Town of Carbonear - Community

Carbonear Heritage Society -The website of the Carbonear Heritage Society.

Tradition runs deep in Carbonear. As one of the oldest communities in Canada, community and family traditions have a revered place.

 

Music is especially important. The Kiwanis Music Festival is held in the Princess Sheila NaGeira Theatre each spring, drawing talented performers from all over the Baccalieu Trail. During the summer a number of outdoor concerts are held, including the Conception Bay Folk Festival. Over the whole year the Princess Sheila NaGeira Theatre hosts musical and theatre acts from across the province and country and from around the world.

The town is also proud of its connection to the Labrador fishery. Fishing families caught and dried the cod in the summer and then traded it for what they needed from local merchants. Schooners from Carbonear took the dried fish to Europe, Brazil and the West Indies. There the salt fish was traded for such things as salt, molasses, coal and manufactured goods.More fishing captains from Carbonear participated in the foreign trade than from any other "outport." [Outport is the traditional name for Newfoundland communitiies outside St. John's.]

To honour two well-known families from the area, a small park has been established on Pike's Lane. The park story board tells the story of the Pike and Soper Families, and honours Princess Sheila NaGeira, the Legendary Irish Princess, whose story is so closely to the history of the town. The Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation offices are located just across the street at the College of the North Atlantic Carbonear Campus.

The K to 12 schools in the town, which are recognized for their innovations in education, are under the jurisdiction of the Eastern School District.

Carbonear Collegiate has a student population of 534 in Levels I - III (Grades 10 to 12) and a staff of 33. Carbonear Collegiate offers a diverse program in academics, the arts, and sports. Their results in the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Examinations in the various disciplines of mathematics, science, English, French and social studies are among the best in the province. Advanced Placement courses in literature, physics, biology, mathematics and chemistry are available to qualifying students.

St. Francis Intermediate School is attended by students in grades 6-9. The school is currently involved in an innovative project using their school green house in cooperation with Spruce Hills Farms in Heart's Content as part of a Youth Entrepreneur Partnership.

Davis Elementary School is attended by students in Grades K-5. The school has about 350 students and participates in special activities, such as field trips, sports day and skating parties. They have a breakfast program and a microwave program. On most standardized testing in the school, students performed better than students within the district and across the province.

In addition, the town has two post secondary institutions, the Carbonear campus of the College of the North Atlantic , which offers first year University programs as well as its regular programs, and Keyin College . WISE (Women Interested in Successful Employment) has been established for women who are interested in upgrading their educational qualifications and employability skills.