Neha Patil (Editor)

Wabush

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Country
  
Canada

Settled
  
1955

Incorporated
  
April 11, 1967

Area
  
46.25 km²

Population
  
1,861 (2011)

Province
  
Newfoundland and Labrador

Census divisions
  
10

Founded
  
1962

Website
  
Town of Wabush

Elevation
  
560 m

Local time
  
Thursday 1:31 PM

Wabush httpsicbcca115706481381475728httpImagei

Weather
  
1°C, Wind SW at 16 km/h, 68% Humidity

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Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, known for transportation and iron ore operations.

Contents

Map of Wabush, NL, Canada

Economy

Wabush is the twin community of Labrador City. At its peak population in the late 1970s, the region had a population of just over 22,000. As of 2011, Wabush's population was 1,861. Most residents continue to work in the nearby mine: Iron Ore Company of Canada, now a unit of Rio Tinto Mines.

Companies in and around Wabush include:

  • Stelco
  • Dofasco
  • Wabush Iron Company Limited, a unit of Cliffs Natural Resources, which announced on 11 February 2014 plans to lay off 500 workers due to falling global demand.
  • While remote, the town does contain modern amenities. There is a shopping centre (which includes a post office, bank, a women's department, a restaurant, a bar, and a snowmobile store), recreational centre (that includes a bowling alley, gymnasium, swimming pool, a teen centre, and a weight lifting room), ice arena, a library, a legion building that serves alcoholic beverages, a furniture store, several playgrounds, a school, a church, two corner stores, a hotel (which also includes a restaurant, a barber shop, and a bar). In nearby Labrador City, there is a modern indoor shopping centre which includes a Walmart.

    Proposed amalgamation with Labrador City

    In 2017, MHA Graham Letto and Labrador City Mayor Karen Oldford stated that the municipal governments of Labrador City and Wabush are looking into the idea of amalgamation.

    Transportation

    Air transportation needs for the twin communities are served by Wabush Airport and seasonally by Wabush Water Aerodrome. It used to receive more frequent service by Air Gaspé, which was acquired by Quebecair in 1973. The latter ended as an independent business in 1986, acquired in turn by CP Air in 1986 and Canadian Airlines in 1987. Currently the area is serviced by Air Canada (Air Canada Express & Expolits Valley Air Service), Provincial Airlines, Pascan Air and Air Inuit.

    Climate

    Like most of Labrador, Wabush has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with precipitation much higher than usual for this type of climate due to the persistent Icelandic Low, which give the region some of the rainiest and snowiest weather in all of Canada. Especially in summer, cloudiness is very high due to the lakes nearby and the unstable northerly airstreams that prevail, but because the town is relatively far from the open sea, sunshine is higher than even in St. John’s due to the absence of fog from the Labrador Current. Snow usually melts off in May.

    Notable residents

  • Mike Adam, Canadian curler
  • Shawn Doyle, actor
  • Michael Crummey, poet and writer
  • Reg Sherren, CBC reporter
  • References

    Wabush Wikipedia