Burin Peninsula

Location of Burin Peninsula in Newfoundland

The Burin Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Burin Peninsula extends to the southwest from the main island of Newfoundland, separating Fortune Bay to the west from Placentia Bay to the east. It measures approximately 130 km (81 mi) in length and between 15 to 30 kilometres (9.3–19 mi) in width. It is connected by a 30 km (19 mi) wide isthmus between Terrenceville and Monkstown.

It was originally named the Buria Peninsula by fishermen from the Basque region during the 16th century.

[edit] Fishing

For centuries there were plentiful cod, other fish and crustaceans, which supplied a thriving fishing industry; but irresponsible overfishing destroyed that, leading to local mass unemployment during the second half of the 1990s.

That's because the impossible has happened. The last great schools of northern cod were scooped up in colossal trawler nets and the government has closed the world's greatest fishery for lack of fish--a ridiculous example of closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. In 1996, the Burin Peninsula recorded the highest unemployment rate in Canada for several months in a row. An estimated 30 percent of the workforce was jobless. "Fishin's all there was," said an area fisherman. "Everybody got too greedy for them fish, 'en then there wasn't anything a'tall." ^[1]

[edit] Communities

Route 210 traverses the length of the Burin Peninsula, running along the northwest side of the peninsula between Marystown and Fortune. Route 220 runs from Fortune to Marystown on the southern side. A short connecting road Route 222 runs between these two roads west of Marystown. Routes 211, 212, 213, and 221 are numbered local roads.

The Burin Peninsula's economy is tied to the ocean, consequently most of its settlements are located on the coast; some are outports and have no road connection.

Communities on the north coast of the peninsula, beginning in the east:

• Terrenceville
• Harbour Mille
• Little Harbour East
• Bay L'Argent
• Jacques Fontaine
• St. Bernard's-Jacques Fontaine
• Garnish
• Frenchman's Cove
• Grand Bank
• Fortune

Communities on the south coast of the peninsula, beginning in the west:

• Lories
• Point May
• Calmer
• High Beach
• Allan's Island
• Lamaline
• Point au Gaul
• Taylor's Bay
• Lord's Cove
• Roundabout
• Lawn
• Little St. Lawrence
• St. Lawrence
• Epworth
• Lewin's Cove
• Burin Bay Arm
• Burin
• Port au Bras
• Fox Cove-Mortier
• Little Bay Placentia Bay
• Creston
• Creston North
• Marystown
• Spanish Room
• Red Harbour
• Rushoon
• Blaine Harbour
• Parkers Cove
• Boat Harbour West

[edit] See also

• 1929 Grand Banks earthquake

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Heritage Run

Coordinates: 47°23′N 55°07′W / 47.38°N 55.11°W / 47.38; -55.11