| Labrador City | |||
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| — Town — | |||
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| Nickname(s): Lab City | |||
| Motto: "Kamistaitusset" "Land of the hard-working people" |
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Labrador City
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Newfoundland and Labrador | ||
| Census division | 10 | ||
| Settled | 1960s | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Labrador City Town Council | ||
| • Mayor | Janice Barnes | ||
| • MHA | Nick McGrath | ||
| • MP | Peter Penashue | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 38.83 km2 (15 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 555 m (1,821 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[1] | |||
| • Total | 7,240 | ||
| • Density | 186.5/km2 (483/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Atlantic Daylight Saving Time (UTC-3) | ||
| Postal code span | A2V | ||
| Area code(s) | 709 | ||
| Highways | Highway 500 | ||
| Website | www.labradorwest.com | ||
Labrador City is a town in western Labrador (part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador), near the Quebec border.[2] As of 2006, its population is 7,240. Labrador City is neighboured by Wabush, a smaller town with a population of approximately 1,739 as of 2006; together, the "twin towns" are known as Labrador West.
Labrador City was founded in the 1960s to accommodate employees of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, and iron ore mining continues to be the primary industry in the town.
Contents |
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 11,538 |
| 1991 | 9,061 |
| 2001 | 7,744 |
| 2006 | 7,240 |
Graham Letto served as mayor from 2001 until the September 2009 municipal election, in which Janice Barnes was acclaimed mayor.
Since the 2011 election, the federal riding of Labrador seat has been held by Peter Penashue, a Conservative Party member. The Labrador City town crest features a Snowy Owl holding a scroll perched atop a black spade on a mound of red earth, symbolizing iron ore mining. The spade is flanked by two caribou. Both Snowy Owls and caribou are native to the Labrador City area.
The Labrador City town motto is Kamistiatusset, a Naskapi word meaning "land of the hard-working people."
Labrador City was built around the rich iron ore deposits of the Labrador Trough by the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) in the 1960s. The Carol Project is the major iron ore mining operation for the area.[3] In 2008, IOC and their parent company Rio Tinto announced it would spend $800 million to develop additional mines in the region. Only a few months after announcing the second phase of their expansion the project was shelved due to the economic recession and low demand for steel. With the world recovering from the economic crisis it is believed IOC will go ahead with their planned expansion in the near future.[4][5][6][7]
The town is serviced by the Wabush Airport, the three airlines flying out of the airport are Air Canada Jazz, Provincial Airlines, and Air Inuit.
The town contains an ice arena.[8] The main shopping centre in the town, Labrador Mall, includes a Wal-Mart; there is also an IGA grocery store.[9]
The Basilica of our Lady of Perpetual Help is located here.
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