Pouce Coupe

The Village of Pouce Coupe (/ˌpuːs ˈkuːpi/; 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 a local Indigenous chief. The 2.06-square-kilometre municipality is home to 792 residents.
The community was settled by European immigrants Hector Tremblay and Joe Bissette in 1898. Tremblay, a French speaker, rendered ‘Pouskapie’s Prairie’ into the nearest French words of similar sound. Tremblay used his cabin as a trading post for local Indigenous people and resting place for the trickle of travellers that passed through. Following an influx of settlers between 1912 and 1914, a community began to emerge around Tremblay’s cabin, small store and post office. This place is valued for its association with these early French settlers.