L'Anse au Clair - Newfoundland and Labrador

L'Anse au Clair was incorporated as a town in 1970, the original name of the cove was L'anse Eau Claire (Clear Water Cove). L'Anse au Clair was used as a fishing and sealing station by the French as early as 1700 and later as a fishing station for Jersey fishermen. The first census was taken in 1857, and it showed there were two families and eight inhabitants of the settlement. The first settlers were either Jersey fishermen who decided to stay all year or French fishermen from Blanc Sablon. In the late 1800s, settlers came from the Conception Bay area to work the summer fishery. The inshore fishery remained important but since the beginning of the ferry service on the Labrador Straits in 1960, L'Anse au Clair has benefited from being the nearest community to the Blanc Sablon terminal.