Country Canada Constituted October 10, 1907 Time zone EST (UTC−5) Area 234.6 km² Province Québec | Settled late 18th century Elevation 7.00 m (22.97 ft) Postal code(s) G0C 2E0 Population 1,689 (2011) Local time Monday 6:27 AM | |
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Weather -10°C, Wind S at 8 km/h, 90% Humidity RCMs Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Avignon Regional County Municipality | ||
Nouvelle is a municipality in eastern Quebec, Canada, on the south shore of the Gaspé Peninsula at the mouth of the Nouvelle River, where the Restigouche River widens into Chaleur Bay. It is the seat of the Avignon Regional County Municipality.
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Map of Nouvelle, QC, Canada
In addition to Nouvelle itself, the municipality also includes the communities of Allard, Brébeuf (Dugal), Drapeau, Miguasha, Miguasha-Ouest, Nouvelle-Ouest, and Provancher.
Nouvelle's graphic seal is a world globe overlaid by Eusthenopteron foordi, whose fossil discovery brought worldwide fame to the Miguasha National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the municipality. The seal's red and gray colours represent the colors of the rocks present on the fossil site.
History
Nouvelle was first settled by Acadians fleeing the deportation of 1755, fish merchants from Jersey, Channel Islands and some Irish. The name Nouvelle (French meaning "new") was used as early as the end of the 18th century and stood for the "new land" being made available West of town now called Carleton-sur-Mer. It first appeared on documents in 1787, by a Jersey business man Charles Robin, and Abbé Joseph Mathurin Bourg, the first Acadian priest.
In 1842, the geographic township of Nouvelle was proclaimed. In 1845, the township, which included the area now known as Escuminac, was first incorporated as Municipality of Shoolbred. It was named after John Shoolbred, who was the first owner of the seignory granted there. In 1847, the municipality was abolished but re-established in 1855. From 1861 on, it was known as the Township Municipality of Nouvelle-et-Shoolbred.
On July 1, 1869, the local mission was proclaimed as a parish, known as Saint-Jean-l'Évangéliste (Saint John the Evangelist). In 1881, the post office opened, also designated as Saint-Jean-l'Évangéliste.
In 1907, the place separated from the township municipality and formed the Municipality of Nouvelle-et-Shoolbred-Partie-Nord-Est. It was renamed in 1912 to Municipality of Saint-Jean-l'Évangéliste, and then on December 5, 1953, renamed again to Municipality of Nouvelle. That same year, the post office name followed suit.