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50-573: The Kécarpoui River is a narrow river, 27 kilometres (17 mi) long. The mouth of the river is in the municipality of Gros-Mécatina in Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality. The Kécarpoui Archipelago is a group of islands in the Gulf opposite the river mouth. Kécarpoui is an Innu language word meaning "porcupine river". The Dictionnaire des rivières et lacs de la province de Québec (1914) says of

100-485: A "sorcerer-magician" before leaving for their camps in the interior forests to find out the prospects for their return trip. La Tabatière has long been frequented by fishermen and traders, particularly attractive for fishing cod and seals. In 1820, Scotsman Samuel Robertson, former employee of the Gros-Mécatina Post, settled there and founded a permanent settlement that his descendants still occupy today. In 1855, he

150-590: A different way to go about it. Horton notes that Hocquart was more practical than his predecessor, therefore also more reluctant to propose changes before familiarizing himself on a first-hand basis with Canadian conditions. Hocquart was also given authority to investigate the conduct of all the financial officials in New France. Although he held many powers, Hocquart tried to remain on amiable terms with his contemporaries, notably Governor Beauharnois, by respecting both their boundaries. This attitude helped both men to share

200-403: A fish processing factory that contributes to regional economic activity. The isolated municipality can only be reached via a regular weekly ferry service, or La Tabatière Airport . The villages of La Tabatière and Mutton Bay are connected via a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) asphalted road that has views of the gulf from the mountains; but in the winter the road is not plowed, and the only access

250-406: A long and positive relation. But, over time, Hocquart's interests led him to interfere in the affairs of Beauharnois. By the late 1730s, relations between Hocquart and Beauharnois began to crumble. Hoquart's immediate predecessors, Michel Bégon and Claude-Thomas Dupuy , had failed miserably at convincing the habitants to clear new concessions and the seigneurs to settle new tenants. This procedure

300-522: A new economic venture. Hocquart's mandate clearly instructed him to act in favor of the French economy. However, in 1731, he began to distinguish the sharp divide between Canadian and French merchant interests in New France. Surprisingly, Hocquart increasingly saw himself as the supporter and protector of the Canadians. Although he did not consider New France his home, he could still see that those who did live in

350-522: A period of ten years. The Gros-Mécatina Post, built in the same time period near present-day La Tabatière, quickly became one of the most important fishing settlements of the North Shore. Big Mécatina Island also, granted to Intendant Gilles Hocquart in 1755, was a popular location with fishermen. They remained such until at least 1808 when the authorities of Quebec sold Gros-Mécatina. By then permanent settlement had begun. The Municipality of Gros-Mécatina

400-464: A rank below that of Intendant. This measure was adopted to give Hocquart a trial period of two years. Indeed, two years later, Hocquart would be promoted to the full rank of Intendant in March 1731. During his long stay at Rochefort, Hocquart received a lengthy training which prepared him to handle most of the bureaucratic functions of a colonial Intendant. However, he possessed only a "rudimentary grasp of

450-527: A stepping stone to greater position and wealth." As such, he always expected to go home to France once his service was over. In other words, although he invested quite a lot in New France, Hocquart never considered it his home. As intendant, Hocquart served as president of the highest court in Canada, the Superior Council . Naturally, he was responsible for the maintenance of public order. However, Hocquart had

500-471: Is a small isolated fishing village on the namesake bay, just east of the mouth of the Big Mecatina River. The meaning of its name remains obscure since it seems unlikely that there ever were any sheep present. The name may be used as a metaphor for the white foam of waves, or for the hills that surround the bay, which are all rounded at the top. In 1804, notary Félix Têtu reported the establishment of

550-526: Is frequented by hunters for game and fur, which they find in quantity. Kécarpoui comes from a montagnais word meaning "where there is ribbon [ ruban ]". The Kécarpoui River basin covers 696 square kilometres (269 sq mi). It lies between the basins of the Véco River to the west and the Saint-Augustin River to the east. It is partly in the unorganized territory of Petit-Mécatina and partly in

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600-447: Is via snowmobile . The name, pronounced (me-kuh-TEE-nuh) is from the Innu word makatinau , or "It is a large mountain." Exploration of the area began in 1535 when Jacques Cartier passed by during his second voyage. The place became an important hunting and fishing ground in the first part of the 18th century. From 1739, Jean-Baptiste Pommereau acquired the fishing rights of the region for

650-575: The War of the Austrian Succession , from 1744 to 1748, crushed whatever hopes Hocquart entertained of revitalizing his private industries policy. The war made any concrete exports or imports almost insignificant. The capture of Louisbourg also had a negative impact on the Canadian fisheries. This, in turn, sealed the fate of Quebec's private shipbuilding industry. The fur trade was also greatly affected, since

700-473: The Baie-Moutons trading post. In the middle of the 19th century, the bay was being fished but the village was not really established until 1872 when Newfoundlanders arrived and settled there. By 1886, the local post office opened, first identified as Saint-Joseph-de-la-Tabatière, then from 1896 on as Mutton Bay. In 1983, the place name was officially anglicized to Mutton Bay, replacing Baie-des-Moutons, because of

750-400: The Canadian bourgeoisie as the main player in the development of a profitable economy for the colony. Although his ideas were grand, he did not recognize the flaws that were already impeding the economy at a smaller scale. After a few rentable years, New France's fragile economy began to crumble, and by the end of his contract, Hocquart was held responsible for too many extraordinary expenses. He

800-474: The Forts Frontenac and Niagara have increased of two-thirds over preceding years," and accounted this augmentation to the better, recent administration. However, on October 12, 1736, Hocquart was faced with an entirely different situation: in his own words, the "trade done at Fort Frontenac and Niagara was becoming from year to year a smaller business." It was becoming increasingly clear that New France needed

850-501: The King and the growth of the colony. As Intendant of New France, Hocquart was charged with "moulding the Canadian economy into a flourishing extension of the French imperial economy by increasing its capacity to supply the metropolis and other French colonies with materials they required while expanding the Canadian market for French goods." On the one hand, Hocquart was to develop the shipbuilding industry so that ships capable of trading with

900-647: The Véco, Kecarpoui, Saint-Augustin, Coxipi , Chécatica , Napetipi rivers and the Baie des roches. Gros-M%C3%A9catina, Quebec Gros-Mécatina is a municipality on the Lower North Shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence , near the border with Labrador in Quebec , Canada . Located near crab, lobster, and scallop fishing grounds, it is dependent on the fishing business, including

950-473: The West Indies could be built. On the other hand, there was the matter of the fur trade. According to Horton, the fur trade was pictured as a major factor behind the slow development of agriculture and industry, because "its profits, rapid returns and simple barter transactions, were more attractive than the comparatively long-term risks of more sophisticated enterprises." In short, Hocquart was expected to shift

1000-436: The abandoned settlements of Lac-Salé and Baie-des-Ha!-Ha! (Baie de la Terre). La Tabatière ( 50°49′45″N 58°57′38″W  /  50.82917°N 58.96056°W  / 50.82917; -58.96056 ) is located on La Tabatière Bay, opposite Big Mecatina Island ( île du Gros Mécatina ), and home to a fish processing plant and reservoirs to supply vessels that serve this part of the region. According to popular opinion,

1050-401: The axis of Canada's commercial economy from the fur trade to agriculture and industry. He was to do so, moreover, without increasing state expenditures, since Dupuy had already incurred major expenses. Unfortunately for Hocquart, his instructions offered little in the way of concrete suggestions. Hocquart would have to figure things out on his own. The main concern of his instructions regarded

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1100-423: The colony, namely the Canadians, would need help if they were to ever create a strong and prosperous economy. Hocquart understood that his help would be required in order to stimulate industrial enterprise. A good example of Hocquart's "favoritism" of Canadian merchants is the illegal fur trade. Upon arrival in New France, "he was determined to suppress the illegal trade." But after 1731, Hocquart claimed that this

1150-437: The countryside that might have permitted him to alleviate some of its worst effects. In the end, the state was forced to help save the colony. These developments had serious repercussions for Hocquart's financial administration. Nevertheless, Hocquart continued to channel most of the benefits from government expenditures in the colony to Canadian merchants, which angered his fellow officials, like Governor Beauharnois. Finally,

1200-585: The economy suffered from a lack of organization. That is not to say that Hocquart failed completely. In other sectors of administration, Hocquart proved very effective. According to Horton, Hocquart was a practical individual who acted in accordance with views distilled from observation and experience. Many of his contemporaries in Canada considered him level-headed and cooperative. Maurepas noted that Hocquart, unlike several of his predecessors, made "virtually no suggestions for constitutional reforms designed to redistribute government power in his favour." Moreover, it

1250-442: The fur trade. Indeed, while French officials recognized that the fur trade was still the linchpin of Canadian commerce, they were concerned about its negative impact on the non-fur economy which they were convinced would be the colony's mainstay in the future. Rightly so, because in a matter of only 7 years, trade income rapidly decreased. On March 22, 1729, Hocquart wrote to king Louis XV to inform him that "the trade done last year at

1300-458: The kind of productive economic infrastructure that was needed to spawn commercial prosperity" in New France. This lack of understanding led Hocquart to believe that "the commercial bourgeois' capital was the key to both the expansion of trade and to the diversification of commercial enterprise." This belief would prove costly; although some industries like fishery and private shipbuilding were greatly enhanced by Hocquart's' financial support, most of

1350-649: The majority of English-speaking residents. By 1988, Mutton Bay had 55 families, living mainly from fishing lobster and scallops. List of former mayors: Commission scolaire du Littoral operates St-Lawrence School (anglophone) in Mutton Bay. Gilles Hocquart Gilles Hocquart was born in 1694, in Sainte-Croix, Mortagne-au-Perche to Jean-Hyacinthe Hocquart. From September, 1729 to August, 1748, Hocquart served as Intendant of New France . Hocquart put his faith in

1400-522: The many islands and islets near the river mouth. The Kécarpoui River is recognized as an Atlantic salmon river. The river bed is composed of medium-sized rocks. Salmon swim up the river for 19 kilometres (12 mi). They average 2.2 to 4.8 kilograms (4.9 to 10.6 lb) in weight. In 2013–2017 an average of 7 salmon were reported caught each year. The Pourvoirie Kecarpoui/Kecarpoui Outpost provides outfitting services. They do not have an exclusive right. They offer 6-day guided fishing expeditions that visit

1450-636: The municipalities of Gros-Mécatina and Saint-Augustin . The Lac-Robertson Generating Station , which is powered by a dam on the Véco River , is in the Kécarpoui basin. A map of the ecological regions of Quebec shows the Kécarpoui River in sub-regions 6o-T, 6n-T and 6m-T of the east spruce/moss subdomain. Vegetation in the basin is dominated by conifers. Mammals include black bear , moose , boreal woodland caribou , wolf , fox , lynx , muskrat , mink , otter and porcupine . There are seabird colonies on

1500-495: The numbers. According to Maurepas, the Canadian expenditures had thrown Marine finances into chaos and had added to its already huge debt. He stated unequivocally that Hocquart's future in the king's service depended on his finding some way to reduce these expenditures. The decision to replace Hocquart as intendant was made sometime before he himself formally requested to retire from Canada in autumn of 1746. Hocquart came under increasing pressure from French officials to account for

1550-463: The origin of its name (French for "the snuff box ") refers to the loss of a tobacco pouch by a missionary. However, it is a corruption of tabaquen , possibly Innu, which became tapatienne and then tabatière . Missionary correspondence shows that the parish was at one time often referred to as Saint-Joseph-de-Tabaquen, a name said to mean "sorcery," and a priest who visited the mission in 1887 wrote that aboriginal groups who came to trade would consult

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1600-406: The position of Port controller permanently, which made him a financial officer with broad responsibilities including finances and material resources at Rochefort. These responsibilities were of the utmost importance. So much so, in fact, that by 1728, he was "second in authority to Beauharnois." Therefore, Hocquart found himself in a very favorable place for a promotion to a colonial intendancy. At

1650-418: The private industries launched during the period between 1733 and 1736 showed signs of growth into a major enterprise. The main factor for Hocquart's lack of success was his growing ambition to nurture large enterprises. He simply ignored the apparent absence of an economic infrastructure to support these large enterprises. And for Hocquart to conclude that big industries would succeed where small ones had failed

1700-426: The private sector. All these failures could be attributed to poor management, crop failures, and lack of market opportunities. Thus, except for the fisheries and some intermittent shipments of lumber to France and to Louisbourg, there were no private export industries operating in New France by 1743. A crisis was inevitable and, when it occurred, Hocquart possessed neither the credit nor the firm government presence in

1750-493: The prodigious expenditures in Canada and it may have been because of them that he was recalled in 1748. In any case, Hocquart returned to France in November 1748. Then began the most successful phase of his lengthy naval career. In early 1749, Hocquart moved to Brest as a commissaire, and as soon as April 1 of the same year, he was appointed intendant. On August 23, 1750, he married Anne-Catherine de La Lande, at Brest. Throughout

1800-519: The provincial nobility. Gilles Hocquart was born in the parish of Sainte-Croix, Mortagne, Perche in 1694. His official date of birth remains a mystery. His young adult years were spent in school, preparing for his ultimate goal: to follow in his father Jean-Hyacinthe's footsteps. In 1723, at 29 years old, Hocquart arrived at the Marine commissariat at Rochefort, where he remained until his appointment to New France in 1729. In 1725, now aged 31, Hocquart took on

1850-659: The river, This river flows across the mountains of the Laurentides and empties into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence about fifteen miles from the Saint-Augustin River. From the high tide mark up to lake Kécarpoui the river is not navigable, even for canoes. According to the surveyor J.C. Giraud (report of 1901) there is no land suitable for cultivation on the sides of this river or the lakes that feed it. The trees are fir and spruce with dimensions of no more than 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Salmon and trout frequent this river. The river

1900-552: The state, while the agricultural commerce had sputtered almost to a standstill. Hocquart had originally convinced Maurepas that, with initial support from the state, these ventures could succeed in developing private export industries. But the bankruptcy of the Saint-Maurice Company in 1741, the collapse of private shipbuilding in 1743, and the failure of copper, tile, lumbering and rope-making industries between those dates demonstrated that Hocquart had put too much confidence in

1950-537: The steady growth of agricultural commerce and by the spectacular growth of industry, in this case of fisheries and shipbuilding. Thus, Hocquart might not have succeeded in creating the large enterprises he had imagined, but his input in Canadian affairs accounted for the most prosperous period in the history of New France up to date. By 1743, members of the Canadian economy were no longer capable of launching or sustaining private initiatives. Their most important industrial ventures had either disappeared or were taken over by

2000-402: The supply of goods was nearly cut off during the war. Thankfully, trade continued along the illegal trade routes. But by 1746, Iroquois were no longer neutral, and Mohawks had declared war on the French and blocked the illegal trade route, thus impeding the fur trade. Moreover, the war led to large state expenditures on the war effort: fortifications, garrisons, and artillery were commissioned by

2050-497: The time, Jean Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de Maurepas, was the State Secretary of Navy in charge of colonial intendants. In the case of New France, Maurepas wanted "a more obedient, down-to-earth and efficient man with whom to replace Claude-Thomas Dupuy ," the intendant from 1725 to 1728. On March 8, 1729, Maurepas formally commissioned Hocquart to perform the functions of Intendant in remote New France as commissaire-ordonnateur ,

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2100-418: The towns to attract tenants." In 1731, to encourage settlement and to tie all of New France's agricultural regions more closely to the town markets, Hocquart initiated a major road-building program. Completed in 1737, the road between Quebec and Montreal reduced travel time from as much as a month by river barge, to just four-and-a-half days. Still, agriculture was not picking up. The habitants, even those in

2150-531: The well developed areas, seldom cleared more than a third of their land and most were satisfied with raising enough grain and vegetables for their families alone. So, Hocquart issued other ordinances which were aimed at regulating the habitant's life more closely in the hope of making him a more productive farmer. Hocquart was also responsible for new settlements projects along with Governor Beauharnois. Together, they prepared Proposals, in which they argued whether certain projects could be deemed advantageous for both

2200-412: Was an unfeasible endeavour, since "the geographic considerations alone made it impossible to patrol all of the illegal trade routes effectively." This sudden change of heart can best explained by the profits generated by this trade for Canadian merchants. In the long run, Hocquart did little to advance the Canadian overall economy. With the exception of the fisheries and small-scale shipbuilding, none of

2250-438: Was called home and replaced by Francois Bigot . Nonetheless, the years between 1737 and 1741 were among the most prosperous in the history of New France. There is an unfortunate lack of materials regarding Hocquart's personal history. What little sources remain are mostly professional exchanges between various officials, making it difficult to understand the man behind the intendant. We do know that Hocquart's family came from

2300-485: Was essential for the development of agriculture. Hocquart was initially very successful in this venture, as dispatches to the Minister show that from 1731 to 1732, reunion of concessions doubled; in only one year, the number of concessions went from 200 to 400. But numerous concessions meant nothing if they could not be settled by enough families to work the land. Plus, it was "much harder for seigneurs whose fiefs were far from

2350-507: Was formed on January 1, 1994, when its territory was separated from the Municipality of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent . It was named after several geographic features within its area called Gros Mécatina, including a river, cape, island, archipelago, and lake. Mecatina comes from the Innu word makatinau , meaning "large mountain." The municipality consists of two small isolated fishing villages, La Tabatière and Mutton Bay, as well as

2400-494: Was found that, though "flexible in his methods, Hocquart possessed the sort of narrow, dogged intelligence that is often better suited to carrying out policies than to formulating them." His attitude was as easy-going as could be. The long period of administrative harmony that prevailed between him and Governor Beauharnois during the 1730s is proof that Hocquart was eager to cooperate, rather than stir up animosity. Hocquart, like many intendants before him, saw "Canadian intendancy as

2450-776: Was joined by settlers from Jersey and the place became known by the English name Sparr Point. In 1885, the Catholic mission Saint-Joseph-de-la-Tabatière was established and La Tabatière post office began operations on November 1, 1907. In the 1930s, the seal oil rendering and fish oil factory burned down and was rebuilt as a fish-processing plant which today is the largest on the Coast. Mutton Bay (in French: Baie-des-Moutons 50°46′19″N 59°01′45″W  /  50.77194°N 59.02917°W  / 50.77194; -59.02917 )

2500-439: Was preposterous. Another factor that hindered the development of a fully diversified commercial economy, was that New France simply did not possess the manpower to sustain such enterprises. The ensuing years, from 1737 to 1741, were among the most prosperous in the history of New France. This was due almost entirely to a rise in exports; despite a slight decline in the regular fur trade, these setbacks were more than redressed by

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