Pouce Coupe
| Pouce Coupe | ||
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| Village | ||
| The Corporation of the Village of Pouce Coupe | ||
Pouce Coupe town hall
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_location_map.svg)
 Pouce Coupe
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| Coordinates: 55°42′57″N 120°08′2″W / 55.71583°N 120.13389°WCoordinates: 55°42′57″N 120°08′2″W / 55.71583°N 120.13389°W | ||
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 British Columbia
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| Regional District | Peace River | |
| Incorporated | 5 January 1932 (village) | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Lorraine Michetti | |
| • Governing Body | Pouce Coupe Village Council | |
| • MP | Bob Zimmer | |
| • MLA | Mike Bernier | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.06 km2 (0.80 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) | |
| Population (2006) | ||
| • Total | 739 | |
| • Density | 360/km2 (930/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | Mountain standard (UTC−7) | |
| Postal code span | V0C 2C0 | |
| Area code(s) | +1-250 | |
| Website | www |
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The Village of Pouce Coupe ( /puːsˈkuːpi/; French for "cut thumb") is a small town in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Peace River Regional District. It was originally named 'Pouskapie's Prairie', after the name of the local native band chief. The 2.06-square-kilometre (0.80 sq mi) municipality is home to 739 residents.
The community was settled by European immigrant Hector Tremblay in 1898. Tremblay, a French speaker, rendered 'Pouskapie's Prairie' into the nearest French words of similar sound. Pouce Coupe is approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Dawson Creek along Highway 2. It is approximately 35 km (22 mi) northwest of the Alberta border along Highway 2. The village is at an elevation of 655 metres (2,149 ft) in the Peace River Country.
Pouce Coupe's main industries today are petroleum, agriculture, and tourism. Popular recreational activities in the area include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hiking, and hunting. The Village claims to be "the pioneer capital of the Peace Region".
While there is debate regarding the origin of the name 'Pouce Coupe', the first known reference to it was in McLeod's Fort Dunvegan Journal, 19806 which identified a Beaver Indian Chief named 'Pooscapee'. The region became known as the Pouce Coupe Prairie, from which the river and village took their names. Permanent settlement began after the French-Canadian voyageurs Hector Tremblay and Joe Bissette left their group of prospectors from Kamloops during the Klondike Gold Rush and became the first settlers in the Pouce Coupe Prairie. In 1898 Bissette built his cabin in the present day Pouce Coupe Regional Park at the confluence of Bissette Creek and Pouce Coupé River, but soon moved on to Dunvegan, Alberta. Tremblay, joined by his wife and children in 1908, built his cabin at the confluence of Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupé River. Tremblay used his cabin as a trading post for local aborinal tribe and resting place for the trickle of travellers that passed through. He also tried ranching cattle and helped cut trails south to Grande Prairie and north to Fort St. John. When the Dominion Government opened the Peace River Block for homesteading, the trails created an influx of settlers between 1912 and 1914. A community began to emerge around Tremblay's cabin as he ran a small store and post office aided inexperienced settlers. This community center moved in 1916 when the post office moved to Frank Haskin's general store and a bank opened nearby.
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