St. Lewis - Newfoundland and Labrador

Route 513


St. Lewis is the most easterly permanent community on the North American mainland and is one of the best locations on Labrador Coastal Drive to see icebergs!

Once called Fox Harbour, St. Lewis was depicted on maps as early as 1502-1503 as Ilha de Frey Luis.

St. Lewis, because of its sheltered location and proximity to good fishing grounds and seal migration routes was a prime fishing centre on the southeastern coast of Labrador for over 200 years. Not only was it a favourite place for fishing but also it was a good place to construct small boats and early establishments left crews to winter there for just this purpose.

The Loder family from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland had established a fish trading business and constructed premises in the community that was to operate for many years. The Loder Premises, have now been restored and houses exhibits relating the history of St. Lewis.
St Lewis has been a radar site since 1954 when the Americans constructed a radar site as part of the Pinetree Radar System (DEW Line). By the mid- 1960's the site had closed but this was long enough to expose the residents to many new trends of the outside world. A Loran C station is still operated by the Canadian Coastguard at St. Lewis.

The site of the old USAF radar station has a spectacular 360 degree view of St. Lewis Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. It is now the beginning of a wonderful walking trail that leads to Deepwater Creek, a community that had been abandoned when residents moved to St. Lewis.


Genealogy Information

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