St Alban's

St. Alban's, NL, incorporated as a town in 1964, population 1233 (2011c), 1278 (2006c). The Town of St Alban's is located at the mouth of Bay D'Espoir on the south coast of Newfoundland. Originally known as Ship Cove, the name was changed in 1915 to avoid confusion with other Ship Coves. St Alban's was named after the town of the same name in England. As early as 1776, the French had been given timber rights in the area, and it was the area's rich timber resources on which the first settlers relied, along with fishing, hunting and trapping.

Logging and sawmilling became the area's chief economic activity in the 20th century. In 1804 a 94 t schooner was built using the local lumber. Hoops, staves and shingles were also produced for barter with the merchant ships that sailed into the area. By the late 1800s, however, many settlers owned their own schooners, which were used to export their own products, chiefly to St Pierre. In 1943 the Bowater Pulpwood operation opened in the town and operated until 1958. Its closure caused an economic decline. Today the lumber industry is no longer the main economic activity. Fish farming and nearby hydroelectric developments provide employment for the citizens of St Alban's.