Barachois Brook: Located southeast of Stephenville, this fishing-farming community oddly enough is one of the few Barasways/Barachois that "made it" into the ENL.

In reporting about its derivation, it is simply stated that it takes name from a brook running into St. Georges Bay. This community does not have a long history, unlike many others in the area, it was only settled in the early 1900s.

After the 1930s when the railway reached nearby Stephenville and Stephenville Crossing, many people from further out on the Port au Port Peninsula moved into Barachois Brook.

As many came from Sandy Point, Barachois Brook became known, informally, as "Little Sandy Point".

Most of the settlers made their living by fur trapping and fishing for cod, salmon and herring. As the surrounding areas had good stands of forest, logging was also good for the economy.

Eventually when some acres were cleared and cultivated - crops such as potato, turnip and cabbage were grown. When the Ernest Harmon Air Base was built in Stephenville between 1941 and 1942, many of those living in Barachois Brook found employment there and when it closed in many returned to fishing to make a living.

In 2016 it was reported that there were 167 residents in Barachois Brook, a 34.7% increase over 2011. Being only a 20-minute commute, many people live in Barachois Brook and commute to Stephenville to work.

Stephenville has a population of more than 6,500 people and is a major centre of commerce for the western portion of the island.

BARACHOIS POND PROVINCIAL PARK:

Located off the Trans Canada Highway, Barachois Pond Provincial Park is 20 km (5.5 mi) from Stephenville. The Park is the largest Provincial Park in Western Newfoundland.

All 3,500 hectares (8,648.7 acres) of the park are in the Western Newfoundland Forest ecoregion which is characterized by a balsam fir forest with an understory of ferns and moss.

The Park has a variety of activities which make it one of the most popular parks in the province to visit. There are freshwater swimming beaches, bird watching, mountain streams, and invigorating hikes with panoramic views.

As mentioned previously, a barachois or a barasway is an area of salt water of shallow depth, comparable in size to a pond or small bay, and partly obstructed by a bank of mud, sand or gravel.

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

Address of this page: http://nl.ruralroutes.com/BarachoisBrook