Rencontre East

Rencontre East
Town
Motto: Isolated and Loving It
Rencontre East

Location of Rencontre East in Newfoundland

Coordinates: 47°38′15″N 55°12′55″W / 47.63750°N 55.21528°W / 47.63750; -55.21528Coordinates: 47°38′15″N 55°12′55″W / 47.63750°N 55.21528°W / 47.63750; -55.21528
Country  Canada
Province  Newfoundland and Labrador
Population (2011)
 • Total 141
 • Density 53.8/km2 (139/sq mi)
Time zone Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30)
 • Summer (DST) Newfoundland Daylight (UTC-2:30)
Area code(s) 709
Website Community web site

Rencontre East is a small, outport community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada located north east of Belleoram, and west of Terrenceville in Fortune Bay. The population was 136 in September 2010. This small community is not connected to any surrounding areas by road but is accessible by scheduled ferry service. All of the roads are dirt and ATV s are the main source of transportation. The community uses breakwaters to hold the roads in place and keep the water from washing them away. The main industry is cod and lobster fishing. Rencontre East was the location of one of only a few molybdenum mines in Canada's history.[1] The mine was located at Ackley City at Rencontre Lake just north of the town. The mine was closed[2] soon after, with only two-thousand tonnes of mineral being exported.[3] The town has two grocery stores, a volunteer fire department, an all grade school and a community center. There are two churches, one Anglican (St. Stephens) and one Catholic (St. Josephs). The past decade in particular has seen the towns population decline sharply due to a large elderly demographic combined with a lack of industry to entice young people to stay. The school however has undergone some changes in recent years, a fitness room was constructed in 2008 and is used every day by the school children. The school also has a large playing surface outside which the students use often to play ball hockey, kick ball, and hold certain events. St. Stephen's All Grade school now has a total of just 19 students, from kindergarten to grade 12, which means a favorable student/teacher ratio and better possibilities to learn.

Rencontre East is a moderate tourism site in the summer, when people from all corners of the earth, over travel to this little town for a view of the scenery and maybe even a trip to Rencontre Lake. Aquaculture is proceeding in 2011, with the advent of Salmon farming. As the traditional Cod and Lobster fisheries are waning, mostly because it becoming uneconomical to do so and the age of the fishermen nearing that of retirement, modern fish farming will reverse the downturn of the town.[4]

As of July, 2011, aquaculture in Rencontre East became fully operational, with more than 20 of the towns people working on the three sites. All together, there are more than 2 million salmon in the sites.

Panorama of Rencontre harbour.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/environment/once-upon-a-mine.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/environment/once-upon-a-mine.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/environment/once-upon-a-mine.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/aquaculture-brings-new-life-to-small-town-1.1082848
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