Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Springdale is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
, which had a population of 2,764 in the Canada 2006 Census
. The community is located on the North-Western shores of Hall's Bay, in Central Newfoundland, near the mouth of Indian River. Hall's Bay takes its name from an ill-fated ship captain who, along with his crew, was killed and decapitated by a group of Beothuk in the mid-18th century. According to local lore, the heads of Captain Hall and his crewmen were found on top of wooden pires stuck in the ground along the coast of the bay. Like most communities in this region, Springdale is home to many legends centred around the Beothuck people.
This small town hosts the Springdale Braves (male) and the Springdale Bravettes (female) hockey teams.
They also host the Springdale Bluefins swim team. The town has a small harbour, a hospital, and many recreational facilities, including a hockey rink, curling club, tennis courts, a soccer pitch and softball field. Springdale is known as the "hub" of Green Bay, and provides services to a number of communities in the Green Bay North and Green Bay South areas. The town boasts a number of chain restaurants, including Mary Brown's, Subway
, Tim Hortons
, and Greco Express, in addition to locally-owned ventures such as Marie's Restaurant, Kaitlyn's Restaurant, and Bojo's Restaurant.
Springdale has two schools; Indian River Academy, which houses students from Kindergarten to Grade 6, and Indian River High School, which serves students in Grades 7 through 12
On the outskirts of town is glassy beach, which is known for being covered in smooth pieces of broken glass that you can safely walk across in your bare feet.
and Micmac, and there is evidence to suggest that the Dorset
and Maritime Archaic Indians also spent time there.
The first recorded European settler was Nicholas Peters who, in 1877, constructed a sawmill on Mill Island, near the mouth of Indian River, and approximately 200 metres off the shore of present-day Springdale. There are several families living in Springdale today who are his direct descendants (with the surnames of Peters or Young), some of whom live on 'Peters Lane'. This sawmill attracted other settlers, and buildings were soon constructed on the "mainland," across from Mill Island, in a sheltered area called Wolf Cove. In fact, "Wolf Cove" remained the name of the settlement for a number of years.
The sawmill was eventually sold to the Curtis Brothers of Twillingate
, and was destroyed by fire in 1890. After the blaze, settlers ceased to live on Mill Island, and moved in to Wolf Cove.
In Wolf Cove, there was a freshwater spring that served as a source of water for residents, and in 1897, the community took this spring as its namesake, officially changing "Wolf Cove" to "Springdale." This spring still stands near the waterfront, but has since been covered up because of poor water quality due to pollution from a nearby industry.
The Mainmast Museum is home to hundreds of artifacts from Hall's Bay's past, some of which date back to the 18th century. The museum is located on the waterfront in Springdale.
The H.C. Grant Heritage Museum is a Municipal Heritage Building (c. 1917-20) on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
The Springdale Heritage Society tells of the history of Springdale and the surrounding area. It is housed in the refurbished courthouse, originally built in the mid-1950s.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, 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...
, which had a population of 2,764 in the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
. The community is located on the North-Western shores of Hall's Bay, in Central Newfoundland, near the mouth of Indian River. Hall's Bay takes its name from an ill-fated ship captain who, along with his crew, was killed and decapitated by a group of Beothuk in the mid-18th century. According to local lore, the heads of Captain Hall and his crewmen were found on top of wooden pires stuck in the ground along the coast of the bay. Like most communities in this region, Springdale is home to many legends centred around the Beothuck people.
This small town hosts the Springdale Braves (male) and the Springdale Bravettes (female) hockey teams.
They also host the Springdale Bluefins swim team. The town has a small harbour, a hospital, and many recreational facilities, including a hockey rink, curling club, tennis courts, a soccer pitch and softball field. Springdale is known as the "hub" of Green Bay, and provides services to a number of communities in the Green Bay North and Green Bay South areas. The town boasts a number of chain restaurants, including Mary Brown's, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
, and Greco Express, in addition to locally-owned ventures such as Marie's Restaurant, Kaitlyn's Restaurant, and Bojo's Restaurant.
Springdale has two schools; Indian River Academy, which houses students from Kindergarten to Grade 6, and Indian River High School, which serves students in Grades 7 through 12
On the outskirts of town is glassy beach, which is known for being covered in smooth pieces of broken glass that you can safely walk across in your bare feet.
Early history
The Springdale area was first inhabited by aboriginal peoples, including the BeothukBeothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
and Micmac, and there is evidence to suggest that the Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Maritime Archaic Indians also spent time there.
The first recorded European settler was Nicholas Peters who, in 1877, constructed a sawmill on Mill Island, near the mouth of Indian River, and approximately 200 metres off the shore of present-day Springdale. There are several families living in Springdale today who are his direct descendants (with the surnames of Peters or Young), some of whom live on 'Peters Lane'. This sawmill attracted other settlers, and buildings were soon constructed on the "mainland," across from Mill Island, in a sheltered area called Wolf Cove. In fact, "Wolf Cove" remained the name of the settlement for a number of years.
The sawmill was eventually sold to the Curtis Brothers of Twillingate
Twillingate
Twillingate is a town of 2,448 people located on the Twillingate Islands in Notre Dame Bay. It is located off the northeastern shore of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was incorporated on September 30, 1965. The town is about north of Lewisporte and...
, and was destroyed by fire in 1890. After the blaze, settlers ceased to live on Mill Island, and moved in to Wolf Cove.
In Wolf Cove, there was a freshwater spring that served as a source of water for residents, and in 1897, the community took this spring as its namesake, officially changing "Wolf Cove" to "Springdale." This spring still stands near the waterfront, but has since been covered up because of poor water quality due to pollution from a nearby industry.
The Mainmast Museum is home to hundreds of artifacts from Hall's Bay's past, some of which date back to the 18th century. The museum is located on the waterfront in Springdale.
The H.C. Grant Heritage Museum is a Municipal Heritage Building (c. 1917-20) on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
The Springdale Heritage Society tells of the history of Springdale and the surrounding area. It is housed in the refurbished courthouse, originally built in the mid-1950s.