Iona, Newfoundland and Labrador

This article is about a settlement in Canada. For other uses, see Iona (disambiguation).

Iona is a group of small islands in Placentia Bay that used to be inhabited. The islands were once called Ram's or Ram's Island. The population was reported to be 197 in the 1836 Census and 100 in 1921 and 67 in 1940. Iona was originally settled by Irish Roman Catholics,[1] which included but not limited to, the surnames of Griffin, Bruce, Fitzpatrick, Murphy, Sweeney, McFarrell (Later McFarlane), Duke, Pope, Newman, Northover, Bird, Whiffen, and King. The depression of the 1930s severely impacted the Island's people, causing many people to leave and find work. Also, in 1935 a lightning storm struck and destroyed the Island's school, in the next year the small church located on the island was destroyed by fire, and in 1937 a North Atlantic storm splintered the Island's fleet, and washed away many homes and sheds.[2] The community was depopulated during the Provincial Government's Resettlement Program. Most of these families moved to the close communities of Ship Harbour, Fox Harbour and Long Harbour.

A
View of Iona from Swell's Cove near Ship Harbour

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edward Wix, Six Months of a Newfoundland Missionary's Journal, 1835; Link to Transcription: http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/wix03.shtml
  2. ↑ Unknown. "Island Harbors Mystery." Calgary Herald [Calgary, Alberta, Canada] 7 May 1960, late city ed., sec. The Herald's Travel and Holiday Page: 24. Print.

Coordinates: 47°26′N 53°59′W / 47.433°N 53.983°W