Battle Harbour Magic

Battle Harbour Magic

 

Battle Harbour, Labrador

 

June 21, 2013

 

 

 

 

I could start every entry with “one of our favorite places” but Battle Harbour is a magical place.  We’ve sat on the rocks and filmed humpback whales feeding almost within touching distance. Had our first kitchen party in one of the restored houses, watched Gannets arrowing into the water to snatch their dinner, stood in the loft where Admiral Peary announced his successful trip to the North Pole, soaked up its history and hiked its trails. 

 

Once known as “The Capital of Labrador” due to its importance to the fishery it’s now a preserved piece of history.

 

“Battle Harbour [has] a reputation of being the most lawless and disorderly place on the whole coast.” Report of Captain Hamilton, H.M.S. Vesuvius, October 1862.

 

 

First settled in the 1750’s it was the economic hub of the cod fishery and kept this status into the twentieth century.

 

“It’s a pretty sight, I assure you, to see this out-of-the-world region so thoroughly alive and stirring as it is in summer, with all these small vessels from different parts filling the bay from head to entrance . . . . Others remain outside flitting about from place to place as occasion may require, all engaged in the same pursuit of fishing for cod.”  W.A. Stearns, Labrador: A sketch of its peoples, its industries and its natural history (1884)

 

Today due to the collapse of the fishery, there are no boats scurrying to and fro and the only fishing work done here is by the lifesized figures standing sentinel.  By the 1960’s cod was declining and the townspeople were re-settled into Mary’s Harbour on the mainland.  It was destined to become another abandoned outport with decaying buildings when the Battle Harbour Historic Trust spearheaded a massive restoration effort.   Houses were turned into B&B’s, the Inn was opened, excellent interpretive displays created and installed and visitors welcomed.

 

We arrived before they were officially welcoming guests for this season but were welcomed anyway.  The Board of Directors was meeting to chart a course for the future and we were able to share our love for this place and get in another Battle Harbour Kitchen Party.

 

 

*Historical photographs property of Battle Harbour Historical Trust

 

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