Grand Le Pierre: Located on the northeastern shore of the head of Fortune Bay, Grand Le Pierre or "Great Stone" is believed by some to refer to the rock formation in the harbour, however, the providence of the community's name is not "written in stone".

According to the material presented in the ENL, there is some disagreement: M.F. Howley (n.d.) speculated that the name Grand Le Pierre (pronounced locally Grand Le Peer) was "rather peculiar ... a corruption probably for Grand'le a Pierre Great Stone Island, though there is no natural feature there to warrant such a name."

Edward Wix (1836, p. 57), however, noted a headland he reported was named "Grand Le Pier" while on a voyage around the head of Fortune Bay in 1835. He wrote that "Grand Le Pier [harbour was] ... by a very remarkable cliff on the surface of which is a spot which exhibits a beautiful grass-green appearance" (Wix: 1836, p. 57).

It is likely that the French name Grand Le Pierre means "great stone" referring to this rock formation.

The population of Grand Le Pierre in 2016 was reported to be 235, a decrease of 9.6% from that recorded in 2011 (i.e., 260).

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/GrandLePierre