Samuel de Champlain Meets Captain Savalette On Shores of Tor Bay

, French cartographer and geographer, Samuel de Champlain met Basque fisherman and fishery entrepreneur, Captain Savalette, on the north shores of Tor Bay in 1607. According to authenticated records, Champlain and a group of explorers, including writer, Marc Lescarbot, met Captain Savalette of St. Jean de Luz, France, in this bay in 1607 on their way to Port Royal. They were treated with great hospitality as guests of Savalette who so impressed Champlain with his knowledge of the dangerous waters of the bay and surrounding area, that Champlain named the north shores Port Savalette. The area is believed to be somewhere between present day Charlos Cove and Port Felix. Savalette informed them that he was on his 42nd visit to this bay. The Basque captain used the shores of the bay and the islands (later known as the Sugar Islands) situated at the mouth of it, to dry and cure his fish before transporting it back to France. A plaque was mounted on a rock in 1949 by the Government of Canada at the urging of local historian, Dr. J.C. Jost, and is situated approximately where Savalette and Champlain met. The plaque is still present on this original site between Charlos Cove and Cole Harbour. Locals claim that the anchor to Savalette's boat can still be seen on the bottom of our bay. An annual Festival in his name was begun in August, 2005. ,