Burin Peninsula Attractions
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Route 210 to the Burin Peninsula leaves the TransCanada Highway near Goobies. The greater part of this stretch runs inland with short side-roads branching off to some pretty little coastal towns.The countryside here is hilly and rather barren moorland.The Burin Peninsula has a rich history linked to fishing in Grand Banks. From about the 15th c. onwards it became a European fishing ground, when French, British and Portuguese came here in summer to fish. After people began to settle permanently it still remained important from a fishing point of view, and even today the inhabitants depend almost completely on the fishing industry for their living.
Swift Current, Canada
Mention should be made of Swift Current, because of its magnificent beaches and its beautiful river, Piper's Hole in Piper's Hole River Provincial Park. There is a stretch of heathland below the town.
Marystown, Canada
The shipyard port of Marystown is beautifully situated on Little Bay. This is where the mainly large fishing-boats are built.Today the main industry in Marystown is a fish plant which has brought a considerable increase to the town's population. The town has a couple of museums, along with shops and restaurants for tourists to enjoy.A number of towns on the Burin Peninsula, including Marystown sustained damage during hurrican Igor in the summer of 2010.
Mortier Bay
Mortier Bay is both picturesque and tranquil.From Marystown the 210 and 220 roads lead round the "boot" of the peninsula, with stops in Burin, St Lawrence, Fortune and Grand Bank. A large part of this 159 km (99 mi.) stretch passes through barren and wind-lashed countryside.
Marystown - Golden Sands Resort
At Golden Sands Resort, near Salt Pond, will be found huts and camping-sites and a lovely beach suitable for bathing.Route 221 leads to an entrancing piece of coast with hundreds of islands and projecting rock formations.
Burin, Canada
Burin, which developed as a result of the fishing industry, consists of a collection of villages dating back to the 18th c. and scattered between small bays and inlets.The 220 leads you to Freshwater Pond Provincial Park, a good place at which to learn more about the island.Not only is this place a center of ship-building, it also has large fleets of fishing-steamers and some of the largest fish-production plants on the island. Huge quantities are brought here for processing every year from the towns at the southern tip.
St Lawrence, Canada
St Lawrence, surrounded by pretty towns and villages, was at one time one of the world's largest producers of the mineral fluorite (fluorspar). The Miner's Museum documents the history of the local mining industry and the lives of the miners.The breakers off the south coast at Allan Island, High Beach and Point au Gaul can be very spectacular.Just before reaching Grand Bank there is a beautiful view of the south coast, Brunette Island and Miquelon Island.
Grand Bank, Canada
The beautifully situated town of Grand Bank is an important fishing center. It has some attractive houses with "widow-walks", small open galleries on the roof from which the women could watch for the return of their men folk from the sea.The town sits on the southern tip of the Burin Peninsula.
Provincial Seamen's Museum (Closed Temporarily)
The Provincial Seamen's Museum closed during the winter of 2010 for renovations. It will be re-opened in 2011
Grand Banks
Grand Bank is the largest and most varied of the "banks" in the south and east, shallow waterways with large stocks of fish which have attracted fishermen for centuries and still continue to do so. Grand Bank is where the Labrador current and the Gulf Stream meet, causing the colder stream to sink below the warmer, thus churning up plankton from the sea-bed. The plankton then rises to the surface and attracts great shoals of fish. Traditionally mainly fish of the cod group are caught, together with some herring. The fishing-boats used to be known as "bankers".Oil and gas are also drilled for on Grand Bank.
Coastline
Along the coastline of the Burin Peninsula,Route 212 leads off right to Bay l'Argent and Little Bay East, two places of lasting beauty. Bay l'Argent has some long beaches of silvery rocks.Baine Harbor and Rushoon on the opposite side of the peninsula are also worth a visit. Further south lie the loveliest spots, John the Bay, Little Bay and Beau Bois, known worldwide for its beauty.
