Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Isle aux Morts is a small town on the Southwest Coast of the Island of Newfoundland, with a population of 813. It is an approximate 16 km drive from the Marine Atlantic
Ferry Terminal in Port aux Basques
. It has been a popular town in the past with over 1000 residents but since then, the main resource, the fishery has declined greatly causing the closing of the fish plant (main source of employment in the town) and the moving away of people to find a new job. The town has also lost its high school and now only has a K-9 school. LeGallais Memorial School has about 66 students.
and church in Isle aux Morts. There are two convenience stores and a bar.
mariner's astrolabe
on a shipwreck near Isle aux Morts. The year "1628" and "Y. Dyas" are stamped on the astrolabe, indicating that it was likely made by known astrolabe maker Joas Dyas. Portuguese mariner's astrolabes are unique because they are graduated for zenith
distance only.
In 1983, at the same site, Mushrow found a French mariner's astrolabe stamped with the year "1617" and the name "Adrian Holland". It is unknown whether he was the maker or owner of the astrolabe. In 2001, the Mushrow Astrolabes were designated heritage treasures by the provincial government and placed in the collection of the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador
.
, her 12 year old brother and their dog, Hairy Man. They are known because of their bravery in rescuing sailors from two sinking ships, the Despatch
and The Rankin.
A chamber opera based on the story of Ann Harvey entitled "Ann & Seamus" was written for Shallaway
- Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus by Stephen Hatfield in 2007. The opera was based on the narrative poem by Kevin Major
.
-- E-lo-mor
Pronounced by Residents as—I-la-mort
Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian Crown corporation offering ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St...
Ferry Terminal in Port aux Basques
Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador
Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...
. It has been a popular town in the past with over 1000 residents but since then, the main resource, the fishery has declined greatly causing the closing of the fish plant (main source of employment in the town) and the moving away of people to find a new job. The town has also lost its high school and now only has a K-9 school. LeGallais Memorial School has about 66 students.
History
Isle aux Morts has a rich Atlantic heritage and great scenery. There are two walking trails: Harvey Trail, named after George Harvey and his family (information below), and Boat Cove Trail, named for Boat Cove Pond. These two trails offer a great view of the harbour and the town. Also two wharves which show great scenery. There are many friendly people in this town and various things to do. The Walters House museum, which is in an old-style house which shows what life was like in the past in Isle aux Morts. The house acted as the first schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
and church in Isle aux Morts. There are two convenience stores and a bar.
Name origin
The town is named after a formerly inhabited nearby island and is a reference to the many shipwrecks off the coast. Isle aux Morts translates from French into English as "Island of the Dead".Archeology
On November 26, 1981, Wayne Mushrow discovered a very rare and working PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
mariner's astrolabe
Mariner's astrolabe
The mariner's astrolabe, also called sea astrolabe, was an inclinometer used to determine the latitude of a ship at sea by measuring the sun's noon altitude or the meridian altitude of a star of known declination. Not an astrolabe proper, the mariner's astrolabe was rather a graduated circle with...
on a shipwreck near Isle aux Morts. The year "1628" and "Y. Dyas" are stamped on the astrolabe, indicating that it was likely made by known astrolabe maker Joas Dyas. Portuguese mariner's astrolabes are unique because they are graduated for zenith
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
distance only.
In 1983, at the same site, Mushrow found a French mariner's astrolabe stamped with the year "1617" and the name "Adrian Holland". It is unknown whether he was the maker or owner of the astrolabe. In 2001, the Mushrow Astrolabes were designated heritage treasures by the provincial government and placed in the collection of the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Rooms
The Rooms is a cultural facility in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The facility opened in 2005 and houses the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.On a hill overlooking...
.
Notable persons of community
The town is probably best known for George Harvey, his 17 year old daughter Ann HarveyAnn Harvey
Ann Harvey was a fisher and rescuer born near the small fishing community of Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland, Canada. Harvey, called "Grace Darling of Newfoundland", is known for her bravery at the young age of seventeen for rescuing, along with her father, younger brother and a dog, 163 shipwrecked...
, her 12 year old brother and their dog, Hairy Man. They are known because of their bravery in rescuing sailors from two sinking ships, the Despatch
Despatch (brig)
The Despatch was a brig noted for having shipwrecked near Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland, and for the subsequent heroic rescue of many of its passengers and crew. The Despatch was partly owned by William Lancaster of Workington, England...
and The Rankin.
A chamber opera based on the story of Ann Harvey entitled "Ann & Seamus" was written for Shallaway
Shallaway
Shallaway, formerly the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir, is an organization of 220 young people from the city and surrounding area of St. John's, Newfoundland. It was founded by Susan Knight, the Artistic Director...
- Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus by Stephen Hatfield in 2007. The opera was based on the narrative poem by Kevin Major
Kevin Major
Kevin Major is a Canadian author who lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador with his wife and two teenage sons. He writes for both young people and adults, including fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, and plays....
.
Pronunciations
French PronunciationPronunciation
Pronunciation refers to the way a word or a language is spoken, or the manner in which someone utters a word. If one is said to have "correct pronunciation", then it refers to both within a particular dialect....
-- E-lo-mor
Pronounced by Residents as—I-la-mort
Time Line
- The 1st school in IAM was built in 1868. It was also used as a chapel for the church services. Today it is the Walters House Museum.
- The IAM Lodge was constructed in 1914 with free labor by a group of men who previously used the school for their meetings.
- The 1st Fishery Products plant was constructed in 1939. It burned down in 1943.
- A cottage hospital was built in IAM near the Fishery Products plant in 1944.
- Construction began on a highway leading to PAB in 1955.
- The 1st LeGallais Memorial school started in 1958.
- The Isle aux Morts Town Hall was built in 1960.
- Construction began on the local breakwater in 1961. Completed in 1962.
- Electricity came to Isle aux Morts on October 28, 1965
- On February 18, 1968, the whole community of Isle aux Morts was serviced with a telephone system.
- The Community Stage was built in 1970.
- The Marine Center was built in Isle Aux Morts in 1976.
- The 1st Town Council was formed on February 10, 1979.
See also
- List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
- List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and LabradorChannel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and LabradorChannel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...