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80-597: Botwood is a town in north-central Newfoundland , Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada in Census Division 6 . It is positioned on the west shore of the Bay of Exploits on a natural deep-water harbour. Historically, this harbour has been a significant hub for cargo ships and seaplanes . Botwood served as the North American endpoint for the first transatlantic commercial flights. The region now known as Botwood

160-619: A World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it is believed to be the Vinland settlement of explorer Leif Erikson . (The Icelandic Skálholt map of 1570 refers to the area as "Promontorium Winlandiæ" and correctly shows it on a 51°N parallel with Bristol , England). Before and after the departure of the Norse, the island was inhabited by indigenous populations. About 500 years later, in 1497, the Italian navigator John Cabot (Zuan/Giovanni Caboto) became

240-402: A tarmac and four bunkers were constructed. The Canadian Army was garrisoned in the town, and built barracks, a water system, and a full-scale military hospital. The army was responsible for the manning of gun batteries at Philip's Head and Wiseman's Cove that protected the entrance to Botwood Harbour with 10" guns , as well as numerous anti-aircraft batteries throughout the community. During

320-526: A "baby bonus" for each child in a family. The Confederates were led by the charismatic Joseph Smallwood , a former radio broadcaster, who had developed socialist political inclinations while working for a socialist newspaper in New York City. Following confederation, Smallwood led Newfoundland for decades as the elected premier . His policies as premier were closer to liberalism than socialism. The first flag to specifically represent Newfoundland

400-550: A Canso flying boat crashed killing 7 personnel, while 5 survived. Military personnel left Botwood at the end of World War II. Military buildings were sold, demolished or relocated. The rise of land-based aircraft brought an end to commercial seaplane services in 1945. Despite these changes, Botwood continued to play an important role in the region's economy, notably in shipping paper from the Grand Falls-Windsor mill until its closure in 2009, and ore from Buchans until

480-567: A Pan Am contract, which instead purchased the Martin M-130 and later the Boeing 314 Clipper. The VS-44's limited production would never recoup the development costs. American Export Airlines (AEA) ordered three VS-44s, dubbed ‘Flying Aces’ and named Excalibur (NX41880; later as NC41880), Excambian (no NX; later as NC41881), and Exeter (no NX; later as NC41882) after the parent company's Four Aces passenger liners. AEA had grown out of

560-527: A ceremony was held to dedicate the aircraft. The "Excambian" is the last remaining American-built commercial trans-ocean four-engine flying boat. After the project had been completed, the restoration team located in Stratford began looking at creating its own museum. With the assistance of local senator George "Doc" Gunther, the Connecticut Air & Space Center was founded in 1998. Today the museum

640-626: A change of -3.4% from its 2016 population of 2,875 . With a land area of 14.56 km (5.62 sq mi), it had a population density of 190.8/km (494.2/sq mi) in 2021. In 2010, a mural to celebrate the Botwood Cottage Hospital was commissioned by the Botwood Mural Arts Society. It was entitled Pulse of the Community and was painted by Manitoban artist Charlie Johnston. It is located on

720-712: A colonial governor on the island. After 1713, with the Treaty of Utrecht , the French ceded control of south and north shores of the island to the British. They kept only the nearby islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon , located in the fish-rich Grand Banks off the south coast. Despite some early settlements by the English, the Crown discouraged permanent, year-round settlement of Newfoundland by migratory fishery workers. Thomas Nash

800-445: A forerunner to the much later British Empire. Newfoundland is considered Britain's oldest colony. Settlers developed a variety of dialects associated with settlement on the island: Newfoundland English , Newfoundland French . In the 19th century, it also had a dialect of Irish known as Newfoundland Irish . The closely related Scottish Gaelic was also spoken on the island during the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in

880-599: A team of highly trained volunteers, many of them former Sikorsky workers who had originally built the VS-44As there 50 years ago. The combined support from Sikorsky and Avco Lycoming was crucial for the success of the restoration. On June 18, 1997, after ten years of restoration, the VS-44A was transferred to the New England Air Museum . It was there that the plane was assembled and painted. In October 1998

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960-437: A total area of 111,390 square kilometres (43,008 sq mi). According to 2006 official Census Canada statistics, 57% of responding Newfoundland and Labradorians claim British or Irish ancestry, with 43.2% claiming at least one English parent, 21.5% at least one Irish parent, and 7% at least one parent of Scottish origin. Additionally, 6.1% claimed at least one parent of French ancestry. The island's total population as of

1040-549: Is Corner Brook , which is situated on the Bay of Islands on the west coast of the island. The bay was named by Captain James Cook who surveyed the coast in 1767. The island of Newfoundland has numerous provincial parks such as Barachois Pond Provincial Park , considered to be a model forest, as well as two national parks. The island has many tourism opportunities, ranging from sea kayaking, camping, fishing and hunting, to hiking. The International Appalachian Trail (IAT)

1120-535: Is a large island within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It is situated off the eastern coast of the North American mainland and the geographical region of Labrador . The island contains 29 percent of the province's land area, but is home to over 90% of the province's population, with about 60% of the province's population located on the small southeastern Avalon peninsula . The island

1200-569: Is a provincial Registered Heritage District, as well as a National Cultural Landscape District of Canada. This is one of only two national historic sites in Canada so recognized for their Irish heritage. Entertainment opportunities abound in the island's three cities and numerous towns, particularly during summer festivals. For nightlife, George Street , located in downtown St. John's, is closed to traffic 20 hours per day. The Mile One Stadium in St. John's

1280-698: Is being extended along the island's mountainous west coast. On the east coast, the East Coast Trail extends through the Avalon Peninsula for 220 km (140 mi), beginning near Fort Amherst in St. John's and ending in Cappahayden , with an additional 320 km (200 mi) of trail under construction. The Marble Mountain Ski Resort near Corner Brook is a major attraction in

1360-522: Is known about them beyond archeological evidence of early settlements. Evidence of successive cultures have been found. The Late Paleo-Eskimo, or Dorset culture , settled there about 4,000 years ago. They were descendants of migrations of ancient prehistoric peoples across the High Arctic thousands of years ago, after crossing from Siberia via the Bering land bridge . The Dorset died off or abandoned

1440-466: Is low, though, less than 12% in the same 2003 study. The referendum campaign of 1948 was bitterly fought, and interests in both Canada and Britain favoured and supported confederation with Canada. Jack Pickersgill , a western Canadian native and politician, worked with the confederation camp during the campaign. The Catholic Church, whose members were a minority on the island, lobbied for continued independence. Canada offered financial incentives, including

1520-484: Is primarily characterized by having a subarctic (Köppen Dfc) or a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). Locations on the extreme southeast of the island receive sufficient maritime influence to qualify as having a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc). Sikorsky VS-44 In the early 1930s, the primary mode of long-distance air travel over oceans was in flying boats, due to the ease of constructing docking facilities on shore without having to construct runways, and

1600-732: Is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait . It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River , creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary . Newfoundland's nearest neighbour is the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon . With an area of 108,860 square kilometres (42,031 sq mi), Newfoundland

1680-631: Is the world's 16th-largest island , Canada's fourth-largest island , and the largest Canadian island outside the North . The provincial capital, St. John's , is located on the southeastern coast of the island; Cape Spear , just south of the capital, is the easternmost point of North America , excluding Greenland. It is common to consider all directly neighbouring islands such as New World , Twillingate , Fogo and Bell Island to be 'part of Newfoundland' (i.e., distinct from Labrador). By that classification, Newfoundland and its associated small islands have

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1760-530: Is the venue for large sporting and concert events in the province. In March, the annual seal hunt (of the harp seal ) takes place. Largest municipalities (2016 population) Newfoundland is roughly triangular, with each side being approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi), and having an area of 108,860 square kilometres (42,030 sq mi). Newfoundland and its associated small islands have a total area of 111,390 square kilometres (43,010 sq mi). Newfoundland extends between latitudes 46°36'N and 51°38'N. Newfoundland

1840-436: Is the youngest province in Canada. Newfoundland was organised as a colony in 1825, was self-governing from 1855 to 1934, but after a financial crisis the legislature was suspended and it was ruled through a Commission of Government (see Dominion of Newfoundland ). On June 22 and July 3, 1948, the population of the colony voted in referendums 52.3% to 47.7% in favour of joining Canada as a province. Opposition to confederation

1920-655: Is thought to have been an image of a green fir tree on a pink background that was in use in the early 19th century. The first official flag identifying Newfoundland, flown by vessels in service of the colonial government, was the Newfoundland Blue Ensign, adopted in 1870 and used until 1904, when it was modified slightly. In 1904, the crown of the Blue Ensign was replaced with the Great Seal of Newfoundland (having been given royal approval in 1827) and

2000-528: The Yankee Clipper left Botwood for the first Trans-Atlantic passenger flight to Foynes , Ireland , its counterpart terminal for the shortest route to Europe. Botwood became host to many dignitaries and celebrities, some as part of official delegations and others who were stalled there waiting out inclement flying weather. In 1943 Bob Hope and his troupe were stormbound in Botwood and performed for

2080-851: The American Export Lines steamship line, so naturally these planes gave nothing away to cruise ships. Sikorsky's standard of luxury boasted full-length beds, dressing rooms, full galley, snack bar, lounge and fully controlled ventilation. With the American entry into World War II , 200 of the nation's 360 airliners were requisitioned for military service. AEA's three VS-44s, now with the Navy designation JR2S-1, continued flying between New York and Foynes , Ireland , carrying passengers, freight and materiel . The first VS-44, Excalibur , crashed on takeoff in 1942 at Botwood , Newfoundland , killing 11 of 37 aboard. A proposed licensed version of

2160-522: The Beothuk language , which is often considered to be a member of the Algonquian language family although the lack of sufficient records means that it is not possible to demonstrate such a connection confidently. The tribe is now typically considered extinct, but evidence of its culture is preserved in museums and historical and archaeological records. Shanawdithit , a woman who is often regarded as

2240-629: The Bishop of Newfoundland until a separate Bishop of Bermuda was created in 1919, though Newfoundland would become a Dominion in its own right from 1907 (the Dominion of Newfoundland ), before reverting to colonial status in 1934, and finally joining the Dominion of Canada in 1949 as the Province of Newfoundland . The European immigrants, mostly English, Scots, Irish and French, built a society in

2320-700: The Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base on St. Thomas and the Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base on St. Croix . On January 3, 1969 she was extensively damaged by rocks while taxiing at Charlotte Amalie , US Virgin Islands. Damaged beyond economic repair, it was beached in March 1972 and converted into a hot dog stand. In 1976, Excambian was donated by Charles Blair, original Chief Pilot of

2400-841: The Codroy Valley area, chiefly by settlers from Cape Breton Island , Nova Scotia. The Gaelic names reflected the association with fishing: in Scottish Gaelic , it was called Eilean a' Trosg , literally 'Island of the Cod '. Similarly, the Irish name Talamh an Éisc means 'Land of the Fish'. The first inhabitants of Newfoundland were the Paleo-Eskimo , who have no known link to other groups in Newfoundland history. Little

2480-571: The River Plate off Montevideo when (allegedly) returning from a smuggling flight to Paraguayan rebels. Four out of the five crew were killed, but both passengers survived. In 1949, AOA sold Excambian to Tampico Airlines. A short-lived effort to restore the only remaining VS-44 to run freight in the Amazon was unsuccessful, leaving the flying boat stranded in Ancon Harbor, Peru . By

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2560-813: The United States of America , the remaining continental colonies and the North Atlantic Ocean colony of Bermuda were organised and administered as British North America . All except the Newfoundland Colony and Bermuda confederated in 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada . Newfoundland and Bermuda would retain links (possibly explaining similarities between the Newfoundland English and Bermudian English ), including settlement in Newfoundland of Bermudians such as Joseph Outerbridge , especially their being grouped under

2640-500: The sea ice and weather of this isolated location and the native wildlife its residents relied upon for food and income . The First World War had a powerful and lasting effect on the society. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded. On July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, France, 753 men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over

2720-404: The 17th century came Irish fishermen, who found so many fisheries that they named the island Talamh an Éisc , meaning 'Land of the Fish', more loosely 'the fishing grounds' in Irish. In 1583, when Sir Humphrey Gilbert formally claimed Newfoundland as a colony of England, he found numerous English, French and Portuguese vessels at St. John's. There was no permanent European population. Gilbert

2800-535: The 1960s and 1970s. This research estimated that the settlement dates to about the year 1000, and the site contains the earliest-known European structures in North America. In 2021, an interdisciplinary team used the Miyake event of 993-994 as a benchmark in dendrochronology (tree-ring studies) to precisely determine that Vikings were present in L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland in year 1021. Designated as

2880-547: The 2006 census was 479,105. Newfoundland was long inhabited by indigenous peoples of the Dorset culture and the Beothuk , who spoke the now-extinct Beothuk language . The island was possibly visited by the Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson in the 11th century as a rest settlement when heading farther south to the land believed to be closer to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River called " Vinland ". The first confirmed visit

2960-531: The Beothuk and Mi'kmaq, though this is refuted by indigenous oral history. The Mi'kmaq, Innu and Inuit all hunted and fished around Newfoundland but no evidence indicates that they lived on the island for long periods of time and would only travel to Newfoundland temporarily. Inuit have been documented on the Great Northern Peninsula as late as the 18th-Century. Newfoundland was historically

3040-568: The Botwood Railway; the railway ran between Bishop's Falls and Botwood. It was a joint effort between the A.N.D. Company and the A. E. Reed Company of Bishop's Falls. It was to be the transportation link for the export of pulp and paper from the newly built mill at Grand Falls . The railway became operational by the fall of 1909, and the first shipment of paper from the new mill was sent in February 1910. The A.N.D. Company took control of

3120-688: The British Parliament designated Newfoundland Red and Blue ensigns as official flags specifically for Newfoundland. The Red and Blue ensigns with the Great Seal of Newfoundland in the fly were used officially from 1904 until 1965, with the Red Ensign being flown as civil ensign by merchant shipping, and the Blue being flown by governmental ships (after the British tradition of having different flags for merchant/naval and government vessel identification). On September 26, 1907, King Edward VII of

3200-470: The Mi'kmaq. The latter readily traded with Europeans and became established in settlements in Newfoundland. Newfoundland is the site of the only authenticated Norse settlement in North America. An archaeological site was discovered in 1960 at L'Anse aux Meadows by Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad . This site was the subject of archaeological studies throughout

3280-595: The New World unlike the ones they had left. It was also different from those that other immigrants would build on the North American mainland. As a fish-exporting society, Newfoundland was in contact with many ports and societies around the Atlantic rim. But its geographic location and political distinctiveness isolated it from its closest neighbours, Canada and the United States. Internally, most of its population

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3360-662: The RCAF Coastal Command. Franklin Delano Roosevelt , Winston Churchill and Charles Lindbergh are among some of the other well-known figures that have stayed in the town. During World War II (1940–1945), the Royal Canadian Air Force changed Botwood into a patrolling and bombing seaplane base. It was home to two squadrons of PBY Canso flying boats equipped with torpedoes and depth charges. A large concrete slipway , two hangars ,

3440-699: The Red and Blue Ensigns retained as ensigns for shipping identification. On March 31, 1949, Newfoundland became a province of Canada but retained the Union Jack in legislature, still designating it as the "national" flag. This was later reaffirmed by the Revised Statutes Act of 1952, and the Union Jack remained the official flag of Newfoundland until 1980, when it was replaced by the current provincial flag. (See Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for continued discussion of provincial flags.) As one of

3520-818: The United Kingdom declared the Colony of Newfoundland, as an independent Dominion within the British Empire , and from that point until 1965, the Newfoundland Red Ensign was used as the civil ensign of the Dominion of Newfoundland with the Blue Ensign, again, reserved for government shipping identification. In 1931 the Newfoundland National Assembly adopted the Union Jack as the official national flag, with

3600-399: The VS-44 to be built by Nash-Kelvinator , the JRK-1, was canceled due to the availability of the impressed JR2S aircraft. After the war, the two remaining VS-44s continued to fly for AEA, now renamed American Overseas Airlines (AOA) and operated by American Airlines . In 1946, Exeter was sold to TACI of Montevideo , Uruguay , as CX-AIR. It crashed on August 15, 1947 while landing in

3680-445: The VS-44, to the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola , Florida. In 1983, the Navy transferred the aircraft on permanent loan to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The heavily corroded Flying Boat was then shipped by barge from the Gulf of Mexico to Bridgeport, CT. Unloaded by crane, it was trucked a short distance to the Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, CT. A temporary Nissen hut -style hangar

3760-449: The XPBS-1 (Bureau Number 9995), made its first flight on 9 September 1937, the Consolidated XPB2Y-1 on 17 December of the same year. The XPBS-1 was evaluated by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1938, but the Navy contract went to Consolidated. The XPBS-1 remained in naval service, temporarily operated by Patrol Wing Five at Norfolk, Virginia in 1939, then by Patrol Wing Two at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , until it

3840-424: The coast, the area available to the Beothuk to harvest the marine resources they relied upon was diminished. By the beginning of the 19th century, few Beothuk remained. Most died due to infectious diseases carried by Europeans, to which they had no immunity , and starvation. Government attempts to engage with the Beothuk and aid them came too late. The Beothuk did not have friendly relations with foreigners, unlike

3920-439: The early years of the 19th century. The French name for the island is Terre-Neuve . The name Newfoundland is one of the oldest European place names in Canada in continuous geographical and cartographical use, dating from a 1502 letter. It was stated in the following 1628 poem: A Skeltonicall continued ryme, in praise of my New-found-Land After the 1783 independence of the thirteen continental colonies that became

4000-640: The first European since the Norse settlers to set foot on Newfoundland, working under commission of King Henry VII of England . His landing site is unknown but popularly believed to be Cape Bonavista , along the island's East coast. Another site claimed is Cape Bauld , at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula . A document found in the Spanish National Archives, written by a Bristol merchant, reports that Cabot's crew landed 1,800 miles or 2,900 kilometres west of Dursey Head , Ireland (latitude 51°35′N), which would put Cabot within sight of Cape Bauld. This document mentions an island that Cabot sailed past to go ashore on

4080-459: The first places in the New World where Europeans settled, Newfoundland also has a history of European colonization. St. John's is the oldest city in Canada and the oldest continuously settled location in English-speaking North America. The St. John's census metropolitan area includes 12 suburban communities, the largest of which are the city of Mount Pearl and the towns of Conception Bay South and Paradise . The province's third-largest city

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4160-424: The homes of the Nichols and Boone families were destroyed by flying sparks and embers. The fire claimed the lives of three engineers aboard the Artensis. The Canadian TV series Still Standing profiled Botwood in an episode that aired on December 1, 2020. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Botwood had a population of 2,778 living in 1,251 of its 1,389 total private dwellings,

4240-460: The island prior to the arrival of the Norse . After this period, the Beothuk settled in Newfoundland, migrating from Labrador on the mainland. There is no evidence that the Beothuk inhabited the island before Norse settlement. Scholars believe that the Beothuk are related closely to the Innu of Labrador. The tribe later was declared "extinct" although people of partial Beothuk descent have been documented. The name Beothuk meant 'people' in

4320-509: The last full-blood Beothuk, died in St. John's in 1829 of tuberculosis . However, Santu Toney, born around 1835 and died in 1910, was a woman of mixed Mi'kmaq and Beothuk descent, meaning some Beothuk must have lived on beyond 1829. She described her father as Beothuk and mother as Mi'kmaq, both from Newfoundland. The Beothuk may have intermingled and assimilated with Innu in Labrador and Mi'kmaq in Newfoundland. European histories also suggest potential historical competition and hostility between

4400-442: The late 1950s, two Southern California businessmen had heard of the Excambian ' s plight and had her ferried to Long Beach , where restoration work began. Dick Probert and Walter von Kleinsmid of Avalon Air Transport, (AAT) thought the VS-44 would be perfect for the Catalina tourist trade. AAT named her Mother Goose , to complement the line's Grumman Goose amphibians, and plans were made to utilize her for summer travel. In

4480-416: The lumber industry in Botwood can be largely attributed to Rev. Edward Botwood. His initiative in securing timber rights across the Exploits River Valley attracted the Gooday Company to set up a significant sawmill operation in Ship Cove, later renamed Botwoodville in his honor. This mill produced approximately 45,000 board feet of lumber daily, primarily for export to England . In 1908, construction began on

4560-423: The mainland. This description fits with the Cape Bauld theory, as Belle Isle is not far offshore. After Cabot, the first European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese, Spanish, Basque, French and English migratory fishermen. In 1501, Portuguese explorers Gaspar Corte-Real and his brother Miguel Corte-Real charted part of the coast of Newfoundland in a failed attempt to find the Northwest Passage . Late in

4640-461: The mid-to-late 19th century, following earlier European settlement at the mouth of the nearby Exploits River . By the end of the 19th century, the town's economy was heavily reliant on the lumber industry. This is supported by the 1891 census, which, when combining the totals from the three areas now constituting Botwood (Botwoodville, Killick Island, and Peter's Arm), recorded a total population of 173, with 38 residents working as loggers. The growth of

4720-452: The mine ceased operations in 1984. In November 1958, a tragic confrontation unfolded at the Harbourview Cafe in Botwood. Responding to a missing person case, RCMP Constable Terry Hoey was fatally wounded by gunfire through a closed door during a standoff with Jim Ling, the cafe owner, and his son Ken. Amid attempts to resolve the situation, the cafe was engulfed in flames, leading to the deaths of Jim and Ken Ling alongside Constable Hoey, who

4800-573: The possibility of malfunction forcing a sea landing. One flying boat designer was Russian immigrant Igor Sikorsky who had founded Sikorsky Aero Engineering Company when he came to the US in 1919. In 1930, his company became a subsidiary of United Aircraft . In March 1935, the United States Navy was making plans for a new patrol bomber that would have increased performance and weapon load capability from their newly procured Consolidated YP3Y-1 . Prototypes were ordered from Sikorsky in June 1935 and Consolidated Aircraft in July 1936. Sikorsky's entry,

4880-698: The previous site of the Botwood Cottage Hospital, now the site of a grocery store. This was the beginning of an ongoing project by the society to commission murals throughout the town to celebrate its unique history and increase tourism. A number of other murals have been completed around the town. As of October 2019. there are thirteen murals. The murals include the following: Newfoundland (island) Newfoundland ( / ˈ nj uː f ən ( d ) l ə n d , - l æ n d / NEW -fən(d)-lənd, -⁠land , locally / ˌ n uː f ən ˈ l æ n d / NEW -fən- LAND ; French: Terre-Neuve , locally [taɛ̯ʁˈnœːv] ; Mi'kmaq : Ktaqmkuk )

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4960-408: The railway operation in 1910, just a year after the line was completed. The first aircraft facility in Botwood was established by Captain Sydney Bennett , who was born in Newfoundland (1897–1945), and Major Sidney Cotton from Australia (1894–1969). From 1937 to 1945, both Pan Am and the British Overseas Airways Corporation used Botwood as a terminal for their Atlantic crossings. On June 27, 1939

5040-533: The southernmost part of the Inuit's territorial range. When Europeans arrived from 1497 and later, starting with John Cabot , they established contact with the Beothuk. Estimates of the number of Beothuk on the island at this time vary, typically around 700. Later both the English and French settled the island. They were followed by the Mi'kmaq , an Algonquian -speaking indigenous people from eastern Canada and present-day Nova Scotia. As European and Mi'kmaq settlement became year-round and expanded to new areas of

5120-457: The top of a trench. The next morning, only 68 men answered the roll-call. Even now, when the rest of Canada celebrates the founding of the country on July 1, many Newfoundlanders take part in solemn ceremonies of remembrance. The Second World War also had a lasting effect on Newfoundland. In particular, the United States assigned forces to the military bases at Argentia, Gander, Stephenville, Goose Bay, and St. John's. Newfoundland and Labrador

5200-429: The umbrella of United Aircraft and hoped to regain the Pan Am Clipper routes once serviced by their S-42 with the new Vought-Sikorsky VS-44, based on the XPBS-1. A single deck seaplane with four twin-row Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps rated at 1,200 horsepower (895 kW) each, the new aircraft was 80 feet (24 m) in length and weighed in at 57,500 lb (26,100 kg) for takeoff. The Boeing 314 Clipper

5280-410: The very earliest modern European population on the island. By 1620, the fishermen of England's West Country dominated the east coast of Newfoundland. French fishermen dominated the island's south coast and Northern Peninsula. The decline of the fisheries, the wasting of the shoreline forests, and an overstocking of liquor by local merchants influenced the Whitehall government in 1675 to decline to set up

5360-411: The war Botwood was home to approximately 10,000 Canadian and British personnel, and became Canada's most important overseas base (Newfoundland and Labrador would not join Canada until 1949). In October 1942, the Excalibur , an American Export Airlines Sikorsky VS-44 flying boat, crashed and sank into the Bay of Exploits shortly after taking off. 11 military personnel died; 26 survived. In November 1943

5440-553: The winter for skiers in eastern Canada. Other major communities include the following towns: Educational institutions include the provincial university, Memorial University of Newfoundland whose main campus is situated in St. John's, along with the Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook, in addition to the College of the North Atlantic based in Stephenville and other communities. Bonavista , Placentia and Ferryland are all historic locations for various early European settlement or discovery activities. Tilting Harbour on Fogo Island

5520-421: The winter, N41881 would undergo maintenance. Avalon Air Transport was later renamed Catalina Air Lines and continued to operate the aircraft until the late 1960s. Excambian carried thousands of passengers for AAT until 1967 when it was sold to Charles Blair of Antilles Air Boats. Blair, husband of actress Maureen O'Hara , acquired Excambian to ferry passengers among the Virgin Islands including service to

5600-419: Was an Irish Catholic fisherman who permanently settled in Newfoundland. He established the fishing town of Branch . He and his cousin Father Patrick Power of Callan , County Kilkenny, spread Catholicism in Newfoundland. This settlement attracted a major migration of Irish Catholic immigrants to Newfoundland in the early eighteenth century. By the late 18th century, permanent settlement increased, peaking in

5680-464: Was by the Norse who built a temporary base at L'Anse aux Meadows , a Norse settlement near the northernmost tip of Newfoundland (Cape Norman), which has been dated to be approximately 1000 years old. The site is considered the only undisputed evidence of Pre-Columbian contact between the Old and New Worlds if the Norse– Inuit contact on Greenland is not counted. The next European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese and French fishermen. The island

5760-477: Was concentrated among residents of the capital St. John's and its surrounding hinterland on the Avalon Peninsula. Newfoundland joined Canada at one minute before midnight on March 31, 1949. Union with Canada has done little to reduce Newfoundlanders' self-image as a distinctive group. In 2003, 72% of residents responding identified first as Newfoundlanders, secondarily as Canadians. Separatist sentiment

5840-469: Was erected at the airport in front of hangars three and four for the project. This put the VS-44A less than 1000 feet away from the original hangar she was built in, across the street at the (then) Avco Lycoming Engine Plant. In 1987 the restoration of the Excambian began, and it was decided to restore the rare flying boat to its post-WWII American Export Airlines livery. The restoration was conducted by

5920-466: Was finally assigned to transport squadron VR-2 at Naval Air Station Alameda , in 1940. On 30 June 1942, the XPBS-1 hit a submerged log upon landing at NAS Alameda. Among its passengers was CINCPAC Admiral Chester W. Nimitz who suffered minor injuries. One member of the flight crew, Lieutenant Thomas M. Roscoe, died. The XPBS-1 sank and was lost. By 1940 Sikorsky had merged with Chance Vought under

6000-544: Was larger and had more powerful Wright Twin Cyclones of 1,600 horsepower (1,193 kW), but the VS-44 was 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) faster and could fly an average payload more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km), outdistancing the big Boeing by 500 mi (800 km), giving it the longest full-payload range of any aircraft. The VS-44 brought home several new world records after it went into operation, but missed out on

6080-507: Was lost at sea during his return voyage, and plans of settlement were postponed. In July 1596 the Scottish vessel the "William" left Aberdeen for "new fund land" (Newfoundland) and returned in 1600. On 5 July 1610, John Guy set sail from Bristol , England, with 39 other colonists for Cuper's Cove . This, and other early attempts at permanent settlement failed to make a profit for the English investors, but some settlers remained, forming

6160-525: Was part of the territory of the Beothuk people. Botwood holds a significant place in Beothuk history due to Demasduit , also known as Mary March. She was one of the last known Beothuk, captured near Beothuk Lake in 1819. Despite efforts to reunite Demasduit with her people, she contracted tuberculosis and died in Botwood Harbour in January 1820. Permanent European settlement in Botwood began in

6240-624: Was possibly visited by the Venetian navigator John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), working under contract to Henry VII of England on his expedition from Bristol in 1497. In 1501 Portuguese brothers Gaspar Corte-Real and Miguel Corte-Real charted part of the coast of Newfoundland in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage . On 5 August 1583, Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland as England's first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I , thus officially establishing

6320-453: Was spread widely around a rugged coastline in small outport settlements. Many were distant from larger centres of population and isolated for long periods by winter ice or bad weather. These conditions had an effect on the cultures of the immigrants. They generated new ways of thinking and acting. Newfoundland and Labrador developed a wide variety of distinctive customs, beliefs, stories, songs and dialects. A unique vocabulary arose focused on

6400-466: Was the first Mountie to die in the line of duty in the province. In 1961, a fire erupted at the A.N.D. Paper shed on Water Street, believed to have started from an engine malfunction aboard the M.V. Artensis, docked at Botwood Harbour. The fire quickly spread from the ship's aft to the wharf, consuming the town's newly acquired fire truck in the process. The fierce heat from the wharf set the A.N.D. Paper sheds ablaze, leading to their collapse. Additionally,

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