Bellevue, originally called Tickle Harbour, is located at the head
of Trinity Bay on the Isthmus of Avalon. On The name was changed to Bellevue, by the Governor
in Council, on December 14, 1869. Its large Harbour is protected by a narrow gut, which facilitated
the landing and curling of fish. There is a large lake, called Broad Lake, in land from the
harbour and separated from it by another narrow gut. Broad lake is not really a lake, it is
merely an extension of the ocean. A school was built in 1877 and Lucy Lahey was the first
teacher there. The first settlers settled on a part of the beach known as “the ridge” but later
moved to the present community when the trees were removed that were protecting the homes. It
has traditionally been a fishing community; however, there is a small barite deposit there that
has never been mined. A Provincial Park was opened at Bellevue Beach in June 1959. In 1981 it
had 77 camp sites and 50 picnic sites. In 1979 the park had 100,500 visitors. In the late 1990’s
the park became privatized and was sold to a local businessperson. According to the 2001 census
the population of Bellevue is 182 and the population of Bellevue Beach is 80.
A fishing community in Trinity Bay, Chance Cove comprises two
adjacent coves: Big Chance Cove (Great Chance Cove) and Little Chance Cove (Lower Chance Cove).
The settlement is located on the shore of Little Chance Cove where “the best shelter will be
found on the north side”. J.F. Imray (1873). According to E.R. Seary (1971) Chance Cove was
named “for mischance, that is, shipwreck.” Chance Cove had a successful Cod, Salmon, and in the
early 1900’s, Labrador fishery and this attracted settlers from other areas of Trinity Bay. By
the late 1800’s families by the names of Rowe, Hutchings, Andrews, Linch, Liven, McCarthy, and
Noseworthy had moved to the area. By the 1890’s other names in the area included Warren, Brace,
Hollett, and Clarke. From the 1900’s several sawmills also provided employment but the fishery
remained the economic base. In 1977 a fish plant employing around 50 people opened there
processing fresh-frozen fish. According to the 2001 census the current population of Chance
Cove is 339.
A picturesque town located in Trinity Bay, Chapel Arm first
appeared on the 1857 census with a population of 130. Some say the community was named for Lt.
Edward Chappell but more likely it was named for the spire shaped hills entering the harbour.
The first settler of Chapel Arm was Edward Power who married Sarah Hoskins of New Harbour.
Other early settlers included Reids, Warrens, Smiths, and Prettys. These residents worked hard
and made their living from the sea and by raising livestock and vegetable gardens. By 1884 the
town began a small woods operation, which employed 18 men. Water powered sawmills also provided
employment. Residents also received income from the pothead whale drives, which lasted until
1967. By 1900 a school and church were built and the town’s population continued to rise. With
the opening of the ERCO plant in Long Harbour many residents found employment and the town
enjoyed a period of prosperity. Later, the town has seen out-migration trends similar to other
Newfoundland Communities, but the future is looking optimistic. Its central location puts it
near several employers and the town is hopeful for a revival. According to the 2001 census the
population of Chapel Arm is 499.
Located in the bottom of Trinity Bay, Norman’s Cove is one of the
oldest communities in the area. It is said to have been first settled by James Newhook although
some claim that George Temple was the original settler, having come there directly from England.
In any case the community first appears in the 1836 census with a population of 37. Long Cove
is first noted in the New Harbour parish records in 1881. Fishing in the area was poor and
fishermen generally ranged the areas from Sunnyside to Dildo. More important to early life were
the small shipyards that were run by the Newhook and Smith families. When the railway was built
in the 1880’s crews from Norman’s Cove found employment supplying the ties. In the 1920’s most
men in the area found work elsewhere – the railway, cutting pulpwood, general labour or road
construction. This continued until the 1960’swhen the ERCO plant was built in Long Harbour.
Eventually facilities for longliners were built at Long Cove and in the1990’s most people in
the area involved in the fishery were based in Long Cove. Today Norman’s Cove / Long Cove has
seen out-migration trends similar to the rest of Newfoundland, lost its high school, and faces
the closure of its elementary school in 2003. According to the 2001 census the current
population of Norman’s Cove / Long Cove is 852. Community website can be found at:
www3.nf.sympatico.ca/d_smith/nclc.html
Thornlea is located in Southern Trinity Bay on the western shore
of Colliers Bay. The first settlers of Colliers Bay, the “Thorne” family renamed the community
“Thornlea” in 1913 to avoid confusion with “Colliers” in Conception Bay. While Colliers Bay was
used for winter woods work by crews from Trinity as early as 1760, the site was not settled
until about 100 years later, when the Thorne family moved there from New Harbour. The community
was first recognized in the 1869 census as having three families living there. These families
caught Salmon, while cattle, sheep, and swine were raised for local use. Along with the Thornes,
the other family names were Banting and Main (likely from Winterton). In 1902 a barite deposit
was discovered in Colliers Bay Cove by prospector Mark Gibbons. Leased and developed by Robert
G. Rendell it yielded 5075 tons of Ore which was sold for use by paint manufacturers in Canada
and the U.S. The mine was shut down in 1905 partly because the mine’s wharf was destroyed by a
storm. In 1921, Thornlea has 63 residents who relied heavily on the cod and herring fishery.
The population grew steadily, peaking at 202 in 1981. Most of Thornlea’s residents belonged to
the United Church. Today the most common names in the community are Thorne, Best, and Branton.
According to the 2001 census the population of Thornlea is 129.
