St. Bernard's
St. Bernard's is a fishing community in
Fortune Bay, which is located 5km southwest of
Bay L'Argent. Until 1915 it was known as Fox
Cove and was likely settled in the early 1810's
by the Johnson, Stewart and Whelan families, who
were presumably fishermen. The community appears
in the first census, in 1836, with a population
of 28 residents. As St. Jacques and Grand Bank
emerged as bases for the bank fishery in the
late 1800's, men of St. Bernard's often made up
crews for banking vessels, as well as a few
local schooners. By 1921, the population had
reached 161.
St. Bernard's became incorporated as a town in
the year 1967 and has grown into one of the most
populous and prosperous communities in the
Fortune Bay East region. Many of the more
inhabitants of St. Bernard's have since come
from the neighbouring communities, such as
Stone's Cove, Grand Jarvis and Langue de Cerf.
Jacques Fontaine
Jacques Fontaine, incorporated in 1986, is a
fishing community located near the base of the
Burin Peninsula on the east side of Fortune Bay
approximately 3km east of Bay L'Argent. The
origin of the name is uncertain, perhaps
deriving from an early French settler, although
it appears on many early maps as Jack (or
Jack's) Fontaine.
The community appears to have been settled early
in the nineteenth century and was first recorded
in the census in 1863 as Tank Fontaine with a
population of 33 residents. In 1935, there were
125 residents, noting the most common family
names as Johnson, Pardy, Allen, Harris and
Brushett. In the early 1980's, the population of
Jacques Fontaine reached 200, most people
finding employment in the inshore and long liner
fisheries.
St. Bernard's-Jacques Fontaine.
As you walk through our shaded, winding, ancient
streets, take a step back in time and be
reminded of an era long past, but not lost in
our beautiful town. Stops along the way will let
you visit our historic churches, view homes
built almost 200 years ago. See the site of "The
Vindicator", where the St. Bernard's - Jacques Fontaine newspaper was
printed at the turn of the century, the Convent
of Mercy, built in 1860, the Orange Lodge, the
Jubilee Club (now the library), the meeting
place of the "Merchant Princes of St. Bernard's - Jacques Fontaine" from
the late 1800's to the mid 1900's.
The communities of St. Bernard's and Jacques
Fontaine amalgamated in 1994 to form the town of
St. Bernard's-Jacques Fontaine. The current
population stands at 700 people and the fishery
is still a main source of livelihood for the
community.
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