Bell Island 

Bell Island is located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. The island measures approximately two miles wide and nine miles long. From downtown St. John's, it's a 20-minute drive to the ferry terminal at Portugal Cove, then a 20-minute ferry ride to Bell Island. The Health Centre on Bell Island and the tertiary care facility in St. John’s are approximately an hour apart. The island is served by two ferries year round.

Bell Island was initially settled by farmers in the 1700's. The discovery of iron ore in the late 1800's resulted in Bell Island becoming a thriving mining community with the third largest population in the province. However, since the mines closed in 1966 the population has been in a steady decline. In 1961 Bell Island had a population in excess of 12,000. The 1996 Census placed it at under 4,000. According to the 2001 Census data there are 3,078 Bell Islanders inhabiting 1,215 dwellings. In the late 1960s many Bell Islanders relocated to Cambridge Ontario where unskilled labour was in demand. Today, most Bell Islanders live in the town of Wabana (population: 2,679, 2001) located on the north east side of the island. The remaining population is spread out across Lance Cove and Freshwater (population: 399, 2001).

With the closure of the mines, the largest employers on the island are the hospital, the school board, the fish plant and Works, Services and Transportation which is responsible for the ferry service. For health services the island has two physicians and the Walter Templeman Health Centre which offers emergency medical services and long term care. The island also has two schools: St. Augustine's Elementary School for grades kindergarten through grade six; and, St. Michael's High School which offers grades seven through twelve. For recreational facilities Bell Island has a hockey rink and multiple softball fields. The island also has four grocery stores, one pharmacy, five churches, three restaurants and eight bars. It has two seasonal museums: the light house museum, and the mining museum. It has the Wabana Complex, a Legion, the Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Cadets, the Church Lads Brigade and a volunteer fire department. It also has a co-op bakery, hardware store, clothing store and too many small independent businesses to mention individually.

Finally, and most importantly, in addition to the breath-taking beauty and clean air, the stunning murals depicting the community's mining history and the best berry picking in Newfoundland, the island is populated by Bell Islanders whose warm hospitality is surpassed only by their determination to survive as a community.
 

* Adapted from the Bell Island Health and Well-Being Needs Assessment Phase I 2006 report