Basques In Atlantic Canada
In North America, among the first visitors to Newfoundland were Basque fishermen. In 1549 a Basque priest was stationed in Newfoundland, probably at Placentia, close to the center of the Basque fishery employing 6,000 men. An English visit to Placentia Bay in 1591 found 40 Basque fishing vessels anchored in the harbour, and in 1594 they reported over 60 Basque fishing ships from St. Jean de Luz.

In Nova Scotia, Basque fishermen began using Isle Madame as a summer base for their North Atlantic fishing and whaling expeditions. Among the attractions were the immense herds of walrus that invaded the shores of Isle Madame on a fairly regular basis. The walrus were valued both for the ivory of their tusks and the oil that was rendered from their large deposits of fat.

Even once the last walrus had vanished from the area the seas around Isle Madame continued to yield a sufficient bounty to justify a continued European presence. In time a number of the Basque fishermen, who had been using Isle Madame as a fishing station for generations, chose to settle permanently. Their family names --- Goyetche, DesRoches, Baccardax, and Josse (Joyce) may be found on Isle Madame to this day.

On the islands of Saint-Pierre & Miquelon, off the coast of Newfoundland, a historical profile notes that the current population with Basque origins can trace its roots back to immigrants who came over from the mid to late 18th century.

"These fishermen and peasants mostly came from Iparralde. Basque migration was at its peak at the end of the 18th century, however not all remained in Saint-Pierre & Miquelon, some returned to Iparralde after two or three years. This migration to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon was organized by the Goyetche family."