Port au Choix
Encyclopedia
Port au Choix or Port aux Choix is a town in the Canadian
province
of Newfoundland and Labrador
. The nearest airport is Port au Choix Airport
, 2.8 km to the southeast.
fishermen who operated in the area. The town's original European residents were mainly descendants of French and English fishermen who settled in the area after 1904 when France relinquished its rights to fish, and for the first time permanent settlement was allowed. Under the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, the French were given exclusive rights to fish in an area known as The French Shore, which this area is part of. At Point Riche, The French Shore Treaty monument is erected to commemorate this historic event in Newfoundland history.
It became a Canadian Post Office on 1 April 1949. Port au Choix is well known as for its rich history and fishery.
(Northern Basque Country
), came to Newfoundland and shared its ancestral knowledge with Newfoundlanders. Three chaloupes were built, here in Port au Choix, in Conche
and in La Scie
. The chaloupe is located on Forest Road, in the old Port au Choix cove
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The nearest airport is Port au Choix Airport
Port au Choix Airport
Port au Choix Airport , is southeast of Port au Choix, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada....
, 2.8 km to the southeast.
History
The earliest European presence in Port au Choix dates to the 16th century when the town received its name, Portuchoa (Portutxoa), meaning "the little port" from BasqueBasque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
fishermen who operated in the area. The town's original European residents were mainly descendants of French and English fishermen who settled in the area after 1904 when France relinquished its rights to fish, and for the first time permanent settlement was allowed. Under the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, the French were given exclusive rights to fish in an area known as The French Shore, which this area is part of. At Point Riche, The French Shore Treaty monument is erected to commemorate this historic event in Newfoundland history.
It became a Canadian Post Office on 1 April 1949. Port au Choix is well known as for its rich history and fishery.
Modern Town
Known as the "fishing capital" of Western Newfoundland, it boasts a large fishing fleet, a modern shrimp processing plant, Federal Fisheries Offices, Parks Canada Visitor Reception Centre, restaurants, motel, RV Park, modern sports complex, bank, as well as other financial institutions and government services.Port au Choix is an amalgamation of three once separate communities - Old Port au Choix, Gargamelle Cove and Port au Choix. Today's Port au Choix still retains its close association with the sea and its cultural history. There are other sightseeing attractions, including Pointe Riche Lighthouse, the Heritage Museum, the French Shore treaty site, Studio Gargamille, and Fishery Products International PlantPopulation
The population was 505 in 1940 and 214 by 1956. The population increased to 1010 in 2001, then decreased to 893 in 2006.National Historic Site
Port au Choix is a National Historic Site and the community is regarded as one of the richest archeological finds in North America! Burial sites uncovered in the town in the 1960s & 70's provide evidence of its most early settlers - from the Maritime Archaic Indians to the Groswater and Dorset Palaeoeskimos to the Recent Indians (ancestors of the Beothuks). While prehistoric coastlines elsewhere have long since slipped beneath the encroaching ocean, the raised shoreline and alkaline soil conditions at Port au Choix have combined to preserve a time capsule of great historical importance. Because of the cultural significance of this burial site, and a successful local lobby, the site was officially designated a National Historic Site by Parks Canada in 1984. In 2001 Parks Canada constructed a new Visitor Centre and Museum dedicated to the rich history of these native people - the first ever to inhabit Newfoundland, dating back over 5000 years.Basque chaloupe
In 2004, through the effort of the 2004 Society, an association of Basque Maritime Heritage, Itsas Begia (The eye of the sea) from CiboureCiboure
Ciboure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies across the river Nivelle from the harbour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz....
(Northern Basque Country
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
), came to Newfoundland and shared its ancestral knowledge with Newfoundlanders. Three chaloupes were built, here in Port au Choix, in Conche
Conche, Newfoundland and Labrador
Conche is a community with on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The population in 2006 was 225.- The Community :...
and in La Scie
La Scie, Newfoundland and Labrador
La Scie is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The town had a population of 955 in the Canada 2006 Census.-See also:* List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador...
. The chaloupe is located on Forest Road, in the old Port au Choix cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
.