Bonaventure (Old and New): Located on the north side of Trinity Bay, southwest of the community of Trinity, are the communities of Old Bonaventure and New Bonaventure. The original settlement was, according to information contained in the ENL, an outpost of the west of England migratory fishery from the late 1600s on.

It was known as Bonaventura, which translates to mean "good or safe arrival". By the mid 1700s, settlers were living there full time (i.e., not using the harbour just as a safe haven during the summer months and returning to Europe for the winters) and by the 1800s, the population had increased to the point that there was "overcrowding".

The population in 1836, as recorded in the first Census, was reported to be 148 and by 1845 it had grown to 182, and was as suggested in the material presented in the ENL "a number that is almost inconceivable to the modern visitor".

Some families decided to move to a new less crowded location nearby and established "New Bonaventure". Like Old Bonaventure the population grew quickly. In 1836 there were 99 inhabitants and by 1869 there were 125 residents, making a living primarily off fishing for cod.


New Bonaventure: Travelling the road from Historic Trinity, New Bonaventure is as far west as you can travel along the Northern shore of Trinity Bay.

St. John's Anglican church watches over the village, standing high on the hill. Built in 1923, it officially opened in 1924. Behind the alter was installed a beautiful stained glass window, depicting Christ on the Cross.

What makes this window truly special is the soldier at the foot of the cross, dressed in uniform from W.W.I. The window is in memory of the young men from New Bonaventure who fought and died during the war.

A path from St. John's church in New Bonaventure will take you to the sites of several resettled communities. Walk to White Point on a path that is well worn and follows the coastline. Now resettled, few traces of a community life can be found.

Watch for wildlife as you hike on to Kerley's Harbour, less than an hour from New Bonaventure. A lookout point at the top of the hill gives you a chance to catch your breath and take in the view out to Ragged Island and Ireland's Eye.

From Old Bonaventure one has to "back track", returning northward until you return to Route 230. After backing via Charleston and Lethbridge, you can pick up the route that continues around the peninsula, albeit, now in a "southernly" direction.

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/NewBonaventure