RECOMMEND
 ADD COMMENT  READ COMMENTS (0)  PRINT  EMAIL  SHARE  THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA
0 people recommend this
Carbonear, NL, Town, pop 4723 (2006c), 4759 (2001c), inc 1948. Carbonear is located on the west shore of CONCEPTION BAY and is one of the oldest settlements in Newfoundland. The name may come from the Spanish carbonera ("a seller of charcoal"), or the French family name Carbonnier or place name La Carbonnière, but the most accepted theory of its origin is it is derived from the French word charbonnière, "charcoal pit." French Jersey Islanders were among the first settlers in Carbonear and they used charcoal pits in their efforts to prosecute the fishery. Near excellent fishing grounds, Carbonear was first fished in the early 1600s. In 1631 Nicholas Guy, originally from the CUPIDS colony, was fishing and farming there. Carbonear grew in the late 1600s when English West Country fishermen and Channel Islanders settled there as the fishery expanded.


Keywords
Newfoundland

Nearby Carbonear Island was fortified in 1679 and was the only Newfoundland site to resist French attacks in 1697, although Carbonear itself was razed. The town again fell to the French in 1705, and was the object of numerous other attacks by French and American privateers until the early 1800s. Carbonear Islands military importance was recognized in 1954 when it was designated a site of national significance. In 1981 it was officially declared a national historic site.

With the rise of the seal hunt and the Labrador cod fishery, Carbonear became a major commercial centre in the 1800s. Violent political riots here in the early and mid-1800s led to the dissolution of the Newfoundland Legislature in 1841 and the suspension of the constitution. In the 1900s the economy diversified; Carbonear has become a regional retail, service, transportation, government and cultural centre. Fish processing continued to be important until the COD moratorium was put into place in the early 1990s. Since then, the processing plant has been converted to process crab and most recently seal. Carbonear is also the regions educational centre with campuses of 2 colleges.

Former premier Frank MOORES was born and raised in Carbonear. Another noteworthy Carbonear personality, but from the towns early history, is Sheila Na Geira Pike (see PRINCESS SHEILA).


Carbonear

Author JANET E.M. PITT AND ROBERT D. PITT


Links to Other Sites
Baccalieu Trail Archeology
Explore the history and heritage of the Baccalieu Trail Region, a collection of coastal communities along Conception Bay and the south side of Trinity Bay on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula.

Carbonear, Newfoundland
The website for the Town of Carbonear. Check out the illustrated history of this seaside Newfoundland community.

Baccalieu: Crossroads For Cultures
This site is devoted to the colourful history of the Baccalieu Trail region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Focuses on the Beothuk people, early European settlements, and the pirates who plundered local communities. Check out the glossary, online timeline, historic documents, maps, learning activities and much more.

Chuck Herriott
The website for actor, director, and playwright Chuck Herriott. Features a biography, production credits, and details about his musical production "Sheila Na Geira: A Legend of Love and Larceny."

Support for Princess Sheila Folk Sea Festival
A press release about the musical play "Princess Sheila Na Giera: A Legend of Love and Larceny." From the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Feature Articles
Invention of Standard Time
Time waits for no man… and neither do trains...
MOST READ ARTICLES
Trudeau, Pierre Elliott
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ...
Great Depression
Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ...
Riel, Louis
Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ...
MOST RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Group of Seven
The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ...
Macdonald, Sir John Alexander
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, lawyer, businessman, politician, first prime minister of Canada (b at Brunswick Place, ...
Great Depression
Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ...
MOST COMMENTED ON ARTICLES
Ware, John
John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ...
Créditistes
Créditistes, Québec party involved in federal politics. For nearly 2 decades before its 1958 formation ...
LaMarsh, Julia Verlyn
Julia Verlyn LaMarsh, "Judy," lawyer, politician, broadcaster, novelist (b at Chatham, Ont 20 Dec 1924; d at ...
newsletter subscription
* E-mail:
join us on facebook twitter
WIRE BLOG
Canada's Many Heroes and Heroines
by FRANCES CATION
WIRE BLOG
Welcome to the Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War Project blog!
by JENNA ZUSCHLAG MISENER
WIRE BLOG
Silence and Remembering
by JAMES MARSH
WIRE BLOG
A Message From George Brady
by CHRISTINA L
WIRE BLOG
The making of Hana's Suitcase by Director Larry Weinstein
by LARRY WEINSTEIN
INSIDE TCE
Gallery
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Interactive Resources
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
Canucklehead
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
Timeline
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
100 Greatest Events
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA
Solomon, Lenny
Solomon, Lenny, violinist, composer, b Toronto 28 Sep 1952. Lenny Solomon studied violin with Albert Pratz and Steven Staryk . He was a partner in the 1970s with Myles Cohen in the pop duo Myles and Lenny, which won a Juno ...


Who's Who at TCE    |    Our Partners The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2009 Historica-Dominion Copyright Information