Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, is a charming village nestled in the northeastern part of the province. This small town, a member municipality of the Peace River Regional District, is home to 792 residents within its 2.06-square-kilometre area. Originally named 'Pouskapie's Prairie' after a local native band chief, the community was settled by European immigrant Hector Tremblay in 1898. Today, Pouce Coupe thrives on petroleum, agriculture, and tourism industries, offering a range of recreational activities such as cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hiking, and hunting.
The history of Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, is steeped in fascinating tales and cultural heritage. The village's unusual name, 'Cut Thumb', is attributed to a Sekani trapper named 'Pouce Coupe' who lost his thumb in a gun accident. The region became known as the Pouce Coupe Prairie, and the river and village adopted the name.
Permanent settlement began when Hector Tremblay and Joe Bissette, French-Canadian voyageurs, left their group of prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush and became the first settlers in the Pouce Coupe Prairie. Tremblay's cabin served as a trading post for the local aboriginal tribe and a resting place for travellers. The community began to emerge around Tremblay's cabin, which also housed a small store and post office.
Despite the Great Depression and the increasing dominance of nearby Dawson Creek, Pouce Coupe continued to grow and incorporated as a village. The 1941 census recorded 251 people living in the village, a number that swelled in 1942 when the US Army unloaded thousands of men and construction material in nearby Dawson Creek to build the Alaska Highway.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pouce Coupe had a population of 762 living in 317 of its 345 total private dwellings. The village's population is slightly older than the provincial average, with a significant proportion of residents being seniors. The census found that over 85% of the housing stock was owned, while only 15% was rented.
Highway 2 runs north–south through Pouce Coupe, connecting the town to Dawson Creek and Alberta. The village's commercial activities are centered on the bend in the highway, with residential areas located mostly south of the highway. Pouce Coupe is serviced by the Dawson Creek Airport, and regional bus service is accessed through Dawson Creek. The Village's drinking water is supplied by the City of Dawson Creek, and its sewage is processed through a two-cell lagoon system.
Pouce Coupe is located in the western portion of the Peace River Country amidst the Pouce Coupe Prairie. The village experiences a cool continental climate, with an average annual temperature of 1.4 °C and snowfall of 170.7 cm. The summers are warm and dry, while the winters are frigid due to exposure to Arctic air masses.
The village has both higher unemployment and poverty rates and a lower participation rate than the provincial averages. The only school in the village is the Pouce Coupe Elementary School. Pouce Coupe students commute to South Peace Secondary School in Dawson Creek for high school education, and Northern Lights College, also in Dawson Creek, is the closest post-secondary school.
Pouce Coupe, British Columbia, offers a range of cultural and recreational activities. The municipality operates the Pouce Coupe Municipal Library and two parks: Village Square and Harden Park. The Peace River Regional District manages the Pouce Coupe Regional Park, which has an amphitheatre and camping spots. Nearby provincial parks include the Sudeten Provincial Park, Swan Lake Provincial Park, and One Island Lake Provincial Park.
