legacy of Female European Emigrants to Canada. The scholars who contributed to this collection had each been concerned with the social history of emigration to Canada over the three or four centuries of its settlement and expansion. Readers will find three sections organized partly chronologically, partly thematically around two topics: women’s contribution to a migrant group, and individuals’ legacy. This wide range of articles in English and French also provides an on-going reflection on the use of sources from a historical, sociological and literary perspective.