Glovertown

Current population: 2,292

Location: Just off of the Trans Canada Highway on Route 310 in Bonavista Bay

Historical Overview

Place Name Origin: An early name of the area was Bloody Bay (later Alexander Bay). A strong local tradition exists which credits the grisly name to an Eighteenth Century incident involving the slaughter of an entire family of eleven men by Beothuk Indians who inhabited the inner reaches of the bay. The name was later changed to Glovertown in honor of Sir J. Glover, Governor of Newfoundland in the late Nineteenth Century (1876-1881)

Names and Dates of First Settlers:

• In 1839, a man by the name of Robert Elliot Stroud, his wife and their seven daughters were reportedly the only yearly inhabitance of the area along with an old man who worked as a cooper(made casts for salmon).
• In 1854 one of Strouds daughters married a man from St.Malo France by the name of Augusta Briffitt who moved to the area known as Rosedale.
• In 1869, the population was listed as eighty people - 12 families, which were Stroud, Briffitt, Arnold, Brooking, Dalley, Daney, Dugan, Lane, Moss, O'Donald, Saunders, and Sparkes families.

First Recorded Population:

• The first recorded activity in Glovertown was recorded in the Census of 1836 with a population of 5.
• By 1869 the population had increased to 80.
• By 1921 the population increased to 709 people.

Major Early Industries: Shipbuilding, sawmilling, and lumbering

Interesting Facts about Glovertown

• Glovertown's forest capabilities enabled it to support a boat building industry which built schooners for the Labrador fishery from the1860's to the early twentieth century.
• In 1954 the Glovertown became incorporated.
• In 1959 the Labrador fishery was in decline but not dead. Captain Max Burry secured a ship and established a summer fishing station on the Labrador coast, which employed thirty to forty men.
• From the late Nineteenth Century, as many as ten sawmills dotted the coast of Alexander Bay. This abundance of pulpwood around the surrounding area was enough to warrant a study on the feasibility of a sulfite pulp mill at Angle Brook on the Terra Nova River. In 1921, the Terra Nova Sulfite Company Limited owned 1172 square miles of land with an estimated 3 million cords of pulp wood and the water power rights to the Terra Nova River. The sulfite mill was near the final stages of construction when the company fell into financial difficulty. Terra Nova Sulfite Company's Norwegian backer fell apart because of the Kroner devaluing on international money markets. The government refused to help the company, and the project was halted in late 1921.
• A foot note to the early sawmill boom was a tragedy which occurred when a steam powered sawmill, operated by Alex Rose at Rosedale, exploded killing 6.
• In 1946, a devastating fire swept through the town and burned approximately 38,850 ha of land. Government assistance provided help in rebuilding but very few old homes and buildings survived. Because of the vast amount of timber lost, sawmilling never recovered their importance and in 1979 there were no longer any mills on the coast.
• Another great fire in 1961 destroyed much of the central and northern Bonavista Bay timber and thus forced out the pulp and paper industry.
• Despite these economic set backs, Glovertown diversified to become a transportation center (Newfoundland Railway) as well as offering many diverse employment opportunities. This was one of the reasons a large number of families from Flat Islands, Gooseberry Island, Deer Island, and Braggs Island moved to the town in the late 40's and 50's.

Services

Computer/Internet: Community Access Centre (CAP): Equipped with 4 computers and Internet access. Offers Windows 95 and 98. Open during Puplic Library hours.

Glovertown Public Library Hours (Glovertown Academy)

Monday	2pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday	2pm - 4:30pm and 6pm - 9pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 11:30am, 2pm - 4:30pm and 6pm - 9pm
Thursday	9:30pm - 11:30am and 2pm - 4:30pm
Friday	2pm - 4:30pm and 6:30pm - 9pm

Places of Worship:

• St. Edwards Anglican Church: Located Main St. South. Sunday service - 11am. Contact Rev. Kay Knott at (709) 674-4488 (Gambo) or Mr. David Saunders, Rectors Warden at (709) 533-2794.
• Riverside United Church: Located Main St. South. Services vary weekly. Contact Rev. Paul Vardy at (709) 533-6056 (office) or 2302.
• Central United Church: Located Main St. North. Sunday service - 11:00am. Contact Rev. Paul Vardy at (709) 533-6056 (office) or 2302.
• Salvation Army Citadel: Located Main St. South. Phone (709) 533-6940 or 2514 to inquire about service times.
• Seventh Day Adventist: Located on Willow Ridge Rd, North Shore. Services held on Saturdays. Contact Mr. Cluney Moyles at (709) 533-6632.
• Pentecostal Church: Located on Spruce Avenue, North Shore. Full Gospel Tabernacle. Contact Pastor Janes at (709) 533-1150 or fax at (709) 533-1100. Pentecostal Parsonage - (709) 533-2424.

Attractions

Ken Diamond Memorial Park: The development of this park began as an initiative of the town of Glovertown. The Fry Family Foundation donated the funds necessary to finish the park in honor of their uncle, Ken Diamond, a respected entrepreneur from Glovertown.

Since the park opened in 1997 it has become one of the most popular attractions in the area. Consisting of two loops, it is suitable for all ages, whether on foot or bicycle. The first loop, approximately 1.6 km in length, circles the "steady" area above Penny's Brook. It contains an off-shoot trail, known as Puff 'n' Blow, to the top of a hill (46.5 m high) with two viewpoints, one being Noah's Peak.

The second loop circles the entire steady and is approximately 3.5 km in length. This portion of the park includes a covered bridge over Southwest Brook and a gazebo just a short ways from that.

Ken Diamond Memorial Park as a whole, supports wetland conservation and offers a diversity of plant and animal life; these include various species of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, birds, and mammals.

Significant Architecture

• Janes Family Home: One of the oldest homes still standing. Located on Memorial Street.

Tourist Information Center: Located inside" The Alexander Bay Terra Nova Development Association" building, Main Street South. Open weekdays 10:00am-7:00pm, weekends 11:00am-7:00pm. Phone (709) 533-2843 for further information.