Change Islands is an
outport
An outport is any port considered secondary to a main port (including a provincial one as opposed to a capital one), and often (especially) a small port built to support the commercial operations of a large port. The Port of Tilbury from the Port ...
community in the
Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
.
The community spans two small islands of the same name which lie off the northeast coast of the island of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
between
Notre Dame Bay
Notre Dame Bay is a large bay in Newfoundland, Canada. To the south it adjoins the Bay of Exploits.
The name, French for '' Our Lady Bay'', dates to at least 1550, and is possibly a French translation of an earlier Portuguese name.
Trump Island ...
and the
Labrador Sea
The Labrador Sea (French: ''mer du Labrador'', Danish: ''Labradorhavet'') is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelf, continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, ...
.
The community of Change Islands is located primarily on the larger South Island, today hosting approximately 184 residents, though most of the public buildings are on the North Island.
The
Newfoundland Pony
The Newfoundland pony is a horse breed, breed of pony originating in Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland, Canada. They are sturdy and muscular ponies, found in many equine coat color, colors, including the relatively rare white (horse), wh ...
Refuge is located on Change Islands.
Geography
The southern and northern Change Islands are separated by a "tickle" (a narrow
strait
A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...
, in
Newfoundland English
Newfoundland English is a term referring to any of several accents and dialects of Atlantic Canadian English found in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of these differ substantially from the English commonly spoken elsewhere in ...
).
The South Island is larger, containing more
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
es/
bogs, and wooded area, the North Island is smaller, mostly barren. It is located in
Notre Dame Bay
Notre Dame Bay is a large bay in Newfoundland, Canada. To the south it adjoins the Bay of Exploits.
The name, French for '' Our Lady Bay'', dates to at least 1550, and is possibly a French translation of an earlier Portuguese name.
Trump Island ...
, on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland.
The community was first established as a series of random settlements around the islands tied to seasonal fishing activity which developed into a cohesive community, but by the early 1960's only Red Rock Cove (at the middle of the southern island) and Woody Island Tickle (approximately at the ferry terminal at the south of the southern island) remained. Most of the remaining settlements (Granpher's Cove, etc.) on either side of the tickle effectively incorporated into one entity. Remoter places (Gannis Island, etc.) were gradually abandoned. The first European settlers arrived sometime in the mid-18th century to fish.
The residents of Change Islands have preserved many of their traditional homes,
stages
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* S ...
, and stores (fishing sheds); many of these landmarks are disappearing in much of coastal Newfoundland and Labrador with the collapse of the ground fishery.
There are a few accommodation facilities on the islands, which are accessible by the
MV ''Veteran'', the provincially operated ferry from
Farewell that also services
Fogo Island further to the east.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...
, Change Islands had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
People
*Artist
Gerald Squires
Gerald Leopold "Gerry" Squires, (November 17, 1937 – October 3, 2015) was an artist from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Perhaps best known for painting dramatic landscapes in acrylic and oil, Squires also produced major work in sculpture, l ...
was born in Change Islands.
"Gerald Squires’ humble beginnings"
''Gander Beacon'', Clarence Ngoh, Oct 02, 2017
See also
*Fishing stage A fishing stage is a wooden vernacular building, typical of the rough traditional buildings associated with the cod fishery in Newfoundland, Canada. Stages are located at the water's edge or "landwash", and consist of an elevated platform on the s ...
*List of municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the ninth-most populous province in Canada, with 510,550 residents recorded in the 2021 Canadian Census, and is the seventh-largest in land area, with . Newfoundland and Labrador has 278 municipalities, including 3 ...
References
{{Subdivisions of Newfoundland and Labrador, towns=yes, ICG=yes
Islands of Newfoundland and Labrador
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
Road-inaccessible communities of Newfoundland and Labrador
Islands of the Labrador Sea
Fishing communities in Canada