L'Anse Amour, Newfoundland and Labrador

L'Anse Amour is a small town on the Strait of Belle Isle in Labrador, a part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. As of 2006, it has a population of 8.

Demographics

The figures below pertain to Division No. 10, Subd. A, which includes L'Anse Amour.
* Population, 2001: 64
* Population, 1996: 83
* Population change, 1996-2001: -22.9 percent
* Area (square kilometers): 3,755.19
* Number of families: 25No statistics for the town of L'Anse Amour itself are available, though a [http://www.labradorcoastaldrive.com/home/76 tourist Web site] lists the town's population at 8.

History

Literally translated from French as "Cove of Love," L'Anse Amour is a corruption of an earlier name, L'Anse aux Morts, which means "Cove of the Dead."

Human settlement in the area dates back at least 7,500 years as evidenced by the burial mound of a Maritime Archaic boy here. His body was wrapped in a shroud of bark or hide and placed face down with his head pointed to the west. A sign at the site describes the significance of the burial mound and reproductions of artifacts found there are located at the Labrador Straits Museum in L'Anse au Loup, Labrador.

Lighthouse

The Point Amour Lighthouse, located a short distance from L'Anse Amour, is the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada, and the second tallest one in all of Canada,cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/lab.htm|author=Rowlett, Russ|title=The Lighthouse Directory|accessdate=8 September|accessyear=2008] reaching a height of 109 feet (33 m). The cylindrical tower is built of limestone and is painted white with a black band. It was built in the series of Imperial Towers and is designated a Provincial Historic Site. The residential part of the lighthouse, completed in 1857, has been renovated and now serves as a museum.

A second order Fresnel lens with a focal plane at 152 ft (46 m) above sea level is in use. In 1996 the operation of the lighthouse was converted to an automatic system. The light characteristic is a period of light of 16 seconds with an adjacent pause of 4 seconds. A fog signal may be sounded from a separate building.

Icebergs and a narrow passage make the Strait of Belle Isle a hazardous body of water. However, the route provided a shortcut between the United Kingdom and larger ports such as Montreal.

The wreck of one of the ships to go aground in the passage, the H.M.S. Raleigh, is located near Point Amour. A trail along the shore allows visitors to see the rusting remains of the ship, which went aground on August 8, 1922 and was demolished by explosives in 1926.

Attractions

The town has an official population of seven people who are descendants of the crew of the HMS Raleigh which ran aground in 1919 at Point Amour. The uniqueness of a community with a population so few and its many attractions has gained national recognition in the vote to become one of the seven wonders of Canada.

The tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada is located at Point Amour and it has one of the oldest funeral monuments in the "new world", erected by the Maritime Archaic as a burial mound is located nearby.

ee also

* List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador

References

External links

* [http://www.labradorcoastaldrive.com/home/76 A description of L'Anse Amour]
* [http://www.labradorcoastaldrive.com/home/33 L'Anse Amour Burial National Historic Site]
* [http://www.lorneslights.com/NF/nf112.html Point Amour Lighthouse]
* [http://www.statcan.ca/start.html Statistics Canada]