Little Bay & St. Patrick's

These two communities were truly one-industry towns built solely on mining prospects. Little Bay, once called Indian Bight, is a community 16 miles from Springdale. The community of Little Bay was founded in 1878 when James Howley, a geological surveyor arrived and camped on the unoccupied beach. The opening of a mine in 1878, known then as the "El Dorado of Newfoundland", brought many settlers to Little Bay, making it the second largest community in Newfoundland (pop. over 5000). This mine closed permanently in 1968. St. Patrick's with rolling, grass-covered hills and a deep blue, sheltered bay, is reminiscent of an Irish fishing village. This similarity might not be entirely coincidental, since most of the settlers are of Irish-Catholic origin. Since the closure of the mines in the area, most people commute elsewhere for employment. Island Treasure Mussels, a locally owned aquaculture operation, operates in the area.

Little Bay is located 16 km north of Springdale. St. Patrick's is located 14 km north of Springdale.

Local History

Little Bay was once one of the most important mining communities in western Notre Dame Bay. The community developed because of the discovery of a copper deposit by a fisherman who sold the information to three people who had mining licenses in the area. The site was leased by the Betts Cove Mining Company in 1878. Because of the potential of the area, the government extended telegraph lines to the site the same year and the town grew quickly. Within the first year 10,000 tons of ore was shipped to Wales.

In 1884, Little Bay was recorded in the Census with a population of 1,538. In addition to miners there were office workers, merchants, farmers and a doctor. There were 832 Roman Catholics and the remainder were Church of England or Wesleyan. The community had three churches. In 1891, the population was 2,116 with 4 teachers employed. With the closing of the mine in 1900, the population decreased in 1901 to 687 people. The situation worsened in 1904, when a fire left 300 people homeless and nearly destroyed the entire community. The population declined steadily and there was 51 people in the community in 1951. The copper mine re-opened in 1962, and the population rebounded to 503, but after 8 years the mine closed again.

Tourism Facilities & Attractions

• Old Copper Mine Site
• Scenic trips on ferry
• Icebergs
• Picnic Area - Beach