Basque whalers at Red Bay
At its peak in the late sixteenth century, over two thousand men lived in Red Bay during the whaling season, producing half a million gallons of whale oil that was subsequently shipped back to Europe on a month-long voyage. Whale oil was used for light, lubrication and as an additive to drugs, soap and pitch; one 55-gallon barrel could fetch a price equivalent to $10,000 today – so for the Basques the discovery of Labrador’s right-whale stocks in the 1530s was tantamount to striking gold. Yet as well as the treacherous journey from Spain to what they knew as Terranova, the Basques withstood terrible hardships to claim their booty. Once in Labrador, they rowed fragile wooden craft called chalupas into these rough seas and then attached drogues to the whales to slow them down. It was then a matter of following their prey for hours until the whale surfaced and could be lanced to death. Three factors brought the whale boom to an end: first, the Basques were so successful that within thirty years they had killed off more than fifteen thousand right whales; second, the industry became more hazardous with early freeze-ups in the 1580s; and, finally, many Basque ships and men were absorbed into the ill-fated Spanish Armada of 1588 – by the 1620s the annual migration was over.
Serious study of the Red Bay area began in 1977, when marine archeologists discovered the remains of three Basque galleons and four chalupas. Land excavations uncovered try-works (where the whale blubber was boiled down into oil), personal artefacts and, in 1982, a cemetery on Saddle Island where the remains of 140 young men were found. Many were lying in groups, indicating that they died as crew members when chasing the whales, but some had not been buried – suggesting at least part of the community died of starvation when an early freeze dashed their chances of getting home.
Battle Harbour
Spending a night or two on the island of BATTLE HARBOUR is one of the most memorable experiences in Canada. This beautifully restored fishing port is visited by towering icebergs in spring and humpback whales in summer; killer whales often cruise right off the dock. Established in the 1770s, Battle Harbour became one of the world’s busiest saltfish, salmon and sealing ports in the nineteenth century; Wilfred Grenfell opened a hospital here in 1893, it was home to a Marconi wireless station from 1904 and was the scene of Robert E. Peary’s first news conference after he conquered the North Pole in 1909. A devastating fire in 1930 exacerbated long-term decline, and by the late 1960s most residents had been relocated to Mary’s Harbour on the mainland – the last fish merchant was closed in the wake of the 1992 cod moratorium. Since then an epic restoration project by the Battle Harbour Historic Trust has resultedin a clutch of wonderfully evocative old wooden buildings opening to the public,a visitor centre and several walking trails; you can also stay in some of the old houses. Many of the former residents of the town serve as guides and are as equally absorbing as the site itself – prepare for seriously traditional Labrador accents.
Driving the Trans-Labrador Highway
As of 2016, much of the monumental 1208km Trans-Labrador Highway (TLH), from the Québec border near Labrador City to Blanc-Sablon on the south coast via Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Red Bay, was paved; even the remaining gravel sections can be passed in a normal car, but it’s best to only attempt the trip in high summer. If you’re renting, another problem might be your rental policy: most firms try to bar drivers from the roughest sections of the highway (between Cartwright Junction and Happy Valley). They can’t physically stop you ignoring this rule but if you have an accident, insurance may not cover you. Check the latest situation for the current extent of paving. A greater barrier to renting is sheer distance; returning a car to Blanc-Sablon or anywhere in Newfoundland means driving a massive loop of almost 3000km through Québec (via Québec Rte-389) and the Maritimes via at least two ferries, while one-way drop-off fees are exorbitant.
Labrador mine tours
Despite failing global demand, half of Canada’s iron ore output is produced in Labrador West, from canyon-like open pit mines that are serviced by oversized 20m-long dump trucks. The only way to appreciate the super-human scale of what goes on here is to take a mine tour, which you can arrange at the Gateway Labrador. The biggest and most mind-boggling facility belongs to Iron Ore Company of Canada in Labrador City; it normally offers regular tours from July to August (Wed & Sun 1.30pm) for $10. Call Gateway in advance to check the current situation, or contact Destination Labrador.