Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador
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| Harbour Grace | |||
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  Harbour Grace
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| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Newfoundland and Labrador |
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| Settled | 1610 | ||
| Population (2001) | |||
| - Total | 3,380 | ||
| Time zone | Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Newfoundland Daylight (UTC-2:30) | ||
| Area code(s) | 709 | ||
| Website: Harbor Grace official site | |||
Harbour Grace is one of the oldest towns in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located about 45 km northwest of the capital, St. John's. The town has a population of 3,380 (2001), engaged primarily in fishing and fish processing.
Harbour Grace was an important port and fishing center since the earliest days of European exploration of North America. It was named after the town of Havre de Grâce (now Le Havre) in France. In 1610, pirate Peter Easton made Harbour Grace his headquarters, and established a fort overlooking the bay. Although it was attacked by the French the following year, the early settlement survived throughout the seventeenth century, with a permanent, year-round population numbering a few dozen, swelling to several hundred during the fishing season. In 1628, Robert Hayman wrote Quodlibits there--it was the first book written in English in the new world.
Over the coming years, control of Harbour Grace became a point of contention between the English and the French. The town, with a population numbering about 100, was razed by the French in 1697 and again in 1700. Nevertheless, between those two attacks, the population grew by 50 percent. The town reached its heyday in 1771, when it could boast a population of close to 5,800. By then, however, other colonial towns along the Atlantic coast had surpassed Harbour Grace in population and influence.
While the population declined in the coming decades, Harbour Grace did have a brief upswing in the early twentieth century because of its proximity to continental Europe. As trans-Atlantic aviation became more popular, many aviation pioneers, among them Amelia Earhart, chose to make their crossing from the nearby Harbour Grace airfield. Altogether, some twenty flights left Harbour Grace from 1927 to 1936 in their attempts to cross the Atlantic.
Today, Harbour Grace continues its tradition as a fishing and fish processing centre. In addition, because of its rich history and many historical buildings, a small tourist industry is emerging.
[edit] See also
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