St. Bernard's-Jacques Fontaine, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
St. Bernard's-Jacques Fontaine is a town
in the Canadian
province of Newfoundland and Labrador
. The town had a population of 525 in the Canada 2006 Census
.
fishermen and as with many Newfoundland communities, as Roman Catholic fishermen began to settle there the populations diverged. St. Bernards became predominantly Roman Catholic, while the nearby communities of Jacques Fontaine and Bay L'Argent became predominantly Anglican.
on the east side of Fortune Bay
approximately 3 km east of Bay L'Argent. The origin of the name is uncertain, perhaps deriving from an early French settler, although it appears on many early maps as Jack (or Jack's) Fontaine.
Earliest know mention of the location is by James Cook
during his survey of Newfoundland on July 16, 1765, he recorded in his log: "At 7PM anchored with the best bower in a bight called Jack Fountain, in 10 fathoms water and moored with the small anchor and hawser. At noon weighed and came to sail."
The earliest know settler was a Rueben Buffett. His two children Charlotte and Ambrose were baptised in 1825 and listed as living at Jack Fontaine, Fortune Bay according to the Grand Bank Methodist
Church Records.
The first recorded census in 1863 labels the community as Tank Fontaine with a population of 33 residents. In 1935, there were 125 residents, noting the most common family names as Johnson, Pardy, Allen, Harris and Brushett. In the early 1980s, the population of Jacques Fontaine reached 200, most people finding employment in the inshore and long liner fisheries.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Canadian
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...
province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The town had a population of 525 in the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
.
History
The town of St.Bernards-Jacques Fontaine was amalgamated in 1994 from two small fishing communities.St. Bernards
Incorporated as a town in 1967, the community was known as Fox Cove until 1915. The name was changed to differentiate it from two other communities with the same name. St. Bernards appears to have been settled in the early 19th century by the Johnson, Stewart and Whelan families. These were primarily AnglicanAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
fishermen and as with many Newfoundland communities, as Roman Catholic fishermen began to settle there the populations diverged. St. Bernards became predominantly Roman Catholic, while the nearby communities of Jacques Fontaine and Bay L'Argent became predominantly Anglican.
Jacques Fontaine
Incorporated as a town in 1986, this small fishing community is located near the base of the Burin PeninsulaBurin 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....
on the east side of Fortune Bay
Fortune Bay
Fortune Bay is a fairly large natural bay located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland, Canada. The Bay is bounded by Point Crewe on the Burin Peninsula and Pass Island at the entrance to Hermitage Bay to the northwest for a distance of 56 kilometers...
approximately 3 km east of Bay L'Argent. The origin of the name is uncertain, perhaps deriving from an early French settler, although it appears on many early maps as Jack (or Jack's) Fontaine.
Earliest know mention of the location is by 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...
during his survey of Newfoundland on July 16, 1765, he recorded in his log: "At 7PM anchored with the best bower in a bight called Jack Fountain, in 10 fathoms water and moored with the small anchor and hawser. At noon weighed and came to sail."
The earliest know settler was a Rueben Buffett. His two children Charlotte and Ambrose were baptised in 1825 and listed as living at Jack Fontaine, Fortune Bay according to the Grand Bank Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Church Records.
The first recorded census in 1863 labels the community as Tank Fontaine with a population of 33 residents. In 1935, there were 125 residents, noting the most common family names as Johnson, Pardy, Allen, Harris and Brushett. In the early 1980s, the population of Jacques Fontaine reached 200, most people finding employment in the inshore and long liner fisheries.