Witless Bay

This article is about the town. For the bay, see Witless Bay (bay). For the ecological reserve, see Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.
Witless Bay
Town
Witless Bay

Location of Witless Bay in Newfoundland

Coordinates: 47°17′11″N 52°49′29″W / 47.28639°N 52.82472°W / 47.28639; -52.82472Coordinates: 47°17′11″N 52°49′29″W / 47.28639°N 52.82472°W / 47.28639; -52.82472
Country  Canada
Province  Newfoundland and Labrador
Government
 • Mayor Sébastien Després
Population (2011)
 • Total 1,179
Time zone Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30)
 • Summer (DST) Newfoundland Daylight (UTC-2:30)
Area code(s) 709

Witless Bay (47°17′11″N 52°49′28″W / 47.28639°N 52.82444°W / 47.28639; -52.82444 NST) is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Located on the Irish Loop, 35 km south of the provincial capital, St. John's, Witless Bay is a small, scenic, traditional Newfoundland outport community. The town had a population of 1179 in the Canada 2011 Census. It is connected to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.

In September 2013, Action Canada fellow Sébastien Després was elected as Mayor.

Witless Bay is the setting for Howard Norman's novel, The Bird Artist.

Geography & Economy

Witless Bay is a fishing community, first established because of its closeness to the rich fishing grounds on the Grand Banks. Tourism is an important part of the community as well, since the community is home to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, which contains North America´s largest Atlantic Puffin colony and the world's second-largest colony of Leach's Storm-petrels. The presence of these bird colonies has given birth to the Witless Bay Puffin and Petrel Patrol, a volunteer organization aiming to save stranded chick and return them safely to the ocean. Bed-and-breakfast establishments, coffee shops, a whale and puffin tour operator, several craftspeople, and the Witless Bay and Area Puffin and Petrel Patrol attract visitors from all over the world.

St. Bernard’s Elementary School, part of the Eastern School District, is located in Witless Bay. The town is also home to one of the three surviving crab processing plants of the Irish Loop.

Government

The Witless Bay Town Council is made up of a Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and five Councillors. The current Mayor of the town is Sébastien Després, and the current Deputy Mayor is Dena Wiseman. Councillors currently include René Astrada, Kevin Smart, and Ralph Carey.

Town Name

Local folklore has it that one of the original European inhabitants of the area was Captain Whittle, who had brought his family from Dorsetshire, England to Newfoundland. The area was named after them: Whittle's Bay. When Captain Whittle died, his widow and her children returned to England. Whittle's Bay (which was from then on "Whittles-less) eventually became Witless Bay.

History briefs

1675, the population of Witless Bay is 34.

1700s, Irish fishing servants begin arriving in the area and quickly start to outnumber the English.

1755, as Roman Catholicism is still outlawed in Newfoundland, priests disguised as fishermen, minister to the spiritual needs of the community.

1836, the first official census of Newfoundland puts the population at 542, of which 540 were Roman Catholic.

1845, Roman Catholic Church opens.

1860, the Presentation Sisters open a convent and a school for girls.

1871, population reaches 928.

1960s, people are re-settled from Gallows Cove at the southern headland of Witless Bay to the community of Witless Bay.

1986, Witless Bay is incorporated.

2011 Census Population: 1179.

External links

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, January 24, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.