Safe Harbour is an abandoned
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 ...
on the northeast coast 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 ...
in the
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
province 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 ...
. Settled by 1870, it was abandoned in 1955.
History
Safe Harbour was situated on the northern shore of
Bonavista Bay
Bonavista Bay (BB) is a large bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. It opens directly onto the Atlantic Ocean.
The bay is demarcated by Ca ...
, between
Greenspond
Greenspond is a community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Greenspond is one of the communities that comprise an area called Bonavista North, in Bonavista Bay, on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland. These ...
and the
Valleyfield,
Badger’s Quay,
Pool's Island area. It lies about two miles south of Valleyfield and one mile west of Pools Island. Originally Safe Harbour was known as Puddingbag Cove and still is identified by that name on many marine charts and topographical maps.
The first inhabitants arrived in 1860 from the neighbouring settlements of Pools Island, Greenspond, Badgers Quay and
Wesleyville
Wesleyville is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,229 at the 2020 census, down from 3,341 in 2010. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Wesleyville is located at (42.137056, ...
. As the name suggests, Safe Harbour was a desirable place to live and pursue the fishery. The land at Safe Harbour was also well suited for growing vegetables and hay.
In 1904, a whaling station was built in Safe Harbour to take advantage of the then very profitable whale fishery. This provided much needed employment to many residents for a few years. However, this endeavour was short lived because the relentless hunting soon decimated the whale population, and in 1907, the whale factory was dismantled.
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, many Safe Harbour families moved to
Corner Brook
Corner Brook ( 2021 population: 19,333 CA 29,762) is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Corner Brook is the fifth largest settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador. ...
where the men obtained permanent full-time jobs at the paper mill. This was the beginning of the outward migration from Safe Harbour. During the late 1940s, more families went away to St. John’s and the mainland to find work. In the 1950s, those remaining families began to move to the nearby communities of Badger’s Quay and Valleyfield, floating their houses across the water or dragging them on the winter ice. The last family moved out in 1957.
The population began to decline after the collapse of the Labrador fishery in the 1940s. Safe Harbour was one of the first communities to be abandoned under the Government's Resettlement Program.
['']Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador
''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'' is an Encyclopedia commissioned by Joey Smallwood to capture the people, places, events and history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Smallwood's view on the purpose of the encyclopedia was ...
''
Settlement
Those who settled in Safe Harbour, around 1860, were mainly from
Greenspond
Greenspond is a community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Greenspond is one of the communities that comprise an area called Bonavista North, in Bonavista Bay, on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland. These ...
and
Pool's Island. It is believed that the first settlers were the Sturge family; other families that came to Safe Harbour include: Attwood, Blackwood, Burry, Davis, Dyke, Janes, Gillingham, King, Knee, Stratton, and Wakeley. Safe Harbour first appears in the ''Census'' of 1874 with a population of 98.
Church history
In 1874, the 98 people who lived in Safe Harbour were of the Church of England. In 1894 there was a Church of England church and school built nearby to accommodate surrounding communities. By 1891, the Methodists were building a church and school as well, and there were about 90 Methodists at Safe Harbour. The population in 1901 was 313, with 207 of those people being Methodist.
Census information
Interesting facts
*
Lester Leeland Burry, who was a Labrador Parson for 26 years, was born and raised in Safe Harbour.
[Hector Swain, ''The Labrador Parson: Reverend Lester Leeland Burry'', 1979]
* Three men from Safe Harbour died in the 1898 ''Greenland Disaster'' under Captain George Barbour: Edwin Davis, John Pinsent, and John Thomas.
See also
*
List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
This article lists unincorporated communities of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Incorporated towns and cities are incorporated municipalities and can be found on List of municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundla ...
References
External links
Friends of Safe Harbour Former residents of Safe Harbour and their families share photos and recollections.* http://www.willow-house.com/gazfree/Bonavista.html
* http://www.rootsweb.com/~cannf/bbnor.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Safe Harbour, Newfoundland And Labrador
Ghost towns in Newfoundland and Labrador