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Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador, incorporated as a town in 1956, population 439 (2021 census), 427 (2016 census). The town of Cartwright is located at the mouth of Sandwich Bay on the south coast of Labrador.
Settlement and Development
Cartwright is named for George Cartwright, who established a fishing and fur-trading post in the area in 1775. In 1815, the business was sold and eventually acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1873. Settlement grew in association with the company and other trading and lumbering firms, which were established at or near Cartwright. Independent fishermen settled in Cartwright because of the availability of amenities, such as medical services provided by a Grenfell Association hospital (see Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell).
Economy and Transportation
Today, with medical facilities, an airstrip, and various businesses, Cartwright is a local service centre. The crab industry is a major employer, and the town is home to a snow crab processing plant. Cartwright is connected to other parts of Labrador via the Trans-Labrador Highway.
