Blaketown, Newfoundland and Labrador

History

Blaketown was named after Sir Henry Arthur Blake, Governor of Newfoundland (1887–1889), was settled in 1888 as an agricultural district. Thirty two families from the Conception Bay communities of Upper Island Cove, Bishops Cove, Spaniards Bay and Bay Roberts settled along the Dildo Agricultural Road, a stretch of road between South Dildo and Whitbourne. A Church of England school/church was constructed around 1890 to accommodate an approximate population of 262. The agricultural experiment failed as the land in the area was not suitable for farming and the settlers who had been fishermen were not properly trained in farming. By 1911 the number of full-time farmers in Blaketown had decreased to only three. The lumber industry had taken over a significant part of the economy. In 1955 the Government of Newfoundland attempted to centralize the mink fur farming industry in the province in Blaketown. The Newfoundland Fur Farmers' Co-op was formed to provide feed, from fish and whale meat to supply the numerous fur farms. With the banning of the whale hunt in 1972 the fur industry also collapsed.

Geography

Blaketown is in Newfoundland within Subdivision Y of Division No. 1.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Blaketown recorded a population of 605 living in 252 of its 306 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2011 population of 511. With a land area of 19.94 km2, it had a population density of in 2016.

Government

Blaketown is a local service district (LSD) that is governed by a committee responsible for the provision of certain services to the community.

References

References

1. Statistics Canada. 2022. (table). Census Profile. 2021 Census of Population. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2021001. Ottawa. Released April 27, 2022. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E (accessed May 4, 2022).
2. "Roadwork spending in transportation minister's district saw 853.8% increase in 3 years {{!".
3. "Road, bridge repairs for Trinity-Conception-Placentia announced {{!".
4. "Controversy on the hook at Blaketown fishing derby {{!".
5. "Angler vowing legal action if fish disqualified from Dildo Pond derby , know for its unusual name {{!".
6. "The Last Continent: Whaling continues despite the global ban {{!".
7. "20th Century Commercial Whaling in Newfoundland and Labrador".
8. (February 7, 2018). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions, census subdivisions (municipalities) and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)". [[Statistics Canada]].
9. (February 7, 2018). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)". [[Statistics Canada]].
10. (October 2021). "Directory of Local Service Districts". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
11. "Local Service Districts – Frequently Asked Questions". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.