Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, also known as Cross Point in English, is a charming municipality nestled on the Restigouche River in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. This picturesque town, situated across from the city of Campbellton, New Brunswick, is a treasure trove of history and culture. The municipality of Pointe-à-la-Croix also encompasses the communities of L'Alverne, Oak Bay, and Saint-Fidèle-de-Ristigouche.
The history of Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, is deeply rooted in a cross planted on a small point of land or a small barachois created by a brook. This cross, located about a half-mile west of Pleasant Loint, marked a new border between land claimed by Isaac Mann and the newly surveyed Restigouche Indian Reserve.
The local Mi'kmaq had remained relatively isolated from intrusion except by the European fishermen and a few fur traders and missionaries. The events leading up to the Battle of Restigouche were the beginning of a significant intrusion into the heart of Northern Mi'kmaq territory.
The area was named La Petite Rochelle in 1684 when it was granted to Charles Damours, the youngest of the five sons of Mathieu Damours, the owner of the concession de Matane. La Seigneurie de Petite Rochelle extended from Ruisseau de L`Officier west and also included the concession of Matapedia.
Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, is home to the site of the Battle of the Restigouche, a National Historic Site of Canada, and the Petite Rochelle interpretive centre. Many artefacts from a site in Restigouche-Sud Est have been discovered that may indicate a French establishment of the period (late 1600s).
The first Euro-American settlement in the town was by Acadians fleeing the Expulsion in 1755. Retreating as far as possible up the Restigouche River, they were trapped by a British fleet in the Battle of Restigouche. Approximately 1500 Acadian and Métis took refuge here, with the local Mi'kmaq Native Americans.
The linguistic landscape of Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, is predominantly French, with 86.3% of the population speaking French as their first language. English is the first language for 10.8% of the population, while 0.6% speak both English and French as their first language. Other languages make up 2.2% of the first languages spoken in Pointe-à-la-Croix.
After the conquest, Pointe-à-la-Croix was primarily a fishing, forestry, and farming community until the opening of the J. C. Van Horne Bridge to Campbellton in 1962. In 1969, the town was still incorporated as Cross Point, but changed to the French name in 1970. The town now is nearly fully integrated economically with the Campbellton area. Despite its economical ties and geographical proximity with Campbellton, the municipality observes Eastern Standard Time (UTC -5), which puts it one hour behind Campbellton.
