Before you begin your Bonavista Biennale tour, download the site map here.
Internet is not available everywhere on the Peninsula.
Internet is not available everywhere on the Peninsula.
| 1 |
Former Lethbridge Cash Store, Lethbridge |
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Former Lethbridge Cash Store, Lethbridge |
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The Lethbridge Cash Store was built in 1934 by a local carpenter from Brooklyn, Caleb Norman. It was owned and operated initially by Albert and Elizabeth Lethbridge, and later run by their two children, Anita and Lockyer. It prospered until 2004, and for most of its seventy year existence, was a thriving wholesale and retail enterprise. Much of its success was due to its close proximity to the Lethbridge Station House of the Newfoundland Railway’s Bonavista Branch Line, which provided a steady flow of daily consumer activity. Meeting the needs of a wide range of patrons from all over the Bonavista Peninsula and beyond, the locals claimed that, “if you couldn’t find it at the Lethbridge Cash Store, you didn’t need it.” Current owners purchased the property in 2016, with a view to preserving this significant local heritage structure and restoring it to its original glory.
| 2 |
Beth’s Variety, Princeton |
| 2 |
Beth’s Variety, Princeton |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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1 Main St, Princeton
This shop was originally opened about 75 years ago by Marjorie and Drew Quinton as the Princeton Variety Store. Through the decades the business it has passed through several owners, and was shut down for a few years before being re-opened as Beth’s Variety in 2017. Serving as a community gathering spot for Princeton residents, the shop carries household goods, local crafts, food, snacks and frozen yoghurt.
| 3 |
Quinton Premises, Red Cliff |
| 3 |
Quinton Premises, Red Cliff |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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The buildings that once housed John Quinton Ltd. are among the few remaining business structures from the 19th century in southern Bonavista Bay. The first structure built, in 1840, was a residence that was later converted to a shop. A salt store was built sometime between 1840 and 1850, followed by a post office in the 1870s. A new residence for the Quinton family was built in 1884.
The Quinton family began fishing out of Red Cliff in the late 1700s, becoming merchants in 1884 when John Quinton started a general store. He was a prominent supplier of general merchandise, and buyer of salt fish, squid and other products. Serving some 20 communities for over a century, John Quinton Ltd.’s business peaked in the 1950s when nearly 7,000 quintals of salt fish (about 785,000 lbs.) were purchased and packed for export. Although the business has since closed its doors, the Premises is currently being restored by the Quinton Premises Historic Trust.
| 4 |
Slate Mine, Keels |
| 4 |
Slate Mine, Keels |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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Note: This site is accessed by a gravel road. Vehicles must pass through a metal gate, which will be unlocked between 10 am and 5 pm daily. Please be sure to leave the site before 5 pm to avoid being locked in.
The Keels slate deposit is part of a slate belt hosted by the Lower Cambrian Bonavista Group in the Avalon Zone of eastern Newfoundland. The site contains purple, green and red slate. Dramatic layers of contrasting rock, representing different time periods, are visible. Production at the Keels Slate deposit began in 1993, and the site is currently inactive. The area includes several dramatic rock faces surrounding a shallow pond. It also provides scenic views of Backside Cove and the open ocean.
| 5 |
Community Hall, Keels |
| 5 |
Community Hall, Keels |
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6 Church Road, Keels
Built by the Keel’s Catholic Women’s Association, this building still functions as a community gathering space, hosting celebrations, funerals, and get-togethers.
| 6 |
Ryan Premises Salt Store, Bonavista |
| 6 |
Ryan Premises Salt Store, Bonavista |
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Accessibility The Salt Store is wheelchair accessible. The inside “stage” area has a short step (6 inches). |
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10 Ryans Hill Road, Bonavista
Originally established in 1869 by James Ryan Ltd., the Ryan Premises was the home of one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest salt fish mercantile firms. The company bought dry salted cod from fishermen, sold provisions and equipment, and exported cod worldwide. The family carried on the fish trade until 1952, and the retail and wholesale distribution business until 1978. Designated a National Historic Site in 1987, the Ryan Premises was restored and opened by Parks Canada in 1997. It includes six historic buildings: a house, shop, salt store and various out buildings. The Salt Shed is beside the water, where cod would be salted and prepared for shipping.
| 7 |
Loyal Orange Lodge #4, Bonavista |
| 7 |
Loyal Orange Lodge #4, Bonavista |
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Accessibility The installation is located on the second floor of the building. Visitors will need to climb two flights of stairs. |
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Between Sweetlands Hill and Blands Lane, Bonavista
The Orange Order was a political and religious fraternal organization started in Ireland in 1795. The Orange Order came to Canada with Irish immigrants in the early 19th century, and “lodges” sprung up across the country. The Loyal Orange Lodge in Bonavista is the largest of its kind in Newfoundland. It is likely that during the early 20th century, it had the largest membership of any Orange Lodge in North America.
Built in 1907, the Orange Lodge is a Registered Heritage Structure, and might be the largest wooden gathering hall in Canada. The interior is an excellent example of local builder Ronald Strathie’s style of craftsmanship. The scale of the Loyal Orange Lodge and its historically large membership reflect Bonavista’s status as Newfoundland’s largest and most prosperous inshore fishing town during the early 20th century. In 1912, the Lodge was the site of the launch of the “Bonavista Platform” manifesto, which fueled the Fishermen’s Protective Union led by Sir William Coaker. Fishermen are said to have used it to guide their boats back into the harbour from the fishing grounds.
| 8 |
Mockbeggar Plantation Big Store, Bonavista |
| 8 |
Mockbeggar Plantation Big Store, Bonavista |
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Accessibility The installation is located on the second floor of the building. Visitors will need to climb one flight of stairs. |
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Mockbeggar Road, Bonavista
A fishery plantation site since the 1700s, the Mockbeggar Plantation was once a thriving operation that played a major role in the development of Bonavista. Its history as a fish enterprise came to an end in 1946 under its last operator, the Bonavista Mutual Traders Ltd. Today the Plantation is a historic site that marks the period in Newfoundland’s history when it officially joined the Canadian Confederation.
The fish store, called the Big Store, was at the centre of Mockbeggar Plantation’s operations, where salt cod was processed and stored. Local folklore dates the building to the early 18th century. This building was used primarily as a processing and storage building for the salt fish trade business and its form and layout were designed specifically for this purpose.
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Mockbeggar Plantation yard |
| 9 |
Mockbeggar Plantation yard |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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Overlooking the Bonavista Harbour, the manicured yard of the Mockbeggar Plantation property is one of the largest on the Peninsula.
| 10 |
Salvation Army Citadel, Elliston |
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Salvation Army Citadel, Elliston |
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5862 Main St, Elliston
Salvation Army Citadel in Elliston was built in 1901-02, and incorporates elements of the Gothic Revival style of architecture. The building was designated as a Registered Heritage Structure in 2016.
The Citadel is connected to the development of The Salvation Army’s presence in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Elliston (then known as Bird Island Cove) corps was established in 1887 and the first officer was assigned to the community in 1889. By 1901, when the Citadel was built by Captain W. Reader, membership reached a high of just over 60 people. For generations, the Citadel hosted regular services and social events such as weddings, garden parties, and suppers.
As of 2023, the building has been newly restored by Tourism Elliston to function as a space for community gatherings and events.
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Sandy Cove Beach, Elliston |
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Sandy Cove Beach, Elliston |
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Accessibility Outdoor performance. Visible from roadside. |
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Sandy Cove Beach includes a soft sand shore line, freshwater brook, refreshment stand, and nearby camping facilities at the municipal park. It is a popular destination for relaxing, swimming and socializing in the summer.
| 11 |
South Bird Island Lookout, Maberly |
| 11 |
South Bird Island Lookout, Maberly |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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Artists |
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Maberly Road, Maberly
This scenic area looks out to South Bird Island, home to hundreds of seabirds. Formerly known as “Maberly Provincial Park,” the site includes picnic benches, a root cellar, and demonstration traditional gardens.
| 12 |
Maberly Lookout, Maberly |
| 12 |
Maberly Lookout, Maberly |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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Artists |
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The end of Maberly Road, Maberly
The settlement of Maberly was established in the early 1800s as a cod fishery on the north-eastern tip of the Bonavista peninsula near the town of Elliston, of which it is now a part. Known as Muddy Brook until 1905, the community includes about a dozen homes and some of the region’s best and most accessible root cellars. On the east side of the Maberly Loop, the lookout provides stunning views of the open ocean and dramatic rock formations.
| 13 |
Durdle’s Warehouse |
| 13 |
Durdle’s Warehouse |
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Accessibility The warehouse is accessed by walking down a gravel driveway. There is one slightly uneven step to get inside the building. |
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18 – 24 Forbes Street, Bonavista
Durdle’s Building Centre (comprised of both a hardware store and warehouse) is currently not in operation, although the Durdle family has operated businesses in Bonavista since before confederation. Billy Gauthier began working on his sculpture in this space on August 15 and “public carving hours” were held daily from 3pm – 5pm so the public could witness the work taking shape throughout the week leading up to the Biennale’s opening.
| 14 |
Union Electric Building, Port Union |
| 14 |
Union Electric Building, Port Union |
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921 Main Rd, Port Union
Sir William Coaker’s vision for Port Union, Canada’s only union-built town, included community-wide electricity owned and operated by the town. The Fishermen’s Protective Union took over an existing hydro-electric plant, forming the Union Electric Light and Power Company (later becoming part of Newfoundland Power). Although Union Electric was established to provide power for Port Union’s commercial and residential properties, residents in nearby Catalina soon wanted the service. Nearly every house in Catalina was wired for electricity at a flat rate of $1.00 per month.
In 1945, the company headquarters was destroyed by a fire that took many of Port Union’s early buildings. The rebuilt Union Electric Company Office is an example of mid-20th century industrial-style construction in a Newfoundland outport, distinguished by its boomtown false front, large storefront windows, canopy and fire-proof asbestos shingles. An important component of the built landscape of Port Union, the building is a Registered Heritage Structure.
| 15 |
Union House Arts, Port Union |
| 15 |
Union House Arts, Port Union |
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74 Main Rd, Port Union
Union House Arts (UHA) is a community artspace in Port Union. UHA supports new work by artists and craftspeople through residencies, exhibitions, and other arts-based programming. UHA is home to an art gallery, community kitchen, workshop space, studios, and artist accommodations. The UHA building, a historic Fishermen’s Protective Union rowhouse duplex, received the regional This Place Matters prize in 2017 from The National Trust for Canada, and officially opened its doors in 2019.
| 16 |
Boardwalk Flag Pole, Port Union |
| 16 |
Boardwalk Flag Pole, Port Union |
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This flagpole is location on the north side of the Port Union boardwalk loop. The boardwalk provides views of Catalina Harbour and the Port Union historic district, and includes interpretive information on the area’s history and unique geological formations.
| 17 |
Port Rexton Brewery, Port Rexton |
| 17 |
Port Rexton Brewery, Port Rexton |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from roadside. |
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6 Ship Cove Road, Port Rexton
Port Rexton Brewery opened its doors in 2016, and includes a taproom, outdoor patio, and beer garden and food truck. The brewery was built from the structure of the community’s old school house.
| 18 |
Fishermen’s Protective Union Store, Port Rexton |
| 18 |
Fishermen’s Protective Union Store, Port Rexton |
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The political arm of the Fishermen’s Protective Union was Newfoundland and Labrador’s first class-based political party. Founded by William Coaker in 1908, the FPU attempted to provide fishermen with a greater share of the wealth that their labour produced. The Union itself was a democratic organization, with branches in local towns electing local executives, which then chose regional delegates to the governing body, which in turn elected the executive officers. By 1914, the Union boasted more than 21,000 members in 206 councils, over half of Newfoundland’s fishers.
| 19 |
Lester Garland House, Trinity |
| 19 |
Lester Garland House, Trinity |
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Accessibility Wheelchair accessible washrooms also available at this site. |
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Meeting point of West St and Dock Lane, Trinity
Lester-Garland House sits on the site of the first brick house in Newfoundland, built in the 1760s. The building was taken down 200 years later despite preservation efforts by the Trinity Historical Society. Meticulously reconstructed in 1996-1997 using detailed measurements and photographs, the current building is a precise reproduction of the original Lester-Garland House, and serves as a museum, education centre and home to the Trinity Historical Society Archives. The house includes artifacts from the Lester and Garland families, providing visitors with a glimpse into the foundational days of Trinity and its strong historical and cultural links to the west of England.
| 20 |
Hiscock House, Trinity |
| 20 |
Hiscock House, Trinity |
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Church Road, Trinity
This house was built in 1881, for Richard Hiscock and his future wife, Emma. It remained in the Hiscock family until 1978, when the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador purchased to function as a historic site. With many original artifacts, the house tells the story of a nineteenth- and twentieth-century merchant family. The museum highlights the story of Emma Hiscock, who became widowed not long after her marriage. With determination and resourcefulness, Emma operated a post office and a bank from the property, enabling her to independently support and educate her family of six children.
| A |
The Matthews House, Duntara |
| A |
The Matthews House, Duntara |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from the roadside. |
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Artists
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This house is one of the original houses on Pond Lane. The Matthews family, the last to occupy it, was relocated to St. John’s in 1968 after the father died in an industrial accident in Labrador, leaving the mother and four young children behind. The house has stood vacant for more than 40 years, and fallen into disrepair. It was recently bought by Reinhard Reitzenstein and Gayle Young, Ontario-based artists (who were both in the 2017 Bonavista Biennale). They plan to restore the house to use as a seasonal home (read more about works still on view).
| B |
Knight’s Cove Beach |
| B |
Knight’s Cove Beach |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from the roadside. |
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Artists
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Knight’s Cove is a small community about 20 kilometers southwest of the town of Bonavista on Blackhead Bay, probably first settled in the 1790s or early 1800s. The beach at Knight’s Cove has a geological feature of coves and sheltered areas along coastal areas known as a “barachois” (sometimes pronounced “barrasway” in Newfoundland). A barachois is a coastal lagoon that is separated from the ocean by a sandbar. Sometimes the sandbar is used as a causeway, and might also house small fishery buildings. The barachois at Knight’s Cove can be easily seen from the road (read more about works still on view).
| C |
Dr. Hilda Tremblett Wellness Centre, Bonavista |
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Dr. Hilda Tremblett Wellness Centre, Bonavista |
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Accessibility Outdoor site. Visible from the roadside. |
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Artists
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The Dr. Hilda Tremblett Wellness Centre, opened to the community in 2022, occupies the former Bonavista Central High School, built in the early 1950’s (read more about works still on view).