|
|
|
|
|
|
Community Profile
The town of Old Perlican, located at the intersection of Routes 70 and 80 is approximately 60 km from Carbonear and 50 km from Heart's Content. A thriving service centre for the collection of smaller communities at the head of Trinity and Conception Bays.
Old Perlican has a population of 661 (2011 census). The major economy is the fishery. Crab and shrimp processing facilities are employers of nearly 500 workers during the fishing and production season. Other species processed here include lump, mackerel, capelin, and whelk. Fortunately for Old Perlican, the cod moratorium of the early 1990's did not devastate the economy of the area.
Old Perlican is one of the oldest fishing communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, serving as the major summer fishing station in Trinity Bay for migratory fishermen from England in the 1500's. On the first known map of the area, it's name was recorded as 'Perlican' as early as 1597, with the prefix 'Old' added sometime later to distinguish it from New Perlican (another Trinity Bay community). One of its first settlers was a planter named John Brown. The 1675 census for Newfoundland lists fourteen planters living in Old Perlican. In 1697, Old Perlican was destroyed by the French under D'Iberville.
In 1729, Old Perlican was one of 11 harbours in Newfoundland to warrant the appointment of a Justice of the Peace. In 1774, Methodism was introduced to the residents by John Hoskins, an English school teacher. In 1914, Reid Newfoundland Ltd built a railway line in the general area which ran as far as Bay de Verde until the 1930's. In 1936, the Old Perlican Cottage Hospital was built.
The Town of Old Perlican was incorporated by the province as a municipality on March 31,1971. Shortly thereafter the first general election was held. Warren Green became the first mayor, but after only six months in office relinquished the chair to E. Fred Cram who served as mayor until 1981. Fred Cram was followed by John A. Barrett (1981-1989), Harry L Strong (1989-1997), Roland Strong (1997-2005), Donald Burt (2005-2009) Harry L. Strong (2009-2013). The current Mayor is Bruce Button. The first Council met in a small building owned by Eric Strong on Main Street. The present municipal building was built in 1975 and an extension added in 1988. The building currently houses the town office and chambers, the Old Perlican Public Library, an RCMP satellite office and the Old Perlican Ambulance Service.
The town's Volunteer Fire Department provides fire protection to Old Perlican and several smaller communities in the area. The department currently has 25 Volunteer members and operates from the Fire Hall on Main Street. The Fire Chief is Roger Burt. Other departments of the town include the Old Perlican Ambulance Service and the John Hoskins Recreation Commission. An arms' length organization, the Old Perlican Ambulance Service operates through a funding agreement with Eastern Health. It has eight paid personnel trained to various levels of pre-hospital care, including one primary care paramedic. The service prides itself on its excellent delivery of patient care to residents of the area. Ambulance services are dispatched from the local hospital.
When John Hoskins Elementary School closed in 1997, the town acquired the building from the Avalon North School Board. In 1982, the town had cost-shared with the board to build a gymnasium on the school. Community leaders convinced the school board to turn over the building to the town. It is now used as a community centre and continues to undergo renovations to make it a centre of attraction for the town. The Recreation Commission volunteers are tireless in their efforts to provide recreation and social activities for the residents. Other recreation facilities in the town include a soccer field, softball field, basketball court and playground.
Our heritage as a fishing community is proudly heralded through the efforts of the Old Perlican Heritage Committee. Some years ago local residents donated property in the centre of town for the development of a Memorial Park to honour the many residents who left Old Perlican to serve in both world wars. The War Memorial, surrounded by flags of all provinces and territories of Canada, is the scene of annual Remembrance Day ceremonies. The adjacent park and boardwalks are a popular tourism attraction. The Beckett Heritage Home, a registered heritage structure, and replica fishing store, located in the town's centre, are also popular tourism sites.
Old Perlican boasts many services and facilities. In 2001, a new health centre replaced the old cottage hospital which had served the area since the mid 1930's. The Dr. A.A. Wilkinson Memorial Health Centre is a state of the art acute care facility, with modern laboratory and x-ray facilities. The chief medical officer is Dr. Gert Nel, who arrived in Old Perlican in the early 1990's from South Africa. There are three additional physicians and various supporting medical/clerical staff employed at the centre which is operated by the Eastern Health Authority.
In September 2002, Baccalieu Collegiate (grades 7-12) opened its doors in Old Perlican. The new high school, built as a result of educational reform, consolidated the student populations of four schools: Holy Trinity (Heart's Content), E.J. Pratt (Brownsdale), St. Joseph's (Bay de Verde), and North Shore Collegiate (Northern Bay), in a facility to rival any in the larger centres. Teachers and students have formed a cohesive body where academic and extra-curricular ctivities are top-rate. Elementary (K-6) students from Old Perlican attend Tricon Elementary in nearby Bay de Verde.
For a small town, Old Perlican has a variety of commercial enterprises. These include funeral home, country inn, seniors' retirement home, drugstore, two gas bars (Irving and Esso) and convenience stores, two hardware stores, large supermarket, automotive garage, variety store, a marine supply store, cabinet makers, hair salons, accounting and insurance businesses, fast food takeouts, licensed liquor store, contracting and trucking business, in addition to the processing facilities.
As a major fishing port, Old Perlican's harbour facilities are managed by the Harbour Authority of Old Perlican, a federal government agency associated with Small Craft Harbours, Dept of Fisheries and Oceans. The Authority is responsible for heritage and gear storage facilities for fishers, as well as providing water and electrical services to commercial and pleasure boats. The Authority has ongoing plans for harbour improvements. | |
|
|
|
|
|
