New-Wes-Valley, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
New-Wes-Valley is a municipality in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.
Incorporated in 1992, it is located at the Northern end of Bonavista Bay just south of Cape Freels
.
Statistics
New-Wes-Valley takes its name from the towns of Newtown
, Wesleyville
, and Valleyfield
. The municipality was formed by the combination of eight original villages; Newtown, Templeman
, Pound Cove
, Wesleyville, Brookfield
, Badgers Quay, Pool's Island
and Valleyfield, which all adjoin each other along a 15 km stretch of coastline containing many harbours, coves and islands. The terrain of the area is barren, rocky and relatively flat in comparison with much of the province. Today, the eight villages retain much of their own identity, with the municipality still containing as many as twelve churches.
The history of fishery in the area goes back to the 18th century, and it was settled by English fishermen permanently in the early to mid-19th century. Many of the early fishermen originally lived in island settlements such as Swains Island, Pinchards Island, and Flowers Island just offshore and close to the rich inshore fishing grounds, but resettled to the mainland during the 19th century, with further island resettlement
occurring within the area as late as 1953. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, this area was home to famous Newfoundland sealing families including the Keans, Winsors and Barbours. Today the area still contains beautiful homes, churches and mercantile premises dating from the 19th century.
The economy of the town has been mainly supported by the fish plant in Valleyfield, owned by Beothic Fisheries since the 1960s. Like many other Newfoundland fishing communities, the town has suffered from out-migration and declining population in recent years. A peak population of over 3,000 occurred during the 1950s through to the 1990s. Today, tourism is an important industry, with several heritage buildings and sites to visit, including the Barbour Living Heritage Village, at Newtown.
The area was connected by highways to the rest of the province in the 1950s. Prior to that transportation was by boat, with passenger services linking to the railroad at Gambo, about 70 km away. One of the most famous living persons from Wesleyville, New-Wes-Valley is David Blackwood
, an internationally known Canadian artist whose work is inspired by his childhood memories of the area.
Incorporated in 1992, it is located at the Northern end of Bonavista Bay just south of Cape Freels
Cape Freels, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cape Freels is one of the communities that comprise an area on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland, called Bonavista North. These communities have a shared history in that they were settled by people from England, predominantly from the West Country - Dorset, Devon, Somerset and...
.
Statistics
- 2006 census - 2,485
- 2001 census - 2,832
- 1996 census - 3,061
- 1991 census - 3,230
- Land area 133.59 km²
New-Wes-Valley takes its name from the towns of Newtown
Newtown, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newtown is a part of the Municipality of New-Wes-Valley, located at the North end of Bonavista Bay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The approximate population is 400. Settlement in Newtown originated around 1850 when people relocated from nearby areas...
, Wesleyville
Wesleyville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Wesleyville is a small coastal community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located on the Straight Shore of the northeast coast of Newfoundland, near the communities of Greenspond and Newtown...
, and Valleyfield
Valleyfield, Newfoundland and Labrador
Valleyfield, Newfoundland is a village and was served by the C.N.R. It joined the Rural District of Badger's Quay-Valleyfield-Pool's Island in April 1980 until 1992 when the District merged with other nearby towns to form New-Wes-Valley...
. The municipality was formed by the combination of eight original villages; Newtown, Templeman
Templeman, Newfoundland and Labrador
Templeman, Newfoundland is located on the north side of Bonavista Bay just south of Cape Freels and north of Wesleyville. Templeman has a shallow and rocky harbour, therefore its harbour can only accommodate and is only suitable for small boats.-History:...
, Pound Cove
Pound Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
Pound Cove, Newfoundland is located north of Wesleyville. In 1884 Pound Cove was listed as "Punch Cove" with a population of 106. It was inhabited by people from Flowers Island and Pinchard's Island. Pound Cove was settled during the Labrador fishery and by 1890 there were 114 people living there;...
, Wesleyville, Brookfield
Brookfield, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brookfield is a Canadian community located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Situated near Wesleyville, it was formerly named Norton's Cove but was changed in 1879 when Captain Abram Kean and his family of nine moved there and renamed...
, Badgers Quay, Pool's Island
Pool's Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
Pool's Island is an incorporated community of Badger's Quay-Valleyfield-Pool's Island in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is now part of the town of New-Wes-Valley.-History:Pool's Island was named Fool's Island up until the 1850s...
and Valleyfield, which all adjoin each other along a 15 km stretch of coastline containing many harbours, coves and islands. The terrain of the area is barren, rocky and relatively flat in comparison with much of the province. Today, the eight villages retain much of their own identity, with the municipality still containing as many as twelve churches.
The history of fishery in the area goes back to the 18th century, and it was settled by English fishermen permanently in the early to mid-19th century. Many of the early fishermen originally lived in island settlements such as Swains Island, Pinchards Island, and Flowers Island just offshore and close to the rich inshore fishing grounds, but resettled to the mainland during the 19th century, with further island resettlement
Resettlement (Newfoundland)
Resettlement in Newfoundland and Labrador terms was an organized approach to centralize the population into growth areas. Three attempts of resettlement were thrust upon outport residents and whole communities between 1954 and 1975 which resulted in the abandonment of 300 communities and nearly...
occurring within the area as late as 1953. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, this area was home to famous Newfoundland sealing families including the Keans, Winsors and Barbours. Today the area still contains beautiful homes, churches and mercantile premises dating from the 19th century.
The economy of the town has been mainly supported by the fish plant in Valleyfield, owned by Beothic Fisheries since the 1960s. Like many other Newfoundland fishing communities, the town has suffered from out-migration and declining population in recent years. A peak population of over 3,000 occurred during the 1950s through to the 1990s. Today, tourism is an important industry, with several heritage buildings and sites to visit, including the Barbour Living Heritage Village, at Newtown.
The area was connected by highways to the rest of the province in the 1950s. Prior to that transportation was by boat, with passenger services linking to the railroad at Gambo, about 70 km away. One of the most famous living persons from Wesleyville, New-Wes-Valley is David Blackwood
David Blackwood
David Lloyd Blackwood, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian artist.Blackwood is known chiefly for his intaglio prints, often depicting dramatic historical scenes of Newfoundland outport life and industry, such as shipwrecks, seal hunting, iceberg encounters, and resettlement...
, an internationally known Canadian artist whose work is inspired by his childhood memories of the area.