Thornlea: Located in a cove on the western shore of Colliers Bay (part of Trinity Bay), Thornlea was originally known as Colliers Bay, however as there was another town known as Colliers in Conception Bay, in 1913 it was renamed to avoid confusion.

According to ENL sources, the Thorne family was the first settlers of the community. While the community was not settled until the mid 1800s there is "evidence that the cove was inhabited by the Beothuk in the early historic period".

The following comes from the ENL: "John Guy appears to have been referring to the cove in 1612 when he noted, "in thes places we [saw] divers solvages housses; but not that they had bin there in [a] long tyme".

In 1902 a deposit of barite was discovered in the area. According to Geology.com barite is a "mineral composed of barium sulfate (BaSO4). It receives its name from the Greek word "barys" which means "heavy."

This name is in response to barite's high specific gravity of 4.5, which is exceptional for a nonmetallic mineral. The high specific gravity of barite makes it suitable for a wide range of industrial, medical, and manufacturing uses".

While the mine yielded 5,075 tons of ore which was used by paint manufacturers in both Canada and the United States, it was closed in 1905, "partly because the most accessible ore was exhausted and partly because the mine's wharf was destroyed during a storm".

The fishing industry was the major employer after the mine closed, and the population steadily grew until the early 1980s when it peaked at 202.

The most recent census showed that there were 115 people living in the community, a 13.9% increase over the 101 that were enumerated in 2011.

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/Thornlea