St. Alban's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. Alban's
Town
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
Population
• Total	1,372
Time zone	UTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Area code	709
Website	St. Alban's official site

St. Alban's is a town of approximately 1,400 located in the Bay d'Espoir estuary on the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada. St. Alban's is the largest community in Bay d'Espoir.

In 2016, the community was damaged by Hurricane Matthew and the road leading into the community was destroyed. The nearby town of Conne River provides boat rides into the community while the road is being repaired.

Heritage and history

St. Alban’s is considered a major service center for the Bay D’Espoir area.It was formerly known as Ship Cove but the community’s name was changed in 1915 from the suggestion of parish priest Father Stanislaus St.Croix. The name was changed in order to avoid confusion from various other communities named Ship Cove. The present name of the community honours an English Martyr. St.Alban’s is one of the few predominantly Roman Catholic communities in Newfoundland where the majority of inhabitants are of English descent (rather than Irish or French).

During the mid 1800s, a number of fishing families from the mouth of the bay were frequenting the area, and a few eventually stayed. Many believe that the Collier and Hoskins family settled in 1851, followed by the Organ family in 1853. Ship Cove first appears in the Census in 1869, with a population of 39.

St.Alban’s saw a significant increase in population from 1901 to 1921. This was a result of the logging industry. In 1895, the first sizable logging mill was established in Milltown. At the start of 1920, some pulpwood cutting also began. Pulpwood cutting by contractors saw an increase around 1937 and by 1943, Bowater’s established a major pulpwood operation above Conne River. As families began moving into town from the outer areas of the Bay, the population of St.Alban’s reached 1368 people in 1956. Bowater’s pulpwood operation shut down in 1958 which caused a blow to the local community. The construction of the Bay D’espoir highway and roads to Hermitage, Harbour Breton, , and St.Jacques-Coomb’s cove was completed in 1964. These new roads helped employ more citizens in the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

St.Alban’s saw periods of high unemployment after the end of the construction boom. This was alleviated by further hydro construction in 1975-1977 and 1981-1982. Many of the younger people ended up leaving the area while others traveled to work at other construction sites.

In addition to the growing aquaculture industry, hydro generation remains an important part of today’s economy. St. Alban’s is home to an Aquaculture Development Centre, an Aquatic Fish Health Laboratory and 58,000 square foot hatchery. It is also home to aquaculture manufacturing and service firms. In 2013, the aquaculture industry exceeded a production value of $200 million. This is nearly 20% of the total value of the seafood industry of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Hydro Generation site in the area is the largest on the island of Newfoundland and provides 2,650 GWh annually. Both the aquaculture and hydro industry are very important to the community. The service and retail industry make up another important source of employment for the community.

Residents - Living & Working

The town of St.Alban’s represents a rural lifestyle with large freshwater lakes and ponds, ocean and easy access to the countryside. The town has strong roots, as many sons and daughters return home to visit their parents and local community. The town and area provides the essential public services for individuals, families and businesses. The Bay D’Espoir medical centre is located in St.Alban’s which employs doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and lab technicians. The employment opportunities in the town and area include those in the skilled trades, marine technology, sciences, business, education, health and medical, service industry, labour, and others.

State of emergency

St. Alban's, along with much of the rest of Newfoundland & Labrador, was gravely affected by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Reports said that roads between communities in Bay D’Espoir may have been compromised. Road access to the town was temporarily cut off by flooding.

See also

• List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador