Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador

Deer Lake is a town in the western part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

For the lake, see Deer Lake (Newfoundland and Labrador).
Deer Lake
Town
Deer Lake seen from the Trans-Canada Highway in August 2020
Seal
Deer Lake
Location of Deer Lake in Newfoundland
Deer Lake
Deer Lake (Canada)
Coordinates: 49°10′28″N 57°25′37″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceNewfoundland and Labrador
Census division5
Settled1864
Incorporated1950
Government
 • MayorDean Ball
 • MHAAndrew Furey
 • MPGudie Hutchings
Area
 • Total73.23 km2 (28.27 sq mi)
Elevation
30 m (100 ft)
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total5,249
 • Density71.7/km2 (186/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight)
Postal code span
A8A
Area code(s)709
Highways Route 1 (TCH)
Route 430
WebsiteOfficial web site

The town derives its name from Deer Lake and is situated at the outlet of the upper Humber River at the northeastern end of the lake.

History
Deer Lake International Pulp and Paper Company staff house

The first settlers in the area arrived from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia in 1864. Originally loggers and trappers, the settlers later took up farming.

In 1922, a work camp was set up to support the International Pulp and Paper company. The camp would later become the town of Deer Lake. A formal townsite was constructed in 1925 and included a railway terminal, churches and a small hospital. The town was incorporated in 1950.

The airport was built in 1955 and is one of the town's major employers. In 2004, Deer Lake Regional Airport redesigned the airport terminal, which was completed in June 2007. The primary population that the airport serves is approximately 55,000. The airport serves people from Rocky Harbour to Corner Brook, as well as around Deer Lake.

Name

The town was named by early settlers of the area. Caribou could be seen crossing the lake in huge quantities; herds of caribou could stretch the entire diameter of the lake. The early settlers of the area came from Nova Scotia, where deer is very abundant. The settlers mistook the herds of caribou for herds of deer, and named the town accordingly.

Economy
Deer Lake
Salvation Army
Hodder Memorial Recreational Complex
St. Paul's United Church

The town is located in Division No. 5 and is the gateway to the Great Northern Peninsula, owing to an important highway interchange on the Trans-Canada Highway. It is the closest major community to Gros Morne National Park and is home to the Deer Lake Regional Airport.

A hydroelectric plant was established on the Humber River in 1925 to provide electricity to a pulp and paper paper mill in Corner Brook.

Sights and tourism

Deer Lake offers accommodation for tourists as well as restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and gas stations. There is a stadium, swimming pool and a bowling alley in the Hodder Memorial Recreational Complex. St. Paul's United Church, a wooden church dating from 1955 and the modern Salvation Army building are worth a visit. The Main Street offers a scenic view of the lake.

Demographics

Population 2016: 5,249

Population 2011: 4,995[1]

Population, 2006: 4,827[2]

Population, 2001: 4,769

2006 to 2016 population change: 11.43 percent

Number of dwellings: 2,300

Land (square kilometers): 73.23

Climate

Deer Lake has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb) with moderately warm summers that are on the short side, with quite long and cold winters that are moderated by its proximity to a large body of water. With precipitation high year-round, Deer Lake receives plenty of snowfall in winters.

Climate data for Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.5
(61.7)		 14.0
(57.2)		 19.0
(66.2)		 23.0
(73.4)		 28.0
(82.4)		 33.0
(91.4)		 35.6
(96.1)		 32.2
(90.0)		 29.0
(84.2)		 23.3
(73.9)		 21.1
(70.0)		 16.7
(62.1)		 35.6
(96.1)
Average high °C (°F) −3.1
(26.4)		 −3.4
(25.9)		 0.7
(33.3)		 6.3
(43.3)		 12.9
(55.2)		 18.0
(64.4)		 21.9
(71.4)		 21.6
(70.9)		 17.0
(62.6)		 10.4
(50.7)		 4.6
(40.3)		 0.0
(32.0)		 8.9
(48.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −7.2
(19.0)		 −8.0
(17.6)		 −4.1
(24.6)		 1.9
(35.4)		 7.4
(45.3)		 12.2
(54.0)		 16.5
(61.7)		 16.4
(61.5)		 12.3
(54.1)		 6.6
(43.9)		 1.5
(34.7)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 4.4
(39.8)
Average low °C (°F) −11.2
(11.8)		 −12.7
(9.1)		 −8.8
(16.2)		 −2.5
(27.5)		 1.9
(35.4)		 6.4
(43.5)		 11.0
(51.8)		 11.3
(52.3)		 7.5
(45.5)		 2.7
(36.9)		 −1.6
(29.1)		 −6.6
(20.1)		 −0.2
(31.6)
Record low °C (°F) −33.9
(−29.0)		 −37.2
(−35.0)		 −35.0
(−31.0)		 −22.0
(−7.6)		 −10.6
(12.9)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 −10.5
(13.1)		 −20.6
(−5.1)		 −29.4
(−20.9)		 −37.2
(−35.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 109.8
(4.32)		 83.5
(3.29)		 71.7
(2.82)		 70.1
(2.76)		 89.2
(3.51)		 88.3
(3.48)		 98.5
(3.88)		 109.9
(4.33)		 106.2
(4.18)		 105.7
(4.16)		 101.3
(3.99)		 97.3
(3.83)		 1,131.5
(44.55)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 24.8
(0.98)		 17.3
(0.68)		 27.5
(1.08)		 49.8
(1.96)		 84.3
(3.32)		 87.8
(3.46)		 98.5
(3.88)		 109.9
(4.33)		 106.2
(4.18)		 101.0
(3.98)		 74.8
(2.94)		 35.6
(1.40)		 817.5
(32.19)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 85.0
(33.5)		 66.1
(26.0)		 44.2
(17.4)		 20.3
(8.0)		 4.8
(1.9)		 0.5
(0.2)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 4.8
(1.9)		 26.6
(10.5)		 61.7
(24.3)		 314
(123.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 19.3 16.0 15.1 13.0 15.4 13.9 15.1 15.4 16.0 18.9 17.4 20.4 195.9
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 2.7 2.9 5.6 9.5 15.0 13.9 15.1 15.4 16.0 18.7 12.6 6.8 134.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 16.7 14.0 10.6 4.6 0.83 0.04 0 0 0 0.75 6.2 15.7 69.42
Source: Environment Canada [3]

Transport

The community is served by Deer Lake Regional Airport, which is the nearest airport to Corner Brook. It is also the busiest airport in the western part of the island. It also serves an area stretching from Port Aux Basques on the southern tip, the Northern Peninsula and eastward towards the island's centre. As such, it serves a population of approximately 100,000 people.

Notable people

See also
  • List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador

References
  1. "2016 Census Profile: Deer Lake, NL". Statistics Canada.
  2. Population and dwelling counts
  3. "1981 to 2010 Canadian Climate Normals station data: Deer Lake, NL". Canada.ca. Retrieved 28 October 2019.

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