Victoria, Newfoundland and Labrador

Geography

Victoria, located on Route 70, is often referred to as the "crossroads to Trinity and Conception Bays." Victoria may have been named after the Queen.

Towns and communities nearby

Dotted around Victoria and surrounding areas are small fishing communities that were established due to the proximity of each community to the fishing grounds. Locally, Victoria goes by many nicknames, including "The Village" and "The Savage Hollar", although the use of these names has decreased in recent years. Among the communities within 15-minutes' driving distance from Victoria are:

• Perry's Cove
• Salmon Cove
• Freshwater
• Carbonear
• Bristol's Hope

History

19th century

• 1817 – Victoria is being used as a source of lumber and firewood.
• 1800s – Many residents of Victoria sign on for the Labrador Fishery with merchants in Carbonear, Harbour Grace and Northern Bay.

20th century

• 1900s (early) – Other people find employment in lumbering, the railway and mining at Bell Island and Cape Breton.
• 1905 – An electric power station is running in the community.
• 1916 — Railway service on the Bay de Verde Branch Line is opened.
• 1921 – Sawmills are affected when a forest fire destroys much of the timber in the area. Nicholas Powell and Reuben, William and Nicholas Clarke are the merchants in Victoria.
• 1924 – An independent congregation (later joins the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland) is established by Victoria native Eugene Vaters.
• 1932 — Railway service is shut down.
• 1935 - The Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland has more than 300 members in Victoria. Twenty-eight families from Victoria, take part in a land settlement program and move to Markland.
• 1985 – Victoria Electrical Museum is opened.

2025 council dismissal

On December 17, 2025, Chris Tibbs, Minister of Municipal Affairs, dismissed the entire 7 member council. The council meeting on the 16th showed a large level of in-fighting, mismanagement, and emotional outbursts; this meeting was cited as being one of the reasons for the councils dismissal. The same day of the dismissal, Christopher Stamp, the Department of Municipal Affairs Director of Municipal Support, was appointed as Town Administrator. He will serve this role until a date can be set for a future municipal election. No member of the ousted council is bared from running in the future election.

Economy

Industries / Economic Activity

• Agriculture - growing vegetables, hay, and raising cattle
• Forestry - sawmill
• Manufacturing/Retail - making barrels, tubs and wine barrels at the local cooperage located in the heritage park
• Construction - Home builders

Climate

The climate of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent land areas is influenced by the temperatures of the surface waters and water currents as well as the winds blowing across the waters. Because of the oceans' great capacity for retaining heat, the climate of Victoria are moderate and free of extreme seasonal variations.

Precipitation falls on the area both as snow in the wintertime and moderate rainfall in summer.

The Gulf Stream and Labrador Current converge just off the coast of Newfoundland and provide for very dense fog that can linger in the area for days.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Victoria had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 17.96 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Tourist attractions

• Victoria Hydro Electric Museum
• Victoria Lifestyles Museum
• Victoria Heritage Village

Notes

References

References

1. Roberts, Terry. (2025-12-18). "Victoria town council — beset by infighting and dysfunction — is dismissed by minister".
3. (2025-12-19). "Victoria Town Council Suspended; Administrator Appointed to Run Town for Time Being".
4. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador". [[Statistics Canada]].