A Historical Walk through Corner Brook

 The last time we were in Corner Brook we followed in the Footsteps of Captain Cook, and drove out to Lark Harbour at the far end of the Bay of Islands. This time we decided to stay closer to home and chose a walking tour of the town.

There was a cargo ship at the Corner Brook pier, so we had to tender, but the ride was very short. We headed off with our guide for the 10 minute walk into Downtown Corner Brook. It isn't a very big city and, as he explained, did not grow out of the fishing industry as almost every other town or city in Newfoundland had.

The largest building in town is the Pulp and Paper Mill, owned by Kruger. Between direct employees and all of the ancillary industries, it is by far the largest employer in the area, and has actually been in operation for 100 years. The town was established around the paper mill as it 'ticked all the boxes' for location, ability to generate the required electricity, and access to the right kind of trees. There is a hydro-electric plant at Deer Lake, near the airport, that supplies 98% of the power the mill uses via dedicated hydro lines.

Our first stop on the tour was at City Hall to visit the War Memorial. Not only is July 1st Canada Day, but in Corner Brook they begin with a more solemn remembrance of that day in 1916 during WW I where the almost all of the Newfoundland Regiment, mostly men from the Bay of Islands area, was killed as soon as they engaged at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme.

After our short stay here, we headed along Main Street toward the historical part of town. This was where the people who built the paper mill in 1922-1924 lived, and after that the skilled labourers and management of the operating mill.

The Glynmill Inn was, from the sounds of it, one of the first buildings erected in Corner Brook outside of the paper mill. It is a beautiful building with Tudor style architecture, and has for many years been a hotel that has welcomed the likes of Elvis Presley and others who came with USO to visit their military base at Stephenville, which isn't too far away. That base was closed in 1966.

Can't forget the Corner Brook sign!

The Glynmill Inn

Interior lobby area. It is decorated in early 20th
Century style to reflect its heritage

Before becoming a hotel, the inn served as accommodations for all of the people building the mill. Housing for the skilled workers and managers was just across the street, and the manager's large house, which is now privately owned, was down a path toward the lake. What lake, you ask?

The original owner of the mill was a British company, and in order to entice people to come to work in the harsh conditions of eastern Canada, they decided to build and artificial lake to make it seem more like home. They even brought in deciduous trees, like Silver Birch and Yellow Birch, which aren't native to the area but provide a little splash of autumn colour.

A few swans and lots of Mallard Ducks are regular inhabitants

The Humber River flows through the lake

We had a nice walk in the park that surrounds the lake, and our guide also talked about how the Atlantic Salmon still come back up the river to spawn and then, unlike their Pacific cousins, swim back out to the sea. There are fish ladders installed in many areas where the dams are too high for the salmon to jump, and the ones in this river even have cameras so you can watch the fish online in the spring.

Crystal Serenity at anchor

Sailing out along Humber Arm

Frenchman's Cove in the distance. That was
one of our stops last time and I made a sketch
of the little fishing cottages there.

It was a nice walk through a pretty town. We were also happy to learn that, unlike some of the other more remote communities on 'The Rock', Kruger is making a huge investment in the mill to expand the types of paper it produces, so Corner Brook will be around for many years to come.

Next up, the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia.