Agvituk: Located on the eastern shore of Labrador, 235 km (146.0 mi) south of Nain (a 10-hr ferry ride) and 132 km (82.0 mi) north of Postville, the town (a 5-hr ferry ride), known in English as Hopedale, its Inuit name at the time of settlement was Agvituk (or Arvertok) which translates to mean "place of the whales".

Today it is the legislative capital of Nunatsiavut.

In 1782 Moravian missionaries arrived with the hopes of converting the "locals" to Protestantism, and it is believed they named the town Hoffental (or Hope Valley in their native German).

Over time it became anglicized to "Hopedale". The original Mission is still standing, and it is believed to be the oldest wooden-frame building east of Quebec.

As to the origin of the town's German name, it is known that the first Moravian missionaries came to Labrador in 1752 on a ship named "Hope".

The most recent census shows that there are 574 inhabitants and increase of 3.2% since 2011 when there were 556 residents recorded.

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/HopedaleMission