North West River, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
North West River is a small town located in central Labrador
. Established in 1743 as a trading post by French Fur Trader Louis Fornel
, the community later went on to become a hub for the Hudson's Bay Company
and home to a hospital and school serving the needs of coastal Labrador. North West River is the oldest community in central Labrador.
and Inuit
) for over 6000 years due to its bountiful wildlife. In 1743 French fur trader Louis Fornel was the first European to establish a year long settlement at the present site of North West River. The site was primarily used to trade furs with the local aboriginals for European goods.
in Quebec). Many took on Inuit wives creating a unique population of Métis
trappers and traders. Traders would also do business trading goods with the nomadic Naskapi Innu
.
European fur traders relied on the knowledge of the land possessed by the trappers and the Innu to provide them with furs. Trappers living in and around North West River would come to the trading post to exchange furs for flour, raisins, canvas tents, axes, guns and other goods Valuable furs from beavers, mink
, martins
, seals
, foxes, bears and many other fur baring animals. Trappers maintained traplines inherited from relatives throughout central Labrador.
The fur trade collapsed after the Second World War. Many trappers abandoned their traplines to work at the newly for air force Base at nearby Goose Bay
.
Labrador was passed from the French to the British. With the arrival of the British came the Hudson's Bay Company in 1836 who would enjoy a trade monopoly over central Labrador's Furs for more than 100 years. The newest of the Hudson's Bay Trading posts was constructed in 1923 and still remains as museum run and maintained by the Labrador Heritage Society.
began traveling the Labrador coast providing medical services to fishermen and the aboriginals living in Labrador. In 1914 the International Grenfell Association
was formed. The mission took doctors and nurses from the United Kingdom
, and a handful of Commonwealth countries, to serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. One of these doctors was Dr. Harry L. Paddon, who in 1915 established a hospital in North West River which would eventually serve the entire coast of Labrador.
In 1981 the International Grenfell Association dissolved, leaving all properties to the Grenfell Regional Health Services Board, a locally run board, no longer relying on the support of missionaries. The hospital in North West River was closed by the provincial government in 1983.
with his two companions departed North West River for his tragic canoe
expedition
.
, the Mealy Mountains
, Grand Lake
and Little Lake
.
A modern bridge connects North West River to the road to the rest of the continent by a modern bridge which was constructed in 1980. Before that a cable car
spanned the river for 19 years. Before that the river was only passable by boat.
The Labrador Interpretation Center, located on Sunday Hill Road, is designed to provide a comprehensive view into the history and culture of Labrador. The center features an art gallery, temporary exhibit space and a small theatre.
In 2007, the Beach Festival was moved to the North West River Waterfront instead of its traditional location on the beach.
The town is located on a hill dividing Little Lake from the larger Lake Melville. A small band of water (North West River) connects the two. The area of North West River is located on a sandy plain surrounded by mountains. The sand and gravel forming this plain was deposited by glaciers during the last Ice Age
.
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
. Established in 1743 as a trading post by French Fur Trader Louis Fornel
Louis Fornel
Louis Fornel was a French merchant, explorer, and seigneur in New France. Involved in maritime trade and both born and married into prominent Quebec families, Louis Fornel was among the partners Louis Bazil convinced to invest in his ill-fated Labrador sealing station.Determined to claim a sealing...
, the community later went on to become a hub for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and home to a hospital and school serving the needs of coastal Labrador. North West River is the oldest community in central Labrador.
History
Central Labrador has been inhabited by aboriginal groups (InnuInnu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
and Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
) for over 6000 years due to its bountiful wildlife. In 1743 French fur trader Louis Fornel was the first European to establish a year long settlement at the present site of North West River. The site was primarily used to trade furs with the local aboriginals for European goods.
Trapping
French settlers from Quebec moved to the area surrounding North West River to work as voyageurs and trappers (known as Coureur des boisCoureur des bois
A coureur des bois or coureur de bois was an independent entrepreneurial French-Canadian woodsman who traveled in New France and the interior of North America. They travelled in the woods to trade various things for fur....
in Quebec). Many took on Inuit wives creating a unique population of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
trappers and traders. Traders would also do business trading goods with the nomadic Naskapi Innu
Naskapi
The Naskapi are the indigenous Innu inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan, which comprises most of what other Canadians refer to as eastern Quebec and Labrador, Canada....
.
European fur traders relied on the knowledge of the land possessed by the trappers and the Innu to provide them with furs. Trappers living in and around North West River would come to the trading post to exchange furs for flour, raisins, canvas tents, axes, guns and other goods Valuable furs from beavers, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, martins
Martins
-People:* Anderson Martins, Brazilian footballer* André Renato Soares Martins, Portuguese footballer*Corentin Martins, French footballer* Dênio Martins, Brazilian footballer*Gaspar Martins, Angolan ambassador*João Carlos Martins, Brazilian pianist...
, seals
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
, foxes, bears and many other fur baring animals. Trappers maintained traplines inherited from relatives throughout central Labrador.
The fur trade collapsed after the Second World War. Many trappers abandoned their traplines to work at the newly for air force Base at nearby Goose Bay
Goose Bay
Goose Bay may refer to:* Happy Valley – Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada* Goose Bay , Canada...
.
Hudson's Bay Company
With the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1763)Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
Labrador was passed from the French to the British. With the arrival of the British came the Hudson's Bay Company in 1836 who would enjoy a trade monopoly over central Labrador's Furs for more than 100 years. The newest of the Hudson's Bay Trading posts was constructed in 1923 and still remains as museum run and maintained by the Labrador Heritage Society.
Grenfell Mission
In 1893 British doctor Wilfred GrenfellWilfred Grenfell
Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell, KCMG was a medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador.He was born at Parkgate, Wirral, England, the son of Algernon Grenfell, headmaster of Mostyn House School, and Jane Georgiana Hutchison and married Anne Elizabeth Caldwell MacClanahan of Chicago, Illinois, in...
began traveling the Labrador coast providing medical services to fishermen and the aboriginals living in Labrador. In 1914 the International Grenfell Association
International Grenfell Association
The International Grenfell Association is an organization founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell to provide health care, education, religious services, and rehabilitation and other social activities to the fisherman and costal communities in northern Newfoundland and the coast of Labrador.The IGA was...
was formed. The mission took doctors and nurses from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and a handful of Commonwealth countries, to serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. One of these doctors was Dr. Harry L. Paddon, who in 1915 established a hospital in North West River which would eventually serve the entire coast of Labrador.
In 1981 the International Grenfell Association dissolved, leaving all properties to the Grenfell Regional Health Services Board, a locally run board, no longer relying on the support of missionaries. The hospital in North West River was closed by the provincial government in 1983.
Hubbard expedition
On July 15, 1903, Leonidas HubbardLeonidas Hubbard
Leonidas Hubbard was a journalist and adventurer.He was born in Michigan and studied at the University of Michigan , choosing journalism as a career. In 1901 he married Mina Adelaine Benson, a woman two years senior and at the time an assistant superintendent of a Staten Island hospital. They met...
with his two companions departed North West River for his tragic canoe
Canoe camping
Canoe camping is a combination of canoeing and camping. It is similar to backpacking, but canoe campers travel by canoes or kayaks...
expedition
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
.
Present day
Although North West River has remained small in size over the last 250 years it remains a lively place full of history, the town offers scenic walking trails along the water front, through the forest or to the top of "Sunday Hill" where hikers can see a panoramic view of Lake MelvilleLake Melville
Lake Melville is a saltwater tidal extension of Hamilton Inlet on the Labrador coast in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Comprising 3,069 square kilometres, and stretching 140 kilometres inland to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, it forms part of the largest estuary in the province,...
, the Mealy Mountains
Mealy Mountains
The Mealy Mountains is a mountain range in the southern portion of Labrador in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The mountains lie south of Lake Melville and cover an area of approximately 26,495km² ....
, Grand Lake
Grand Lake (Newfoundland)
Grand Lake is a large lake in the interior of the island of Newfoundland of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It has an area of 534 km², making it the largest lake on the island of Newfoundland. Consequently it is one of, if not the deepest...
and Little Lake
Little Lake
- Communities :In Canada:* Little Lake, Ontario in Puslinch, OntarioIn the United States:* Little Lake, Inyo County, California* Little Lake, California, former name of Willits, California* Little Lake, Michigan in Forsyth Township-Lakes:...
.
A modern bridge connects North West River to the road to the rest of the continent by a modern bridge which was constructed in 1980. Before that a cable car
Cable car
A cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...
spanned the river for 19 years. Before that the river was only passable by boat.
Stores, restaurants and businesses
North West River is home to one convenience store as well as a craft shop selling local hand made crafts. Guided tours are offered by local outfitters.Museums and information
The Labrador Heritage Foundation operates a museum in the restored Hudson's Bay trading post. Various artifacts relating to the fur trade and Labrador history are cataloged and on display. The museum keeps regular hours in the Summer and can offer tours if booked ahead of time in the Winter.The Labrador Interpretation Center, located on Sunday Hill Road, is designed to provide a comprehensive view into the history and culture of Labrador. The center features an art gallery, temporary exhibit space and a small theatre.
North West River Beach Festival
Held on the North West River Beach the last weekend of July, The North West River Beach Festival is in its 25th year. The two day event is Labrador's largest music festival. Locals, travelers and ex-pats gather at the festival to socialize and watch local performers play traditional Labrador music. There are also crafts, foods and games.In 2007, the Beach Festival was moved to the North West River Waterfront instead of its traditional location on the beach.
Climate and terrain
North West River experiences generally mild Summers with cold winters. Winters usually begin in mid November and last until mid April and Summers begin in June and end in early September. The temperature generally ranges from about −30°C at its coldest in the winters to about +30°C in the summers.The town is located on a hill dividing Little Lake from the larger Lake Melville. A small band of water (North West River) connects the two. The area of North West River is located on a sandy plain surrounded by mountains. The sand and gravel forming this plain was deposited by glaciers during the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.