131-531: The Straight Shore is a 45-kilometre (28 mi) section of coastline on the island of Newfoundland in Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada . It follows a generally northwesterly direction from the town of Cape Freels to Musgrave Harbour and then a generally westerly direction along the southern shore of Sir Charles Hamilton Sound to Gander Bay . The entire section known as the Straight Shore
262-619: 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
393-508: A licence to Radio Bell Island . The broadcasts started on January 28, 2013, and since then the island again has its own radio station . The island has been somewhat politically infamous since the 2010s because of a longstanding feud between various local politicians and other locally well-known figures and their entourages. Over the years, there have been calls for an audit and allegations of alleged conflict of interest , mismanagement and defamation from various sides. Among other things,
524-683: A reservoir . All this was based on the massive demand for iron ore due to the post-war reconstruction of Europe. Until then, Bell Island also remained the sole supplier to Sydney's steel industry in Nova Scotia; which was also owned by DOSCO. When Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949, the Bell Island mines could immediately call themselves the largest iron ore mining operation in Canada (with over 43% of
655-526: 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
786-712: 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
917-431: A crew of 130 men. In the early 18th century, the first people had settled permanently on the island. The oldest Great Belle Isle census is from 1706 and records 85 residents. It concerned eight heads of households – namely five families with children and three single men – who together owned eight large and five small boats. As many as 59 people who resided on the island were (resident) staff of these families active in
1048-693: A desolate atmosphere due to the many empty houses, boarded-up commercial buildings and massive unemployment. In the first decade since the closure, the provincial government also further encouraged people to leave by giving any family that permanently relocated an amount of 1,500 Canadian dollar . This was part of the Provincial Resettlement Policy which sought to move people away from small, economically weak regions that were expensive to provide basic infrastructure. The provincial government then sold outdated homes for $ 1 apiece to anyone willing to demolish them for firewood . In contrast,
1179-452: A fear among the largely ageing population that there was no medical care would be more on the island except for one nurse at the local emergency room. After a charm offensive and accompanying Facebook campaign in the style of the movie The Grand Seduction , residents convinced one of the departed doctors to come back to the island in March 2022 (albeit on a contract of only 11 weeks). At
1310-483: A fight about the distribution of bingo income caused a lot of commotion in 2016. The political turmoil has been discussed several times in the provincial press and at the end of 2017 Bell Island even made the national press. In 2018, the mayor of Wabana did a call to unity. In the summer of 2019, divers from the Royal Canadian Navy undertook a salvage operation to retrieve unexploded explosives from
1441-445: 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
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#17327830139271572-458: A major iron ore exporter early in the 20th century. A large part of the mined ore was exported to Sydney , an industrial town in the north of Nova Scotia , where processing and smelting took place. However, the at the time industrially emerging country Germany was also a very important market . An important reason for this was that the Krupp steel group was willing to pay a higher price than
1703-452: A municipality for the entire island in 1947 via a referendum . In 1960 there was a production of 2.81 million tons, the highest ever reached in a single year. The island's population peaked around 1959 towards 13,000. As early as the end of the 1950s, however, the mines encountered increasing problems due to the presence of new competitors on the market who could produce cheaper and, moreover, often delivered ore with fewer impurities. In
1834-437: 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
1965-534: A total of 10% of the provincial population in 2022. In 2006–2007, divers led by Steve Lewis of The Explorers Club explored and documented the flooded mine tunnels of Wabana. On February 4, 2007, American expedition member Joe Steffen died of an air embolism . The divers continued the project despite the loss of a colleague. In addition to providing historically interesting information and photos, they also built 2 km line , making future diving missions easier. In 2016, as part of historical research, including
2096-467: A total of over 2,000 inhabitants. The vast majority of them live in the main settlement of Wabana , which can be reached from Newfoundland via a ferry connection to Portugal Cove . To the south are the hamlets of Lance Cove , Bickfordville and Freshwater . From 1895 to 1966, large-scale iron ore mining took place on Bell Island. As a result, the relatively small island acquired great international economic importance as it quickly grew into one of
2227-479: A tragic accident that happened on November 10, 1940. Two ferries collided with each other that day during a blizzard , namely the crowded W. Garland and Little Golden Dawn (which besides the captain only had an engineer on board). W. Garland sank within minutes, killing 23 people. There were only six survivors in all, including the two people aboard Little Golden Dawn . As had been feared years earlier, hostile Nazi Germany also effectively launched attacks on
2358-597: 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)
2489-535: 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
2620-516: 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
2751-698: 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
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#17327830139272882-480: Is by far the largest island in Conception Bay , a large bay in the southeast of the island of Newfoundland . The provincial capital of St. John's is less than 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the east. The coastline of Bell Island consists almost entirely of cliffs that tower up to 45 metres (148 ft) above the surf and also has several special rock formations. The island is home to four settlements with
3013-522: 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
3144-466: 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
3275-417: Is not entirely straight especially the more westerly section from Musgrave Harbour to Gander Bay South. The name may have been derived from the stretch of sandy beaches along the stretch between Cape Freels and Musgrave Harbour. The name stayed and was extended to include the section from Musgrave Harbour to Gander Bay South. Route 330 follows along the geographic area of the Straight Shore. Communities along
3406-484: Is only very little budget available for repairs. Since 2014 there has been a water treatment station, partly financed by the province, where every day between 200 and 500 inhabitants go with bottles and jars to get clean water. In 2015 and 2019, residents complained about the situation in the press . A similar issue occurs in dozens of other small and remote communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, affecting
3537-479: 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). Bell Island (Newfoundland and Labrador) Bell Island is an island that is part of Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada's easternmost province. With an area of 34 square kilometres (13 sq mi), it
3668-732: 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
3799-496: Is that thousands of tons of iron ore were lost and four large freighters were disabled. The importance attached to the missions is clear from the fact that in the second attack they specifically sought out some crew members who were already familiar with the waters of Conception Bay via cargo ships. In December 1942, Newfoundland government responded via the placement of anti-submarine nets in Conception Bay, after which there
3930-631: 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
4061-530: 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
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4192-436: 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
4323-655: 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
4454-522: 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
4585-629: 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
4716-780: 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
4847-594: The Treaty of Versailles had severely hampered most of their other import options. In 1920–1930, Germany imported some 6.2 million tons of iron ore from the Wabana mines, despite the occupation of the Ruhr (which was also damaging to Bell Island). That amounts to 55% of the total mined quantities in that period. At that time, Wabana had largely grown into a company town , built after the North American trends of
4978-813: 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
5109-505: The corona pandemic , the provincial government announced that Bell Island had the lowest vaccination rate in Newfoundland and Labrador. Only 66% of those eligible had vaccinated against COVID-19 , compared to a provincial vaccination rate of 82% at the time. Gary Gosine, the mayor of Wabana, pointed to vaccination skepticism as one of the causes. Member of the House of Assembly David Brazil also pointed out that many residents leave early in
5240-521: The iron ore on the island, which at the time was first identified as hematite . In 1894 they leased their rights to the New Glasgow Coal, Iron & Railroad Company (known as the "Scotia Company" ) of neighbouring Canada, which began mining the hematite in 1895. The weak and poor government of the Colony of Newfoundland was eager to see such foreign investors come. The mining site was
5371-500: 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
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5502-404: 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
5633-519: The 1830s, a real secondary sector also began to emerge on Bell Island. For example, from that period on a shipyard was active in Lance Cove and in 1848 a brick factory was opened there as well. There were also a number of people working in sectors such as woodworking and trade . Throughout the 19th century, a large proportion of men were also active in winter in seal hunting , then an important part of Newfoundland's economy. In 1843, under
5764-445: The 1920s. Two mines even closed their doors. The government kept the unemployed workers busy by building Middleton Avenue (the road between West Mines and Freshwater). Spurred on by these difficulties, the workers reunited in 1922 in a union , although it had largely disintegrated by 1926. The population size, on the other hand, continued to grow continuously all this time. As early as 1923, Bell Island had surpassed Harbour Grace as
5895-535: 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
6026-547: 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
6157-429: The Bell Island fishing industry. In the 21st century, the population count is still significantly lower in every five-year census compared to the previous one. Mainly because of the limited job possibilities, more people are leaving than there are moving towards the island. Above all there is also a large aging population, which means that there are far more deaths than births. Its proximity and fairly easy accessibility to
6288-501: The Bell Island mining industry during World War II. In 1942 they launched the attack twice with a U-boat , the fearsome German type of submarine . It became known as the Battle of Bell Island . In the night of 4–5 September 1942, the U-513 under the command of Rolf Rüggeberg entered Conception Bay. Around noon the submarine fired torpedoes heading for two fully loaded cargo ships :
6419-476: The Bell Islanders. With the exception of a few soon-discontinued council attempts in the 1910s and 1920s, there was no local government at all. This gap was partly filled by the supervisory staff of the mining companies, which provided a limited and somewhat paternalistic form of local government. Until 1949, six of the eight police officers were under contract with the mine company (and only two with
6550-531: 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
6681-688: 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
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#17327830139276812-677: The Canadian Lord Strathcona and the British Saganaga . Saganaga , carrying 8,300 tons of iron ore, sank within three minutes. 29 people on board were killed. Lord Strathcona also sank, albeit with no fatalities. Amid the chaos, the U-boat was accidentally hit while coming to the surface and gunners from the coastal battery as well as gunners on the coal-carrying freighter "Evelyn B." fired on it. U-513 then fled Conception Bay in slightly damaged condition. After
6943-458: The Canadians and Americans. From the beginning there were occasional conflicts between the miners and other workers on the one hand and their employer on the other, especially regarding income . Already in 1896 a first (unsuccessful) strike took place when 180 miners demanded an increase in the hourly wage from 10 to 12 cents. In 1900 there was for the first time a real labour union on
7074-1051: The Church Lads Brigade and the Catholic Cadet Corps. They served as soldiers in battles of the Newfoundland Regiment in Northern France, Belgium and the Ottoman Empire or served in some cases as lumberjacks in Scotland . In the end, 29 Bell Islanders were killed on the European front and dozens more were wounded. Several were killed in Beaumont-Hamel and Monchy-le-Preux , two French places that have become infamous for Newfoundlanders. Other fatalities occurred in French places such as Cambrai and Ginchy , at
7205-590: The Krupp group (which produced combat weapons ). After the outbreak of the war in 1914, mining was almost completely stopped for a whole year. In total, 200 Bell Island men left for the front in Europe during that period, ranging from 16-year-olds to men in their late 30s. 24 of them enlisted on September 2, 1914, the first day Newfoundlanders could enlist for military service. A large proportion of those enlisting as soldiers were members of Christian youth groups such as
7336-470: 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
7467-595: 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
7598-462: The Newfoundland government also had two searchlights installed. The government of neighbouring Canada paid for part of this defensive construction project as it was also of great importance to their industry in Nova Scotia . Also in 1940 the first lighthouse was built on the island, namely in the northeast. The war years were a traumatic period for the Bell Islanders. The disaster began with
7729-453: The Newfoundland government). At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to mining and continuous population growth, the island got all kinds of modern facilities relatively early. For example, from 1907 the island was already connected to the electricity network , which was important for the further professionalization of the mining industry. That same year an official ferry connection was created, albeit then from Kelligrews , located on
7860-526: The Ottoman Gallipoli or on Belgian soil at Passendale , Ypres , Ledegem and Vichte . Still others stayed in German prison camps after being captured by the enemy. Production at the various Bell Islands mines resumed in 1915, although there was no real recovery until 1916. During the war there was a limited recovery due to war-related demand and limited rise in the iron price, although this
7991-519: 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
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#17327830139278122-423: The Scotia-cargo pier , which was severely damaged. The massive explosion also shook up virtually the entire island population and even shattered windows in some homes. It was one of the only Nazi attacks to hit North American soil in the entire war. Shortly afterwards, U-518 also attacked two freighters filled with ore just minutes apart. As with the first attack, it involved ships waiting to eventually cross
8253-554: The Straight Shore are; Cape Freels , Lumsden , Deadman's Bay , Doting Cove , Musgrave Harbour , Ragged Harbour , Ladle Cove , Aspen Cove , Carmanville , Noggin Cove , Frederickton , Davidsville , Main Point and Gander Bay . 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 )
8384-419: 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
8515-440: The WWII shipwrecks off the coast of Bell Island. They then detonated the bombs on the Newfoundland mainland in a controlled manner. In 2021, the Navy completed the work by also clearing the firearms on board the ships as well as ammunition fired from the coastal battery. As two years earlier, the bombs were defused on land so as not to damage marine life and the touristic and historically important wrecks. In October 2021, during
8646-422: The arrival of the Europeans , Newfoundland was the territory of the now extinct Beothuk people . European fishermen and pirates already frequented the island early in the 16th century, mainly for the purpose of stocking up on potable water . The hamlet of Freshwater to the south and Freshwater Cove to the north are reminiscent of this. As early as 1578, the English merchant Anthony Parkhurst discovered that
8777-412: The attack, the government expanded the battery by installing additional searchlights, among other things. On November 2, 1942 – just under two months later – another German attack followed. In the middle of the night, at about half past three, U-518 led by Friedrich Wissmann fired a torpedo towards the Greek coal transporting freighter Anna T. However, the projectile missed its target and struck
8908-447: The average annual production was more than 1.15 million tons, which is higher than ever before. Growth continued unabated after the war, not least because the Germans resumed their imports in 1948. The period 1945–1959 was economically the most stable period in the history of the Bell Island mining industry, with major investments and expansions up to 1956. In the early 1950s, for example, the mining operator constructed an airstrip and
9039-571: The capital is one of the main reasons why the island still has a relatively high population and has not become one of Newfoundland's numerous ghost towns . The very outdated network of waterworks on the island was in such a bad state that since 2002 there has been an official guideline to boil the tap water for consumption. The tap water in some parts of Wabana takes on a yellow, brown or even black colour at times, often contains silt and leaves stains on clothing, tableware and in bathtubs. In 2022, only limited repairs have been carried out as there
9170-406: The closure of the mines. As many as 95% of the working population lived directly from the mining operation. Because there was hardly any employment left, a real population exodus started already from the end of the 1950s. Between 1961 and 1971 more than half of the inhabitants left. Among them were hundreds of miners who moved with their families to the small town of Galt in Ontario because of
9301-424: 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
9432-472: The community consisted of a mix of Catholics and Anglicans . In addition to fishing, they also lived from agriculture and livestock . These secondary activities were much more important there than elsewhere, as the island has very fertile soil by Newfoundland standards. Farmers there produced, both for their own consumption and for sale to the townspeople of St. John's, potatoes , strawberries , blackcurrants , turnips , and white cabbage . Beginning in
9563-567: The creation of a visual archive , a new diving mission took place in parts of the more than 100 km of flooded mine tunnels. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society named it "Expedition of the Year". In 2011, some volunteers started a radio project that lasted one week. Funds were then raised to establish a permanent radio station. On November 5, 2012, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission granted
9694-556: The early 17th century, Bell Island, part of the so-called English coast of Newfoundland, was a seasonal base and thus non-permanent settlement for fishermen mainly from England, Ireland and the Channel Islands . In the 1670s and 1680s, it was a base for fishermen from Dartmouth , a harbour town in England's West Country . In the fishing season of 1681, for example, there were two ships and 26 boats that together accounted for
9825-440: The early 1930s, in order to be able to feed all mouths. In addition, on 14 January 1937, a devastating fire raged in the town square of Wabana, which reduced fourteen shops and seven houses to ashes. From 1936, however, mining had started to prosper again. At that time, more than 6,000 people already lived on the island. It was the beginning of a positive trend for many years under the management of DOSCO. The German rearmament in
9956-475: The early 1950s, the open pit mines of the Labrador Peninsula , namely of Labrador City , Wabush and Fermont , were among the main competitors, certainly from the start of the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway from yonder to the seaport of Sept-Îles . In addition, the ore faced more difficulties in marketing, partly because of its high phosphorus content, which made it incompatible with
10087-439: 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
10218-446: The easternmost in North America and was therefore given the name "Wabana", a combination of two terms from the native Abenaki language which should mean "place of the first light". The location was ideal as the ore could be loaded onto ships immediately and, in addition, it was close to North American and European markets. On December 24, 1895, the first fully loaded ship departed for the steel industry of Nova Scotia. On July 3, 1896,
10349-426: The end of June 2022, Bell Island was again left without a doctor. Bell Island is 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) long and on average 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) wide, which gives it a slightly elongated shape along the southwest–northeast axis. It is located in the eastern part of Conception Bay , 38 kilometres (24 mi) off the coast of the eastern section of the Avalon Peninsula . The municipality of Wabana in
10480-487: The extraction at Wabana concerned open-cast mining , but from 1903 the above-ground hematite was exhausted and only underground work could be done in underground mines. With the start of mining, the economy of the island changed drastically and there was a very strong population growth. The Wabana mining site grew into a large and prosperous mining village. Gradually almost everyone on the island lived directly or indirectly from that industry. High production made Newfoundland
10611-719: 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
10742-453: The first half of that decade in particular, this was negative for the growth of the island economy. For several years there was a high unemployment rate reminiscent of the early 1920s, especially in 1934 when only one mine was open for a while. Most mining families continued to engage in small-scale farming, fishing, bird hunting and berry picking to supplement the family income. This was especially important in periods of economic crisis, such as
10873-600: 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
11004-542: The first ship departed for the United States and the first transatlantic shipload departed for the port of Rotterdam on November 22, 1897. As early as 1899 the Scotia Company definitively purchased the mining rights and shortly afterwards they sold a part of them to the Dominion Iron and Steel Company (DISCO). In the following decades, therefore, there were two companies operating side by side. Originally
11135-406: The first time as the largest buyer of iron ore. The total annual amount mined was already around 1 million tons. The outbreak of the war in 1914 therefore caused a major drop in exports as hostile Germany disappeared as a sales market. During the war, there was some concern in Newfoundland about German espionage , including the possible possession of detailed plans of the mines by German officers or
11266-412: The houses in good condition were used in some instances to temporarily house people living on benefits. From the 1970s, the declining demographic trend slowed down, although it continued uninterruptedly in the following decades. Decades after the closures, the negative economic impact continues to be felt. In addition, the collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery in 1992 was an additional blow to
11397-470: The island contained iron ore. Sources from 1610 and 1612 also indicate that Bell Island was known to have iron ore containing rock. Finally, in 1628, settler leader John Guy sent samples of Bell Island rocks to England for analysis. Some members of Guy's colony at Cuper's Cove attempted to claim the island thereon against the London and Bristol Company , but without success. Despite early knowledge that
11528-470: The island had at least some mining potential, the information was ultimately not used. The heavy rocks of Bell Island were historically mined on a limited scale, but only for use as ship ballast or for the manufacture of killicks , a Newfoundland-type anchor made of wood and stone. It was not until about the year 1819 that a small-scale iron ore mining operation was first reported (near Back Cove), albeit presumably briefly and without much success. From
11659-414: The island in the 21st century. During the entire 18th century there was no demographic growth and in 1794 the population was still only 87. In the 19th century, however, there was a clear growth with already 338 inhabitants in 1845. The island thus grew into one of the many typical Newfoundland fishing villages, the so-called outports . The inhabitants were mainly of English and Irish descent, so early on
11790-561: 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
11921-480: The island, there needed to be constant vigilance. With the Newfoundland Militia ; the government (again) established a national regiment, with the protection of Bell Island as one of its main tasks. Among other things, they manned the coastal defense battery that was built in 1940 and consisted of two QF 4.7-inch Mk IV rapid-firing naval guns, each built on top of a concrete platform. In addition,
12052-479: The island. They were largely behind the organization of the first large-scale strike (1600 workers) demanding 15 cents per hour. After bitter negotiations, the "Kelligrews Treaty" was negotiated, which gave the miners a limited raise to 12.5 cents an hour, but the union was dissolved. Accidents resulting in injuries or deaths also occurred regularly, to the extent that the Newfoundland government felt compelled to introduce mining legislation in 1906. In those early years
12183-432: The labour-intensive fishing industry. Gregory Normore, a fisherman and farmer from Jersey , is believed to have settled on the island around 1740 and was married to a Newfoundland woman named Catherine. They were not the first inhabitants, but are considered the first in traditional lore and local folklore. This is mainly the case because Normore has a gravestone left and because the couple still has numerous descendants on
12314-564: 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
12445-413: The late 1930s, including the construction of tanks, aircraft and submarines, was a positive factor that meant a way out of the crisis for Bell Island (because of the accompanying demand for iron). On August 26, 1939, less than a week before the start of World War II , the last German freighter set out for home fully loaded. In 1936 the Newfoundland government already indicated in its defense plan that
12576-529: The latest steelmaking technologies . In contrast, new open-cast mines in West Africa and South America produced large quantities of high-quality non-phosphorus ore. The complete lack of local anchoring of the mining government also played a role. As early as 1949, the closure of the deep and largely subsea No. 2 Mine took place, mainly because of the high cost of operating it. Opened in 1902, this mine extended up to 5.5 km out of shoreline and
12707-549: 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
12838-437: The majority of residents now commute daily via ferry to the St. John's Metropolitan Area . In recent years, the local economy has turned to tourism to a significant extent, with the natural beauty, mining history and shipwrecks being the main draws. Originally the island was known as Great Bell Isle , although this evolved into the shortened form Bell Isle as early as the late 18th century. Bell Island has been in use as
12969-539: The mines of Wabana were one of the five strategically important places in the country. In March 1939, when another war with Germany seemed very likely, the Commission of Government governing Newfoundland identified Bell Island as one of the most likely targets of a German attack. After all, it was obvious that the iron ore would be very important for the Allied war industry. Due to the enormous strategic importance of
13100-465: The mining board announced that the latter mine would also close. When it effectively closed on June 30, 1966, 71 years of intensive iron ore mining came to an end. The steel industry linked to the mines in northern Nova Scotia also definitively stopped production that year. Joey Smallwood , the then Premier of Newfoundland , had contacts in 1966 with a possible West German buyer, but in October 1966 it
13231-571: The morning by ferry to St. John's and return late at night, making it more difficult for them to present themselves at a vaccination centre than elsewhere. Eastern Health , the Eastern Newfoundland health authority at the time, then decided to bring a mobile vaccination unit to the island. During the same period, two of the three doctors on the island retired, with the last remaining doctor to retire in December 2021. This sparked
13362-422: The most famous figures within the Bell Island diaspora was Harry Hibbs . He became a folk musician based in his new home of Toronto and grew into an icon of traditional Newfoundland music . His famous song The Bell Island Song sings of the mine closures and the unemployed workers who consequently had no choice but to leave their homes and take the ferry one last time. In the 1960s, Wabana quickly developed
13493-418: The most important iron ore producers in the world. In addition, the ore mined in the mines of Bell Island was very important to the Allied war industry during World War II , which led to Nazi Germany attacking twice. At its peak, more than 12,000 people lived there. Since the end of mining , the population has fallen dramatically and there has been a severe economic downturn. Due to the few remaining jobs,
13624-408: The north is the de facto capital of the island. It houses the ferry terminal, a supermarket , a gas station and the local clinic . In addition to Wabana centre, the municipality consists of three more neighbourhoods, namely West Mines to the west, The Green to the north and The Front (or Bell Island Front) to the southeast, near the ferry terminal. The Front gets its name from being on the side of
13755-526: The ocean in convoy . It concerned the Canadian Rose Castle (hit by two torpedoes) and P.L.M. 27 , a British-owned Free French ship (hit by one torpedo). Rose Castle was wrecked with 10,300 tons of ore and much of the crew. Also the P.L.M. 27 sank to the bottom with 12 fatalities among those on board. The attacks took a total of 65 lives. What was most important for the Germans
13886-411: The official name since 1896, although the old name Bell Isle also continued to live on in popular speech for a hundred years. The island takes its name from a distinctive cone-shaped sea stack near the western cape known as The Bell (sometimes called Bell Rock). The name of this rock comes from the fact that it is similar in shape to a traditional bell protruding upside down from the water. Before
14017-464: The promise of factory jobs, to the extent that that place got "Little Bell Island" (or Little Bell Isle ) as nickname . Other industrial towns in the province of Ontario, such as Windsor and Toronto , also attracted many former miners. The same was true to a lesser extent for some growth centres within the province of Newfoundland, such as the nearby capital St. John's and the western Labrador mining communities Wabush and Labrador City . One of
14148-439: The second largest place in the Dominion of Newfoundland (after the capital St. John's). From 1920 onwards, Germany gradually resumed its imports. As early as the second half of the 1920s, the country had even once again become the main buyer of the Bell Island ore. This was very important for the livelihood of the islanders as it considerably reduced the malaise of the 1920s. The Germans had increasingly turned to Bell Island as
14279-473: The south coast of the bay. In 1913, a tram line also opened, carrying passengers and goods over Beach Hill, the steep hill just past the ferry terminal. From 1922 a telephone cable also ran to the island and in 1931 a local radio station was established. With the Wabana Druggist there was already a first local monthly magazine in 1910, although the weekly magazine Bell Island Miner in particular
14410-632: 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
14541-540: The supervision of the Anglican Bishop of Newfoundland, the first church opened on the island, after a Protestant school had been opened two years earlier. The first Catholic church opened in 1884. In the following decades, they were followed by a house of worship of the methodists (1901) and of the Salvation Army (1910). In 1892 Messrs. Butler and Miller of Topsail obtained a mining licence for
14672-412: The time, with workers being housed close to the mines. However, it was rather a hybrid between a typical company town and an ordinary settlement. This is because there was already a settlement before the industrial rise and because there always also were residents and businesses that were not directly connected to the mining companies. The government provided no, or at least no steadfast, local council for
14803-457: 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
14934-422: The total national production). There was also a well-organized workers' union since 1941 and working conditions and safety were better at that time than in, for example, most American mines. It was during this heyday that the government officially granted Wabana municipality status in 1950, albeit to the dismay of a large part of the population (who were generally conservative). The inhabitants had rejected
15065-433: The vast majority of workers were Newfoundlanders from the immediate area, mainly from St. John's and from other coastal towns along Conception Bay and Newfoundland's east coast. In the early days of mining, a large proportion of them also continued to live in those places. They stayed in temporary residences in Wabana during the week and went back to their families on the weekends. There were also many men who fished part of
15196-467: 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
15327-857: 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
15458-471: The work was done under candlelight and there was also a lot of child labour . Until the 1950s horses were used as working animals to pull empty mine cars and they had underground stables as they stayed in the mines for weeks to months at a time. Already in the early 20th century, mining jobs attracted a small number of immigrants from faraway places to Bell Island. These included a small group of Chinese as well as some Lebanese Christians. However,
15589-462: The year at sea and went to work in the mines for several months outside the fishing season. Over the years, however, more and more workers and their families moved permanently to Bell Island. In 1911 the island already had more than 3000 inhabitants (compared to only about 700 inhabitants before the start of mining). It had grown into one of the major iron ore producers in the world. In the decade before World War I , Germany had surpassed Canada for
15720-425: Was almost 79 million tons. According to estimates based on, among other things, aeromagnetic research of the enormous non- explored undersea section, however, at least 2 billion tons of theoretically minable ore has remained untouched. Mining brought great wealth to the island, but the flip side of the coin was that over 100 miners died in 71 years. The island ended up in a very serious economic depression due to
15851-491: 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
15982-523: Was announced that this deal fell through. By the end of 1968, virtually all of the infrastructure had been dismantled and sold along with the work equipment. The mines had been a very important source of iron ore for the economies of Canada and Germany for decades, as well as relevant quantities finding their way to the ports and steel industries of mainly the United Kingdom , the United States , Belgium and Netherlands . The total amount mined
16113-621: Was by no means sufficient to compensate for the loss of the German export market. The war also hampered other export opportunities. The end of the war meant another blow to the local economy, as the demand for iron fell even further. In 1920 the mines passed from the Scotia Company and DISCO to the British Empire Steel Company (BESCO). It was the beginning of a decade of mismanagement and high debt. Between 1920 and 1923, Newfoundland also went through an economic crisis. The combination of these resulted in many layoffs in
16244-568: 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
16375-477: 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
16506-540: Was long-lasting (1913–1944). Other facilities provided the island in the early 20th century included shops, hotels, restaurants, a courthouse and sports clubs. In 1930, the Dominion Steel Company (DOSCO) took control of the mining operation in its entirety. Shortly after the takeover, however, the Great Depression began, which led to years of reduced global demand for iron and steel. In
16637-507: 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
16768-418: Was no more attack. In 2019, Canada recognized the attacks as a national historic event and in 2022, the federal government put up an official memorial and information panel. World War II ultimately proved to be a period of growth for Bell Island's mining economy. The (again) temporary loss of Germany as a market was amply compensated by the demand from the British and Canadian war industries. In 1936-1945
16899-557: 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
17030-453: 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
17161-455: Was up to 4.8 km deep, making it the largest submarine iron ore mine in the world. The global impact of the closure of the No. 2 Mine on the employment rate had been limited overall. Due to the aforementioned problems, however, the No. 6 Mine closed in 1959, followed by the No. 4 Mine in 1962, which caused high unemployment. Since 1962 only the No. 3 Mine in operation. On April 19, 1966,
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