Herring Neck, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Herring Neck is a fishing community located at the northeastern extremity of New World Island
, Notre Dame Bay
of Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
. The community encompasses several small contiguous communities such as Cobb's Arm, Too Good Arm, Ship Island, Merritt's Harbour, Salt Harbour and Sunnyside. The name has changed many times in its history; at one time the area now called Herring Neck was called Goshen’s Arm and the areas now called Pike’s Arm and Green Cove was called Herring Neck.
The origin of the name comes from the early fishermen's practice of portaging loads of herring
across the narrow neck of Pike's Arm. This was necessary to avoid the journey around the Arm
and the treacherous headwaters.
It is believed the first European settler of the area was Jimmy Chant in the 1760s. It first appeared in the Census of 1845 with a population of 546, which included the surrounding settlements as noted above. By 1857 the population had reached 610 and peaked out near 1000 in the 1880s. It remained around that figure until the 1930s, from where it has steadily declined to 607 in the 1981 census. The population has continued to decline due to the cod moratorium and the downsizing of the fish processing plant in the community. Many have left the community to seek employment in larger communities.
In November 1908 at the Orange Hall, William Coaker
gathered together a group of fisherman to form what became later the Fisherman's Protective Union.
New World Island
New World Island is an island in Notre Dame Bay, just off the coast of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.The island is connected to Newfoundland by a causeway. The prominent communities on the island are Summerford, Virgin Arm, Hillgrade, Newville, Cobb's Arm and...
, Notre Dame Bay
Notre Dame Bay
Notre Dame Bay is a large bay in Newfoundland, Canada. To the south it adjoins the Bay of Exploits.The name, French for Our Lady Bay, dates to at least 1550, and is possibly a French translation of an earlier Portuguese name....
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...
, Canada
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...
. The community encompasses several small contiguous communities such as Cobb's Arm, Too Good Arm, Ship Island, Merritt's Harbour, Salt Harbour and Sunnyside. The name has changed many times in its history; at one time the area now called Herring Neck was called Goshen’s Arm and the areas now called Pike’s Arm and Green Cove was called Herring Neck.
The origin of the name comes from the early fishermen's practice of portaging loads of herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
across the narrow neck of Pike's Arm. This was necessary to avoid the journey around the Arm
Arm (geography)
In geography, an arm is a narrow extension, inlet, or smaller reach, of water from a much larger body of water, like an ocean, sea, or lake. Although different geographically, a sound or bay may be called an arm....
and the treacherous headwaters.
It is believed the first European settler of the area was Jimmy Chant in the 1760s. It first appeared in the Census of 1845 with a population of 546, which included the surrounding settlements as noted above. By 1857 the population had reached 610 and peaked out near 1000 in the 1880s. It remained around that figure until the 1930s, from where it has steadily declined to 607 in the 1981 census. The population has continued to decline due to the cod moratorium and the downsizing of the fish processing plant in the community. Many have left the community to seek employment in larger communities.
In November 1908 at the Orange Hall, William Coaker
William Coaker
Sir William Ford Coaker was a Newfoundland union leader and politician and founder of the Fisherman's Protective Union and the Fishermen's Union Trading Co....
gathered together a group of fisherman to form what became later the Fisherman's Protective Union.