Bay of Islands, Newfoundland and Labrador

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The Bay of Islands is a bay located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland.

It is also a sub-basin of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is named for the many small islands that are scattered throughout it, some of which were populated for generations with fishing families, but since the mid 20th century the islands are used mainly for recreational camping and cottages.

Flowing into the Bay of Islands is the Humber River. Draining Deer Lake, the Humber is one of the major rivers on the island of Newfoundland, making the Bay of Islands an important estuary. Near the mouth of the Humber River, appropriately named "Humber Mouth", is the city of Corner Brook (2001 pop.: 20,103), as well as several neighbouring suburbs. The Humber River was used for many years to float logs down to the Bay of Islands where a large Bowater pulp and paper mill at Corner Brook turned them into paper products. Today this mill is owned by Kruger Inc and its logs are transported by truck. Although the river is mainly used for recreational purposes, the bay still sees active shipping to and from Corner Brook's port.

Other towns along the shores of the Bay of Islands are mostly dependent upon the fishing industry. These communities include (on the southern shore of Humber Arm, the southernmost bay) Mt Moriah, Humber Arm South, and Lark Harbour, (on the northern shore of Humber Arm) Hugh's Brook, Irishtown-Summerside, Meadows, Gillams, McIvers, and (on Middle Arm, north of Humber Arm) Cox's Cove. There are still fish plants in Cox's Cove and Curling. Curling was once an incorporated communitity but is now amalgamated with Corner Brook.