“RALEIGH (inc. 1973, pop.
1991, 389). Raleigh is a fishing village in Ha Ha bay,
on the northern tip of Newfoundland. For many years the
community was also known as Ha Ha Bay (or Ha Ha). E. R.
Seary has speculated that the name is from the archaic French haha (a
type of boundary or fence that could not be seen until closely
approached). Certainly this name is descriptive of the
way that Burnt Island (in fact a peninsula, which divides Ha
Ha Bay and Pistolet Bay) appears from the sea to be unconnected
to the adjacent land. The present name was adopted in
1914 in honour of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Raleigh was known to French migratory fisherman at Quirpon in
the eighteenth century and probably to Basque fishermen before
that time. English settlement probably dates from the mid-1800s,
when the area was being frequented by fishing crews out of Harbour
Grace and other Conception Bay ports. The first known permanent
settlers were William and Emily (Green) Parmiter who were married
there in 1871. The population was 21 in 1874 and 34 in
1891. In addition to the Parmiters, other nineteenth century
settlers include Lemuel and Emily Taylor (originally of Harbour
Grace), the Elliots and the Beaufields. Others came to
the area for the summer fishery and lived elsewhere in the winters — in
Pistolet Bay or at their home ports in Conception Bay.
Early in the twentieth century the number of permanent inhabitants
grew — to 108 in 1921 and 184 in 1935 — both by a
natural increase in the relatively young population and by the
arrival of settlers from nearby communities such as Quirpon and
Cook’s Harbour (Besseys, Greens and Pynns) and from Conception
Bay (Dawes and Evanses). By 1921 there were 33 boats fishing
from Raleigh. Some people were also involved in sealing,
lumbering and subsistence agriculture. As the community
became more settled, a school, church and other services were
established. By the 1950s the population was several hundred
people. Pistolet Bay All Grades School served the area
from Raleigh until 1984 when grades 10-12 were bused to St. Anthony. There
was a fish plant, a fire hall and several small stores at Raleigh
in 1992. E. R. Seary (1959; 1997), Census (1874 – 1896), ET (Oct.
19, 1984), Archives (A-7-2). ACB”
Burnt Island
Burnt Island (51o 34’ N, 55o 45’ W) is an elevated
coastal site situated at the tip of the Northern Peninsula. It
is located on the northwest side of Ha Ha Bay, with part of the
east side facing the community of
Raleigh. The northwest
side of Burnt Island faces Pistolet Bay. Burnt Island is
actually a peninsula (~4 km long, 1 km wide; ~75 m [~250’]
high) that is separated from the mainland by a narrow strip of
land that is bordered on the south by Isthmus Cove and on the
North by Ha Ha Bay. The Island is exposed to the frigid
Labrador current flowing southward through the Strait of Belle
Isle. This area is part of Damman’s (1983) Strait
of Belle Isle Barrens ecoregion that includes calcareous (limestone)
barrens, arctic plant species, and calciphiles (calcium-loving
plants). The most northerly tip of Burnt Island is called
Burnt Cape.
Burnt Cape Ecological
Reserve
Since March, 2000, Burnt Island has been designated as a provincial
ecological reserve and is now referred to as the Burnt
Cape Ecological Reserve. To locate and visit Raleigh
and the Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve take the Trans Canada Highway
to Deer Lake. At the Deer Lake highway overpass, switch
to Route 430 and drive for about 420 kilometers along the Northern
Peninsula. Then take Route 436 and connect to
Route
437 to the community of Raleigh (~17 km). When
driving our highways always be on the lookout for
moose who like to wander close to the roads.
Trained guides are available to lead guided
tours of the Burnt Cape. Be sure to visit the large sea cave called Whale
Cave (locally called the “Big Oven”) during your
visit.
References:
Damman, A. W. 1983. An ecological subdivision of the Island of Newfoundland. In
R. South. (Editor) Biogeography of the Island of Newfoundland. D.
W. Junk Publishers, London. Pp. 163-206.
Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador,
1993. Edited by C. F. Poole (Editor in Chief) and R. H.
Cuff (Managing Editor). Volume Four. Harry Cuff Publications,
St. John’s, NL. 680 pages. ISBN 0-9693422-4-1.
Burnt Cape Ecological
Reserve Information
For further Information about the Burnt Cape
Ecological Reserve contact:
Parks and Natural Areas Division
Department of Environment and Conservation
33 Reid’s Lane
Deer Lake, NL
Canada A8A 2A3
Phone: (709) 635-4520
Fax: (709) 635-4541
E-mail: parksinfo@gov.nl.ca
Web: www.gov.nl.ca/parks&reserves/
Friends of Burnt Cape
P. O. Box 119
Raleigh, NL A0K 4J0
Stewardship Canada
For further information on Stewardship Canada, with stewardship links for all Provinces,
visit the web portal at:
Stewardship Canada (www.stewardshipcanada.ca)
Limestone Barrens Habitat Stewardship Program:
P.O. Box 119
River of Ponds
A0K 4M0
