SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Tilt Cove

Honourable senators, today I am pleased to present Chapter 87 of “Telling Our Story.” Friends, I am confident that you are all aware that the largest, most populated city in Canada begins with the letter “T” — yes, the big city of Toronto, Ontario, with a population of approximately 6.2 million residents.

But I am not so sure many of you are aware of the fact that the smallest town in Canada also begins with the letter “T” — Tilt Cove is the quaint, picturesque town located in the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a total population of four residents. Yes, you heard me correctly, a population of four.

We have the mayor and his wife, who is the town clerk, and the town clerk’s brother and his wife, who make up the Tilt Cove Town Council. I am thinking on most days that the decision-making process goes much smoother in Tilt Cove than it does here in Ottawa.

But, alas, Tilt Cove did not always hold the title of the smallest town in Canada. It has a long, rich and proud history. Tilt Cove is located in the Notre Dame Bay region of our province and was first settled as a tiny fishing village in 1813 by George and Mary Winsor, who arrived from Plymouth, England.

In 1857, a man by the name of Smith McKay discovered rich deposits of copper ore; in 1864, mining operations began, and people from across Newfoundland and Labrador and throughout other parts of Canada moved to Tilt Cove to take advantage of the numerous employment opportunities which came with the opening of the new mine.

The population increased steadily, and around 1916 peaked at over 1,500 people. During the boom years, the mining company built houses, a recreation centre, a curling rink and a bowling alley. The town had a vibrant social life for families and their kids with community barbecues and Labour Day parades. In the wintertime, the lake would freeze over and the mining company would turn it into a skating rink and place a massive tree in its centre.

The mine closed in 1920 driving the population down to around 100. Shirley Severance was born in 1941 and grew up in Tilt Cove. She watched the mine grow when it re-opened in 1957 and watched it shrink again in 1967 when the mine shut down for good. Her parting words were, “We were truly blessed, all of us, whoever lived in Tilt Cove . . . Everyone was like a big family.”

In 2023, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador approved the financial relocation assistance after the four remaining residents voted 100% in resettling. There was no need for a judicial recount in Tilt Cove.

Realizing Senator McBean’s fondness for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I do not want to disappoint, but I regret to inform her, and all of you, that the four residents of Tilt Cove are not moving to Toronto. They will be taking up residence in another beautiful town called King’s Cove when their new homes are completed.

Colleagues, this is a story of another Newfoundland town with a colourful and rich history that will soon turn out the lights and lock the doors. For many reasons, I understand the decision to leave and relocate, but it is still sad to see another part of the Newfoundland mosaic become a fading memory.

Thank you.