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Brigus
Town
Coat of arms of Brigus
Coat of arms
Brigus is located in Newfoundland
Brigus
Brigus
Location of Brigus in Newfoundland
Coordinates: 47°32′06″N 53°12′29″W / 47.53500°N 53.20806°W / 47.53500; -53.20806
Country Canada
Province Newfoundland and Labrador
Census division1
Settled1612
Incorporated (town)July 21, 1964
Government
 • MayorShears Mercer Jr.
 • MHAHelen Conway-Ottenheimer (Harbour Main)
 • MPKen McDonald (Avalon)
Area
[1]
 • Total11.57 km2 (4.47 sq mi)
Elevation
30 m (100 ft)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total699
 • Density62.5/km2 (162/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Standard)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Postal code span
A0A-1K0
Area code709
Highways Route 60
Websitebrigus.net
Brigus Lighthouse Edit this at Wikidata
Constructed1885 Edit this on Wikidata
Foundationconcrete base
Constructioncast iron tower
Height9 m (30 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markingstower painted with red and white vertical stripes
OperatorCanadian Coast Guard[2][3]
Focal height34 m (112 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Range8 nmi (15 km; 9.2 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
CharacteristicFl W 3s Edit this on Wikidata

Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage.[4]

Brigus was incorporated in July 1964. Its first mayor was Fred Bartlett. The current[when?] mayor is Shears Mercer Jr.[5] Rev. R. Wells was the first clergy mayor elected in the province.

Geography

Located in a sheltered bay, it has been home to many fishermen and a strategic location in early times. Brigus is located adjacent to Cuper's Cove (modern day Cupids), an English settlement established in 1610 by John Guy on behalf of Bristol's Society of Merchant Venturers.[4]

Brigus is located approximately 80 km west of St. John's, and is accessible via Route 70-A just 18 km from the Trans Canada Highway (TCH).

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Brigus had a population of 699 living in 327 of its 506 total private dwellings, a change of -3.3% from its 2016 population of 723. With a land area of 11.48 km2 (4.43 sq mi), it had a population density of 60.9/km2 (157.7/sq mi) in 2021.[6]

2016 Census[1]
  Total Population     723  
  Population change from 2011     -3.6%  
  Median age     51.3  
  Number of families     240  
  Number of married couples     175  
  Total number of dwellings     446  
  Land Area (km2.)     11.57  

History

The name Brigus comes from the Brickhouse which was the name of an old town in England. Brigus's history dates back to around 1612, when John Guy sold half of the harbour to the Spracklin family. At this time Brigus was mostly settled by people from England, Ireland, and Wales. During King William's War, this village was raided in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign.

Brigus is famous for its sea captains. It was in 1819 when Captain William Munden built the schooner Four Brothers, the first one hundred ton schooner in Newfoundland (built 1819).

There were many "Arctic Heroes" that came from this historic town:

The HGTV Canada series Rock Solid Builds, centring on home renovations in the Brigus area by contractor Randy Spracklin, premiered in 2021.[7]

Attractions

Brigus is a popular tourist stop, renowned for its scenic qualities and places of interest. Among these are the site of The Vindicator, where the Brigus newspaper was printed at the turn of the 20th century; the Convent of Mercy, built in 1860 for the Mercy Sisters who came from Ireland in 1861; the local Orange Lodge; Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site; "The Tunnel" bored through solid rock on the waterfront in 1860 to provide access to a deep water berth for the Bartlett sailing ships; the Stone Barn Museum; Jubilee Club, the meeting place of the "Merchant Princes of Brigus" from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century; St. George' s Anglican Church, consecrated in 1845; Brigus United Church, dedicated in 1875 on the site of an earlier church; and the Roman Catholic Church, built in 1832.[4]

Lookout over the town of Brigus, located on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Brigus, Town [Census subdivision], Newfoundland and Labrador". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  2. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southeastern Newfoundland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c Canada travel guide. Lonely Planet 14th Edition (2020). 896 pag. ISBN 9781787013636
  5. ^ "Town of Brigus Council". www.brigus.net. Archived from the original on 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  6. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  7. ^ Greg David, "Preview: HGTV’s Rock Solid Builds is a party on The Rock". TV, eh?, February 16, 2021.

Further reading

External links

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