Grand Bank | |
|---|---|
Town | |
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 Seal | |
  Grand Bank Location of Grand Bank in Newfoundland | |
| Coordinates: 47°06′N 55°47′W / 47.100°N 55.783°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Settled | 1640 |
| Incorporated | 1943 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Mayor | Rex C. Matthews |
| • MHA | Paul Pike, (LIB), Burin-Grand Bank |
| • MP | Churence Rogers (LIB), Bonavista—Burin—Trinity |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.97 km2 (6.55 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 2,152 |
| • Density | 136.1/km2 (52.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight) |
| Area code | 709 |
| Highways |  Route 210 Route 220The Heritage Run |
| Website | The Town of Grand Bank |
| Grand Bank Lighthouse | |
 | |
| Constructed | 1890 (first) |
| Construction | wooden tower (first) concrete tower (current) |
| Height | 7 m (23 ft)  |
| Shape | octagonal truncated tower with balcony and lantern (current)[1][2] |
| Markings | white tower, red lantern (current) |
| Operator | Canadian Coast Guard |
| First lit | 1922 (current) |
| Focal height | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Lens | eighth-order dioptric lens |
| Range | 5 nmi (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) |
| Characteristic | Q G |
Grand Bank or 'Grand Banc' as the first French settlers pronounced it, is a small rural town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a population of 2,580. It is located on the southern tip or "toe" of the Burin Peninsula (also known as "the boot"), 360 km from the province's capital of St. John's.
Grand Bank was inhabited by French fisherman as early as 1640 and started as a fishing settlement with about seven families. It was given the name "Grand Banc" because of the high bank that extends from Admiral's Cove to the water's edge on the west side of the harbour.[3]
The Town of Grand Bank can attribute much of its past and present growth and prosperity to its proximity to the fishing grounds and its ice-free harbour. Original settlers thrived on trade with the French and a vigorous inshore fishing industry. Grand Bank became the nucleus of the bank fishing industry for Newfoundland and a service centre for Fortune Bay. With the decline of the salt fish industry, the town's emphasis quickly shifted to fresh fish production. Enterprising businessmen and town planners prepared the way for a fresh fish plant (present day Grand Bank Seafoods Inc.) and a fleet of trawlers.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southeastern Newfoundland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
- ^ List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2016.
- ^ Riggs Bert. "Grand Bank" In Joseph R. Smallwood, ed. Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador. Vol. 2. St.John's:Newfoundland Book Publishers (1967) Ltd., 1984, p.677