This municipality was built around the Newport River and was formerly known as Pointe-au Genièvre (Genièvre is the French word for Juniper). As the story has it, Juniper shrubs covered the point of Newport surrounding the light house. The impressive amount of Junipers gave this municipality its name: Point-au-Genièvre.

The name Newport was adopted by loyalists who later settled in this area. Its name protects the memory of Mr. Newport, a navigator who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on his expeditions.

Established in 1855, Newport had many sections: Newport Centre, Newport west, Newport point, and the islands (also known as “Îles Mahy”). At that time, Newport circumscribed the area proclaimed in 1840, the municipality formed in 1845, the bay and the point.

People claim that the term Pabos originates from the Micmac word Pabog (pronounced Pabok) meaning “slow moving body of water”. Moreover, this municipality was the first to set up a pulp and paper mill, hence giving it the name Pabos Mills.

History:

The Ste-Adelaïde-de-Pabos Church was canonically erected in 1860.

The government took possession of the seigneury in 1872 and proceeded to its surveyal.

In 1876, the municipality of Pabos separated itself from Newport.

Between 1860 and 1903, population growth was stagnant. New settlers established themselves among the Irish and Acadian communities.

In 1900, a pulp and paper mill entitled “Gaspé County Lumber” was erected near the West River. Pine was the only wood that the mill processed. In 1903, it was sold and moved to L'Anse-aux-Canards.

In 1908, on the west shore of the Banc de Pabos, the King brothers inaugurated another mill under the name of “Pabos Lumber Co. Ltd.” In 1913, the mill was moved once again, this time to settle itself where we can currently find Abitibi Consolidated's wood room. This mill was known as the “Moulin Rouge”.

In 1948, a section of Pabos' territory wanted to annex itself to the City of Chandler. Pabos Mills and Grand Pabos west were far away from Pabos, which had become the main business sector. The two towns joined forces to become the Municipality of Pabos Mills. As for the City of Chandler, it feared that the expansion would become too difficult to handle. It therefore decided to remain separate.

According to Carmen Roy, this area was formerly known as Portage du Grand Pabos. It changed its name to Chandler because of Percy Milton Chandler who founded a saw mill and a pulp mill at the opening of the Grand Pabos River.

On the 13 th of January 1916, Chandler separated itself from the Municipality of Pabos. It officially became a city on the 6 th of January 1958.

This quiet district is strategically located between Chandler and Grande-Rivière. Pabos has always benefited from healthy population growth, doubling in the past 20 years.

Before its conquest by the English in 1758, Pabos was an extremely important fishing harbor. For many years, Pabos was the ecclesiastical centre of Eastern Quebec (archives mention the north of New-Brunswick, Shediac in Kamouraska towards Percé). At the time, the congregation was called the Ste-Famille de Pabos, and its administrative office was on l'Île Beauséjour in the Grand Pabos Bay (Bourg de Pabos in Pabos Mills).

The year 1759 marked a dark period where the population plunged to a mere 35 citizens. In 1819, certain families decided to return to their roots. Between 1837 and 1838, many Irish families settled along the two bays stemming from the Petit et Grand Pabos rivers.

In 1915, the City of Chandler severed itself from the Municipality of Pabos. They were followed by St-François de Pabos in 1928, Pabos Mills in 1952, and Petit-Pabos in 1954 (which was then annexed to Grande-Rivière).

This beautiful municipality is close to the Baie-des-Chaleurs region. A magnificent crystal-clear salmon river flows through its centre.

Its name is made up of two different elements. First, St-François comes from the name of the first feudal lord in the area: Jean-François Lefebvre. Despite the fact that his brother Pierre Lefebvre owned the seigneury, it was Jean-François who established the first fishery (salted cod). As for the term Pabos, it commemorates the Municipality of Pabos, from which it originated.