Channel - Port aux Basques is one of the oldest settlements
in Newfoundland. It was named by the Basque fishermen who
visited our shores in the 1500's, as their haven in storms.
The development of Channel - Port aux Basques is closely
intertwined with that of communication and transportation in
Newfoundland.
In 1856, Samuel Morse (of Morse Code fame) investigated the
possibility of laying submarine cable from Cape Ray to Nova
Scotia. One year later the cable became a reality.
By 1881 construction began on the Reid Newfoundland Railway
and on June 29th, 1898, the first train left St. John’s at 7:00
p.m. It arrived in Port aux Basques on June 30th at 10:45 p.m.
... a journey of 27 hours and 45 minutes.
Passengers then went by sea to North Sydney, N.S., on the
first ferry, the “S.S. Bruce”. This passenger-freight vessel
made the crossing for 20 years before being replaced by other
vessels. In 1942 one of the most notable vessels the “S.S.
Caribou” was sunk on the gulf crossing by a German U-boat. Of
the 288 on board, 187 lost their lives. A monument now sits at
the Legion Memorial Park to commemorate this tragic event.
Today, a super ferry “M.V. Caribou” with luxury
accommodations, named after its predecessor, is making the
crossing in less than six hours.
Examples of Channel - Port aux Basques’ long and colourful
heritage in the transportation and fishery industry can be seen
at the
Gulf Museum
on Main Street. Two special historical
artifacts at the museum is two “Astrolabes”, late medieval
navigational instruments discovered by Port aux Basques resident
Wayne Mushrow, on ship wrecks off of Isle aux Morts. The also
the Port aux Basques Railway Heritage Centre.
Port aux Basques owes is settlement in part to its strategic
location, aiding transportation, and its rich fishing grounds. A
fish plant set up by T.J. Hardy Company in 1948 is still in
operation today, now under the direction of Gulf Seafood's Ltd.
It is these two industries, transportation and the fishery that
have provided the main impetus for growth.
Today, Channel - Port aux Basques is a community of some 4634
people. The town, with its modernized facilities, provides
shopping, business, education and recreational services to the
area; is known as the hub of Southwestern Newfoundland
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