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Continued transcribed information on names of Towns, it's location and a tidbit of History about the "Western Region" of our Province. Courtesy of Bill Spurrell at www.newfoundlandandlabrador Three Rivers Scenic Drive Salmon Rivers and St. George's Bay Take Route 406 back to Route 1 and head north for 60 km and turn off onto Route 405, the beginning of Three Rivers Drive, a scenic drive named for the three salmon rivers in this area. The Robinson's, Crabbes, and Barachois rivers offer excellent sports salmon angling. If you're from outside the province, you will need a licenced guide to fish these rivers. Ask at any Visitor Information Centre for a list of guides. These guides know the best places to cast a line. Keep an eye and an ear out for the great horned owl that nests in the area. Route 405 takes you to small communities along the southern shore of St. George's Bay with such Scottish names as Loch Leven and Highlands. Along Route 404, you will find coastal communities like Jeffrey's and, further on, Heatherton. Like their neighbours in the Codroy Valley to the south, residents here farm some of the best agricultural land on the island. The forests also provide resources for sawmills and the paper mill at Corner Brook. The Caribou Trail The Road to Burgeo A few kilometres past Barachois Pond Provincial Park is the intersection with Route 480 - the aptly named Caribou Trail - which winds 148 kilometres through the forests and barrens of the rugged interior to the south coast community of Burgeo. This is an excellent area to see some of the 60,000 woodland caribou that inhabit Newfoundland. Burgeo is one of the largest towns on the south coast of Newfoundland. The name of the town was originally Portuguese "virgio," which evolved in two stages into Burgeo. It's about 95 km east of Port aux Basques, and can also be reached by coastal boat from Rose Blanche on Route 470. Burgeo is located on an island connected to the main portion of Newfoundland by a short causeway. Settled by Europeans in the 1700s, it has grown into a major service and transportation centre for the western half of the south coast. From here you can get a coastal boat west to Grand Bruit, La Poile and Rose Blanche, and east to Ramea, Grey River, Francois, Macallum and Gaultois. A main attraction in the area is Sandbanks Provincial Park. Sand dunes are relatively rare in Newfoundland, but you'll find them here. These fragile dunes are covered by grass and beach pea, and are easily eroded, so please stay on the trails. Plants and animals that tolerate both fresh and salt water are found here. Salt water flows up Grepsey Brook to Heron Pond at high tide, while the reverse happens at low tide. The park is also a good place to see shore birds like sandpipers and water fowl such as ducks and geese. Sea kayakers will find this an excellent place to dip a paddle. Some Community Profiles: Grand Bruit - Newfoundland and Labrador Grand Bruit is a quaint isolated fishing community only accessible by boat. The passenger ferry service leaving from Rose Blanche is about a two hour trip to Grand Bruit or with the use of a private vessel, only one hour. The community is situated on the shores of a well protected harbour with sloping hills and a waterfall that makes a path through the centre of the village. The name "Grand Bruit", is no doubt French meaning "great noise" as is apparent by the roar of the falls which can be heard from a great distance. Grand Bruit was settled in the 1800's most likely because of the well-protected harbour, its abundance of forest and fresh water and its proximity to rich fishing grounds. It is thought that Grand Bruit was settled by the English and Jersey planters and fishermen who were encouraged to come by fishing merchants of Jersey. A visit to this picturesque fishing village will take you on a path that is dotted with brightly colored houses, providing an opportunity to meet with the friendly people of Grand Bruit. Because of its safe and interesting location, the Grand Bruit harbour has become a popular resting point for visitors to the area by way of pleasure crafts. Natural and traditionally Newfoundland, the settlement of Grand Bruit remains among the now few isolated fishing communities on the island. It offers a truly unique experience that is filled with the rich culture and heritage of outport Newfoundland. Gaultois: Gaultois is located across the bay from Hermitage on Long Island, Gaultois is one of three isolated communities in the Coast of Bays Region. Access is by regular passenger ferry service. The 20 minute ride provides you with an opportunity to take a first hand glimpse the coastline. The harbour is protected from the sometime rough seas by a narrow entrance and high cliffs. The rocky outcrops and sloping ground have limited the agriculture and building within the community. Gaultois was settled in the late 1700's with the arrival of Newfoundland based British merchant firm, Newman and Company. Their presence provide a solid basis for year round settlement. The southerly location provided opportunity for a year round cod fishery. In addition, American whale hunting was carried out during the late 1700's with Gaultois as a key strategic location. The remains of a Whaler's Cave on Long Island used as a lookout point for whales is still present. During the late 1800's Gualtois was used as a supply centre for the bank fishery. It was also used as a port to export salt cod to Europe Fishing continues to be a mainstay for the economy of Gaultois, however in past years declining stocks has taken its toll, like many other parts of Newfoundland. Norris Point: Captain James Cook referred to it as North Point in 1784 and its name may be a corruption of this reference, or it may have been named for Neddy Norris, a trapper who lived in the area in the 1790s. The Maritime Archaic and Paleo-Eskimo lived in the area between 4500 to 3000 years ago and 2100 to 1400 years ago respectively. The first permanent English settler was William Humber in 1833. After 1850, the population began to grow because residents of the East Coast moved here to work the Labrador fishery and the area's potential for the herring and lobster fisheries. The first census was taken in 1884, and it showed a population of 93, and by 1891 the population had grown to 315. During this time, several lobster factories were established here, as well as salmon being pickled and tinned. By 1935, Norris Point had grown to 525 residents, but during the 1940's the population declined and it was not until the 1950's, with the resettlement program, population began to increase again. With the establishment of Gros Morne National Park, tourism has played an important role in the town economy. The town was incorporated in 1960. Corner Brook: Corner Brook is strategically located close to airports and the Trans Canada Highway. Over 42,000 people reside in the Corner Brook region, with 20,105 in the City of Corner Brook and over 20,000 residing in communities along the shores of the Bay of Islands and in the Humber River Valley. The majority of the region's residents travel to Corner Brook to shop, work or go to school. The City's location makes it the hub of distribution, service, retail and medical activity for the west coast of Newfoundland. VISITING CORNER BROOK Experience our picturesque City from many groomed walking trails or visit the Captain James Cook Monument and bask in the glory of the sun setting over the Bay of Islands. Step back in time at the Corner Brook Museum and Archives or the Railway Society of Newfoundland Historic Train Site. Explore our downtown area and discover unique gifts and crafts and dine out in one of the City's many fine restaurants. Take a scenic drive along the coast of the Bay of Islands or have a more extreme adventure in Gros Morne National Park, just one hour away. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador are known worldwide for their open and friendly nature and their unwavering hospitality. The people of Corner Brook live up to this reputation. The City is nestled among the folded and faulted Long Range Mountains, which are a continuation of the Appalachian Mountain belt, stretching up from Georgia in the southern United States. Set at the mouth of the Bay of Islands, the City is 40 km (25 miles) inland from the open waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The landscape of the Corner Brook region is rugged and the scenery is spectacular. The surrounding coastline holds magnificent fjords, jagged headlands, thickly forested areas and many offshore islands. Wildlife, forest and water mingle with the City's borders on all sides and mountains fill the horizon in all directions. The history of the Corner Brook region is long and diverse. For thousands of years, people have lived and worked along the shores of the Bay of Islands and in the Humber River Valley, including two aboriginal groups - the Maritime Archaic Indians and the Beothuk people. James Cook, the famous British cartographer and explorer was the first to survey and record the geography of the Bay of Islands. Throughout the summer of 1767 he surveyed most of the area and copies of the maps he created are displayed at the Captain James Cook Monument in Corner Brook. The area served as a meeting, marketing and distribution point for local fisherman, who fished the Strait of Belle Isle by summer and spent the winters working in Corner Brook's lumber woods. Permanent settlement came as a result of the island-wide railway system and the construction of the pulp and paper mill in the mid-1920s. During the war years of 1939-1945, both the pulp and paper industry and the fishery were booming and Corner Brook was prosperous. Soon after the end of World War II, a cement plant and a gypsum wallboard plant were established, creating new jobs in addition to those already available at the areašs three fish processing plants, and at the paper mill. Four distinct communities with unique commercial activities had developed along the shores of the Bay of Islands. Curling with its fishery; Humber West with its retail businesses; Humbermouth with its railway operations; and Townsite, home to the employees of the pulp and paper mill. In 1956, these four communities were amalgamated to form the present-day City of Corner Brook. Theatre and art are alive in Corner Brook. Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador (TNL), one of the province's only professional theatre companies, maintains its home office in Corner Brook. The Arts and Culture Centre sets the stage for visiting productions - ballet companies, comedians, theatrical productions and musical artists all make Corner Brook a stop on their Canadian tours. The visual arts are also thriving in Corner Brook. Painters, photographers and sculptors find inspiration in the landscape and culture of Corner Brook and a number of art galleries display and sell their work. Those interested in visual art can study at Memorial University of Newfoundland's Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, which has offered a Bachelor of Fine Arts program since 1988. Corner Brook is Newfoundland and Labrador's "Host City." Our vibrant community is ideally positioned to host major sporting events. Here is a sample of some of the exciting events held in Corner Brook: 2004 Adventure Racing World Championships / Raid the North Extreme 2004 World Broomball Championships Annual TRI-FEST and International Triathlon Union (ITU) Triathlon World Cup 2003 Canadian Senior Broomball Championships 2003 FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships MuchMusic's Snow Job 1997 and 2002 2002 National Junior Baseball Championships 2001 Raid the North Extreme Adventure Race 1999 Jeux Canada Winter Games. To be continued: SPOTLIGHT ON: When was the last time you visited http://ngb.chebucto.org/NGBRIF/index.html ************************************************************** Please be sure your messages are sent in Plain Text format. Htmled messages may bounce. Going on vacation? Prefer the digest mode? Manage your NGB Mailing List subscription http://ngb.chebucto.org/ngb-mail.shtml
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