Corner Brook

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For the submarine, see HMCS Corner Brook (SSK 878)

Corner Brook
Overlooking City of Corner Brook
Overlooking City of Corner Brook
Motto: 
Our Spirit... Your Success
CountryCanada Canada
ProvinceNewfoundland and Labrador 
Established1956
Government
 • City MayorCharles Pender
 • Governing BodyCorner Brook City Council
 • MPGerry Byrne
 • MHATom Marshall, Danny Williams, Terry Loder
Area
 • City148.27 km2 (57.25 sq mi)
 • Metro
255.10 km2 (98.49 sq mi)
Elevation
0 - 304 m (0 - 998 ft)
Population
 (2006)[2]
 • City20,083
 • Density135.5/km2 (351/sq mi)
 • Metro
26,623
 • Metro density104.4/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3:30 (NST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2:30 (NDT)
Postal Code
A2H
Area code709
NTS Map012A13
GNBC CodeAAEOU
WebsiteCity of Corner Brook

Corner Brook (2006 pop.: 20,083) is a Canadian city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Located on the Bay of Islands at the mouth of the Humber River, the city is the largest population centre in the province outside the Avalon Peninsula and functions as a service centre for western and northern Newfoundland.

History

James Cook, the famous British cartographer was the first European explorer to survey and record the geography of the Bay of Islands, including the area that is now Corner Brook. Throughout the summer of 1767, he surveyed most of the area, and copies of the maps he created are displayed at the Captain James Cook Monument in Corner Brook.

The area was originally four distinct communities with unique commercial activities. Curling, with its fishery; Corner Brook West (also known as Humber West or Westside) with its retail businesses; Corner Brook East (also known as Humbermouth and the Heights) with its railway and industrial operations; and Townsite (known as Corner Brook), home to the employees of the pulp and paper mill. In 1956, these four communities were amalgamated to form the present-day City of Corner Brook.

In the late 1960s, the local pulp and paper mill, then owned by Bowater, held the record for highest newsprint production in the world[citation needed] . During this time of prosperity, rent for store and office space on Broadway, the main shopping district at the time, was equal to rent paid in New York City, New York.[citation needed]

Today

In 1999, Corner Brook, along with Deer Lake, Pasadena, and Stephenville, hosted the Canada Games. The Canada Games Centre, now called the Pepsi Centre, was built for this event.

Corner Brook is home to the Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Mill (owned by Kruger Inc.), which is a major employer for the region. The city has the largest regional hospital in western Newfoundland, as well as shopping and retail, federal and provincial government offices, as well as Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, a division of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

In recent years Corner Brook has become a small, but growing centre for film and television production in Eastern Canada. The Atlantic Studios Cooperative in Corner Brook is the largest sound stage in Atlantic Canada and is located in the Pepsi Centre, the city's multi-purpose arena facility.

Corner Brook holds a unique Canadian record. Corner Brook is the oldest community of its size (over 25,000) in Canada. Other communities of this size have either grown into larger ones (+75,000), were amalgamated with other communities or collapsed[citation needed].

Transportation

Route 1, the Trans-Canada Highway, passes the south side of the city on a high ridge before descending into the Humber valley to the east.

The city is accessed by air services at Stephenville International Airport, 80 km south, and Deer Lake Airport, 55 km north.

The city has a municipal bus service and is served by four taxi cab companies.[3]

In early 2008, Chris Matthews became the first male model, to travel across the country on a unicycle. Making only an incredible 2 stops, the entire way. The cause of his trek is mainly unknown, but skeptics suggest it was to raise awareness for the extinction of the rare salt water moose.

See also

References

  1. ^ Statistics Canada 2001 Community Profile - Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
  2. ^ Statistics Canada (2006). "Corner Brook Community Profile". Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  3. ^ City of Corner Brook. Getting Around Town

External links