We are the Bay of Hope. Although similar to the English word despair, Bay d'Espoir translates from French as the Bay of Hope. Originally believed to have been named by the Spanish as the Bay of Spirits, recent cartographers assumed that the name was French in origin and named it the similarly sounding Bay d'Espoir, and that name has stayed with us.
Bay d'Espoir is a beautiful fiord, stretching almost 70km inland, the climate is similar to that of Corner Brook, NL, and in fact the Witchazel tree (a relative of the birch) is evidence of this fact, as it grows only in Bay d'Espoir and the Corner Brook regions of the Province. The communitys' traditional economy was based on logging and ship-building but more recently, as home to the island's largest hydroelectric generation site and a growing aquaculture industry, the economy has changed, and continues to evolve.
The reliance on forestry set Bay d'Espoir apart from other towns in the regions, whose economy revolved around the fishing industry.
Harbour Breton, the largest community in the area, has a successful fish plant, the regional hospital and continues to thrive despite
the ups and downs of the fishery. The face of the fishery continues to change with aquaculture quickly becoming the primary producer
of fish in the region.
As an economic region, the area from McCallum on the West to Rencontre East comprise the Coast of Bays
Economic Development zone. "Coast of Bays" is an excellent descriptor, as the region, like no other on the Island, is marked by numerous
deep water bays, perhaps more accurately described as fiords, from Long Harbour in the East to Facheux Bay in the West. The 21 communities
of the region are profiled on the Coast of Bays Website.
Come and explore one of this island's best kept secrets.
Bay d'Espoir and the Coast of Bays
Rooms
"A pleasure to bear and sweet to remember."
269 Main Street
Milltown-Head Bay d'Espoir, NL. A0H 1W0
Phone 709-882-3083 Toll Free 1-877-882-3083
