Labrador StraitsHistoric Sites
The Labrador Straits is rich in historic sites spanning some 9,000 years of human occupation. Here are a few sites that are readily accessible to visitors.
Jersey Rooms
A SHORT DRIVE and walk from the community of L'Anse au Clair, the "Jersey Rooms" are the remains of premises established by Jersey fishermen in the late 1700s. Visible are ruins of stone building foundations and an extensive stone-paved walkway. L'Anse au Cotard is a lovely, secluded cove situated just a few minutes walk from the Quebec-Labrador border.
Archaeologists uncover the burial at L'Anse Amour (drawing by Martin Lowe)
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L'Anse Amour Burial Mound
THE MARITIME ARCHAIC burial mound at L'Anse Amour is designated a National Historic Site.
About 7,500 years ago a young Maritime Archaic boy died near today's community of L'Anse Amour, and was buried with reverence and ceremony by his people.
The boy's body was wrapped in a shroud of bark or hide and placed face down, head to the west, in the grave. Fires were lit around the body, food was cooked and consumed, and offerings of tools and weapons placed in the grave. The construction of a large mound of rocks over the grave completed the burial.
About 7,500 years ago a young Maritime Archaic boy died near today's community of L'Anse Amour, and was buried with reverence and ceremony by his people.
The boy's body was wrapped in a shroud of bark or hide and placed face down, head to the west, in the grave. Fires were lit around the body, food was cooked and consumed, and offerings of tools and weapons placed in the grave. The construction of a large mound of rocks over the grave completed the burial.
The burial mound today
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Was this young boy a special individual, or did his elaborate burial hold some other significance? Some archaeologists believe that this ceremony was performed when adverse environmental conditions threatened the survival of the Maritime Archaic people. Perhaps this ancient ceremony was a plea for assistance to the spirits that controlled these vital aspects of life.
The HMS Raleigh ashore near Point Amour lighthouse in 1922
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Wreck of the HMS Raleigh
JUST THREE YEARS after her launching, this British light cruiser went ashore near Point Amour on August 8, 1922. The Raleigh was en route to Forteau Bay, where the officers were planning to go salmon fishing. The ship lay upright near shore for four years, after which time the British Admiralty ordered an explosives team to demolish her. Scattered rusting fragments still litter the beach.
The early 20th century whaling station at Schooner Cove
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Schooner Cove
A BUSTLING PORT for the schooner fishery during the 19th and early 20th centuries, Schooner Cove was the location of a short-lived whaling factory established by the Newfoundland company Job Brothers in the early 1900s.
The cove has a rich history of occupation by prehistoric peoples. During the mid-1500s Basque whalers established a shore station there. A hiking trail leads to Schooner Cove from the main highway.
The cove has a rich history of occupation by prehistoric peoples. During the mid-1500s Basque whalers established a shore station there. A hiking trail leads to Schooner Cove from the main highway.