Port au Port Peninsula
Encyclopedia
The Port au Port Peninsula is a peninsula in the Canadian
province of Newfoundland and Labrador
. Roughly triangular in shape, it is located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland.
. It is bounded on the south by Bay St. George, the western side by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and on the northwestern side by Port au Port Bay
.
With a rocky shoreline measuring approximately 130 km in length, the peninsula extends approximately 40 km west from its isthmus to Cape St. George
and northwest 50 km to the fingerlike Long Point which by itself is approximately 25 km in length. The eastern shore of the peninsula is irregular, jutting into Port au Port Bay.
The Port au Port Peninsula is located on the western edge of the heavily eroded Appalachian Mountain
chain which runs along Newfoundland's west coast. There are no natural harbours along the peninsula's rocky coastline. The peninsula was once heavily forested but many areas along its shores have been cleared for subsistence farming.
The southern shore is hilly with the northern shore having a sloping lowland extending to a low rise along the centre of the eastern part of the peninsula. The geological
structure is complex with the peninsula's soils dating to the middle Cambrian
to early Ordovician
continental margin
, creating a carbonate
platform of limestone
, shale
, and sandstone
. The heavily folded geological structure in the area has been identified as having an unknown amount of petroleum
reserves.
during the 16th-17th centuries. French
and Basque fishermen used the west coast of Newfoundland, including the Port au Port Peninsula, for seasonal fishing settlements, however some began permanently inhabiting the area.
During and after the Treaty of Utrecht
in 1713 and Treaty of Paris
in 1763, France retained the right to use of the west coast of the island. This area came to be known as the "French Shore
" and the Port au Port Peninsula was at its centre.
Scattered settlement continued in the area until 1904 when France relinquished its right of use to the "French Shore". The Port au Port Peninsula represents the most varied ethnic and linguistic mix in the entire island of Newfoundland, with the highest proportion of French-speaking
settlement on the island (15%).
The French minority, a mix of Acadian
, French and Basque, has had an important influence on the area's culture. Newfoundland's unique folk music has been somewhat influenced by musicians from the Port au Port Peninsula, notably Émile Benoît
. Additionally, the area's strong Roman Catholic tradition is reflected in the high visibility accorded to churches throughout the peninsula's communities.
As the centre of the province's Franco-Newfoundlander
community, the peninsula has been designated the only bilingual district on the island of Newfoundland since 1971.
and Stephenville
.
Beginning in 1900 a limestone quarrying operation was established at Aguathuna, near the peninsula's isthmus where the Table Head mountain ridge extends from the Lewis Hills. The limestone was used by Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation
at a steel mill
in Sydney
, Nova Scotia
. The quarry was closed in 1966 following DOSCO's financial difficulties.
From 1941–1966, many people in the eastern end of the peninsula were employed at Ernest Harmon AFB
in nearby Stephenville.
From the 1970s to present a major limestone quarry began operating at Lower Cove employing 30-40 people.
In the 1980s-1990s, petroleum companies began exploring the peninsula for oil
. Some deposits were discovered in recoverable quantities and limited production wells are in place at some locations. Geologists have estimated that a much larger deposit exists deeper and possibly off shore from the peninsula in the 400-500 billion barrel range, however exploration drilling has not yet confirmed this theory.
A Canadian energy company may soon get the green light to begin drilling for oil off Newfoundland's southwest coast.
The Canadian Imperial Venture Corporation (CIVC) is waiting for approval from the federal-provincial oil regulator – the Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board – to drill a test well on Shoal Point, near the Port Au Port Peninsula.
The company has been exploring in the area over the last few years. It discovered some oil there in 2008.
"At the turn of the century there were several wells on the Port Au Port Peninsula, and Shoal Point, that produced somewhere between 20 to 25 barrels a day," said Kirby Mercer, CIVC's vice-president.
"Now, we're going in with modern technology, modern tools. So we hope to extract the black gold using modern technology."
Mercer said if the company receives approval for a test well and drilling is successful, CIVC hopes the Offshore Petroleum Board will then approve a significant discovery licence. That would bring the company one step closer to establishing an oil-producing well in western Newfoundland.
Today travellers access the area using the Marine Atlantic
ferry service to Channel-Port aux Basques
or with Sunwing Airlines
, Flair Airlines
and Provincial Airlines
to the Stephenville International Airport.
:
and local roads:
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...
. Roughly triangular in shape, it is located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland.
Geography
The peninsula extends into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is joined to Newfoundland by a narrow isthmus connecting at the town of Port au PortPort au Port, Newfoundland and Labrador
Port au Port is a small Canadian rural community located in the western part of the island of Newfoundland. Port au Port is situated on the isthmus connecting the main part of the island of Newfoundland to the Port au Port Peninsula to the west. Port au Port is located on Route 460, several...
. It is bounded on the south by Bay St. George, the western side by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and on the northwestern side by Port au Port Bay
Port au Port Bay
Port au Port Bay located on the west coast of the Island of Newfoundland formed by a long narrow point of land of the Port au Port Peninsula and the area of Newfoundland known as the Lewis Hills, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
.
With a rocky shoreline measuring approximately 130 km in length, the peninsula extends approximately 40 km west from its isthmus to Cape St. George
Cape St. George, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cape St. George is a headland and community of the same name, located at the southwestern tip of the Port au Port Peninsula on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.The headland marks the northwestern limit of St...
and northwest 50 km to the fingerlike Long Point which by itself is approximately 25 km in length. The eastern shore of the peninsula is irregular, jutting into Port au Port Bay.
The Port au Port Peninsula is located on the western edge of the heavily eroded Appalachian Mountain
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
chain which runs along Newfoundland's west coast. There are no natural harbours along the peninsula's rocky coastline. The peninsula was once heavily forested but many areas along its shores have been cleared for subsistence farming.
The southern shore is hilly with the northern shore having a sloping lowland extending to a low rise along the centre of the eastern part of the peninsula. The geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
structure is complex with the peninsula's soils dating to the middle Cambrian
Cambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
to early Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
continental margin
Continental margin
The continental margin is the zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin oceanic crust from thick continental crust. Continental margins constitute about 28% of the oceanic area....
, creating a carbonate
Carbonate
In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, . The name may also mean an ester of carbonic acid, an organic compound containing the carbonate group C2....
platform of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
, and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. The heavily folded geological structure in the area has been identified as having an unknown amount of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
reserves.
History
The area was named "Ophor portu" (port of rest) by Basque fishermenBasque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
during the 16th-17th centuries. French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Basque fishermen used the west coast of Newfoundland, including the Port au Port Peninsula, for seasonal fishing settlements, however some began permanently inhabiting the area.
During and after the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
in 1713 and Treaty of Paris
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...
in 1763, France retained the right to use of the west coast of the island. This area came to be known as the "French Shore
French Shore
The French Treaty Shore resulted from the 1713 ratification of the Treaty of Utrecht. The provisions of the treaty allowed the French to fish in season along the north coast of Newfoundland between Cape Bonavista and Point Riche. This area had been frequented by fishermen from Brittany since the...
" and the Port au Port Peninsula was at its centre.
Scattered settlement continued in the area until 1904 when France relinquished its right of use to the "French Shore". The Port au Port Peninsula represents the most varied ethnic and linguistic mix in the entire island of Newfoundland, with the highest proportion of French-speaking
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
settlement on the island (15%).
The French minority, a mix of Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
, French and Basque, has had an important influence on the area's culture. Newfoundland's unique folk music has been somewhat influenced by musicians from the Port au Port Peninsula, notably Émile Benoît
Émile Benoît
Émile Joseph Benoît was a Canadian fiddler, who became known for popularizing Franco-Newfoundlander folk music traditions....
. Additionally, the area's strong Roman Catholic tradition is reflected in the high visibility accorded to churches throughout the peninsula's communities.
As the centre of the province's Franco-Newfoundlander
Franco-Newfoundlander
Franco-Newfoundlanders, also known as Franco-Terreneuvians in English or Franco-Terreneuviens in French, are francophone and/or French Canadian residents of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador...
community, the peninsula has been designated the only bilingual district on the island of Newfoundland since 1971.
Economy
The Port au Port Peninsula's economy is based on natural resources, namely fishing. Limited forestry takes place in the unsettled areas of the interior and a small amount of subsistence farming takes place along coastal areas. Many residents of the peninsula, particularly the communities at the eastern end near the isthmus, work in nearby KippensKippens, Newfoundland and Labrador
Kippens is a Canadian town located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....
and Stephenville
Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....
.
Beginning in 1900 a limestone quarrying operation was established at Aguathuna, near the peninsula's isthmus where the Table Head mountain ridge extends from the Lewis Hills. The limestone was used by Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation
Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation
The Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation was a Canadian coal mining and steel manufacturing company.Incorporated in 1928 and operational in 1930, DOSCO was predated by the British Empire Steel Corporation which was a merger of the Dominion Coal Company, the Dominion Iron and Steel Company and the...
at a steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
in Sydney
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. The quarry was closed in 1966 following DOSCO's financial difficulties.
From 1941–1966, many people in the eastern end of the peninsula were employed at Ernest Harmon AFB
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The base was built by the United States Army Air Forces in 1941 under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom....
in nearby Stephenville.
From the 1970s to present a major limestone quarry began operating at Lower Cove employing 30-40 people.
In the 1980s-1990s, petroleum companies began exploring the peninsula for oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
. Some deposits were discovered in recoverable quantities and limited production wells are in place at some locations. Geologists have estimated that a much larger deposit exists deeper and possibly off shore from the peninsula in the 400-500 billion barrel range, however exploration drilling has not yet confirmed this theory.
A Canadian energy company may soon get the green light to begin drilling for oil off Newfoundland's southwest coast.
The Canadian Imperial Venture Corporation (CIVC) is waiting for approval from the federal-provincial oil regulator – the Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board – to drill a test well on Shoal Point, near the Port Au Port Peninsula.
The company has been exploring in the area over the last few years. It discovered some oil there in 2008.
"At the turn of the century there were several wells on the Port Au Port Peninsula, and Shoal Point, that produced somewhere between 20 to 25 barrels a day," said Kirby Mercer, CIVC's vice-president.
"Now, we're going in with modern technology, modern tools. So we hope to extract the black gold using modern technology."
Mercer said if the company receives approval for a test well and drilling is successful, CIVC hopes the Offshore Petroleum Board will then approve a significant discovery licence. That would bring the company one step closer to establishing an oil-producing well in western Newfoundland.
Today travellers access the area using the Marine Atlantic
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 service to Channel-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...
or with Sunwing Airlines
Sunwing Airlines
Sunwing Airlines Inc. is an airline headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, offering scheduled and chartered services to Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Central America, South America as well as domestic services during the summer season.It is a subsidiary of Sunwing...
, Flair Airlines
Flair Airlines
Flair Airlines is a charter airline based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It operates passenger and cargo services within Canada and the USA. Its main base is Kelowna International Airport...
and Provincial Airlines
Provincial Airlines
Provincial Airlines is an airline based in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It operates passenger and cargo services, maritime surveillance and remote sensing and environmental monitoring operations. Its main base is St. John's International Airport. - History :The airline was...
to the Stephenville International Airport.
Air Service
The Port au Port Peninsula is reachable by air via the Stephenville International Airport. Offering regular domestic flights all year long. The airport is located east of the region.Communities
The Port au Port Peninsula is a relatively insular region and contains a collection of approximately 20 communities:Southern Shore
Following Route 460:- Port au PortPort au Port, Newfoundland and LabradorPort au Port is a small Canadian rural community located in the western part of the island of Newfoundland. Port au Port is situated on the isthmus connecting the main part of the island of Newfoundland to the Port au Port Peninsula to the west. Port au Port is located on Route 460, several...
- Bellmans Cove
- Felix Cove
- Man of War Cove
- Campbells Cove
- Campbells Creek
- Abraham's CoveAbraham's Cove, Newfoundland and LabradorPiccadilly Slant-Abraham's Cove is a designated place in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located on the island of Newfoundland, along St. George's Bay, on the Port au Port Peninsula...
- Jerry's Nose
- Ship Cove
- Lower Cove
- Sheaves CoveSheaves Cove, Newfoundland and LabradorSheaves Cove is a small Port au Port Peninsula community along the shore of St. Georges Bay. There is a small tourist alcove just off the highway where views of the waterfalls and the ocean are visited often.-History:...
- Marches Point
- De Grau
- Red Brook
- Grand Jardin
- Petit Jardin
- Cape St. GeorgeCape St. George, Newfoundland and LabradorCape St. George is a headland and community of the same name, located at the southwestern tip of the Port au Port Peninsula on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.The headland marks the northwestern limit of St...
Northern Shore
Following Route 463Newfoundland and Labrador Route 463
Newfoundland and Labrador Route 463 is a rural highway in Newfoundland and Labrador that leads from Route 460 at Abraham's Cove to Maitland. It is situated entirely on Port au Port Peninsula in Western Newfoundland and has an approximate length of . Route 463 serves the northern shore communities...
:
- Cape St. GeorgeCape St. George, Newfoundland and LabradorCape St. George is a headland and community of the same name, located at the southwestern tip of the Port au Port Peninsula on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.The headland marks the northwestern limit of St...
- MainlandMainland, Newfoundland and LabradorMainland is a community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the western shore of the Port au Port Peninsula near Cape St. George....
- Three Rock CoveThree Rock Cove, Newfoundland and LabradorThree Rock Cove is a village lacated northwest of Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The population was 94 in 1940; 113 in1951 and 230 in 1956....
- Salmon CoveSalmon Cove, Newfoundland and LabradorSalmon Cove is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The town had a population of 707 in the Canada 2006 Census.-See also:* List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador...
- LourdesLourdes, Newfoundland and LabradorLourdes is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The town had a population of 550 in the Canada 2006 Census. The current mayor of Lourdes is Henry "Hank" Gaudon....
- Winterhouse
- Black Duck Brook
- Blue Beach
- Long Point
Eastern Shore
Following Route 463Newfoundland and Labrador Route 463
Newfoundland and Labrador Route 463 is a rural highway in Newfoundland and Labrador that leads from Route 460 at Abraham's Cove to Maitland. It is situated entirely on Port au Port Peninsula in Western Newfoundland and has an approximate length of . Route 463 serves the northern shore communities...
and local roads:
- LourdesLourdes, Newfoundland and LabradorLourdes is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The town had a population of 550 in the Canada 2006 Census. The current mayor of Lourdes is Henry "Hank" Gaudon....
- Tea CoveTea Cove, Newfoundland and LabradorTea Cove was located northwest of Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador.-See also:*List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador...
- West Bay CentreWest Bay Centre, Newfoundland and LabradorWest Bay Centre is a small community on the Western coast of Newfoundland. The population is about 300....
- Piccadilly
- BoswarlosBoswarlos, Newfoundland and LabradorBoswarlos is a settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada....
- AguathunaAguathuna, Newfoundland and LabradorPort au Port West – Aguathuna – Felix Cove is a small town located on the Port au Port Peninsula of the Island of Newfoundland, Canada. The nearest large service area is Stephenville....