Fortune (2021 population: 1,285)
is a Canadian town located in the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...
.
Fortune is situated on the western side of the
Burin Peninsula on the island of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
and was incorporated as a town in 1945. The town is located near the southeastern boundary of Fortune Bay. The name of the town is believed to have originated from the
Portuguese word "fortuna" meaning "harbour of good fortune."
The main industry in Fortune is the ocean fishery which employs 400 residents. The majority of species landed include
cod
Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...
,
flounder, and
haddock.
Fortune is also the nearest Canadian port for travelling to the French islands of
St. Pierre and Miquelon.
During the spring and summer months, a ferry connects the two islands with Fortune.
The
Fortunian Stage, the earliest age of the
Cambrian Period, derives its name from Fortune and
Fortune Bay. The
Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point
A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), sometimes referred to as a golden spike, is an internationally agreed upon reference point on a stratigraphic section which defines the lower boundary of a stage on the geologic time scale. ...
(GSSP) for this stage, which marks the base of the Cambrian System, is situated nearby at
Fortune Head, approximately 2.5 kilometers northwest of the town.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Fortune 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.
Notable people
*
H. B. Mayo, political scientist
*
Ambrose Price, interior designer and television personality
References
External links
*
Town of FortuneFortune - Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, vol. 2, p. 337-340.
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
Fishing communities in Canada
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