Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Portugal Cove – St. Philip's (47°37′40.9"N 52°51′14.5"W NST
) is a rural seashore community located on the eastern Avalon Peninsula
of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
. Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s was amalgamated in 1992, and is home to an estimated 6,000 people. Just 10 – 15 minutes from the provincial capital, and covering 56.43 km², Portugal Cove – St. Philips is a rapidly growing community, and one of the largest municipalities in the Province. It borders the City of St. John's
(provincial capital) to the east, and the Town of Paradise
to the west. The current mayor is Bill Fagan who was elected in September 2009.
The town’s population is fairly young with an average age of 33.2 years. Most people work outside the community, commuting to St. John's or Mount Pearl
, daily. Businesses within the community itself, however, are numerous and include farms, convenience stores, restaurants & cafes, construction, gardening centres, hair salons, garages & service stations, bed & breakfasts, and a taxi service. The inhabitants are predominantly unilingual (English) and caucasian.
The Town's ferry terminal 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 Portugal Cove area has historically been predominantly Roman Catholic, and is served by Holy Rosary Church.
The town motto is Where the Sun Meets the Sea. This motto is ironic however, since due to the positioning of Bell Island
in Conception Bay, the sun never actually meets the sea at any point in time.
The community is one of the oldest in Newfoundland and has a very rich history. It was founded by the Portuguese and was one of the first villages established in the new world
. 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.
Newfoundland Standard Time Zone
Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time...
) is a rural seashore community located on the eastern Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s was amalgamated in 1992, and is home to an estimated 6,000 people. Just 10 – 15 minutes from the provincial capital, and covering 56.43 km², Portugal Cove – St. Philips is a rapidly growing community, and one of the largest municipalities in the Province. It borders the City of St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
(provincial capital) to the east, and the Town of Paradise
Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador
Paradise is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The town is a part of the St. John's Metropolitan Area. The town borders the City of St. John's, the City of Mount Pearl, the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, and the town of Conception Bay South...
to the west. The current mayor is Bill Fagan who was elected in September 2009.
The town’s population is fairly young with an average age of 33.2 years. Most people work outside the community, commuting to St. John's or Mount Pearl
Mount Pearl
Mount Pearl is the second largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The city is located southwest of St. John's, on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. Mount Pearl is part of the St...
, daily. Businesses within the community itself, however, are numerous and include farms, convenience stores, restaurants & cafes, construction, gardening centres, hair salons, garages & service stations, bed & breakfasts, and a taxi service. The inhabitants are predominantly unilingual (English) and caucasian.
The Town's ferry terminal provides daily access to and from Bell Island
Bell Island
Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.Measuring 9 km in length and 3 km in width, Bell Island has an area of 34 km²...
, and dozens of people commute from this tiny island to work in and around the capital city, daily.
The Portugal Cove area has historically been predominantly Roman Catholic, and is served by Holy Rosary Church.
The town motto is Where the Sun Meets the Sea. This motto is ironic however, since due to the positioning of Bell Island
Bell Island
Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.Measuring 9 km in length and 3 km in width, Bell Island has an area of 34 km²...
in Conception Bay, the sun never actually meets the sea at any point in time.
The community is one of the oldest in Newfoundland and has a very rich history. It was founded by the Portuguese and was one of the first villages established in the new world
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. 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
Giant squid
The giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
or Kraken
Kraken
Kraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary 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
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Fishing had been a mainstay since the 17th century and this has been on the downswing since the 1990s.
Prominent people
- Emma Dawson, founder of The Salvation Army in Newfoundland
- Ed PiccoEd PiccoEdward "Ed" Walter Picco is a Canadian Nunavut politician first elected in the 1995 Northwest Territories election. He was re-elected in the 1999 Nunavut election and in the 2004 Nunavut election...
, Nunavut MLA - Craig DobbinCraig DobbinCraig Lawrence Dobbin OC was an industrialist and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CHC Helicopter Corporation, a public company traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange...
, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CHC Helicopter Corporation - Marlene CreatesMarlene CreatesMarlene Creates is a Canadian artist currently living in Portugal Cove, Newfoundland. Creates studied visual arts at Queen's University, then lived in Ottawa for twelve years, moving to Newfoundland in 1985....
(artist)