CHANGE ISLANDS: Located west of Fogo Island, the Change Islands refer to a group of islands, two large and several small between Twillingate and Fogo.

There is also an incorporated community that goes by the name of "Change Islands" which is locate along the narrow tickle which separates the two main islands. The population of the town is 208, an astounding 19.1% decrease from the 257 reported in 2011.

According to Brooks (2013) there is a very "credible explanation" for the name of this set of islands:

While fishing, [early settlers] would live on the other islands during the summer, but for the winter they would "change" their place of residence and move to a more sheltered island. This custom is responsible for several place names in Newfoundland and Labrador, such as Winterhouse Brook and Bide Arm.

From Wikipedia, comes the following information on the Geography of the islands: The southern and northern Change Islands are separated by a "tickle" (a narrow strait, in Newfoundland English). The South Island is larger, containing more marshes/bogs, and wooded area, the North Island is smaller, mostly barren....

The community was first established as a series of random settlements around the islands tied to seasonal fishing activity which developed into a cohesive community. The first European settlers arrived sometime in the mid-18th century to fish.

The residents of Change Islands have preserved many of their traditional homes, stages, and stores (fishing sheds); many of these landmarks are disappearing in much of coastal Newfoundland and Labrador with the collapse of the ground fishery.

There are a few accommodation facilities on the islands, which are accessible by the MV Veteran, the provincially operated ferry from Farewell that also services Fogo Island further to the east.

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/ChangeIslands