Bay Bulls, Newfoundland and Labrador

This article is about the town. For the body of water, see Bay Bulls (Newfoundland and Labrador).

Bay Bulls
Town
Bay Bulls in August, 2006
Bay Bulls Location of Bay Bulls in Newfoundland
Coordinates: 47°18′57″N52°48′37″W / 47.3158°N 52.8103°W / 47.3158; -52.8103
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
settled	1635-1638
Government
• Mayor	Neil O'Brien
Area [1]
• Land	30.74 km2 (11.87 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [2]
• Total	1,566
• Density	48.8/km2 (126/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Area code	709
Highways	Route 10
Website	townofbaybulls.com
Bay Bulls Lighthouse
Constructed	1908
Foundation	concrete base
Construction	cast iron tower
Height	11 m (36 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower and lantern
Power source	solar power
Operator	Canadian Coast Guard [3] [4]
Heritage	recognized federal heritage building of Canada
Focal height	62 m (203 ft)
Lens	fourth ordered Fresnel lens
Range	7 nmi (13 km; 8.1 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 6s

Bay Bulls (2021 population: 1,566 ^[2] ) is a small fishing town in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Geography

Located in a sheltered bay, it has been home to many fishermen and a strategic location in early times as it is located just a few miles from the capital, St. John's.

History

Bay Bulls first appears on a 1592 map drawn by Thomas Hood.

Fortification of the harbour came in 1638 by Governor David Kirke. In 1665, Bay Bulls was raided by Dutch sailors under Admiral De Ruyter. During King William's War, the village was attacked twice. In 1696, Monbeton de St. Ovide de Brouillan, the governor of Placentia, attacked Bay Bulls from the sea, resulting in the scuttling of the English warship HMS Sapphire. Then in 1697 Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville marched overland from Placentia and attacked Bay Bulls in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign. In 1702, Commodore John Leake of the Royal Navy entered Bay Bulls with several Men of War, and received information about the whereabouts of French ships and unprotected settlements around the Avalon Peninsula, which he then attacked. On June 24, 1762, the French led by Admiral d'Arsac de Ternay, landed seven hundred men who occupied Bay Bulls and marched to St. John's. Bay Bulls suffered its last invasion on September 29, 1796, when Admiral Richery attempted to storm St. John's but finding it well defended; he attacked and burned Bay Bulls instead.

In 1890 the Roman Catholic church St. Peter and St. Paul was rebuilt. The gate was initially marked by cannons left over from the battles with the French, then statues of the Saints were added on top, which gave the famous "Canonized Saints of Bay Bulls."

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bay Bulls had a population of 1,566 living in 597 of its 631 total private dwellings, a change of 4.4% from its 2016 population of 1,500. With a land area of 30.6 km² (11.8 sq mi), it had a population density of 51.2/km² (132.5/sq mi) in 2021. ^[2]

Economy

Hercules oil platform in Bay Bulls in 2023

Bay Bulls is a fishing community and was established because it is close to the rich fishing grounds on the Grand Banks. Due to its proximity to St. John's, the town is becoming more of a bedroom community for people employed there. Bay Bulls has been at the forefront of many strategies such as fish farming and lately servicing the Oil and Gas industry. The Penney Group of Companies has built a repair facility that services the many oil rigs that drill for oil on the Grand Banks. Tourism has become an important part of the community as well. Four whale and bird watching establishments, as well as several bed-and-breakfast places, attract visitors from all over the world.

Image gallery

• 
  Bay Bulls Harbour
• 
  St. Peter and St. Paul Church, showing the "canonized saints"

See also

• List of lighthouses in Canada
• List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador

References

1. "Census Profile - Bay Bulls". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
2. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
3. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southeastern Newfoundland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved 2017-02-06.
4. List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights . United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2016.

External links

• Official town website