This is naturally a long answer, but I'll keep it brief.
It was the natural resources that brought French colonists to what is now Canada. The fur trade, logging, and the like are what brought more people across the Atlantic.
Immigrants came from mainly Europe, to farm land, fish, mine, etc,.
As you would expect, immigrants grew in numbers - and so did their culture.
Look around you, and you will see the result.
Hope this helped :)