People come from all over to visit this city, not only for its beauty, its fine dining and its hospitality, but also for its historical significance to North America. There is a lesser-known anecdote from this region that I quite like because it teaches us a lesson on monetary policy that is still relevant today.
In 1685, as New France faced a shortage of coins, Jacques de Meulles—the intendant of the colony—decided to use playing cards as paper money by writing a value on them. And when I say “playing cards,” I really do mean cards like the ones we use to play hearts or bridge.