Wabush

Last updated

Wabush
Town
Wabush.png
Town of Wabush across Jean Lake
Flag of Wabush.svg
Flag
Wabush.JPG
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
"Terra Progredimur"  (Latin)
"From the earth we prosper"
Canada Newfoundland and Labrador location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Wabush
Location of Wabush in Canada
Canada location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Wabush
Wabush (Canada)
Coordinates: 52°52′19″N66°53′27″W / 52.87194°N 66.89083°W / 52.87194; -66.89083
CountryCanada
Province Newfoundland and Labrador
Census divisions 10
Settled1955
Founded1962
IncorporatedApril 11, 1967
Government
[1]
 • Type Municipal incorporation
 • MayorRonald Barron
Area
 • Total46.25 km2 (17.86 sq mi)
Elevation
560 m (1,840 ft)
Population
 (2021) [2]
 • Total1,964
 • Density42/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone UTC−04:00
Highways NL Route 500.svg Route 500 (Trans-Labrador Highway)
NL Route 503.svg Route 503 (Grenfell Drive)
Website labradorwest.com/town-hall/wabush/

Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, bordering Quebec, known for transportation and iron ore operations.

Contents

Economy

Wabush is the twin community of Labrador City. [3] At its peak population in the late 1970s, the region had a population of just over 22,000. A reduction in iron mining operations in the late 20th century caused a major decline in jobs and population, when Cliffs Natural Resources Canada had to close and cold store the Scully Mine property (Wabush mines). Since 2018, Tacora Resources Inc. took over and has successfully restarted the Scully property, slowly reinvigorating the community and investing back into the property.

As of 2021, Wabush's population was 1,964. [2] Most residents work in the nearby mines of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, now a unit of Rio Tinto Mines and the Scully Mine of Tacora Resources Inc.

Companies in and around Wabush include:

While remote, the town contains modern amenities. A shopping centre includes a post office, bank, a restaurant, a bar, and a snowmobile store. There is also a recreational centre (now closed) which included a bowling alley, gymnasium, swimming pool, a teen centre, a weight lifting room, an ice arena, a library, a legion building that serves alcoholic beverages, a furniture store, several playgrounds, a school, a church, two corner stores, and a hotel (which also includes a restaurant, a barber shop, and a bar).

Transportation

Air transportation needs for the twin communities are served by Wabush Airport and seasonally by Wabush Water Aerodrome. It used to receive more frequent service by Air Gaspé, which was acquired by Quebecair in 1973. The latter ended as an independent business in 1986, acquired in turn by CP Air in 1986 and Canadian Airlines in 1987. Currently the area is serviced by Exploits Valley Air Services), Provincial Airlines, Pascan Air and Air Inuit, this airport is no longer covered by ARFF (airport rescue and firefighting) services and the community of Labrador city has withdrawn firefighting services over safety concerns with transport Canada.

Climate

Like most of Labrador, Wabush has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with more precipitation than is typical for this type of climate due to the persistent Icelandic Low, which give the region some of the rainiest and snowiest weather in all of Canada. Especially in summer, cloudiness is common due to the lakes nearby and the unstable northerly airstreams that prevail, but because the town is relatively far from the open sea, there is more sunshine in Wabush than in St. John's due to the absence of fog from the Labrador Current. Snow usually melts away in May.

Climate data for Wabush (Wabush Airport, normals from 1981−2010)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high humidex 7.75.914.616.935.037.139.035.332.222.613.86.539.0
Record high °C (°F)8.0
(46.4)		6.2
(43.2)		14.7
(58.5)		16.8
(62.2)		28.4
(83.1)		33.3
(91.9)		32.6
(90.7)		30.6
(87.1)		27.8
(82.0)		21.1
(70.0)		12.2
(54.0)		5.6
(42.1)		33.3
(91.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−16.7
(1.9)		−14.2
(6.4)		−6.7
(19.9)		1.5
(34.7)		9.6
(49.3)		16.1
(61.0)		19.1
(66.4)		17.6
(63.7)		11.8
(53.2)		3.8
(38.8)		−4.2
(24.4)		−12.6
(9.3)		2.1
(35.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)−22.2
(−8.0)		−20.6
(−5.1)		−13.3
(8.1)		−4.3
(24.3)		4.0
(39.2)		10.3
(50.5)		13.8
(56.8)		12.5
(54.5)		7.6
(45.7)		0.5
(32.9)		−8.2
(17.2)		−17.5
(0.5)		−3.1
(26.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−27.8
(−18.0)		−27
(−17)		−19.8
(−3.6)		−10
(14)		−1.7
(28.9)		4.4
(39.9)		8.3
(46.9)		7.4
(45.3)		3.3
(37.9)		−2.9
(26.8)		−12
(10)		−22.5
(−8.5)		−8.4
(16.9)
Record low °C (°F)−43.9
(−47.0)		−47.8
(−54.0)		−46.7
(−52.1)		−37.2
(−35.0)		−21.7
(−7.1)		−11.1
(12.0)		−6.7
(19.9)		−0.6
(30.9)		−7
(19)		−21.7
(−7.1)		−33.1
(−27.6)		−46.1
(−51.0)		−47.8
(−54.0)
Record low wind chill −62.8−57.1−52.6−41.8−32.6−9.60.0−6.2−13.9−25.6−43.9−59.5−62.8
Average precipitation mm (inches)49.2
(1.94)		40.3
(1.59)		54.1
(2.13)		48.8
(1.92)		53.5
(2.11)		82.7
(3.26)		113.9
(4.48)		103.5
(4.07)		96.5
(3.80)		75.7
(2.98)		70.9
(2.79)		50.4
(1.98)		839.5
(33.05)
Average rainfall mm (inches)0.6
(0.02)		1.6
(0.06)		2.6
(0.10)		12.1
(0.48)		40.4
(1.59)		80.6
(3.17)		113.9
(4.48)		103.4
(4.07)		92.3
(3.63)		42.0
(1.65)		10.9
(0.43)		2.5
(0.10)		502.9
(19.80)
Average snowfall cm (inches)63.8
(25.1)		50.9
(20.0)		65.9
(25.9)		44.3
(17.4)		14.4
(5.7)		2.1
(0.8)		0.0
(0.0)		0.1
(0.0)		4.4
(1.7)		39.0
(15.4)		77.5
(30.5)		66.2
(26.1)		428.7
(168.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)17.314.616.014.215.217.119.020.020.520.120.419.3213.7
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)0.440.781.43.811.916.419.020.019.710.53.91.0109.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)17.715.016.412.36.01.20.040.072.513.919.719.7124.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours 98.0132.2151.3180.1210.6212.5218.0202.7116.675.456.967.31,721.4
Percent possible sunshine 38.647.641.243.143.042.143.044.430.622.921.728.337.2
Source: Environment Canada [4]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wabush had a population of 1,964 living in 798 of its 864 total private dwellings, a change of

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
19713,387—    
19763,769+11.3%
19813,157−16.2%
19912,331−26.2%
1996 2,018−13.4%
2001 1,894−6.1%
2006 1,739−8.2%
2011 1,861+7.0%
2016 1,906+2.4%
2021 1,964+3.0%
Canada 2006 CensusPopulation % of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source: [5] 		South Asian 20
Chinese 0
Black 10
Filipino 90
Latin American 0
Arab 0
Southeast Asian 0
West Asian 0
Korean 0
Japanese 5
Other visible minority0
Mixed visible minority0
Total visible minority population30
Aboriginal group
Source: [6] 		First Nations 50
Métis 70
Inuit 0
Total Aboriginal population145
White 1,595
Total population1,861100%

Notable residents

Literary references

Wabush appears in the John Wyndham post-catastrophe novel The Chrysalids under the name of Waknuk.[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. ↑ Town of Wabush. "Mayor and Council" . Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  2. 1 2 3 "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. ↑ "Miner passes on Wabush for new mine in Quebec". cbc.ca.
  4. ↑ "Wabush Lake Airport". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ , Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada – Census Subdivision
  6. ↑ , Aboriginal Peoples – Data table
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