Port au Choix, Newfoundland Labrador, also known as Port aux Choix, is a charming town nestled in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Its name, derived from the French term 'choice port' and the Basque term 'little port', perfectly encapsulates the town's quaint charm and strategic location.
As per the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Port au Choix, Newfoundland Labrador, is home to a population of 742 individuals residing in 360 of its 395 total private dwellings. This represents a -6% change from its 2016 population of 789. The town, with a land area of 35.56 km2 (13.73 sq mi), had a population density of 20.9/km2 (54.0/sq mi) in 2021.
Port au Choix, Newfoundland Labrador, is recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada, and is considered one of the most archaeologically rich communities in North America. Excavations in the 1960s and 70s revealed burial sites that provide evidence of the town's earliest settlers, from the Maritime Archaic Indians to the Groswater and Dorset Palaeo-Eskimos, and the Recent Indians (ancestors of the Beothuks).
Unlike other prehistoric coastlines that have succumbed to the encroaching ocean, the raised shoreline and alkaline soil conditions at Port au Choix, Newfoundland Labrador, have preserved a historical time capsule of immense importance. The site was officially designated a National Historic Site in 1970 due to its cultural significance and a successful local lobby. In 2001, Parks Canada constructed a Visitor Centre and Museum dedicated to the rich history of the native peoples, the first inhabitants of Newfoundland, dating back over 5000 years.
In 2004, the 2004 Society, an association of Basque Maritime Heritage, Itsas Begia (The eye of the sea) from Ciboure (Northern Basque Country), visited Newfoundland and shared its ancestral knowledge with Newfoundlanders. As a result, three chaloupes were built in Port au Choix, Newfoundland Labrador, Conche, and La Scie. The chaloupe in Port au Choix is located on Forest Road, in the old Port au Choix cove. This initiative further enriched the cultural and historical tapestry of the town.
