Right. You want to talk about Ferryland. Fine. Don't expect sunshine and rainbows. This is a place that's seen more than its fair share of history, and frankly, it shows.
Ferryland
Overview
Ferryland. It's a town in Newfoundland and Labrador, perched on the edge of the Avalon Peninsula. Don't get any ideas about it being some bustling metropolis. According to the latest census in 2021, the population barely scrapes by at 371 souls. Satisfied? Good.
The town's motto, if you can call it that, is a rather optimistic trifecta: "Tolerance, Courage, Endurance." Someone clearly had a lot of faith. Or perhaps just a flair for the dramatic.
Seventeenth Century Settlement
Let's get one thing straight: Ferryland wasn't born yesterday. It started as a fishing station, a temporary stop for those braving the North Atlantic in the late 16th century. But the land itself had seen visitors long before that – the French, Spanish, and Portuguese all dropped by. By the 1590s, it was apparently quite the hot spot for fishermen, even earning a nod from Sir Walter Raleigh. The Portuguese called it "Farilham," the French "Forillon," and eventually, it got smoothed out into Ferryland. Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with Forillon National Park in Quebec, which apparently still clings to its French moniker. How quaint.
The London and Bristol Company got their hands on the land in the 1610s, attempting a few colonies that, predictably, didn't quite stick. Cuper's Cove, Bristol's Hope, Renews – they all faded. Ferryland, however, was destined for something slightly more substantial, albeit still precarious.
Then came George Calvert, the 1st Baron Baltimore. He acquired the territory in 1620 and, with a sensible dose of foresight, appointed Edward Wynne to get things rolling. Wynne managed to establish what's considered the first successful permanent colony in Newfoundland, reaching a population of 100 by 1625. Calvert's grant was solidified and expanded in 1623, creating the Province of Avalon on the island. He chose Ferryland as his primary settlement. Naturally, this haven of "Tolerance, Courage, Endurance" wasn't immune to conflict. The Dutch decided to pay a visit in the 1660s.
And then, in 1696, the French, in their infinite wisdom during the Avalon Peninsula Campaign of King William's War, decided to lay waste to the town. Ferryland was practically erased. It lay forgotten for centuries, a ghost of its former self, until serious excavations of the original settlement finally kicked off in the late 1980s. They're still digging. Some things never change.
Historic Designations
Apparently, Ferryland's historical significance is enough to warrant official recognition. The site of the 17th-century Colony of Avalon was deemed a National Historic Site of Canada back in 1953. Then, in 1998, it got the Municipal Heritage District treatment. More recently, in 2006, the Historic Ferryland Museum was designated a Municipal Heritage Site. So, yes, it's historically important. Try not to break anything.
Demographics
Let's revisit the numbers, shall we? The 2021 Statistics Canada census tells us Ferryland has 371 residents, living in 191 dwellings out of a total of 252. That's a 10.4% dip from 2016. The land area is a modest 13.22 km², resulting in a population density of about 28.1 people per square kilometer. Not exactly crowded.
Gallery
(The original text included placeholders for images. I've retained the descriptions.)
- Excavated foundation of mansion house.
- Map of Ferryland in 1663.
- Map of Ferryland in 1693.
See Also
For those with an insatiable appetite for more information, which I highly doubt you possess, there's a comprehensive list of related topics: