by H. Graciela Dyer

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: February 13, 2009

With a provincial population of just over half a million in an area slightly smaller than the state of California, Newfoundland and Labrador has wilderness to spare, and tourists are showing up in the province in increasing numbers. Some go to fish, hunt, sail, kayak, hike, or simply to enjoy the novelty of being in a place that's delightfully remote from 21st century North America in every good way possible.

While St. John's and Corner Brook are becoming justifiably renowned for what they have to offer, there's so much more to Newfoundland than immediately meets the eye. For the traveler with sense of adventure and an open mind, Newfoundland's outport communities are worth investigating, for it's in these remote islands that the true spirit of the province resides.

Newfoundland's outports, or fishing villages, are located off the province's rugged coastline. Nowadays they're accessible by ferry, but much of their charm comes from their long history of detachment from the province's mainland. Until well past the mid-20th century, these communities functioned without ferries, running water or electricity, and outport Newfoundlanders still display the kind of resourcefulness and communal work ethic that was vital to their survival before modern-day amenities made life less harsh. While there's no longer any need for them to fashion clothing from flour sacks or furniture from barrels, there are still craftspeople capable of building boats, homes and storehouses using wood they gather from the plentiful pine forests. While, in many respects, life is easier, memories of the hard times still vibrate keenly in songs and stories shared at kitchen parties. Listen closely and it's possible to hear accents that originated with the first settlers, some of whom arrived from Ireland and Southwestern England in the early 18th century

Between 1957 and 1970, many communities were resettled onto the province's mainland. Some refused to move away from the sea, however, and among their number was Little Bay Islands, a barely discernible dot in Notre Dame Bay, off the province's north coast. Here the summertime population of around 160 drops to just below 100 during the winter months and residents have to travel back and forth to Springdale for groceries, because the island's shop closed in 2007. There's still a fish plant operating on the island, however, but, like many other outports devastated by the greatly reduced fishery industry, the community is turning to tourism as a viable

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