Gros-Mécatina is a municipality on the Lower North Shore of the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
, near the border with
Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Located near crab, lobster, and scallop fishing grounds, it is dependent on the fishing business, including a fish processing factory that contributes to regional economic activity.
The isolated municipality can only be reached via a regular weekly ferry service, or
La Tabatière Airport
La Tabatière Airport is an airport at La Tabatière, Quebec, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic O ...
. The villages of La Tabatière and Mutton Bay are connected via a asphalted road that has views of the gulf from the mountains; but in the winter the road is not plowed, and the only access is via
snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...
.
The name, pronounced (me-kuh-TEE-nuh) is from the
Innu word ''makatinau'', or "It is a large mountain."
History
Exploration of the area began in 1535 when Jacques Cartier passed by during his second voyage. The place became an important hunting and fishing ground in the first part of the 18th century. From 1739, Jean-Baptiste Pommereau acquired the fishing rights of the region for a period of ten years. The Gros-Mécatina Post, built in the same time period near present-day La Tabatière, quickly became one of the most important fishing settlements of the North Shore. Big Mécatina Island also, granted to Intendant
Gilles Hocquart
Gilles Hocquart was born in 1694, in Sainte-Croix, Mortagne-au-Perche to Jean-Hyacinthe Hocquart. From September, 1729 to August, 1748, Hocquart served as Intendant of New France, history. Hocquart put his faith in the Canadian bourgeoisie as the ...
in 1755, was a popular location with fishermen. They remained such until at least 1808 when the authorities of Quebec sold Gros-Mécatina. By then permanent settlement had begun.
The Municipality of Gros-Mécatina was formed on January 1, 1994, when its territory was separated from the Municipality of
Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent
Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent is a municipality in the regional county municipality of Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec, Canada. The municipality consists of two non-contiguous areas, both alon ...
. It was named after several geographic features within its area called Gros Mécatina, including a river, cape, island, archipelago, and lake. Mecatina comes from the
Innu word ''makatinau'', meaning "large mountain."
Communities
The municipality consists of two small isolated fishing villages, La Tabatière and Mutton Bay, as well as the abandoned settlements of Lac-Salé and Baie-des-Ha!-Ha! (Baie de la Terre).
La Tabatière
La Tabatière (
) is located on La Tabatière Bay, opposite Big Mecatina Island (''île du Gros Mécatina''), and home to a fish processing plant and reservoirs to supply vessels that serve this part of the region. According to popular opinion, the origin of its name (French for "the
snuff box
A decorative box is a form of packaging that is generally more than just functional, but also intended to be decorative and artistic. Many such boxes are used for promotional packaging, both commercially and privately. Historical objects are ...
") refers to the loss of a tobacco pouch by a missionary. However, it is a corruption of ''tabaquen'', possibly Innu, which became ''tapatienne'' and then ''tabatière''. Missionary correspondence shows that the parish was at one time often referred to as Saint-Joseph-de-Tabaquen, a name said to mean "sorcery," and a priest who visited the mission in 1887 wrote that aboriginal groups who came to trade would consult a "sorcerer-magician" before leaving for their camps in the interior forests to find out the prospects for their return trip.
La Tabatière has long been frequented by fishermen and traders, particularly attractive for fishing cod and seals. In 1820, Scotsman Samuel Robertson, former employee of the Gros-Mécatina Post, settled there and founded a permanent settlement that his descendants still occupy today. In 1855, he was joined by settlers from Jersey and the place became known by the English name Sparr Point. In 1885, the Catholic mission Saint-Joseph-de-la-Tabatière was established and La Tabatière post office began operations on November 1, 1907.
In the 1930s, the seal oil rendering and fish oil factory burned down and was rebuilt as a fish-processing plant which today is the largest on the Coast.
Mutton Bay
Mutton Bay (in French: ''Baie-des-Moutons''
) is a small isolated
fishing village
A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000 ...
on the namesake bay, just east of the mouth of the Big Mecatina River. The meaning of its name remains obscure since it seems unlikely that there ever were any sheep present. The name may be used as a metaphor for the white foam of waves, or for the hills that surround the bay, which are all rounded at the top.
In 1804, notary Félix Têtu reported the establishment of the Baie-Moutons trading post. In the middle of the 19th century, the bay was being fished but the village was not really established until 1872 when Newfoundlanders arrived and settled there. By 1886, the local post office opened, first identified as Saint-Joseph-de-la-Tabatière, then from 1896 on as Mutton Bay. In 1983, the place name was officially anglicized to Mutton Bay, replacing Baie-des-Moutons, because of the majority of English-speaking residents. By 1988, Mutton Bay had 55 families, living mainly from fishing lobster and scallops.
Demographics
Language
Education
Commission scolaire du Littoral
Commission or commissioning may refer to:
Business and contracting
* Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered
** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anothe ...
operates St-Lawrence School (anglophone) in Mutton Bay.
[Schools and centers]
." Commission scolaire du Littoral
Commission or commissioning may refer to:
Business and contracting
* Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered
** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anothe ...
. Retrieved on September 23, 2017.
See also
*
Ha! Ha! River
*
List of municipalities in Quebec
References
External links
Association Touristique Gros MecatinaLower North Shore Community Web Site La Tabatiere
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gros-Mecatina, Quebec
Municipalities in Quebec
Incorporated places in Côte-Nord
Road-inaccessible communities of Quebec