Portugal Cove–St. Philip's

Portugal Cove–St. Philip's
Town
Town of Portugal Cove–St. Philip's
Portugal Cove, NL showing the two Bell Island ferries. Holy Rosary Church can be seen at the right of the picture.
Motto(s): Where the Sun Meets the Sea
Portugal Cove–St. Philip's
Location of Portugal Cove – St. Philip's in Newfoundland
Coordinates: 47°37′N 52°51′W / 47.62°N 52.85°W / 47.62; -52.85Coordinates: 47°37′N 52°51′W / 47.62°N 52.85°W / 47.62; -52.85
Country Canada
Province Newfoundland and Labrador
Incorporated 1992
Government
 • Mayor Carol McDonald[1]
 • MP Nick Whalen
Population
 • Total 8,147
 • Density 128.4/km2 (333/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Area code(s) 709
Website www.pcsp.ca

Portugal Cove–St. Philip's is a rural seashore community located on the eastern Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The mayor is Carol McDonald.

Geography

Located less than 15 minutes from the provincial capital, and covering 56.43 square kilometres (21.79 sq mi), borders the City of St. John's (provincial capital) to the east, and the Town of Paradise to the west. Located on Conception Bay, it is the site of a ferry terminal which provides daily access to and from Bell Island, and dozens of people commute from this tiny island to work in and around the capital city, daily. The town motto is Where the Sun Meets the Sea. This motto is ironic, since due to the positioning of Bell Island in the bay, the setting sun never actually meets the sea at any point in time.

Demography and economy

Portugal Cove–St. Philips is a rapidly growing community. Amalgamated in 1992, and is home to approximately 7,366 people. The town’s population has a median age of 39.5 years, which is slightly lower than the provincial median of 40.6 years.[2] Most people work outside the community, commuting to St. John's or Mount Pearl, daily. Businesses within the community include farms, convenience stores, restaurants and cafes, construction, gardening centres, hair salons, garages and service stations, bed and breakfasts, and a taxi service. The inhabitants are predominantly English speaking.

History

Portugal Cove in 1908

The community is one of the oldest in Newfoundland and has a rich history. It was founded by the Portuguese and was one of the first villages established in the new world. The Portugal Cove area has historically been predominantly Roman Catholic, and is served by Holy Rosary Church.

It was attacked and burned by the French in 1696, was the site of the first road built outside the capital St. John's, it was also here that the giant squid or Kraken of legend was discovered and documented. The community has a large body of folklore and oral traditions. Settled by fishermen from the west Country of England and Ireland it also has a small settler tradition from Jersey, Channel Islands. It is named after Portugal. Fishing had been a mainstay since the 17th century and this has been on the downswing since the 1990s.

Notable people

  • Marlene Creates (artist)
  • Emma Dawson, founder of The Salvation Army in Newfoundland
  • Craig Dobbin, chairman and chief executive officer of CHC Helicopter Corporation
  • Robert Oke (1794–1870), The first Chief Inspector for the Newfoundland Lighthouse Service (1855 to 1870), published a 64-page book of early lighthouse designs in 1861 during the time he was maintaining a premises in Portugal Cove, installed the first light mechanism (from Bell Rock) at the Cape Bonavista lighthouse in 1842, installed the famous Isle of May light mechanism at the Cape Pine lighthouse in 1850, which was later moved to Harbor Grace Island and finally to Cape Bonavista
  • Ed Picco, Nunavut MLA

References

  1. ↑ https://pcsp.ca/local-government/council/
  2. ↑ 2011 Census Profile, Statistics Canada
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