Roche Percée sits in the Souris River valley, about 20 kilometres east of Estevan and close to the Canada–United States border. Its name comes from the Métis French name for the nearby sandstone rock formations, known locally as "the Rocks," where caves have formed in the large sandstone deposits.
The area was already on the map of early expeditions. In 1872 the Boundary Commission passed through while surveying the international border, and in 1874, during the March West, the North-West Mounted Police made their first camp here. They called it Short Creek Camp, after the Souris River tributary that meets the river on the west side of the village.
A post office opened in 1890 under the name Coalfields. It became Roche Percée in 1896, closed in 1897, reopened in 1905 and finally shut for good in 1970. The Soo Line reached the community in 1893, which allowed the region's coal mines to start operating. Roche Percee incorporated as a village on January 12, 1909.
In 2010 the provincial government signed an agreement with Southeast Tour & Trails Inc. to restore Roche Percee Park, which had been closed for more than a decade. In 2011 the Souris River flooded the village and residents had to evacuate. Of the 64 homes, 28 were damaged beyond repair and had to be demolished.
Written from Wikipedia’s article “Roche Percee” (CC BY-SA 4.0), and shared under the same licence.