Glovertown

Glovertown, NL, incorporated as a town in 1954, population 2122 (2011c), 2062 (2006c). The Town of Glovertown is named after Sir John Hawley Glover, governor of Newfoundland from 1876 to 1881. It incorporates several smaller communities located at the mouth of the Terra Nova River and along the Middle Arm of Alexander Bay on BONAVISTA BAY.

These earlier communities date back to the 1830s, when settlers began to take up land in the area, attracted by the excellent salmon fishing and timber resources on the Terra Nova River. The presence of this timber encouraged the development of boat and shipbuilding industries in the area. Most of the larger ships were built for the Labrador seal hunt, and at its peak Glovertown sent as many as 9 large ships each year to the Labrador fishery. Glovertown also developed as a centre for lumbering and cutting pulp wood, and for many years local businesses supplied pit props for British mines.

The development of TERRA NOVA NATIONAL PARK in the 1950s opened new possibilities for the area. Glovertown became the administrative centre for the park and tourism and sportfishing became more important parts of the local economy. Glovertown is also a service and commercial centre for other communities on Bonavista Bay.