| Official Name: | Labrador City |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | Kamistiatusset |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Subdivision Name2: | 10 |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1960s |
| Government Type: | Labrador City Town Council |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Autumn Ward[1] |
| Leader Name1: | Jordan Brown |
| Leader Name2: | Yvonne Jones |
| Area Total Km2: | 38.83 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 census |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 7412 |
| Population Density Km2: | 186.0 |
| Utc Offset: | -4 |
| Timezone Dst: | Atlantic Daylight Saving Time |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -3 |
| Coordinates: | 52.95°N -121°W |
| Elevation M: | 555 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code span |
Labrador City is a town in western Labrador (part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador), near the Quebec border.[3] With a population of 7,412 as of 2021, it is the second-largest population centre in Labrador, behind Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Neighbouring Labrador City is Wabush, a smaller town with a population of approximately 1,964 as of 2021.[4] Together, the "twin towns" are known as Labrador West.
In the 1960s, Labrador City was founded to accommodate employees of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, and iron ore mining continues to be the primary industry in the town.
The Labrador City town motto is Kamistiatusset, a Naskapi word meaning "land of the hard-working people." The Labrador City town crest is that of a snowy owl holding a scroll atop a black spade on a mound of red earth. The symbol represents iron ore mining. The spade is flanked by two caribou. Both snowy owls and caribou are native to the Labrador City area.
Since a 2013 by-election, the federal riding of Labrador seat has been held by Yvonne Jones, a Liberal Party member,[5] while New Democrat Jordan Brown has represented Labrador West in the provincial House of Assembly since 2019.[6] [7]
Labrador City was built around the rich iron ore deposits of the Labrador Trough by the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) in the 1960s. The Carol Project is the major iron ore mining operation for the area.[8] In 2008, IOC and their parent company Rio Tinto announced they would spend $800 million to develop additional mines in the region. However, only a few months after announcing the second phase of their expansion, the project was shelved due to the economic recession and low demand for steel. With the world recovering from the economic crisis, it is believed that IOC will go ahead with their expansion in the near future.[9] [10] [11] [12]
The town is serviced by the Wabush Airport, and the airlines flying out of the airport are Provincial Airlines, Air Inuit and Pascan Aviation. Additionally, the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway provides freight rail transportation to and from Sept-Îles. The Trans-Labrador Highway (Route 500) serves as the only road connection to Labrador City, connecting it with the rest of Labrador as well as the neighbouring province of Quebec, becoming Quebec Route 389 at the border.
The town contains many amenities found in larger locations thanks to investments by the mining companies who established the area including an ice arena, curling, downhill & cross country ski clubs. The White wolf snowmobile club connects with a larger trail network across the region and is home to the Cain's Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race.
The main shopping mall in the town, the 246923square feet Labrador Mall, includes a Walmart, Canadian Tire & Mark's.[13] The mall opened in 1978 and is the largest shopping mall in Labrador; it is also the only enclosed mall.[14] [15] [16] [17]
There is a Masonic lodge in Labrador City, Lodge Anik No 1707 of the District Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Labrador City had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 34.11km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[18]
| Canada 2016 Census | Population | % of Total Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visible minority group Source:[19] | South Asian | 25 | ||
| 25 | ||||
| 250 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| Other visible minority | 10 | |||
| Mixed visible minority | 10 | |||
| Total visible minority population | 330 | |||
| Aboriginal group Source:[20] | 170 | |||
| 295 | ||||
| 125 | ||||
| Other Aboriginal | 30 | |||
| Total Aboriginal population | 630 | |||
| 6,230 | ||||
| Total population | 7,220 | 100% | ||
Wabush and Labrador City has a continental subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc), with mild summers and severely cold winters.[21] Precipitation is heavy year round (although higher in summer) due to the strong Icelandic Low to the east driving cold, moist and unstable air onto the region. Snowfall, as is typical for the province, is very heavy for seven months each year and depths can reach as high as 218cm (86inches). Despite its latitude around the same as cities like Berlin, London, and Amsterdam, its annual mean temperature is colder.
Notable former residents of Labrador City include: