57-530: Argentia ( / ɑːr ˈ dʒ ɛ n tʃ ə / ar- JEN -chə ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia , Newfoundland and Labrador . It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which reaches northward out into Placentia Bay creating a natural harbour 3 km (1.9 mi) in length. Originally settled by
114-466: A herring factory at Argentia in 1936. The first church and school were established by Father Pelagius Nowlan in 1835. He was from Ireland and moved to Newfoundland as a missionary priest. In 1836, population was made up 484 people in 76 houses. Construction started on a branch line to nearby Placentia from the Harbour Grace Railway mainline near Whitbourne (what would later become part of
171-672: A British possession. Many of the French fishermen who had to abandon the fisheries in Placentia ended up at the fisheries in Isle Royale, otherwise known as Cape Breton Island . In the spring of 1714, the governor of Plaisance began organizing the emigration. Three royal ships accompanied by merchant vessels took the French residents of Placentia to the future site of Louisbourg. The group consisted of 116 men, 10 women and 23 children. The Miꞌkmaq who had resided there also abandoned Placentia following
228-570: A new ferry intended for service to North Sydney , Nova Scotia , was built in Scotland. In October 1897, the new vessel named the SS Bruce arrived but the docks at Port aux Basques had not been completed. As a result, from October until June, 1898 (when it reverted to Port aux Basques), the Bruce operated first from Placentia and then from Little Placentia to North Sydney. War between Britain and Nazi Germany
285-544: A three phase plan to develop the Voisey's Bay nickel deposit. The $ 1 billion initial phase of the Voisey's Bay agreement provided for mine and mill infrastructure development at Voisey's Bay, and a research and development program in hydrometallurgical processing which would include a demonstration plant to be built at Argentia. the demonstration plant at Argentia was constructed and operated from 2004 to 2007. The demonstration plant
342-488: A type of barter called the truck system ) had access to good-paying jobs on the American base. American technology enriched the living standards of Placentia residents, while the local culture was influenced strongly by the American presence. Similarly, it prompted a huge population boom, growing from 1,900 people in 1935 to well over 8,000 in the 1960s (note: these figures account for the current boundaries of Placentia, which at
399-635: Is also home to a post-secondary institution; a campus of the College of the North Atlantic , offering programs in heavy duty equipment mechanics, heavy equipment operation, welding, machinist, and industrial machinery. Placentia has many features that make it a popular tourist attraction in Newfoundland and Labrador. It has a unique lift-bridge named the Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge that spans
456-612: Is located in the Gipuzkoa province of the Basque Country . Placentia may also be derived from the Latin placentia ("smooth"), a name also probably given by the Basques. Placentia's large, rocky beach meant that fish could be salted and dried on the beach rocks rather than on a constructed wooden fishing stage , saving both time and effort. In 1655, the French, who controlled more than half of
513-684: Is now within the town of Placentia's boundaries). For a time, this was the largest American military base outside of the United States, and it played an integral role in World War II , earning the nickname "the Gibraltar of the Atlantic." This huge development revolutionized the Placentia area both economically and culturally. Essentially, the American base introduced a widespread cash-based economy. Suddenly, people who had fished all of their lives (engaging in
570-456: Is unclear when Placentia terrain was first settled by Europeans, but Spaniards from Biscay fishermen were fishing in the area as early as the beginning of the 16th century, using Placentia as a seasonal centre of operations. The last will of a Basque region seaman has been discovered in an archive in Spain in which Domingo de Luca asks in 1563, “that my body be buried in this port of Plazençia in
627-438: The 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Placentia had a population of 3,289 living in 1,543 of its 1,827 total private dwellings, a change of -5.9% from its 2016 population of 3,496 . With a land area of 57.8 km (22.3 sq mi), it had a population density of 56.9/km (147.4/sq mi) in 2021. In the 2016 census, Placentia's population was reported as 3,496, down significantly from
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#1732848558584684-594: The Air Cadet Gliding Program . By the mid-1960s roads were upgraded between Argentia and the newly opened Trans-Canada Highway at Whitbourne. In 1967 a new ferry terminal was opened by Canadian National Railway and the Ambrose Shea became the first seasonal ferry to call at the port, largely carrying tourists bound for the Avalon Peninsula (19 hours crossing time) from North Sydney, Nova Scotia . In
741-534: The Channel Islands , from which Jerseyside, a prominent section of the town, derives its name. Some time after 1810 General George Garth was appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Placentia, a post he held until his death in 1817. In 1940, via an agreement between the British and American governments (Newfoundland not joining Canada until 1949), a large American military base was constructed at nearby Argentia (which
798-702: The German U-boat fleet. The land beneath the village was traded to the United States for construction of the base under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement and the residents of Argentia and Marquise received the following notices: In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the Defence (requisition of land) Regulations, made under the Emergency Powers Defence Act 1940, on the 28th day of December AD 1940, I do authorize all persons who shall be engaged by
855-504: The Government of Canada under the terms of the U.S.-Britain lend-lease program; Newfoundland having become a Canadian province in 1949. In 1973 Naval Air Station Argentia was closed and by 1975 the entire north side of the base was out of US hands. In 1994 Naval Operating Base Argentia, was officially decommissioned and the site was transferred to the Government of Canada. From 1994 to 2007,
912-502: The Newfoundland Railway ) on October 14, 1886, and the 26 mi (42 km) of track were completed by October 1888. This line became known as the "Placentia Branch" and it served as a key route to Placentia and the nearby port and anchorage of Little Placentia where coastal ferries would run to outports along the south coast of the island. The Newfoundland Railway chose Port aux Basques to be its western terminus in 1893 and
969-626: The United States Government or its agents and contractors on the construction for that government of any naval, military or air works at Argentia to do any work on any land or place any thing in, on, or over any land upon the Argentia Peninsula, insofar as it shall be necessary for any such person so to do for the carrying out of any such work of construction including any preliminary work in relation thereto. Provided, however, that this present authority shall not be valid to authorize
1026-654: The 1980s the terminal was upgraded by CN Marine and in 1989 the company's successor, Marine Atlantic , welcomed the MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood ferry (14 hours crossing time) on the Argentia summer run, until 2011, when it was replaced by the MV Blue Puttees and MV Highlanders . Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador Placentia is a town located in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It consists of
1083-512: The 2001 figure of 4,426. This population decline has been ongoing since the early 1990s; in the 1996 census, Placentia was, proportionately, the 2nd fastest shrinking town in Canada, dropping from 5,515 to 5,013 between 1991 and 1996. From the outset, it was fish that brought the Europeans to Newfoundland, as well as their patterns of settlement. While Placentia was considered a military base, it
1140-565: The Beothuk had come to permanently settle or just to fish has proved difficult to ascertain. By the late 17th century, the English and French settlers and fishermen had claimed the bays of Placentia. This effectively cut the natives off from valuable salmon, seal, and other valuable coastal resources. This is one of several reasons attributed as to why the Beothuk eventually disappeared from Placentia, as well as several other areas of Newfoundland. It
1197-545: The French in the 1630s that fishing settlement was called Petit Plaisance, meaning "Pleasant Little Place". The name was retained in English (Little Placentia) when the French lost control of the area following the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The census of 1706 records 149 individuals in 14 habitations. The community adopted its present name (unofficially in 1895 and officially in 1901) for the presence of silver ore near Broad Cove Point on
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#17328485585841254-531: The French port. In 1711, the British Rear-Admiral Hovenden Walker considered attacking the French at Placentia with a Royal Navy fleet containing fifteen ships, armed with a total of nine hundred cannons, and transporting 4,000 soldiers. However, he decided that doing so was not a viable option. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht forced the French to abandon their Placentia Bay settlements and migrate to Louisbourg , and Placentia became
1311-424: The Government of Canada carried out a $ 106 million environmental remediation program at Argentia which included the removal of many building structures, and the clean up, removal or safe containment of various hazardous materials on the land and in the water about the site. Concurrently, by 2001, the site was turned over to a private, not-for-profit organization to manage and lead the redevelopment of Argentia. With
1368-455: The Placentia area. The primary production is Faces of Fort Royale, performed at Castle Hill National Historic Site , depicting the lives of the early inhabitants of Placentia under the leadership of Governor De Broullion . They also perform a dinner theatre cabaret set in the 1950s during the Argentia Base heyday, and a ghost walk. The troupe generally consists of post-secondary students under
1425-502: The Ship Harbour anchorage from August 9–12, the chiefs of staff of Britain and the US met to discuss the war strategies and logistics once the US joined the war. The two leaders and their aides also negotiated the wording of a press release that they called a "joint statement". Though not drafted as a legal agreement requiring signatures, Roosevelt and Churchill did sign their own draft markups of
1482-562: The Treaty of Utrecht, Placentia's residential fisheries met their ultimate demise. The American base at Argentia was scaled back in the 1970s, and closed totally in 1994. This, along with the collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery and the moratorium introduced by the Canadian government a few years earlier, left the town of Placentia without an economic base for some time, although recent developments by Vale Inco are beginning to stabilize
1539-454: The Treaty of Utrecht. William Taverner suggested that the Miꞌkmaq left because they had been deprived of their French trading partners. For a time in the 18th century, it still rivalled St. John's in size and importance, as evidenced by the future King William IV 's summering at Placentia in 1786 and using it as his base of operations when acting as surrogate judge in Newfoundland. The town
1596-602: The US war effort; by 1943 with the U.S. fully involved in the Second World War, Argentia saw upwards of 10,000 US personnel passing through on the way to the European Theatre . An adjoining United States Army base was established as Fort McAndrew to provide anti-aircraft artillery protection for the navy base and naval air station. In 1946 Fort McAndrew became part of the United States Army Air Forces and
1653-594: The Western Hemisphere. The Argentia site was selected due to its proximity to Europe, the relatively ice-free nature of Placentia Bay, the safe navigational access channel, the sheltered harbour with secure deepwater anchorages nearby at Fox Harbour and Ship Harbour , as well as the local topography for an airfield and the existing railway line. The base was urgently needed as part of the trans-Atlantic supply line which joined North America to Britain, in order to provide anti-submarine patrols to protect shipping from
1710-586: The amalgamated communities of Placentia ("Townside"), Southeast Placentia, Freshwater , Dunville and Jerseyside and also includes the Argentia Industrial Park. There is considerable evidence that Placentia Bay was intermittently occupied by Little Passage people. Their descendants, the Beothuk , continued to settle there until the 17th century. Remnants of Beothuk occupation from the surrounding area has been carbon dated back to as far as 1500 CE. Whether
1767-662: The coast of Newfoundland and Labrador to build radar stations which would become part of the Pinetree Line and DEW Line systems. In the 1960s Naval Station Argentia became a key "node" in the US Navy's SOSUS underwater hydrophone system. As such, the base was the target for several espionage attempts by the Soviet Union . By 1969 the total US Navy and Marine Corps contingents had dropped to 3,000 and to 1,000 by 1971. As facilities and structures closed, assets were transferred to
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1824-610: The construction of the concrete base of the wellhead platform. Construction of the graving dock began in late 2013 and was finished in early 2015. However, in December 2014, Husky announced that, due to declining oil prices, the decision to construct the Concrete Gravity Base (CGS) had been deferred. The former US Navy Air Station airfield on the Northside Peninsula has not been active for air traffic since 1973 other than for
1881-456: The date mentioned. Signed: WW Woods, Commissioner for Public Utilities" Most people relocated to the nearby villages of Freshwater or Placentia. However, what little had been paid as compensation (usually no more than a few thousand dollars for homeowners in Argentia) proved inadequate for building equivalent new homes due to severe wartime shortages of labour and materials. Those buried in
1938-405: The demolition, pulling down or destruction of any building or erection upon any such land, or the doing of any act which renders any such building or erection intangible. Signed, Wilfrid Woods , Commissioner for Public Utilities "The Defence (requisition of land) Regulations made under the Emergency Powers Defence Act 1940 on the 28th day of December, A.D., 1940. I have to notify you that
1995-491: The east side of the harbour. The name "Argentia" is Latin, meaning "Land of Silver" and was chosen by Father John St. John, the parish priest at Holy Rosary Parish from September 18, 1895, to February 11, 1911. The Silver Cliff Mine operated until the early 1920s but was never profitable. Through most of the 19th century, the fishery was the lifeblood of the community; the Newfoundland Commission of Government built
2052-429: The island of Newfoundland , and most of Atlantic Canada , made Placentia (French: Plaisance ) their capital. They built Fort Plaisance in 1662, which was followed by Fort Royal in 1687, and Fort Saint Louis in 1691. The establishment of a fort with a garrison allowed fishermen to pursue their activities with greater safety in neighbouring harbours. The French garrisons at Plaisance were small, but despite that fact,
2109-650: The joint statement which was issued as a press release on August 14, 1941, in Washington, D.C., and was issued simultaneously in London, England. Several days later the Daily Herald , a London newspaper, would characterize the contents of that press release as the Atlantic Charter . statement. On August 28, 1941, Naval Station Argentia was officially commissioned by the US Navy. Argentia would prove to be an important base in
2166-400: The lands and buildings lately belonging to and occupied by you at Argentia, for which said lands and buildings payment has been awarded, are required for occupation by the Government of Newfoundland not later than ________. Take notice, therefore, that the said premises must be completely vacated by you and peaceably yielded up to the Government of Newfoundland, its servants, agents, on or before
2223-476: The lands which formerly comprised the US Naval Base to local ownership and control. Port of Argentia , is the port and property authority for the industrial area and is utilizing these former naval base properties to lead the redevelopment of the site to revitalize the local economy and quality of life in the region. In June 2002, Inco announced an agreement with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on
2280-410: The military base now closed, Argentia has no permanent residents and is zoned as an industrial area in support of its redevelopment as a seaport and industrial park for the Town of Placentia. Argentia became part of Town of Placentia in 1993, along with Freshwater , Dunville , Jerseyside and townside Placentia. By the end of 2001, Government of Canada had negotiated land transfer agreements to return
2337-416: The news that this oil resource could be exploited by installing a gravity based 'wellhead platform' structure over the western section of the oil field on the ocean floor in approximately 120 m (390 ft) of water. To support this billion dollar wellhead platform construction project, Husky announced that it would be establishing a graving dock facility on the Northside Peninsula at Argentia to support
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2394-446: The place where those who die here are usually buried.” It is believed to be the oldest original civil document written in Canada. Contemporary scholars think that the land called Vinland extending from Nova Scotia to L'Anse aux Meadows consisted of at least a few settlements; probably on the Avalon Peninsula too. "Placentia" may be derived from the similarly named village of Placencia de las Armas ( Basque : Soraluze ), which
2451-718: The scenic Cape Shore (including the Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve ), and St. Mary's Bay , Conception Bay , and the inner reaches of Placentia Bay . In 2009, Placentia celebrated the opening of the Placentia Bay Cultural Arts Centre with a month of artistic events, including drama productions, art exhibitions (three shows recognizing art from elementary students, high school students, and adults), and musical performances. The town has an established summer stock theatre troupe, Placentia Area Theatre D'Heritage (PATH), which performs historical plays of significance in
2508-601: The soldiers and French privateers managed to hold their own in the face of numerous English attacks during the two major conflicts of the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession , which marked the colony's history. Recollect (Franciscan) friars from New France built a friary here in 1689, which lasted until the expulsion of the French in 1714. In 1692, Louis-Armand de Lom d'Arce de Lahontan, Baron de Lahontan defended
2565-464: The southern Avalon Peninsula and the eastern Burin Peninsula . From the mid-18th century through to the 1830s, numerous Irish immigrants from Waterford , Wexford , Kilkenny and Cork settled in Placentia, so that the population of the modern town is largely of a mixture of West Country English and south-eastern Irish background. In the 18th century there were also a large number of settlers from
2622-400: The three local graveyards were exhumed and reburied in a new cemetery constructed by the US forces at the insistence of the local parish priest, Father A. J. Dee, who had also raised objections to the wartime delays in finding new housing for Argentia's living residents who were being forced to leave the village. The abandoned homes were ultimately burned or levelled by bulldozers. The US flag
2679-539: The time consisted of four separate towns: Placentia, Dunville , Jerseyside, and Freshwater ). The post office was established in 1851. The first postmistress in 1863 was Mary Morris. On September 16, 1870, it became the seat of the Catholic pre-diocesan Apostolic Prefecture of Placentia , but instead of becoming a diocese it was suppressed in 1891, its territory being merged into the Diocese of St. John's, Newfoundland . In
2736-606: The town's rocky economic situation. Placentia is home to one primary education school: St. Anne's Academy, a K-6 school in Dunville. There currently exists one high school, Laval High School, which educates students from grades 7 to 12. The original Laval High School was demolished in 2010, with a new state of the art facility replacing it in September 2010. All schools are home to many extracurriculars, including student council, sports, drama and music, and volunteer organizations. Placentia
2793-563: The tumultuous tides of 'the gut' (the narrow opening to the harbour). Around Placentia, countless buildings and sites reflect the deep history of the area. In 1893, Harry Verran who was a mining engineer from Cornwall , England , worked for Cyrus Field . He built a historic house that now operates as a bed and breakfast called Rosedale Manor . There are many archaeological sites (some partially re-constructed), several excellent examples of late-19th century Newfoundland architecture, two museums ( O'Reilly House and Castle Hill ), and one of
2850-415: The two Marine Atlantic ferry links from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia (via Argentia). The local historical society owns both the O'Reilly House and St. Luke's Cultural Heritage Centre (formerly St. Luke's Anglican Church ) which is used to host workshops, presentations, performances, and even an escape room . It is 130 km (81 mi) from the capital city, St. John's, and is within easy distance of
2907-493: Was also a colony with an economy based on the cod fishery and cod trade. Fishing was a consistently shared activity between French ships and resident boatkeepers. The fisheries of Placentia played a large role in ultimately securing Newfoundland as the world's largest exporter of salt codfish . After the war of 1689 had set back the colonial fishing industry, Placentia quickly renewed its seasonal fisheries , and in 1698 had sent more than 3,916 tonnes of cod to France. Following
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#17328485585842964-631: Was an initial step toward the ultimate development of a commercial hydrometallurgical processing facility, the Long Harbour Nickel Processing Plant , to be constructed and operated in Long Harbour . In October, 2013, Husky Energy and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced an agreement to amend the White Rose Development. White Rose is the name of an oil field offshore Newfoundland. The announcement included
3021-581: Was declared on September 3, 1939, after Adolf Hitler 's forces invaded Poland . Argentia was selected in 1940 to be the location of the United States Navy 's Naval Station Argentia being built under the United States-British Destroyers for Bases Agreement (which preceded the introduction of Lend-Lease in 1941) which saw fifty obsolete US destroyers given to Britain in exchange for control of selected lands controlled by Britain in
3078-484: Was described by the then-Prince as "a more decent settlement than any we have yet seen in Newfoundland" and was reported as having a population between 1,500 and 2,000 people. Considering that the population of Newfoundland was reported as 8,000 11 years earlier, in 1775, Placentia's relative size and importance becomes apparent. By the 19th century, it was more fully eclipsed by St. John's and Harbour Grace , Placentia continued to be an important town, regional centre to
3135-447: Was made clear on August 7, 1941, when the heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) carrying U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived at an anchorage outside Argentia near Ship Harbour. Roosevelt inspected the base construction progress and did some fishing from Augusta over the next two days. Augusta was joined by the British warship HMS Prince of Wales carrying British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on August 9, 1941. While in
3192-465: Was raised in Argentia on February 13, 1941. Throughout 1940–1941 the US Navy constructed an airfield and navy base and built an extension to the Newfoundland Railway to service their facilities, owing to the condition of local roads. The navy base construction in particular was a priority with Navy Operating Base Argentia being officially commissioned on July 15, 1941. The reason for the rush
3249-591: Was renamed McAndrew Air Force Base in 1948. With VE in 1945, Argentia saw a drop in personnel but by the start of the Cold War in 1947–1948, personnel numbers rose to 7,000. By the end of the Korean War in 1953, Argentia saw a total of 8,500 personnel posted in the area. In 1955 McAndrew AFB was deactivated and turned over to the US Navy as the US Air Force moved its personnel to more remote and northern locations along
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