St.Paul's River
Community of St. Paul's River, 2008.
The community of St. Paul’s River is located next to one of the best salmon fishing rivers on the Quebec-Labrador coast. Throughout the long human history of this region, aboriginal peoples used the river as a travel route to and from the Labrador interior, and lived seasonally along its banks. In historical times, the Innu traveled down the river to the coast to trade with the French, hunt sea mammals, and fish. Seasonal Innu use of the river went on well into the 20th century until, in the 1960s, many Innu were relocated to the community of La Romaine, farther to the west. The Inuit also came to the river to trade and fish. Nearby Eskimo Island is believed to be the site of a fierce battle between the Inuit and Innu. Even after European migration and settlement, some Inuit families remained in the area and a few Inuit intermarried with the settlers.
Although St. Paul’s River was part of the concession system, the river resources were not exploited until the English took over the region after 1763. The Lloyd brothers were the first to establish a fishing station. They were followed by Louis Chevalier, whose descendents still own salmon fishing rights on the river. In the early 1800s, European trappers and fishermen constructed a series of trappers’ cabins and tilts along the river. This gave them easier access to their trap lines in winter.
One of the early settlers, John Goddard, started out as a fisherman for the Chevaliers’ station. Later he became wealthy setting up his own fishing stations on several offshore islands, including Bonne Esperance Island. By the mid 1800s, the Bonne Esperance fishing premises had been taken over by William Henry Whiteley III, who came to the area from Boston with his mother and siblings. Over time, Whiteley built up the station to be a major employer in the area. The Whiteley premises on Bonne Esperance Island became a centre of activity in the 1870s and many travelers to the area, including Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, stayed there while making his medical rounds along the Coast in the early 1900s.
Today, almost all physical traces of the Bonne Esperance Island fishery are gone, but William Whiteley will always be remembered for his invention of the cod trap, which revolutionized the industry and was used as the primary tool for commercial cod fishing for over 100 years. His story is told at the Whiteley Museum in St. Paul’s River (www.whiteleymuseum.com).
St.Paul's River Photos : ( Click each for full size )
Grand home of William Whiteley on Bonne Esperance Island.
St.Paul's River : Transhumance on the Coast
Transhumance is a term describing the seasonal movement of people. The practice was common all around Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as along the Quebec Lower North Shore. To get away from blistering winter storms off the ocean, fishing families routinely relocated from houses along the ocean to winter homes along inner bays or rivers. At their inland homes, they were also closer to trap lines, wood for fuel and fresh water. Travel was easier as they did not have to content with sea ice. Come spring or early summer, families moved back closer to the ocean, often to small islands where they had summer cottages with sheds and wharves for fishing. From their summer locations, they would work their cod traps, herring nets and lobster pots. In the late fall or early winter, the families would load gear, kids, sled dogs, and other domestic animals into their open boats and return to more sheltered shores. After the mid-20th century, many families gave up the two-home system of tranhumance as roads were built on the mainland and year-round communities developing with services such as schools and churches. Changes in the fishing industry to use of larger boats and consolidated fish plants for fresh frozen processing reduced the need for families to move seasonally.
Aboriginal people also moved seasonally from the Coast in the spring and summer to inland hunting grounds. The St. Pauls River, once called the Eskimo River was an important waterway for their migration.
Photos : ( Click each for full size )
Abandoned house on an island near St. Paul's River.
19th century illustration of Labrador Innu using head scarves to ward off insects as they canoe inland.