Newfoundland Heritage Web Site

Population Distribution and Land-Based Industries

With the construction of the railway, workers began to leave their coastal homes to find employment at new mines and mills in the island's interior.
The French Settlement of Placentia

During the 1650s, French Basque fishermen began to overwinter in Placentia Bay, a practice that was encouraged when the French crown decided to sponsor a colony.
Sponsored Settlement: The Colonization of Newfoundland.

In late 16th century England, there was a growing interest in planting colonies in North America, including Newfoundland.
Irish Settlement Patterns

The cod fishery and its mercantile activities greatly influenced Irish settlement patterns in Newfoundland and Labrador.