St. Mary's Bay is one of many bays in
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 ...
, Canada, where
bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...
is taken as a regional subdivision, somewhat along the lines of
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
divisions (Newfoundland, a largely maritime society, lacks counties). It is the most southern and eastern of Newfoundland's major bays.
It is located on the southern shore of the
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula () is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. It is in size.
The peninsula is home to 270,348 people, about 52% of the province's population, according to the 2016 Ca ...
and is the heartland of the
Irish Newfoundlanders
In modern Newfoundland (), many Newfoundlanders are of Irish descent. According to the Statistics Canada 2016 census, 20.7% of Newfoundlanders claim Irish ancestry (other major groups in the province include 37.5% English, 6.8% Scottish, and ...
, who live all along its shores, stretching west to the
Cape Shore and
Placentia and northeast to the
Southern Shore and
St. John's. Like most Irish Newfoundlanders, area residents trace their ancestry to
County Waterford
County Waterford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the city of Waterford. ...
,
County Wexford
County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
,
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
, south
County Tipperary
County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
and east
County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
. In addition to being Irish, the region is also overwhelmingly
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
.
St. Mary's Bay is an exceedingly
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
area. None of the communities in the bay have a population in excess of 1000, and the bay as a whole is home to fewer than 5,000 people along (very roughly) the 150 km that make up 3 sides of its circumference, the 4th being uninhabitable ocean (note: because of bays, headlands, etc., the actual kilometres of shoreline are much more than 150).
St. Mary's Bay stretches approximately wide at its mouth, from
Point Lance in the west to
Cape Freels in the east, and it extends almost to the NNE to its farthest point inland at
Colinet.
The next bay to the west is Newfoundland's largest bay,
Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay () is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people long before the first Europ ...
. To the east of St. Mary's Bay is the much smaller
Trepassey Bay.
St. Mary's Bay and Resettlement
St. Mary's Bay, while not hit as hard as neighbouring
Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay () is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people long before the first Europ ...
, was subject to the
Resettlement Program spearheaded by
Joey Smallwood
Joseph Roberts Smallwood (December 24, 1900 – December 17, 1991) was a Newfoundlander and Canadian politician. He was the main force who brought the Dominion of Newfoundland into Canadian Confederation in 1949, becoming the first premier 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 ...
's first premier (1949-1972). People in rural communities deemed no longer viable (whether by reason of population, economics, or remote location) were pressured by the government to relocate to 'growth centres.' Thus, there are several ghost towns around St. Mary's Bay, abandoned a generation ago.
Communities within St. Mary's Bay
Starting at the southwest extremity and moving around the bay in a
clockwise
Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions or senses of rotation. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands relative to the observer: from the top to the right, then down and then to ...
fashion (population data from 2006 census
) :
*
Point Lance (2006 population: 119)
*
Branch
A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins.
History and etymology
In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...
(2006 population: 309)
*
North Harbour (2006 population for
Division 1, Newfoundland and Labrador Subdv X: 510)
*
Colinet (2006 population: 165)
*
Harricot (2006 population: see North Harbour, above)
*
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel (; ), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias (; ), is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. A number of towns are situat ...
*
Mitchells Brook
*
St. Catherine's (2006 population for Mount Carmel-Mitchells Brook-St. Catherine's: 438)
* Salmonier (
Salmonier Line 2006 population: 212)
*
New Bridge (2006 population for
Division 1, Newfoundland and Labrador Subdv W: 561)
*
St. Joseph's (2006 population: 144)
*
O'Donnells (2006 population: see New Bridge, above)
*
Admirals Beach (2006 population: 185)
*
Mall Bay (2006 population: see New Bridge, above)
*
Riverhead (2006 population: 220)
*
St. Mary's (2006 population: 482)
*
Point La Haye
*
Gaskiers (2006 population for Point La Haye-Gaskiers: 302)
*
St. Vincent's
*
St. Stephen's
*
Peter's River (2006 population for St. Vincent's-St. Stephen's-Peter's River: 363)
*
St. Shott's (2005 population: 109)
See also
*
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula () is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. It is in size.
The peninsula is home to 270,348 people, about 52% of the province's population, according to the 2016 Ca ...
*
Irish Newfoundlanders
In modern Newfoundland (), many Newfoundlanders are of Irish descent. According to the Statistics Canada 2016 census, 20.7% of Newfoundlanders claim Irish ancestry (other major groups in the province include 37.5% English, 6.8% Scottish, and ...
*
Newfoundland Irish
The Irish language was once spoken by some immigrants to the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland before it disappeared in the early 20th century. The language was introduced through mass immigration by Irish speakers, chiefly from coun ...
*
Newfoundland outport
An outport is the term given for a small coastal community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Originally, the term was used for coastal communities on the island of Newfoundland, but the term has now been adopted for tho ...
References
External links
Avalon South Region - St. Mary's Bay District
{{coord, 46, 50, 00, N, 53, 44, 57, W, region:CA_type:waterbody_scale:500000, display=title
Bays of Newfoundland and Labrador