Paspebiac, Quebec

Paspébiac is a city on Baie des Chaleurs in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. The population was 3,198 as of the Canada 2011 Census. The town is noted for the Banc de Pêche de Paspébiac, a large sandbar jutting out into the bay which has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.Paspébiac was Quebec's first cod fishing port. The town also has Basque roots and an accent which is different from the rest of the region. Its name may come from the Mi'kmaq espression papgeg ipsigiag, meaning "split flats" or "lagoon". Other sources indicate that the Mi'kmaq named it for Wospegiak' which means "shining in the distance."In addition to Paspébiac itself, the town's territory also includes the communities of Duret, Paspébiac-Ouest, and Rivière-Paspébiac.HistoryIn 1707, the area was granted as a seignory to Pierre Haimard and this marked the beginning of the colonization of Gaspésie's southern shores. But it only saw periodic visits during the fishing season until 1755 when settlers arrived from Acadia, Normandy, the Pays Basque, and, after the British conquest of Quebec, Jersey.