Gaultois Explained

Official Name:Gaultois
Pushpin Map:Newfoundland
Pushpin Label Position:left
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Gordon Hunt
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Land Km2:4.33
Population As Of:2021
Population Total:100
Population Density Km2:31.4
Utc Offset:-3:30
Utc Offset Dst:-2:30
Coordinates:47.6°N -110°W

Gaultois is a small settlement in the Coast of Bays area in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Gaultois had a population of 100 people in the 2021 census. The town has a K-12 school called Victoria Academy[2] (as of 2022-23, there are 4 students enrolled), as well as a fire department, public library, Lion's Club, and town hall. The town is only accessible by ferry or helicopter. The provincial government ferry runs from the nearby town of Hermitage several times daily and the crossing takes approximately 20 minutes.[3] This ferry also services the more remote community of McCallum once to twice daily with a crossing time of around one hour and fifteen minutes.[4] In 2015, Gaultois voted against resettlement.[5] [6] [7] Gaultois considered resettlement again in 2023 but it failed.[8] [9]

Before confederation with Canada in 1949, Gaultois was the customs town for those wishing to travel to the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Prior to resettlement, the population had declined to 107 in 1956 from a peak of 252 five years earlier. After resettlement in 1966 Gaultois population rose to 594 with the fish plant and its draggers as the main employer of the town. The first Waymaster in 1877, was Richard Bradshaw.

A fishing community, Gaultois went into a decline when the Lake Group first announced the closure of its fish plant in 1981[10] and again in 1990 when Fishery Products International closed the plant.[11] The Gaultois fish plant permanently closed in 2010.[12] As of 2017, the population has plunged by 80 percent since the 1990s.[13]

Though small, Gaultois has four distinct areas:

  1. The Room near the wharf where, traditionally salt fish was dried for market, on flakes.
  2. The Valley up the hill a little then surrounded by high rock faces, home to about 10 homes.
  3. The Point across the harbour from the rooms. The most populated part of town. The point and the rooms are joined by a wooden boardwalk at the base of the rock face.
  4. The Bottom up the hill and down the other side from the point. The most isolated part of town.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Gaultois had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 4.23km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[14]

See also

References

47.6°N -110°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census: Gaultois, Town [Census subdivision], Newfoundland and Labrador ]. 8 February 2017. Statistics Canada . December 16, 2019.
  2. Web site: Schools adjusting to lower enrolments | SaltWire. Clayton. Hunt. Saltwire.com. 27 January 2022.
  3. Web site: N.L. ferries made 4,100 trips with no passengers last year . CBC . 2020-05-15 . 2020-12-17.
  4. Web site: Isolated towns fear new ferry contract will be the same old boat. CBC News. Jan 17, 2019 . Bernice. Hillier. Oct 17, 2020.
  5. Web site: Your request for access to information under Part II of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 [Our File #: MAPA/091/2021]]. Atipp-search.gov.nl.ca. 27 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Your request for access to information under Part II of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 [Our File #: MAPA/070/2021] ]. Atipp-search.gov.nl.ca. 27 January 2022.
  7. Web site: 'If I wants to go, I'll go,' says Gaultois man as Newfoundland and Labrador changes resettlement requirements | SaltWire. Barb. Sweet. Saltwire.com. November 17, 2021. 27 January 2022.
  8. News: Roberts . Terry . Gaultois residents vote against resettlement . April 22, 2023 . CBC News . April 21, 2023.
  9. News: Roberts . Terry . All is quiet in Gaultois as relocation vote gets underway in isolated N.L. community . April 22, 2023 . CBC News . March 16, 2023.
  10. News: Land & Sea: Gaultois in 1981, a town on the brink . December 16, 2017. Angela . Antle . . December 16, 2019.
  11. News: Land & Sea: Gaultois in 1990 on the day they call Black Thursday . December 2, 2017. . December 16, 2019.
  12. Web site: Assistance Available for Workers Affected by Closure of Gaultois Fish Plant. Releases.gov.nl.ca. September 7, 2010. 27 January 2022.
  13. Web site: Hands up for resettlement in Gaultois as island community braces for winter . November 26, 2017 . Terry . Roberts. . December 16, 2019.
  14. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador . . February 9, 2022 . March 15, 2022.

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