Stephenville Crossing (2021 population: 1,634) is a town in the Canadian province of

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...

. It is on the island of Newfoundland at the easternmost limit of Bay St. George."Stephenville Crossing"
''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'', vol.5, p.304-305.

History

The settlement derives its name from the

Newfoundland Railway The Newfoundland Railway operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow-gauge railway system in North America. Early construction ] In 1880, a committee of the Newfoundland Leg ...

, which ran through the community on its way from Channel-Port aux Basques, Port aux Basques to Corner Brook. The

Hanson Memorial Highway Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ba ...

was constructed by the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) to link the railway line at Stephenville Crossing with

Harmon Field Harmon Air Force Base is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield, and postwar United States Air Force Base on Guam in the Mariana Islands. Originally named "Depot Field", it was renamed in honor of Lieutenant General Millard ...

, which was under construction on the other side of a hill to the north, in Stephenville. Later, the USAAF built its own railway line from Stephenville Crossing to Stephenville. Since the air base was constructed, Stephenville Crossing has functioned more or less as a suburb of Stephenville but there is a ten-minute car drive between both towns. The 1988 abandonment of the railway in Newfoundland by CN resulted in the last train running through Stephenville Crossing to St. George's (return) on June 6, 1990.

Geography

Stephenville Crossing is on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland within Division No. 4. It is part of an area referred to as ''Bay St. George.''

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by Statistics Canada, Stephenville Crossing 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.

Attractions

Stephenville Crossing has amenities such as a four-pump gas station, a federal post office, two pharmacies, a grocery store, a convenience store, two building supplies stores, a volunteer fire department, a K-8 elementary school (including a pre-school program), and a bar. It also has a medical clinic with a family doctor, a government ran long term care home and a search and rescue unit. The Barachois Search and Rescue is active in assisting authorities in water rescues and finding missing persons. The government-ran long-term care centre called ''The Bay St.George Long-Term Care Centre'' opened in 1976 (expanded in the late 1980s), with 114 beds offering complete and total care to residents living with diminished capabilities.

Education

St. Michael's Elementary School is a K-8 school off West Street that educates around 150 pupils. Facilities include a science lab, an art room, a music room, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria. It was officially opened in December 1976.

References