Swells Cove (formerly Seals Cove) was a small community in
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 ...
. It is located near
Ship Harbour, Placentia Bay, and is accessible from Ship Harbour through "The American Road".
History
Fisherman from
Iona
Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...
,
Argentia
Argentia ( ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which r ...
, and
Ship Harbour and surrounding areas for many years in the 1800s used the Cove for fishing purposes. Until it was settled by the
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...
Families from Iona in the early 1900s. In
1921 Census of Newfoundland there were 9 people in 2 Households in the Cove. One family lived in "The Hole" and the other on the far right side beneath a small cliff. In the late 1920s, the family that had lived in "The Hole" had moved to Ship Harbour.
1935 Census – Ship Harbor
/ref> By then 1 person had died in the other household and another had moved, and only a man named John Griffin remained.
By the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Swells Cove had a barracks and had become a resting place for the soldiers working in nearby Ship Harbour Point and at the Argentia Naval Base
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941 to 1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Provinces and territo ...
. At the same time a road was built to Ship Harbour Point and Swells Cove via Ship Harbour and it was named "The American Road" after the American soldiers that built it. After the Second World War, Swells Cove Pond had become a favorite swimming place for the residents of Ship Harbour. By the early 1970s many Dory
A dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about long. It is usually a lightweight boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. It is easy to build because of its simple lines. For centuries, the dory has been used as a traditional fishin ...
races were also held at the pond in the summer. A boardwalk had been built around the pond later in the 20th Century to accommodate the many small trout fishermen that were taking interest in the pond because of it being easily accessible, being a close proximity to Ship Harbour.
References
{{NLDivision1
Populated places in Newfoundland and Labrador