front n Cp OED ~ 7 e for sense 1; DC 3 (Nfld: 1933-) for sense 2.
   1 A stretch of coast facing the sea.
   1901 Christmas Bells 14 The inhabitants all along that part of the north west coast, known as the Newfoundland side of the Straits of Belle Isle, leave their dwellings on the front, at the first appearance of winter, and in a body repair some five or six miles inland. 1942 Little Bay Islands 13 The men living on the front of the Island in Northern and Southern harbours fished with hook and line on the fishing grounds off the Island, such as Offer Ground, Parker's to the Cross, Salmon Rock, etc.
   2 The seas east and north-east of Newfoundland, esp the area covered by the leading edge of the ice which moves south in the spring and on which the seal-herds whelp; the seal-hunt; cp BACK².
   1924 ENGLAND 16 One or two ships usually go 'to the back,' which means into the Gulf of St Lawrence. The others all go 'to the front,' or northeast, into the Atlantic ice pack drifting down on the Labrador current. 1925 Dial Notes v, 331 ~ The region east of Newfoundland. 1933 GREENE 9-10 ... The 'Front'—as the Seal Fishery on the east coast of Newfoundland is termed (in contradistinction to that of the 'Gulf,' which is the smaller west-coast Seal Fishery). 1972 BROWN 7 The wooden steamers were allowed to leave their final ports ... a day earlier [than the steel ships]. These dates applied to ships killing seals at The Front, north and east of Newfoundland. 1981 Evening Telegram 27 Mar, p. 3 All three captains said the slob ice experienced during mild temperatures after the first four days at the Front off the coast of Labrador was one of the main reasons why they returned.

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