First found in Brittany where they were anciently seated in the seigneurie of Vieilleville, an honour held by the family for several centuries.

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Piccard has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Piccard were Pierre Picard, one of the earliest settlers, arrived in Quebec from Normandie in 1629; Hugues settled in New France from Brittany in 1665; Louis Picard arrived in Quebec from Ile-de-France in 1759.

Motto Translated: Under this sign, I shall Conquer.

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