Robert's Arm

Robert's Arm is a unique little town. This is not only because it lies beside Crescent Lake, a majestic body of water which boasts picturesque surroundings, Robert's Arm is unique because of what lives in this exquisite Lake. This town has its very own monster, known as "Cressie" , Green Bay's Loch Ness Monster.

Local History & Location

Roberts Arm is located in southwestern Notre Dame Bay, 23 km from the Trans Canada Highway. By the Mid 1950's, Roberts Arm had developed into a local service centre. Local tradition says the community was first named "Rabbits Arm" by people from nearby islands who visited each fall and winter to trap and cut timber. In the 1911 Census, the name of Roberts Arm was being used. Local tradition says its name was changed to honor a prominent resident, John Roberts.

Permanent settlement of the area was probably predated by visits of the Beothuk, who were know to have frequented nearby South Brook, Little Bay Islands and Long Island. Because Roberts Arm is located a fair distance from good inshore fishing grounds, there were no permanent settlers until around 1870.

In 1878, lumbermen discovered an ore body, and 30 to 40 miners were sinking shafts about three-quarters of a mile inland near Rabbits Arm Pond (now Crescent Lake). Captain Philip Cleary who held the mineral rights to the area, sent samples to the Betts Cove Mining Co., who then leased the site and sent a mining engineer to develop it.

The Rabbit's Arm Mine yielded 1260 tons of ore which graded 28% copper from 1879 to 1881. The ore was transported to crushers on the south side of Crescent Lake before it was transported to the harbour on a tramway. Work was suspend in 1881. The mine was not opened again until 1924. In three years it produced another 2000 tons of ore.

Roberts Arm was first listed in the 1884 Census with 121 residents. Many of these relocated from nearby communities. When the mine closed the population declined, but some miners found work nearby at Pilley's Island , others returned to the fishery.

The late 1930's marked a dramatic turnaround for Roberts Arm. The community began to grow rapidly in 1937 when Bowater's obtained a permit to export pulpwood. At the outset, however, there was labour unrest at Roberts Arm, one of the first loggers' strikes in the country occurred in October 1937. The loggers went on strike over pay rates and living conditions in the camps. Although there was tense stand-off between the loggers and Bowaters, the loggers backed down when faced with losing employment. By 1945 many families from nearby communities had made Roberts Arm their home.

Early residents of Roberts Arm were predominantly Wesleyan Methodists, who build a school/chapel in 1880. The Salvation Arm and Pentecostal Assemblies also build churches and schools when the population began to increase dramatically. In the late 1970's, the growing Pentecostal population opened the R.W. Parsons Academy and Collegiate. Population

Tourist Facilities & Attractions

• Municipal Park
• Crescent Lake (salmon river)
• Tommy's Arm Road for salmon and trout fishing
• Robert's Arm motel and cabins (4 units)
• Crescent Lake Inn
• Hazel Nut hiking and adventure trail, approximately 10 KM trail presently under construction. 2.5 KM have been completed from Robert's Arm highway to Crescent Lake Narrows.