An early French post established about 1650 at mouth of Metabetchouan river, east bank, near the shore of lake St. John. Sometimes called fort Metabetchouan. It is shown on Père Laure's map 1731 (No. 109) as Metabetchouan and marked "Ancien Etablissement et Mission". The post was on the site of the first Jesuit Mission to lake St. John, and was probably founded a little later than Chicoutimi. It was one of the posts in Traite de Tadoussac and was listed by Bégon in 1720 as a King's post. In 1766 it was spoken of as dependent post on Chicoutimi. It was leased by the North West Co. in 1788 with the other posts in the King's Domain, and was included in their list 1821 at the time of union. McKenzie 1808 visited the post and says "lake St. John post is on the south shore, 4 leagues from the entrance at the mouth of a beautiful river where the Jesuits formerly were located".

The Hudson's Bay Co. acquired this post at the union of 1821. It is shown on their map of 1846 and included in the list 1857. Soon after 1864 this post was removed to Pointe Bleue on the west shore of the lake and is now called Pointe Bleue post. The old French fort may have been destroyed in the great fire of 1870. Shown on Maps Nos. 17, 24, 95.