| Town of Stephenville | |||
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| — Town — | |||
| Overlooking the town of Stephenville | |||
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Town of Stephenville
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Newfoundland and Labrador | ||
| Incorporated | 1952 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Tom O'Brien | ||
| • Governing body | Stephenville Town Council | ||
| • MHAs | Joan Burke Tony Cornect |
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| • MP | Judy Foote | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 35.69 km2 (13.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 0 - 74 m (0 - 243 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[1] | |||
| • Total | 6,588 | ||
| • Density | 184.6/km2 (478.1/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Newfoundland Daylight (UTC-2:30) | ||
| Postal code span | A2N | ||
| Area code(s) | 709 | ||
| Telephone Exchange | 643, 644, 645, 642, 648, 647, 646, 649, 641 and 721 | ||
| Median Family Income* | $42,228 | ||
| NTS Map | 012B10 | ||
| GNBC Code | AAXZD | ||
| Website | Town of Stephenville official website | ||
| *Median income in 2005 - All census families ($) | |||
Stephenville (Canada 2006 Census population 6,588[1]) is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland.
The town functions as a local service centre for the southwestern part of the island, serving a direct population of 25,000 people from surrounding areas and over 90,000 people along the entire west coast of the island.
Stephenville has a modern 40 bed hospital (built in 2003), schools, stores, banks and government institutions. The provincial community college system, College of the North Atlantic, is headquartered in Stephenville and maintains a campus there for students from the southwestern region of the island. A provincial minimum security jail is also located in the town.
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This place was formerly known as the Acadian village, between 1848 and 1870. The populace of the village consisted of Roman Catholics who eked out a living, farming and fishing. The town's population continued to grow because of the stable economy. It was also formerly home to Ernest Harmon AFB, which was operated by the United States Army Air Force and later the United States Air Force from 1941 to 1966.
The base precipitated an economic boom of sorts on Newfoundland's southwest coast during the 1940s. Corner Brook to the northeast had been considered the major population center for the region, given its industrial base and nearby recreational opportunities in the Humber River. With the massive investment of the Government of the United States in the base, the Stephenville and St. George's Bay area began to flourish. The village of Stephenville grew from a hamlet of several hundred people with no paved streets, side walks, water or sewage system in 1941 into a modern town of over 5,000 by the mid 1950s. By the time Ernest Harmon AFB closed in 1966, the town had more than doubled in size, partly as a result of the provincial government's forced resettlement policy toward residents of outports.
After the base was closed, the facility was turned over to the federal government which then provided it to the provincial government for divestiture to the local community.
The facility included the air field, which has two runways (10,000 ft x 200 ft, 4,000 ft x 150 ft) and numerous buildings which are operated as the Stephenville Airport. An abandoned USAF Pinetree Line radar site is located on nearby Table Mountain, north of the town. The town uses many former USAF structures for housing, recreation and entertainment.
The Stephenville International Airport, formerly Ernest Harmon AFB, serves the entire west coast of the island - a catchment population of 90,000 people from Port aux Basques to St. Anthony, currently offering intraprovincial flights, and twice weekly direct flights to Fort Mc Murray AB with Flair Air and Suncor energy, transporting workers to and from sites in Northern Alberta. And direct non-stop air service during the summer months to Toronto, Pearson International Airport. As well Stephenville Airport is an international port of entry airport which is the alternate refueling airport to Gander International.
Daily intraprovincial bus service connecting to major population centres and ferry terminals across the island is provided by DRL Coachlines. Dedicated bus service between Stephenville and Corner Brook is provided by Eddy Services. Dedicated bus service between Stephenville and Port Aux Basques is provided by Gateway Bus Service.
Two taxi companies serve the town: Crown Taxi and Blue Bird Taxi.
The town is located 15 kilometres northwest of the Trans-Canada Highway, and is accessible using Provincial Highway Routes 490 and 460.
Rail service to the town was abandoned by Terra Transport in 1988.
The small size of the town and its flat topography permits residents to enjoy outdoor activities such as walking, bicycling, roller blading and cross-country skiing.
The first educational institution in the Bay St. George area was the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop John T. Mullock established the first church of the Roman Catholic faith at Sandy Point in 1848 when the population of the area was about 2000. Father Belenger was the first priest in the St. Georges Bay area from 1850 to 1868. Father Sears, then priest in the area, established a church in the growing town of Stephenville. In 1884 there were four Catholic schools in the parish. One at Sandy Point, one at the Highlands, one at Port aux Basques and one at Campbell's Creek.
Today, Stephenville is served by 4 schools. Stephenville Primary, Stephenville Elementary and Stephenville Middle Schools which are feeder schools for Stephenville High School, SHS also takes in students from St. Thomas Aquinas School in Port-au-Port East
Stephenville is also home to the Bay St. George campus of College of the North Atlantic (CNA) which is Newfoundland and Labrador's public college system. The provincial Headquarters for CNA is also located in the D.S.B Fowlow Building of the campus.
Western College is also located in Stephenville. Formerly known as CompuCollege, the Western College is an affiliate of Eastern College.[2]
The town is located on the northeast coast of Bay St. George in southwestern Newfoundland, and on the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated on a small plateau and surrounded by the Long Range Mountains and Lewis Hills on either side. The downtown area lies to the north of the Stephenville Airport, and the rest of the town expands primarily to the northwest.
| Climate data for Stephenville | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
12.7 (54.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
23.8 (74.8) |
27.2 (81.0) |
30 (86) |
30.6 (87.1) |
29.9 (85.8) |
29.1 (84.4) |
22.2 (72.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.1 (61.0) |
30.6 (87.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
0.7 (33.3) |
6 (43) |
11.6 (52.9) |
16.3 (61.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
20.1 (68.2) |
16.1 (61.0) |
10.3 (50.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
0.2 (32.4) |
8.4 (47.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −9.9 (14.2) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
3 (37) |
7.6 (45.7) |
12.2 (54.0) |
12.3 (54.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
0.8 (33.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.1 (−15.0) |
−29.5 (−21.1) |
−29.5 (−21.1) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−29.5 (−21.1) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 134.5 (5.295) |
102.1 (4.02) |
93.7 (3.689) |
75.6 (2.976) |
98.1 (3.862) |
102.3 (4.028) |
117.4 (4.622) |
122.8 (4.835) |
128 (5.04) |
130.2 (5.126) |
120.7 (4.752) |
126.7 (4.988) |
1,352.1 (53.232) |
| Source: Environment Canada[3] | |||||||||||||
The town has numerous indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities. Various schools have public gymnasiums and there are private recreation and fitness facilities in the town and surrounding areas.
The International Appalachian Trail has been extended through the area, providing a continuous recreational hiking trail along the Long Range Mountains. The abandoned railway corridors of the Newfoundland Railway have also been designated the "T'railway Provincial Park", providing a level wilderness trail for bicycling and walking.
Within the town itself, the Walk-a-Ways Trail System offers takes pedestrians throughout the town, from the Base, to Port Harmon, into the downtown and to the fossil forest at its northern terminus. The trail links all of Stephenville's recreation areas and complexes including Bike lanes, several soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts etc...
The town also has an 18-hole links golf course that was expanded from a 9-hole course in 1999. The course was originally built by the United States Air Force.
The Stephenville Dome is the main ice rink for the Bay St. George region. Boasting an olympic size ice surface and seating for approximately 1,200 patrons. The rink plays host to hockey, figure skating, broomball, general skating, home shows, conventions and concerts.
Also, plans are being carried out to convert the Blanche Brook "Flood Zone" in the center of town to convert it into a green space and central park facility which will become the focal point of future community celebrations.
As well, there are multiple privately and publicly owned health clubs and fitness facilities.
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