Circling Connaigre Bay to Pass Island

 Sunday, July 30, 2023

Hi Blog!

We are continuing our summer of exploration in Newfoundland and Labrador. With rain expected today, we decided to skip the hiking and take a drive around Connairgre Bay. The bay was named after the first settlement which stood at the base of the black rocks surrounding the bay.

Our first stop was the viewpoint just outside of Harbour Breton. From here we got a great look at the bay, but we can barely see the end of the far point on the opposite side of the bay.

Connaigre was listed as Cap Negre (Cape Negro) in the Census of French Population and Agriculture, 1686, with a total population of seventy-two. It was the second largest French fishing station after Plaisance. Connaigre was later called Great Harbour in the 1763 census, with 5 inhabitants and twenty-eight servants. In the 1836 census, the population was forty-three. In 1954 the entire community of twelve remaining families was resettled to another town.

Our drive followed Route 364 through the communities of Hermitage, Sandyville, Dawson's Cove and Seal Cove all the way out to Pass Island at the end of the bay. The drive through the hills and valleys was spectacular.

Our first stop was the head of Connaigre Bay:

We passed several sites run by 360 Marine, a local aquaculture company. They grow shrimp, talapia and mussels. They also provide services to other aquaculture companies.  The fence-like structures in the water in the photo below contain the fish being raised:

We saw a sign for Furby Cove and couldn't resist taking the drive down to the cove. The settlement was possibly named for a migratory fisherman named Furby who was attached to one of the English West Country fishing ships which were known to frequent the bay in the eighteenth century. Today, Furby Cove is a sleepy cottage community.

As we continued our drive toward Pass Island, the road took us past a number of ponds and coves. There was water, water everywhere.

We took a short drive into Hermitage. A daily ferry service from Hermitage travels to the isolated outports of Gaultois and McCallum. We watched as small boats came and went into the harbor. Folks are allowed to cod fish on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. No doubt, the boat coming into the harbor had caught his limit, while the boat heading out was hoping to catch theirs.

Our next stop was Dawson Cove. A beautiful pink gravel beach beckoned, but the rain held us back.

Once we reached the town of Seal Cove, our beautiful paved highway turned into a pink gravel wilderness road. Dusty was more than ready to accept the challenge. However, Kathy was not. She turned the wheel over to David for the rest of the 10 km drive out to Pass Island.

Once we passed the cutoff for the former community of Grole, the road became increasingly narrow. Grole was once the largest salt-fish producer in the area and also reported catches of salmon and lobster. The community was resettled to Harbour Breton.

As we continued to Pass Island, the road became so narrow that Dusty was brushing back bushes the entire time.

At one point, we drove with water on both sides.

Out of the misty rain, the light atop Pass Island appeared.

In 1914, a one-story, flat-roofed fog signal building and a keeper’s dwelling, both painted white with one black horizontal band around them, were erected on Pass Island. The fog alarm was powered by air compressed by an oil engine and would give one four-second blast every ninety seconds. The original light was destroyed by fire and replaced with the steel tower light at the top of the island shown in the photo above. However, you can still see the original keeper's house.

At the end of the road, Dave took this video at the headland opposite Pass Island.  Because of the steady drizzle, we decided to picnic in the Jeep.

Rain or no rain, Kathy was determined to check out beaches for possible sea glass.

While there was no glass to be found, she did find this really cool painted rock.  It will take a place of honor in our yard at home!

Since we drove out the road to Pass Island, and were fully aware of all the potholes and water traps, the drive back was much faster.  Just before we arrived in Seal Cove, we stopped at Saltwater Cove to check out the small bridge and beach. Unfortunately, it was too rocky for beachcombing.

We stopped at the Capelin Cove Lookout when we spotted the wood sculpture at the entrance. It was created by Clyde Drew, a Mi'kmaq artist living in nearby St. Alban’s.  The beauty and powerful imagery of his work comes from the songs and stories of his people which he learned from childhood in his home town of Conne River.  

The south coast of the Connaigre Peninsula is filled with rolling barren hills that plunge through inaccessible valleys into the open ocean. The land appears completely inhospitable, but that didn't stop the resilient people who settled in the few relatively flat areas and sheltered harbors. The region is a hidden wonder that few tourists have explored. In fact, it's Sunday night and our campground is completely empty, except for us and the locals who -- every night! -- drive their elderly parents to the beach, and around the campground, after dinner. 

I guess there is more than one way to appreciate the natural beauty of the Connaigre Peninsula.