Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
or 'Grand Banc' as the first French settlers pronounced it, is a small rural town with a population of 2,580. It is located on the southern tip or "toe" of the Burin Peninsula
(also known as "the boot"), 360 km from the province's capital of St. John's
.
Grand Banc was inhabited by French fisherman as early as 1640 and started as a fishing settlement with about seven families. It was given the name "Grand Banc" because of the high bank that extends from Admiral's Cove to the water's edge on the west side of the harbour.
The Town of Grand Bank can attribute much of its past and present growth and prosperity to its proximity to the fishing grounds and its ice-free harbour. Original settlers thrived on trade with the French and a vigorous inshore fishing industry. Grand Bank became the nucleus of the bank fishing industry for Newfoundland and a service center for Fortune Bay. With the decline of the salt fish industry, the town's emphasis quickly shifted to fresh fish production. Enterprising businessmen and town planners prepared the way for a fresh fish plant (present day Grand Bank Seafoods Inc.) and a fleet of trawlers.
1687 - First French Census taken in Newfoundland shows “Grand Banc” with a population of 45 (39 servants, 2 masters, 3 women and 1 child). The first community had one church, 3 houses and 18 muskets.
1693 – Census takers recorded some of the prominent names: Bourney, Commer, Chevallier and Grandin.
1713 - Treaty of Utrecht
, France relinquishes its claim to Newfoundland including St. Pierre et Miquelon. The French Population moved to Ile Royale (Cape Breton).
1714 - William Taverner
surveys the coast for the English Government.
1763 - Peace Treaty of Paris: French are given St. Pierre et Miquelon, forcing the English population at St. Pierre to relocate to Grand Bank and Fortune Bay. First record of English settlement.
1765 - Captain James Cook
mapped out the area and moored his ship at Admiral’s Cove. Came ashore and gathered buds off the small spruce tree to brew beer (excellent source of vitamin C) for his crew.
1836 – Census list 45 dwellings and a population of 236 residents.
1850s - By the end of the 1850s, Grand Bank had a school, a doctor, a judicial system, a postal service and a road system.
1870s - A change in fishing vessel from a shallop to a schooner. With the change in vessel came a change in fishing gear. The trawl was introduced. However, the trawl could not be set directly from the schooner. There was a need for a smaller boat, different from the punt; we have the first appearance of the dory
.
1879 - Breakwater and Dredging legislation was passed.
1881 - Bank Fishery began and Samuel Harris’s first season on the banks was a success. In short order, a number of other Grand Bankers with schooners followed (some of which include George Abraham Buffett, Simeon N. Tibbo and Daniel Tibbo). The demand for schooners dramatically increased. There were at one point (1885 & 1886) seven schooners being built in Grand Bank.
1890-1940 – Grand Bank had a fleet of banking and foreign-going ships and earned the distinction “The Bank Fishing Capital” of Newfoundland.
1955 - Modern fresh fish processing plant was built in Grand Bank and the schooners were replaced with modern steel trawlers.
Today, Grand Bank is the home of a shell fishing industry, a modern plant owned by Grand Bank Seafoods (A division of Clearwater Seafoods). It is also home to Dynamic Air Shelters - Manufactures of specialized, inflatable industrial shelters for the oil and gas sector, as well as structures for promotional and ‘first response’ uses.
21st Century Grand Bank boasts many innovative industries and businesses supported by modern infrastructure, a new Hospital, up to date Seniors Complex, Recreational Facilities, and the Community Center. Grand Bank is becoming synonymous with innovation, prosperity and most recently a captivating tourist attraction.
In recent years Grand Bank has seen a tripling of visitors interested in the Queen Anne architecture in the older homes, the traditions of a seafaring people and the heritage still evident in the older businesses, stores, halls and museums. Heritage Canada's Main Street program has been a great success, as evident in the face-lift of many storefront properties. This program was designed to assist in the revitalization of the downtown of Grand Bank using its four components - organization, marketing, design and economic development.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
or 'Grand Banc' as the first French settlers pronounced it, is a small rural town with a population of 2,580. It is located on the southern tip or "toe" of the Burin Peninsula
Burin Peninsula
The Burin Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
(also known as "the boot"), 360 km from the province's capital of St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
.
Grand Banc was inhabited by French fisherman as early as 1640 and started as a fishing settlement with about seven families. It was given the name "Grand Banc" because of the high bank that extends from Admiral's Cove to the water's edge on the west side of the harbour.
The Town of Grand Bank can attribute much of its past and present growth and prosperity to its proximity to the fishing grounds and its ice-free harbour. Original settlers thrived on trade with the French and a vigorous inshore fishing industry. Grand Bank became the nucleus of the bank fishing industry for Newfoundland and a service center for Fortune Bay. With the decline of the salt fish industry, the town's emphasis quickly shifted to fresh fish production. Enterprising businessmen and town planners prepared the way for a fresh fish plant (present day Grand Bank Seafoods Inc.) and a fleet of trawlers.
Chronological history
1640 - French fishermen were said to be in Grand Bank during this time.1687 - First French Census taken in Newfoundland shows “Grand Banc” with a population of 45 (39 servants, 2 masters, 3 women and 1 child). The first community had one church, 3 houses and 18 muskets.
1693 – Census takers recorded some of the prominent names: Bourney, Commer, Chevallier and Grandin.
1713 - Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
, France relinquishes its claim to Newfoundland including St. Pierre et Miquelon. The French Population moved to Ile Royale (Cape Breton).
1714 - William Taverner
William Taverner
William Taverner born Bay de Verde, Newfoundland Canada. Taverner, son of William Taverner was a plantation owner in St. John's in 1768 and by 1702 had business establishments in Trinity and Poole...
surveys the coast for the English Government.
1763 - Peace Treaty of Paris: French are given St. Pierre et Miquelon, forcing the English population at St. Pierre to relocate to Grand Bank and Fortune Bay. First record of English settlement.
1765 - Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
mapped out the area and moored his ship at Admiral’s Cove. Came ashore and gathered buds off the small spruce tree to brew beer (excellent source of vitamin C) for his crew.
1836 – Census list 45 dwellings and a population of 236 residents.
1850s - By the end of the 1850s, Grand Bank had a school, a doctor, a judicial system, a postal service and a road system.
1870s - A change in fishing vessel from a shallop to a schooner. With the change in vessel came a change in fishing gear. The trawl was introduced. However, the trawl could not be set directly from the schooner. There was a need for a smaller boat, different from the punt; we have the first appearance of the dory
Banks dory
The Banks dory, also known as the Grand Banks dory, is the most common variation of the family of boats known as dories. They were used as traditional fishing boats from the 1850s on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The Banks dory is a small, open, narrow, flat-bottomed and slab-sided boat with a...
.
1879 - Breakwater and Dredging legislation was passed.
1881 - Bank Fishery began and Samuel Harris’s first season on the banks was a success. In short order, a number of other Grand Bankers with schooners followed (some of which include George Abraham Buffett, Simeon N. Tibbo and Daniel Tibbo). The demand for schooners dramatically increased. There were at one point (1885 & 1886) seven schooners being built in Grand Bank.
1890-1940 – Grand Bank had a fleet of banking and foreign-going ships and earned the distinction “The Bank Fishing Capital” of Newfoundland.
1955 - Modern fresh fish processing plant was built in Grand Bank and the schooners were replaced with modern steel trawlers.
Today, Grand Bank is the home of a shell fishing industry, a modern plant owned by Grand Bank Seafoods (A division of Clearwater Seafoods). It is also home to Dynamic Air Shelters - Manufactures of specialized, inflatable industrial shelters for the oil and gas sector, as well as structures for promotional and ‘first response’ uses.
21st Century Grand Bank boasts many innovative industries and businesses supported by modern infrastructure, a new Hospital, up to date Seniors Complex, Recreational Facilities, and the Community Center. Grand Bank is becoming synonymous with innovation, prosperity and most recently a captivating tourist attraction.
Tourist attractions
- Southern Newfoundland Seamans Museum
- Grand Bank Regional Theatre Festival
- Annual Grand Bank Summer Festival, July 31 to August 7, 2010.
- Harris House
- Mariner's Memorial
- Bait Depot
- Grand Bank Lighthouse
- Grande Meadows Golf Course - Just 30 km away. 9-hole, par 36, open May to October.
- St. Pierre and Miquelon - France's last outpost in North America. Just minutes by air from Winterland or 70 minutes by sea from nearby Fortune (just 5 km from Grand Bank)
In recent years Grand Bank has seen a tripling of visitors interested in the Queen Anne architecture in the older homes, the traditions of a seafaring people and the heritage still evident in the older businesses, stores, halls and museums. Heritage Canada's Main Street program has been a great success, as evident in the face-lift of many storefront properties. This program was designed to assist in the revitalization of the downtown of Grand Bank using its four components - organization, marketing, design and economic development.
Climate
- The climate of Grand Bank is classified as Boreal (Koppen Dfb).
- It enjoys one of the most favourable climates of Newfoundland and Labrador, mainly due to its position on the extreme southern coast of the Burin Peninsula.
- The winters are relatively mild winters with considerable variation in snow cover and heavy rainfall from October through December.
- The average air temperature in January is -0.5 °C - one of the warmest for all of Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Surface wind speeds average 20–30 km/hour, with 50–80 km/h typically sustained during low pressure systems. Very strong gusts (120–140 km/h) are a common feature along the south coast.
- During strong Arctic air outbreaks the "windchill equivalent temperature" is typically in the -25 to -35 °C range on the island.
- July has a mean temperature of 20.6 °C. Summers are generally cooled by low clouds and fog.
- There is less fog in Grand Bank than at the other location on the south coast where records are kept. Fog can often be seen around Grand Bank when the community itself is free of it. This is thought to be caused by a combination of the inland hills and ridges that cause the fog to evaporate before it reaches the town.
- Mean annual precipitation is 1461.1mm, which is high due to the occurrence of cyclonic storms and in which most of the precipitation falls as rain (1280.9mm or 81%).
- Snowfall in Grand Bank is about 180.2mm annually.
Newspaper
The Southern Gazette is a newspaper that covers the entire Burin Peninsula.Radio
- AM 740: CHCMCHCMCHCM is an AM radio station located on Villa Marie Dr, Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, broadcasting at 740 kHz. Owned by Newcap Inc., CHCM first went on the air in 1962. It is an affiliate of VOCM...
("VOCM"), newsNewsNews is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
/talkTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
/country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... - FM 90.3: CBNMCBN (AM)CIBB-FM Burgeo rebroadcasts programming of CBC Radio One, although it is owned by the Burgeo Broadcasting System.-External links:* * at Canadian Communications Foundation...
, CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming... - FM 91.7: CBN-FM-5CBN-FMCBN-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador on 106.9 MHz. The station was launched in 1975, just two years before OZ FM...
, CBC Radio 2 - FM 96.3: CHOZCHOZ-FMCJMY and CKMY were previously known as CKCV and CHOS respectively, up to at least 2002. The changes were apparently made to reserve appropriate call signs for "My FM", Newfoundland Broadcasting's proposal for a second FM service, which went before the CRTC later that same year...
("OZFM"), active rockActive rockActive rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:... - FM 99.5: VOAR-2VOAR (AM)VOAR is a Canadian radio station, which airs religious programming in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador on 1210 kHz and various FM frequencies.The station first broadcast in the fall of 1929...
, Christian radioChristian radioChristian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...