P.O. Box 133 |
Newfoundland Tourism Region : Avalon
Chance Cove: Located at the end of the road one comes to the small community of Chance Cove.
According to the Discovery Trial 2019 Visitors Guide, the "Official Visitor Guide for Newfoundland & Labrador's Eastern Shore', produced by Saltwire, this particular community "will offer fishing vessels and stages - wharves - lined up at the waterline" as well as what is referred to as a "moonscape on the surrounding hills".
That is a reference to the Doc Hills that are of geological interest to many. They are described as "bare hills dotted with erratics left behind by glaciers" that are great for exploring on foot, and one is "bound to be rewarded with breathtaking views".
According to ENL sources, Chance Cove of today, includes Big Chance Cove (formerly Great Chance Cove) and Little Chance Cove (formerly called Lower Chance Cove) both settled in the 1830s.
In 2016, the population of Chance Cove was 256, a 9.2% decrease from the 282 of 2011. In the past there were two communities on the island known as Chance Cove.
According to E.R. Seary (1971, cited in the ENL) Chance Cove was possibly named "for mischance, that is, shipwreck.", however, this is probably a more appropriate derivation of the name of the "other" Chance Cove which faces the open water of the Atlantic Ocean.
The second Chance Cove, located on the Southern Shore, northeast of Cappahayden, was not doubt more likely to be an area with increased possibilities of marine disasters.
Note the "past tense" as the community no longer exists, per se. There are, however, a number of theories behind how that community got its name.
According to the material written in the ENL, Chance Cove may be named after the French Family Name "Chene", as it appears on early maps as Chaine Cove as far back as 1680.
However, Seary (as mentioned above) suggested that the name "Chance Cove" comes, possibility from a contraction of "Mischance", with a particular reference to the number of shipwrecks that had occurred over the past.
One obvious "mischance" occurred in 1854. In that year the steamer the "City of Philadelphia" was stranded en route from Liverpool to Philadelphia.
Records show that, according to the Public Ledger that
.... the vessel was steaming at the rate of between 9 and 10 miles an hour when, a little after eleven o'clock, she stuck on Cape Race and then backed at full speed into Chance Cove where she now lies ashore.
Fortunately, there have been no lives lost, and no accident of any kind, except to the ship.
Luckily the crew and passengers were able to camp out on the beach until they were rescued by "good Samaritans" from St. John's.
This, however, was not the only wreck and so one must wonder why it was named "Chance Cove" as opposed to the cove of 'No Chance" or "Last Chance".
According to Wikipedia contributors, "Chance Cove was once the site of a small settlement of approximately 50 people in the mid-19th century.... [and] until the late 1980s, pieces of the forgotten homes were still visible".
Nearby, there is Chance Cove Provincial Park (see Provincial Parks).
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/ChanceCove