Fleur de Lys Soapstone Quarry National Historic Site

For two centuries mines on the Baie Verte Peninsula have yielded gold, copper and asbestos, but the area's oldest mine is the Dorset soapstone quarry at Fleur de Lys, dating to about 1600 years ago. here, over a period of perhaps several hundred years.

The Dorset people, using hammerstones, chisels and scrapers, quarried more than 200 rectangular and oval blocks of soapstone which they shaped into pots, bowels and seal oil lamps. they used most of the pots themselves, but traded some, and bits of Fleur de Lys soapstone have been found at other places in the province. Maritime Archaic artifacts have been uncovered at Fleur de Lys, so they may have used the quarry before the Dorsets arrived.

A wooden walkway provides easy viewing of the cliff face where the soft mineral was quarried. Nearby the wheelchair accessible museum tells the intriguing story of this early mine.

Season: May 15 - Sept 31

Location: Fleur de Lys

Mailing Address:
General Delivery
Fleur de Lys, NL, A0K 2M0

Telephone: 709-253-2126

Fax: 709-253-2121