Company of One Hundred Associates
"Sainte-Croix" name refers to the True Cross, but was in use well before its foundation in 1713. In fact, the "seigneurie" of Sainte-Croix was granted in 1637 to the Company of One Hundred Associates at a point named Platon Sainte-Croix ("Holy Cross Flats" in English), at the mouth of the Jacques-Cartier River. It had been named as such by Jacques Cartier, who had spent the winter of 1535-36 there. Samuel de Champlain explained in 1613 that there had been a mistake and this was not the place where Jacques Cartier had wintered. The point is now called "Pointe Platon" ("Plato (or Flat) Point").