Harbour Breton: Located at the most southerly end of the Connaigre Peninsula, Harbour Breton has become a regional services centre for this area, partly because the community of Connaigre no longer exists.

It is believed that Breton sailors were some of the first to use the magnificent land-locked, ice free harbour as a place of shelter. Also known as Havre Bertrand, by the late 1600s, it was being settled by French fishermen.

Most think that Harbour Breton named after the port of Breton in Brittany and the Bretons that plied the waters; however, it has also been suggested that the name of the town is from an anglicized version of the family name Bertrand and that Harbour Bertrand was its name before it was changed to Breton.

After the 1713 treaty, the English dominated the area and Harbour Breton was often referred to as Harbour Briton or Harbour Britain. As is the case in most of the other communities, the French were followed by the English and eventually there was a mixture of Irish and English.

The 1857 census showed that the population had reached 361, forty-seven were born in England and 4 were Irish born.

With the resettlement program that brought as many as 700 residents from many smaller communities (Jersey Harbour, Sagona Island, Miller's Passage, Little Bay West, Great Harbour, Red Cove, Pass Island, Grole, Stone Valley, Muddy Hole, Pushthrough, Piccaire, Round Harbour, Broad Cove, and Brunette Island) to take up a "new life" in Harbour Breton, the population peaked to include over 2,600 residents, but due to the closing of a number of fishing plants, and the demise of the fishing industry, the population in 2016 has dwindled to 1,644 persons (a decrease of 4.5% from the 1,711 recorded 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/HarbourBreton