Country Canada Population 295 (1956) Local time Thursday 9:39 PM | Province Newfoundland and Labrador Area code Area code 709 | |
Time zone Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30) Weather -13°C, Wind NW at 32 km/h, 73% Humidity | ||
Raleigh is a town located northwest of St. Anthony. It had a population of 295 in 1956, declining to 248 by the 2006 census.
Map of Raleigh, NL, Canada
Raleigh was originally named Ha Ha Bay, after the bay where it is located. However, in 1922, the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Raleigh, the flagship of the North Atlantic & West Indies squadron, ran aground across the straits in Labrador and the town of Raleigh was renamed after the ship. Raleigh is located about 29 kilometres (18 mi) from St. Anthony.
Raleigh has a harbour with Burnt Cape on one side to protect against the elements in the very harsh winters - which can see 12.3-metre (40 ft) snowbanks after a winter storm. Winter sports, particularly snowmobiling are a popular activity. With abundant fish in nearby rivers, the Raleigh area is popular for ice fishing.
Raleigh had a population of 295 in 1956. In the mid-1980s the population grew to as much as 414 with more than 100 school age children. Locals were proud of their community and Raleigh dominated the local hockey league.
Recently with the collapse of the fisheries the town has been in a downhill economic spiral and most younger people have moved away searching for jobs. In 2006 there were less than five school age children - all of whom go to school in St. Anthony as the local school has long closed. The population is aging and often after somebody dies another house is boarded up and abandoned.