Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador

Bonavista (2021 population: 3,190[1]) is a town on the Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Unlike many Newfoundland coastal settlements, Bonavista was built on an open plain, not in a steep cove, and thus had room to expand to its current area of 31.5 km2 (12.2 sq mi).[1] Bonavista is located approximately 300 km by road from the provincial capital of St. John's.

Bonavista
Town
Bonavista Harbour, looking north. The large building in the centre of the photo houses a replica of John Cabot's ship, Matthew
Bonavista Harbour, looking north. The large building in the centre of the photo houses a replica of John Cabot's ship, Matthew
Bonavista is located in Newfoundland
Bonavista
Bonavista
Location of Bonavista in Newfoundland
Coordinates: 48°39′35″N 53°07′15″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceNewfoundland and Labrador
Government
 • MayorJohn Norman
Area
 (2016)[1]
 • Land31.5 km2 (12.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total3,190
 • Density109.4/km2 (283/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−03:30 (NST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−02:30 (NDT)
Area code709
Highways Route 230
Route 235
Route 238
Websitewww.townofbonavista.com

History

John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), a freelance Italian explorer, was contracted by England's Henry VII to find new lands, and a sea route to the Orient. Cabot set sail from Bristol, England in his ship the Matthew in 1497. When Cabot first saw land he reputedly said "O Buon Vista" ("Oh, Happy Sight!")[2][3] giving rise to the name of the town and nearby Cape Bonavista. Cabot landed with "a crucifix and raised banners with the arms of the Holy Father and those of the King of England".[4] The land was inhabited, as the expedition found a trail leading inland, a site where a fire had been, and "a stick half a yard long pierced at both ends, carved and painted with brazil".[5] The harbour was not ideal, eventually requiring the construction of several breakwaters. Despite this Bonavista became one of the most important towns in Newfoundland due to its proximity to the rich fishing and sealing grounds to the north of the peninsula. The Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and English fished off Cape Bonavista during the 16th century, but the Spanish and Portuguese presence soon declined, leaving the French and English as the dominant powers.[6] Tension between the French and English sometimes resulted in military action, including an unsuccessful attempt in 1704 by the French to burn the town.[7] The French Shore, which had Bonavista as its eastern terminus, was established by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Fishing rights in the area continued to be a source of tension between the French and English.[8]

Bonavista was a major commercial centre and the evidence for this is preserved at the Ryan Premises, a National Historic Site maintained by Parks Canada. It is a restored example of a large fish merchant's operation.

Bonavista's status was further enhanced by the development of the Fishermen's Protective Union in the early 20th century, and the creation of nearby Port Union. During the peak years of 1891–1901, the Bonavista Peninsula's population of about 20,000 was centred in Bonavista. The Bonavista Cold Storage Co. fish plant, now a Fishery Products International[9] operation, became the centre of fishery production after the decline of salt fish markets.

In 1722 the first school in Newfoundland was built in Bonavista by Rev. Henry Jones.

In the twentieth century the town's economy switched to being tourism-focused. In 2023, it was reported that up to 80,000 visited each summer, leading to many houses to be converted into vacation rentals (more than 120 in 2023). These conversions flipped the housing market of the house, which twenty years earlier had seen many vacant houses, into one of shortage. As of 2023 a freeze on new vacation rental conversions was declared.[10]

Demographics
Historical populations
Bonavista, NL
YearPop.±%
19714,215—    
19764,299+2.0%
19814,460+3.7%
19864,605+3.3%
19914,597−0.2%
19964,526−1.5%
20014,021−11.2%
20063,764−6.4%
20113,589−4.6%
20163,448−3.9%
20213,190−7.5%
[11][1][12]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bonavista had a population of 3,190 living in 1,470 of its 1,732 total private dwellings, a change of -7.5% from its 2016 population of 3,448. With a land area of 31.56 km2 (12.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 101.1/km2 (261.8/sq mi) in 2021.[13]

Climate

Bonavista has a subarctic climate (Dfc) due to its cold water temperatures surrounding the location, keeping June temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F) in terms of mean temperatures. Although winters are relatively mild by Canadian standards, there is heavy snowfall and frequent cold days. Winter lasts from December through April.

Bonavista is one of the windiest places in Canada with an average wind speed of 32.6 km/h (20.3 mph).[14]

Climate data for Bonavista Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 17.5 13.1 13.0 24.0 26.9 32.9 36.2 37.0 33.0 27.9 21.9 15.7 37.0
Record high °C (°F) 14.9
(58.8)		 11.8
(53.2)		 13.4
(56.1)		 21.5
(70.7)		 25.6
(78.1)		 28.8
(83.8)		 30.6
(87.1)		 30.1
(86.2)		 26.1
(79.0)		 22.8
(73.0)		 17.8
(64.0)		 14.4
(57.9)		 30.6
(87.1)
Average high °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7)		 −2.1
(28.2)		 0.2
(32.4)		 4.7
(40.5)		 9.7
(49.5)		 13.9
(57.0)		 18.8
(65.8)		 19.5
(67.1)		 15.3
(59.5)		 10.2
(50.4)		 5.6
(42.1)		 1.0
(33.8)		 8.0
(46.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −3.1
(26.4)		 1.5
(34.7)		 5.7
(42.3)		 9.5
(49.1)		 14.4
(57.9)		 15.5
(59.9)		 11.9
(53.4)		 7.3
(45.1)		 2.8
(37.0)		 −1.9
(28.6)		 4.4
(39.9)
Average low °C (°F) −8.2
(17.2)		 −9.5
(14.9)		 −6.4
(20.5)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 1.6
(34.9)		 5.1
(41.2)		 10.0
(50.0)		 11.5
(52.7)		 8.4
(47.1)		 4.4
(39.9)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −4.8
(23.4)		 0.9
(33.6)
Record low °C (°F) −24.4
(−11.9)		 −24.7
(−12.5)		 −24.3
(−11.7)		 −13.6
(7.5)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 2.8
(37.0)		 0.8
(33.4)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −11.6
(11.1)		 −22.2
(−8.0)		 −24.7
(−12.5)
Record low wind chill −37.0 −41.0 −42.0 −23.0 −16.0 −8.0 −7.0 0.0 0.0 −12.0 −23.0 −37.0 −42.0
Average precipitation mm (inches) 100.7
(3.96)		 104.3
(4.11)		 103.4
(4.07)		 83.2
(3.28)		 75.7
(2.98)		 89.6
(3.53)		 82.1
(3.23)		 79.4
(3.13)		 107.7
(4.24)		 115.2
(4.54)		 104.5
(4.11)		 107.2
(4.22)		 1,152.9
(45.39)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 34.7
(1.37)		 42.8
(1.69)		 53.1
(2.09)		 59.8
(2.35)		 68.7
(2.70)		 89.0
(3.50)		 82.1
(3.23)		 79.4
(3.13)		 107.7
(4.24)		 111.2
(4.38)		 81.0
(3.19)		 54.3
(2.14)		 863.8
(34.01)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 67.8
(26.7)		 63.0
(24.8)		 47.9
(18.9)		 21.7
(8.5)		 6.5
(2.6)		 0.6
(0.2)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 3.4
(1.3)		 22.8
(9.0)		 50.5
(19.9)		 284.3
(111.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 17.5 16.4 18.5 17.0 17.5 16.8 15.1 14.0 16.8 18.8 19.6 20.0 208.0
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 7.1 7.1 10.3 12.5 16.4 17.0 15.1 14.0 16.8 18.1 15.5 10.7 160.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 14.9 13.7 13.1 7.9 3.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 7.6 14.5 76.6
Average relative humidity (%) 77.5 77.0 77.4 78.2 74.4 75.5 72.9 71.7 74.7 75.8 77.9 79.7 76.1
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[14]

Attractions
Bonavista lighthouse

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Bonavista, T [Census subdivision], Newfoundland and Labrador and Division No. 7, CDR [Census division], Newfoundland and Labrador (table) Census Profile". 2016 census. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017.
  2. "Bonavista". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation of Canada. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  3. Whiffen, Bruce, Prime Berth: An Account of Bonavista's Early Years. Harry Cuff Publications Limited, St John's, A1C 2H2. 1993. ISBN 0-921191-82-0. page 4: "There are no contemporary documents to directly support this story."
  4. John Day's letter to Columbus, quoted in Whiffen, op. cit. page 6.
  5. John Day's letter, as above.
  6. "The International Fishery of the 16th Century". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site Project, Memorial University of Newfoundland. 1997. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  7. Bernard Ransom (1991). "Museum Notes: A Century of Armed Conflict in Newfoundland". The Rooms, Newfoundland Provincial Museum. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  8. J.K. Hiller (2001). "The French Treaty Shore". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site Project, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  9. Fishery Products International
  10. Paul Haavardsrud (26 February 2023). "The Holy Grail for the EV Revolution". The Cost of Living (Podcast). CBC Radio One. Event occurs at 2:30.
  11. "Population and dwelling counts". Statistics Canada. 2006. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  12. "1976 Census of Canada. Volume 1, Population, geographic distributions" (PDF). Statistics Canada. 1977. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  13. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  14. "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data". Environment and Climate Change Canada. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
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