St. Lewis, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
St. Lewis a small fishing community on the coast of Labrador
of the Province
of Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
. St Lewis formerly known as Fox Harbour is the most easterly permanent community on the North America
n mainland. The community of St. Lewis enjoys a long and vibrant history as one of the earliest recorded places in all of Labrador. Settled in the early Eighteenth Century, the area’s sheltered location, proximity to good fishing grounds and seal migration routes made the settlement a desired location for the both the European based migratory fishery
, and the native Inuit
families who inhabited the south Labrador
coast.
extend throughout the St. Lewis Sound. The sub-Arctic climate of the south Labrador coast generally offers a pleasant cool summer climate, which is soon replaced with a snow covered, ice-chilled winter season. This harsh environment, with a few trifling exceptions, nourishes a hardy boreal ecosystem
. Collective forests of black spruce, white spruce and balsam fir are confined to interior valleys and riverbanks where the geography affords mild protection against the elements. Yet, the bleak, rocky shore of the Labrador coastline strongly resembles an Arctic tundra
biome.
St. Lewis embellishes its position as the easternmost permanent community on the North America
n mainland. The community’s physical location provides an excellent vantage point to view the southward procession of icebergs and floe-ice commencing every summer. St. Lewis is proudly recognized by Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism as located in the provinces renowned "Iceberg Alley".
The Loder family from Harbour Grace
, Newfoundland
had established a fish trading business and constructed premises in the community, now restored it houses exhibits relating the history of St. Lewis. St Lewis has been a radar site since 1954 when the Americans
constructed a radar site as part of the Pinetree Radar System
(DEW Line).. A Loran C
station is still operated by the Canadian Coast Guard
at St. Lewis.
Statistics Canada detail demographics follow link here
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...
of the Province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
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...
. St Lewis formerly known as Fox Harbour is the most easterly permanent community on the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n mainland. The community of St. Lewis enjoys a long and vibrant history as one of the earliest recorded places in all of Labrador. Settled in the early Eighteenth Century, the area’s sheltered location, proximity to good fishing grounds and seal migration routes made the settlement a desired location for the both the European based migratory fishery
Migratory Fishery of Labrador
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador had three main types of fishery in the 19th century: sealing, migratory and inshore fishery.-Sealing:Sealing was a type of fishery that involved getting a berth or "ticket" on a ship that travelled to ice floes near Newfoundlandand Labrador. Teams would...
, and the native 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...
families who inhabited the south Labrador
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...
coast.
Geography
The town lies neatly within a sheltered harbour at the mouth of St. Lewis Bay. Like most of the landscape along the east coast of Labrador, barren, rocky slopes scourged by the frigid Labrador CurrentLabrador Current
The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia...
extend throughout the St. Lewis Sound. The sub-Arctic climate of the south Labrador coast generally offers a pleasant cool summer climate, which is soon replaced with a snow covered, ice-chilled winter season. This harsh environment, with a few trifling exceptions, nourishes a hardy boreal ecosystem
Boreal ecosystem
The term boreal is usually applied to ecosystems localized in subarctic and subantarctic zones, although Austral is also used for the latter....
. Collective forests of black spruce, white spruce and balsam fir are confined to interior valleys and riverbanks where the geography affords mild protection against the elements. Yet, the bleak, rocky shore of the Labrador coastline strongly resembles an Arctic tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
biome.
St. Lewis embellishes its position as the easternmost permanent community on the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n mainland. The community’s physical location provides an excellent vantage point to view the southward procession of icebergs and floe-ice commencing every summer. St. Lewis is proudly recognized by Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism as located in the provinces renowned "Iceberg Alley".
History
St. Lewis is one of the earliest recorded place names in Labrador, it was depicted on maps as early as 1502-1503 as Ilha de Frey Luis.The Loder family from Harbour Grace
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador
Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the sixteenth century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America. It is located about 45 km northwest of the provincial capital, St. John's...
, Newfoundland
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...
had established a fish trading business and constructed premises in the community, now restored it houses exhibits relating the history of St. Lewis. St Lewis has been a radar site since 1954 when the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
constructed a radar site as part of the Pinetree Radar System
Distant Early Warning Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland...
(DEW Line).. A Loran C
LORAN
LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....
station is still operated by the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
at St. Lewis.
Culture
| Population in 2001 | 290 |
| Population change from 1996 | -7.1% |
| Median age | 30.7 |
| Number of families | 85 |
| Number of married couples | 60 |
| Total number of dwellings | 85 |
| Catholic | 3.4% |
| Protestant | 98.3% |
| Land Area (sq. km.) | 9.25 |
Statistics Canada detail demographics follow link here