Petit-Rocher (2011 population: 1,908) is a Canadian village in Gloucester County, New Brunswick. Take a look below for 9 interesting and awesome facts about Petit-Richer, New Brunswick, Canada.
1. Located on Chaleur Bay 20 km northwest of Bathurst, Petit-Rocher’s residents are 92% Francophone.
2. Its current population meets the requirements for “town” status under the Municipalities Act of the Province of New Brunswick, however the community has not requested a change in municipal status.
3. The village was founded in 1797 by Acadian settlers.
4. The name literally means ‘little rock’, and is pronounced by most anglophones in the region as Petty Roche.
5. The name of the village is reputed to derive from the fact that the village’s founders disembarked on a small rock.
6. The village was named Little Roche from 1850 to 1854, then Madisco until 1870, and then Petit Rocher.
7. The hyphenated form Petit-Rocher was adopted in 2009.
8. Some old maps have the name Petite Roche (1812) and Sainte Roque or Little Russia (1827).
9. In 2012 and 2013, Petit-Rocher was host to the CCBHA’s annual ball hockey tournament with a team from nearby Dundee taking home the Allen, Paquet & Arseneau cup as champions for both tournaments.