Petit-Rocher, a former village in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, has a rich history dating back to 1797. Founded by Acadian settlers, the village's name, which translates to "little rock," is believed to have originated from the small rock where the founders disembarked. The village was known as Little Roche from 1850 to 1854, then Madisco until 1870, before finally adopting the name Petit Rocher. The hyphenated form, Petit-Rocher, was officially adopted in 2009.
Historical maps also show the village's name as Petite Roche (1812) and Sainte Roque or Little Russia (1827). Petit-Rocher held village status until 2023, when it amalgamated with Beresford, Nigadoo, Pointe-Verte, and parts of ten local service districts to form the new town of Belle-Baie. Today, the name Petit-Rocher is retained for address purposes.
As per the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Petit-Rocher had a population of 1,954, living in 890 of its 963 total private dwellings. This represented a 3% increase from its 2016 population of 1,897. With a land area of 4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi), Petit-Rocher had a population density of 432.3/km2 (1,119.7/sq mi) in 2021.
Petit-Rocher, located on the western shore of both Chaleur Bay and Nepisiguit Bay, 20 km northwest of Bathurst, is a tourist's delight. The village has hosted several notable events, including the CCBHA's annual ball hockey tournament in 2012 and 2013. A team from nearby Dundee emerged as the champions of both tournaments, taking home the coveted Allen, Paquet & Arseneau cup.
