Mission Statement:
Through local input this page aims to provide an up-to-date source of information for tourists interested in visiting Bell Island. It will enable local businesses to have a greater Web presence thus allowing them to advertise their products and services to a wider audience. Features such as, Bell Islanders Adrift and the White Pages, will give local and former residents an effective means of keeping in touch.
Some of the things you'll find at this site:
The Attractions Page highlights some of the things that any visitor to Bell Island should make an effort to see. From the giant murals to the No.2 Mine tour there is something for everyone.
The Accommodations Page provides contact information for the various Bed and Breakfasts on the Island.
Click on the Businesses button to get a current directory of the various businesses that are available to serve you on Bell Island. From crafts shops to service stations you can find it here.
The Guestbook button will allow you to read comments from the many people who have visited our site and if you desire to make your own.
Bell Island has a rich and colourful history and some of it can be found by clicking on the Island History button. From the story of Belle our famous Moose to the sinking of ore carriers by WWII German U-boats there are many fascinating things to read about.
The Links section is divided into three sections: First there are links to sites, which are Bell Island related. Another section contains links of interest to any ex-patriot Newfoundlander. Read the Telegram, check local weather or listen to local radio stations. A third section provides some miscellaneous links and links of general interest.
The Local Interest section is primarily designed for current and former residents. If you are trying to make contact with long lost friends then visit the Bell Islanders Adrift section. Looking for something or someone than post a message on the message board. Or discuss topics of interest in the On-line Bell Island Discussion Forum.
The Photo Album allows you to see the Island in pictures, its history, its people and its majestic scenery. No visit to this page will be complete without checking out this section.
The Services button will take you to a directory to the many services offered on Bell Island. From banking to religious services you can find it here.
The Tourist Info section will provide specific information for tourists such as maps, ferry schedule and other general points of interest.
Finally, the Whats New section is where you can check for any updates or new features on the page.
Evolution of the Bell Island Web Page.
"I originally started a Web Page for Bell Island about four years ago. It started out as a hobby and remained that way for about a year. I would add various elements as the need arose or as things were requested. In 1996 the IAS committee wanted a way to promote their activities and to officially promote tourism on the Island. Davin Jaden took on the responsibility of creating a new site for Bell Island at Worplay.com. Soon it became evident that we were both attempting similar things so in 1997 we merged the two sites taking the best of both to create an "official" web presence for Bell Island. However, because of limitations with our server we could not offer commercial space for local businesses so the site remained primarily information based in nature.
For approximately the next year Dave and I continued to update the page. We added a tourist map, new pictures and expanded the history section with submissions from individuals . However, we still got requests from local businesses about advertising on our site. To this end I started the Bell Island Virtual Mall. It was affiliated with the Bell Island page but stored on an independent server. By now the Bell Island Web Page was spread across 4 different ISPs and getting harder and harder to maintain.
In March of this year I took the initiative to integrate these sites on a new server under the virtual domain of bellisland.net. While the site at wordplay will remain, all major updates will take place on this site."