McCallum, Newfoundland and Labrador

McCallum is a local service district and designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. McCallum is located on the southern coast of the island of Newfoundland.[2] It is accessible only by boat or by air, and in appearance and way of life is thought by some to be as close to a pre-20th century community as may be found. McCallum lies in an enclosed harbour and is sheltered between two hills. The community survives primarily on the fishery. Whaling was also a major industry in the late 19th century. The provincial government runs a ferry service to McCallum from the nearby town of Hermitage, about an hour and a half away by boat, where the nearest road is located.[3][4][5]

McCallum
McCallum
McCallum
McCallum is located in Newfoundland
McCallum
McCallum
Location of McCallum in Newfoundland
Coordinates: 47°37′52″N 56°13′45″W / 47.63111°N 56.22917°W / 47.63111; -56.22917
CountryCanada
Province Newfoundland and Labrador
Census division3
Settledc. 1800s
Government
 • TypeLocal Service District
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
45[1]
Time zoneUTC– 3:30 (Newfoundland Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC– 2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Postal Code
A0N 2J0
Area code709 & 846-XXXX
Highways Passenger Ferry to Hermitage-Sandyville

History

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McCallum takes its name from Sir Henry Edward McCallum, Colonial Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1899 to 1901.

The waters around McCallum have been fished since at least the 16th century, however no permanent settlement existed until after the Seven Years' War, after 1816. When the French gained possession of the Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the English on the Islands were forced to find new homes, and looked just north, to Newfoundland's southern coast.

It was during this time that Captain James Cook was appointed marine surveyor of Newfoundland, and mapped out in detail the coastline and waters around McCallum to create a boundary for where the French were still allowed to fish.

Aside from the traditional fishery, there is also a lobster fishery.[6]

In recent years there has also been aquaculture in and around the community of McCallum.[7] The lifeblood of McCallum revolves around the sea.

McCallum voted on resettlement in 2015 and 2017 but did not meet the 90% threshold required.[8][9][10][11]

Geography

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McCallum is in Newfoundland within Subdivision D of Division No. 3.[12] As a result of resettlement, the community has grown and has taken in people from surrounding communities such as Pushthrough, Muddy Hole, Indian Cove, Lock's Cove, Richards Harbour, Great Jervais and Mosquito.[13]

Demographics

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As a designated place in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, McCallum recorded a population of 45 living in 21 of its 44 total private dwellings, a change of -38.4% from its 2016 population of 73.[14][15] With a land area of 1.82 km2 (0.70 sq mi), it had a population density of 40.1/km2 (103.9/sq mi) in 2016.[15]

Government

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McCallum is a local service district (LSD)[16] that is governed by a committee responsible for the provision of certain services to the community.[17] The chair of the LSD committee is Everett Durnford.[16]

Infrastructure

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McCallum on overcast day

McCallum has a public wharf, a fire department, a bed-and-breakfast, local internet access,[18] a passenger ferry service to Hermitage (where the nearest road is located), and distance education facilities. There is only one general store, Fudges Store. The church is St Peter's Anglican, and the school is St Peter's All Grade School.[19] The school is small with only three students.[20] Distance education is a popular means of education for the high school students (grades 9 to 12).

There are now more than four ATV's used for various jobs in the community, such as garbage pickup, hauling freight, and bringing groceries to the shop. Also, ATVs have become popular for residents needing to get various jobs done quicker. Snowmobiles are popular in winter.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved Feb 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "McCallum". cbc.ca. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Hillier, Bernice (Jan 17, 2019). "Isolated towns fear new ferry contract will be the same old boat". CBC News. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "McCallum votes on resettlement: 'It's a dying community'". CBC News. Jun 1, 2015. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "N.L. ferries made 4,100 trips with no passengers last year". CBC. 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  6. ^ Antle, Angela (Jun 4, 2017). "Land & Sea: A 1989 visit to McCallum and Great Jarvis". CBC News. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
  7. ^ "Fish removal planned as disease detected in McCallum salmon cages". CBC News. Jul 13, 2020. Retrieved Nov 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Howells, Laura (Jun 8, 2015). "Resettlement policy needs reform: McCallum resident". CBC News. Retrieved Nov 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Hunt, Clayton (Sep 29, 2017). "McCallum residents staying put". Saltwire News. Retrieved Nov 15, 2020.
  10. ^ Dooley, Danette (Sep 29, 2017). "McCallum residents anxiously await resettlement vote results". Saltwire News. Retrieved Nov 15, 2020.
  11. ^ "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. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions, census subdivisions (municipalities) and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)". Statistics Canada. February 7, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  13. ^ Stoodley, Allan (Oct 25, 2020). "Decades after resettlement, tiny communities still dot Newfoundland's 'forgotten coast'". CBC News. Retrieved Nov 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved Feb 9, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)". Statistics Canada. February 7, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Directory of Local Service Districts" (PDF). Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. October 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  17. ^ "Local Service Districts – Frequently Asked Questions". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  18. ^ Bartlett, Geoff (Jan 31, 2018). "Is expanding high-speed internet to rural Newfoundland best use of $40M?". CBC News. Retrieved Oct 17, 2020.
  19. ^ Hunt, Clayton. "Schools adjusting to lower enrolments | SaltWire". Saltwire.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  20. ^ Mercer, Nicholas (Feb 12, 2020). "'I like the quiet': Inside an isolated Newfoundland community's single-student classes". The Telegram. Retrieved Nov 15, 2020.
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