St. George's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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St. George's (2005 est. pop.: <2000) is a Canadian community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador

The town is located on the west coast of Newfoundland in the St. George's Bay.

The community, originally known as South Side or Little Bay has its origins in the French fishery of the seventeenth century when the good natural harbour would attract fishermen to spend the summer in the area and return to France for the winter months. Permanently settled in the eighteenth century, the community remained a fishing village for nearly 200 years until the advent of the railroad.

1 After the Railroad
2 Decline
3 See also
4 References

[edit] After the Railroad

The railroad came to Western Newfoundland in 1898, and because of the work that the railway created, as well as access to many different types of goods, many people from outlying communities flocked to St. George's. The town quickly became a major centre in Western Newfoundland. The town became a distributer of goods to the surrounding area and the Port au Port Peninsula. Lumbering, fishing and farming were the primary occupations and lobster plants also opened there. A brewery/distillery also operated there for a short time at the turn of the century. The community also became the seat of the magistrate in the area and a courthouse was constructed.

[edit] Decline

St. George's was the most prominent community in the St. George's Bay area until 1941 when the Ernest Harmon Air Force Base was commissioned in Stephenville. After that, Stephenville became the primary market centre for the area.

Also important was the closure of the Newfoundland Railway in 1988 and the cod moratorium of 1990 which severely hurt the economy of St. George's.