St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. Lawrence was named by a group of shipwrecked sailors who came to the Newfoundland in 1583 with Sir Humphrey Gilbert. During the expedition, their vessel, Delight, sank off Sable Island. Sixteen of her crew drifted in a lifeboat for seven days before coming ashore on the South Coast in Little St. Lawrence. Richard Clarke, the master of the doomed ship, wrote a dramatic account of the event in 1584.Richard Clarke's Account of the Casting Away of the Delight (1584) in David B.Quinn Ed The Voyages and Colonising Enterprises of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Vol.1, London:Hakluyt Society, 1940 p423-26.

The area was known to English, French, and Basque fishermen in the 1500s and there were a few French stages at St. Lawrence itself, for the early French ship fishermen for the fishing season.{{cite book

|publisher = Eyre & Spottiswoode

|location = London

|title = A history of Newfoundland from the English, colonial, and foreign records

|last1 = Prowse

|first1 = Daniel Woodley

|author-link1 = Daniel Woodley Prowse

|date = 1896

|page = 183

|ol = 7112345M

}} However, settlement actually began in the early to mid-1700s."In the Parliamentary Report of 1718 it is stated that nearly all the Poole vessels engaged in the Newfoundland trade were built in the Colony. Spurriers built barques, brigs, and ships at Oderin, Burin, and St. Lawrence". D.H. Prowse. p165. Captain James Cook surveyed the St. Lawrence area and vicinity in 1765. St. Lawrence was a hive of activity in 1784 when Newmans opened its store in Little St. Lawrence and business was soon rivalling that of St. John's (the capital city).K. Matthews, [http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/newman_robert_5E.html Robert Newman], in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed January 25, 2017 Newmans closed its Little St. Lawrence store in 1811.

On 18 November 1929, a tsunami struck the area following the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake; 27 people lost their lives, and many along the coast lost their houses, boats, stages and supplies.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/linden-macintyre-lewisporte-mine-radiation-book-the-wake-1.5255898|title=Linden MacIntyre shares personal connection to Newfoundland disaster in The Wake|author=Holly McKenzie-Sutter|publisher=The Canadian Press|date=August 22, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/a-disastrous-tsunamis-lethal-legacy-in-newfoundland/|title=A disastrous tsunami's lethal legacy in Newfoundland - Macleans.ca|website=www.macleans.ca}}

File:Echoes of Valour.JPG

On 18 February 1942, over 200 American sailors died when {{USS|Truxtun|DD-229|6}} ran aground near Chambers Cove and {{USS|Pollux|AKS-2|6}}"Standing Into Danger" by Cassie Brown ran aground at Lawn Point. Tremendous community efforts and personal bravery by the citizens of Lawn and St. Lawrence reduced the high death toll. Residents of St. Lawrence and Lawn saved approximately 200 sailors.

In 1954 the U.S. Navy built a hospital at St. Lawrence in gratitude for their work.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mun.ca/mha/polluxtruxtun/index.php|title=Chapter 1: The Story – Dead Reckoning: The Pollux-Truxtun Disaster|website=www.mun.ca}}

In 1992, a memorial entitled 'Echoes of Valour' was erected in dedication of the mining industry in St. Lawrence, the sailors who died in the disasters, and those who lost their lives in the world wars.[http://www.cdli.ca/monuments/nf/nf8.htm Echoes of Valour]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, St. Lawrence had a population of {{val|1115|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|485|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|598|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:1115-1192}}|1192|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|1192|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|34.86|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|1115|34.86|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000210 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=March 15, 2022}}

Fishing was the main economic activity of the area for hundreds of years due to the proximity of St. Lawrence with the Grand Banks. The November 1929 tsunami "added greatly to the hardship already inflicted by the Great Depression and the collapse of the saltfish trade", according to Heritage Newfoundland.[https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/economy/st-lawrence-mines.php The St. Lawrence Fluorspar Mines: A Brief History]

Fluorspar (also called fluorite) deposits had been noted as early as 1843 but it was not until 1933 that mining began. The operation was started by American Walter Siebert whose company was named the St. Lawrence Corporation of Newfoundland. Backbreaking work and no pay initially, finally led to a more significant mine by 1937; a second mine also opened in 1937, the American Newfoundland Fluorspar Company.

The fluorspar mines in St. Lawrence were major employers until business declined in the 1970s; the mines had closed by 1978. The most noteworthy heritage was the "numerous deaths associated with fluorspar mining, and the physical and social costs of widespread industrial disease", according to a Heritage Newfoundland report. The author of a book published in 2019 spoke of the "deaths and serious injuries from the beginning in a manifestly unsafe workplace" in an interview with Maclean's. Lung cancer "caused by radioactivity-laced water piled onto the other lung and heart disorders initiated by the dust" led to 313 deaths over the decades, he said.

In 2011 Canada Fluorspar Inc. outlined preparations to open a fluorspar mine on the site of the old mine. The federal government provided $5 million in funding in 2017 and the provincial government provided a loan of $17 million to finance the re-opening. Production finally commenced in mid-2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/fluorspar-mine-investment-st-lawrence-1.4026074|title=St. Lawrence fluorspar mine gets $5M from feds, hundreds of jobs touted|publisher=CBC News|date=March 15, 2017}}[https://www.thetelegram.com/business/first-fluorspar-from-st-lawrence-mine-to-ship-this-week-haley-232359/ First fluorspar from St. Lawrence mine to ship this week: Haley] In spring 2019, the company was planning to develop a new shipping port on the west side of Burin Peninsula as a more affordable means of moving their product to markets.[https://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/cfi-seeking-new-location-for-shipping-port-in-st-lawrence-nl-305947/ CFI seeking new location for shipping port in St. Lawrence, NL] The company believed that the port would also allow for shipping aggregates and the company president said that it would allow for fluorspar operations to continue for ten years longer than the previously-predicted eight years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.naturalresourcesmagazine.net/article/rocking-it/|title=Rocking it {{pipe}} Natural Resources Magazine|first=James|last=Risdon}}

A wind project was initiated by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for St. Lawrence. The project resulted in the installation of nine Vestas V90-3MW wind turbines. As of September 2019, all nine were operational.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewindpower.net/windfarm_en_3979_st.-lawrence.php|title=St. Lawrence (Canada) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power|website=www.thewindpower.net}}

A plan to develop a major industrial park enabled the town to obtain $1.3 million in funding from the provincial and federal government, combined, to develop eight fully service lots. The 2019 plan stalled in September, however. At the time, some argued that the fluorspar mine was not adding enough to the local economy.[https://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/industrial-park-for-st-lawrence-nl-on-hold-349400/ Industrial park for St. Lawrence NL on hold]

On February 21, 2022, Canada Fluorspar Inc. announced that they were going bankrupt.{{cite web |title=With 260 jobs at risk, receiver appointed to stave off Canada Fluorspar bankruptcy |date=2022-02-22 |website=CBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318184020/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-canada-fluorspar-interim-receiver-1.6360528 |archive-date=2022-03-18 |url-status=live |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-canada-fluorspar-interim-receiver-1.6360528}} On that day, a total of 280 employees were laid off. On March 6, the provincial government reached a financing agreement with Bridging Finance Ltd. in an attempt to find a new buyer.{{cite web | url=https://www.assembly.nl.ca/HouseBusiness/Hansard/ga50session1/22-03-15.htm | title=March 15 }}{{cite web |title=Judge approves St. Lawrence mine sale process, with province committing up to $3.25M |date=2022-03-11 |website=CBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904093342/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/court-fluorspar-sale-1.6381208 |archive-date=2022-09-04 |url-status=live |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/court-fluorspar-sale-1.6381208}}

St. Lawrence has a K-12 School, St. Lawrence Academy. The school was initially the high school for the town "St. Lawrence Central High School". With dwindling enrollment in the 1990s the school was renamed St. Lawrence Academy and encompassed K-6 upon the closure of Marion Elementary in 1999.

St. Lawrence has been referred to as the 'Soccer Capital of Newfoundland’.{{Cite web|url=http://www.townofstlawrence.com/laurentians.htm|title=St. Lawrence Laurentian's Soccer}} St. Lawrence Centennial Soccer Field has been listed on the Historic Places in Canada since 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=3554|title=HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca|website=www.historicplaces.ca}}

The St. Lawrence soccer teams have been a powerhouse of soccer both on the Burin Peninsula where they have dominated. As well at the provincial level success has also been achieved culminating in the Laurentians being named the "Team of the Decade" for the 70's and 90's.

The town has nine organized soccer teams. The St. Lawrence Laurentians soccer club is the most recognized.

St. Lawrence has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) bordering on a subarctic climate (Dfc), albeit an ocean moderated one more akin to a subpolar oceanic climate or to the even more similar climate of the Kuril Islands off Eurasia than one like that of Fairbanks, Alaska. The seasonal lag rivals that of the Pacific coast in California, with August being the warmest month and September and July having very similar temperatures. The coldest month is February. Summer lasts from mid-July through mid-September and winter lasts from late November through early May.

{{Weather box

|width = 100%

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|location = St. Lawrence
Climate ID: 8403619; coordinates {{coordinates|46|55|N|55|23|W|type:airport_region:CA-NL|name=St. Lawrence}}; elevation: {{convert|48.5|m|abbr=on}}; WMO ID: 71110; 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present

|Jan maximum humidex = 15.5

|Feb maximum humidex = 10.1

|Mar maximum humidex = 14.0

|Apr maximum humidex = 16.7

|May maximum humidex = 26.2

|Jun maximum humidex = 33.9

|Jul maximum humidex = 41.2

|Aug maximum humidex = 44.1

|Sep maximum humidex = 43.2

|Oct maximum humidex = 29.1

|Nov maximum humidex = 20.0

|Dec maximum humidex = 14.9

|year maximum humidex = 44.1

|Jan record high C = 11.2

|Feb record high C = 11.9

|Mar record high C = 14.0

|Apr record high C = 17.5

|May record high C = 27.1

|Jun record high C = 27.8

|Jul record high C = 29.3

|Aug record high C = 30.1

|Sep record high C = 29.4

|Oct record high C = 23.8

|Nov record high C = 18.1

|Dec record high C = 12.7

|year record high C = 30.1

|Jan high C = 0.1

|Feb high C = -0.4

|Mar high C = 1.7

|Apr high C = 6.1

|May high C = 10.9

|Jun high C = 14.9

|Jul high C = 18.8

|Aug high C = 20.1

|Sep high C = 17.2

|Oct high C = 12.1

|Nov high C = 7.5

|Dec high C = 2.9

|year high C = 9.3

|Jan mean C = -3.4

|Feb mean C = -3.9

|Mar mean C = -1.8

|Apr mean C = 2.3

|May mean C = 6.6

|Jun mean C = 10.6

|Jul mean C = 15.0

|Aug mean C = 16.2

|Sep mean C = 13.1

|Oct mean C = 8.3

|Nov mean C = 4.1

|Dec mean C = -0.3

|year mean C = 5.6

|Jan low C = -6.9

|Feb low C = -7.4

|Mar low C = -5.2

|Apr low C = -1.5

|May low C = 2.2

|Jun low C = 6.3

|Jul low C = 11.1

|Aug low C = 12.4

|Sep low C = 8.9

|Oct low C = 4.5

|Nov low C = 0.8

|Dec low C = -3.5

|year low C = 1.8

|Jan record low C = -20.6

|Feb record low C = -25.0

|Mar record low C = -21.4

|Apr record low C = -15.6

|May record low C = -8.9

|Jun record low C = -10.7

|Jul record low C = 0.2

|Aug record low C = 2.5

|Sep record low C = -1.7

|Oct record low C = -5.8

|Nov record low C = -12.2

|Dec record low C = -19.4

|year record low C = -25.0

|Jan chill = -33.2

|Feb chill = -36.6

|Mar chill = -34.6

|Apr chill = -18.4

|May chill = -16.1

|Jun chill = -7.3

|Jul chill = 0.0

|Aug chill = 0.0

|Sep chill = -5.6

|Oct chill = -11.3

|Nov chill = -24.4

|Dec chill = -30.4

|year chill = -36.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 130.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 112.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 116.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 103.5

|May precipitation mm = 118.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 103.4

|Jul precipitation mm = 109.3

|Aug precipitation mm = 106.9

|Sep precipitation mm = 132.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 162.4

|Nov precipitation mm = 152.5

|Dec precipitation mm = 157.6

|year precipitation mm = 1505.3

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 74.6

|Feb rain mm = 57.9

|Mar rain mm = 82.3

|Apr rain mm = 105.5

|May rain mm = 115.8

|Jun rain mm = 132.9

|Jul rain mm = 109.4

|Aug rain mm = 106.1

|Sep rain mm = 157.4

|Oct rain mm = 155.7

|Nov rain mm = 134.5

|Dec rain mm = 91.7

|year rain mm = 1,323.7

|snow colour = green

|Jan snow cm = 68.7

|Feb snow cm = 65.0

|Mar snow cm = 42.2

|Apr snow cm = 13.5

|May snow cm = 2.3

|Jun snow cm = 0.3

|Jul snow cm = 0.0

|Aug snow cm = 0.0

|Sep snow cm = 0.0

|Oct snow cm = 1.7

|Nov snow cm = 11.8

|Dec snow cm = 42.4

|year snow cm = 247.8

|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 20.4

|Feb precipitation days = 17.0

|Mar precipitation days = 16.4

|Apr precipitation days = 15.3

|May precipitation days = 14.4

|Jun precipitation days = 13.5

|Jul precipitation days = 15.4

|Aug precipitation days = 15.4

|Sep precipitation days = 13.9

|Oct precipitation days = 17.0

|Nov precipitation days = 17.1

|Dec precipitation days = 20.1

|year precipitation days = 195.8

|unit rain days = 0.2 mm

|Jan rain days = 7.9

|Feb rain days = 6.6

|Mar rain days = 9.2

|Apr rain days = 11.4

|May rain days = 14.1

|Jun rain days = 13.0

|Jul rain days = 13.3

|Aug rain days = 12.8

|Sep rain days = 13.4

|Oct rain days = 16.0

|Nov rain days = 13.9

|Dec rain days = 10.8

|year rain days = 142.3

|unit snow days = 0.2 cm

|Jan snow days = 15.2

|Feb snow days = 13.1

|Mar snow days = 9.5

|Apr snow days = 4.0

|May snow days = 0.8

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.2

|Nov snow days = 3.2

|Dec snow days = 11.0

|year snow days = 57.1

|humidity colour = green

|time day = 1500 LST

|Jan humidity = 83.7

|Feb humidity = 82.1

|Mar humidity = 78.1

|Apr humidity = 75.5

|May humidity = 72.8

|Jun humidity = 76.6

|Jul humidity = 82.4

|Aug humidity = 80.7

|Sep humidity = 77.8

|Oct humidity = 78.4

|Nov humidity = 81.8

|Dec humidity = 85.0

|year humidity = 79.6

|source = Environment and Climate Change Canada{{cite web

|publisher = Environment and Climate Change Canada

|url = https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1991_2020_e.html?searchType=stnProv&lstProvince=NL&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=79000000&dispBack=0

|title = St. Lawrence Newfoundland

|work = Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020

|date = 8 July 2024

|access-date = 8 July 2024

|archive-url = https://archive.today/20240708230322/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1991_2020_e.html?searchType=stnProv&lstProvince=NL&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=79000000&dispBack=0

|archive-date = 2024-07-08}} (rain/rain days, snow/snow days 1971–2000){{cite web

|url = http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?searchType=stnProv&lstProvince=NL&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=6723&dispBack=0 |title=Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000 Station Data

|publisher = Environment and Climate Change Canada

|access-date = 17 August 2019

|archive-url = https://archive.today/20240708230357/https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?searchType=stnProv&lstProvince=NL&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=6723&dispBack=0

|archive-date = 2024-07-08}}

}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/stlawrence.html History of the St. Lawrence Fluorspar Mines]
• [http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2006/nr/1002n07.htm Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Wind Power Announcement for St. Lawrence]
• [http://www.laurentianshomepage.com/ St. Lawrence Laurentians]
• [http://school.esdnl.ca/stlawrenceacademy/ St. Lawrence Academy]
• [http://www.esdnl.ca/ Eastern School District]
• [https://nlarchaeology.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/the-prince-the-merchant-and-the-pegasus-at-little-st-lawrence/ Picture of Newman's Store in Little St. Lawrence by J.S.Meres]
• [http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/newman-stlawrence-names2.shtml Early St.Lawrence Names]
• [http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/cns/JamesCookInNewfoundland1762_1767.pdf Captain James Cook in Newfoundland 1762-1767]
• [http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns_enl/id/3612 St. Lawrence - Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, vol. 5, p. 39-41.]

{{NLDivision2}}

{{Subdivisions of Newfoundland and Labrador|towns=yes|ICG=yes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Lawrence, Newfoundland And Labrador}}

Category:Populated coastal places in Canada

Category:Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Mining communities in Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Fishing communities in Canada