Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou
From Rose Blanche there is a passenger ferry that services the isolated community of La Poile 35 kilometres (22 mi) to the east.
History
The Rose Blanche harbour was first used by French migratory fishermen who came in the early 1700s to fish the nearby Rose Blanche Bank which had an abundance of cod. The harbor provided good anchorage, being well sheltered by Caines Island and Rose Blanche Point. The name Rose Blanche is a corruption of the French words "roche blanche" (white rock) which can be seen at Diamond Cove. This white quartz was highly visible to the French migratory fishermen when they first approached the shore in the early 1700s.
The first settlers in Rose Blanche arrived and probably settled in 1810, though the French had held seasonal premises in the area in the 18th century. Rose Blanche was first settled for its sheltered harbours and close location to fishing grounds.
By the 1869 census, the population had grown to 663, and the area continued to attract new settlers from England and the Channel Islands to participate in the fishery. By the 1870s the community had a number of businesses which participated in the local fishery and the Labrador fishery.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Rose Blanche-Harbour le Cou had a population of 344 living in 172 of its 255 total private dwellings, a change of -12.7% from its 2016 population of 394. With a land area of 4.49 km (1.73 sq mi), it had a population density of 76.6/km (198.4/sq mi) in 2021.
Amenities
The 1950s and 1960s brought significant changes to the community with the opening of a fresh-frozen fish plant, plus resettlement of outlying communities in Rose Blanche, as a result of the road connection completed between Rose Blanche and Port aux Basques in 1961. St. Michael's Elementary school was shut down by the government due to lack of funding. There is also a small gas station, a couple of restaurants, and a new artists' retreat centre and guest house called "RoseSea House".
The Anglican church is dedicated to "Saint Michael and All Angels," which has a "high church" tradition. A few decades ago the former church building was replaced by a new one.
Notable People
James Delaney Buffett was born in Rose Blanche. He was the grandfather of singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett. He was a sailor and had a great influence on Jimmy Buffett’s life, who wrote the song The Captain and the Kid as a tribute to his grandfather.