Wabush

Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, bordering Quebec, known for transportation and iron ore operations.

Wabush
Town
Town of Wabush across Jean Lake
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
"Terra Progredimur"  (Latin)
"From the earth we prosper"
Wabush
Location of Wabush in Canada
Wabush
Wabush (Canada)
Coordinates: 52°54′29″N 66°52′08″W
Country Canada
Province Newfoundland and Labrador
Census divisions10
Settled1955
Founded1962
IncorporatedApril 11, 1967
Government
  TypeMunicipal incorporation
  MayorRonald Barron
Area
  Total46.25 km2 (17.86 sq mi)
Elevation
560 m (1,840 ft)
Population
 (2016)[2]
  Total1,906
  Density41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-4
Highways Route 500 (Trans-Labrador Highway)
Route 503 (Grenfell Drive)
WebsiteTown of Wabush

Economy

Wabush is the twin community of Labrador City. At its peak population in the late 1970s, the region had a population of just over 22,000. A reduction in iron mining operations in the late 20th century caused a major decline in jobs and population.

As of 2011, Wabush's population was 1,861. Most residents continue to work in the nearby mine: Iron Ore Company of Canada, now a unit of Rio Tinto Mines.

Companies in and around Wabush include:

  • Tacora Resources (owner of former Wabush Mines site)

While remote, the town contains modern amenities. A shopping centre includes a post office, bank, a restaurant, a bar, and a snowmobile store. There is also a recreational centre, which includes a bowling alley, gymnasium, swimming pool, a teen centre, and a weight lifting room; an ice arena, a library, a legion building that serves alcoholic beverages, a furniture store, several playgrounds, a school, a church, two corner stores, and a hotel (which also includes a restaurant, a barber shop, and a bar). United Rentals (an equipment rental company) has a branch location in Wabush. Nearby Labrador City has a modern indoor shopping centre, which includes a Walmart, Mark's Work Wearhouse and Canadian Tire.

Proposed amalgamation with Labrador City

In 2017, MHA Graham Letto and Labrador City Mayor Wayne Button stated that the municipal governments of Labrador City and Wabush are looking into the idea of amalgamation.[3]

Transportation

Air transportation needs for the twin communities are served by Wabush Airport and seasonally by Wabush Water Aerodrome. It used to receive more frequent service by Air Gaspé, which was acquired by Quebecair in 1973. The latter ended as an independent business in 1986, acquired in turn by CP Air in 1986 and Canadian Airlines in 1987. Currently the area is serviced by Air Canada (Air Canada Express & Exploits Valley Air Services), Provincial Airlines, Pascan Air and Air Inuit.

Climate

Like most of Labrador, Wabush has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with precipitation much higher than usual for this type of climate due to the persistent Icelandic Low, which give the region some of the rainiest and snowiest weather in all of Canada. Especially in summer, cloudiness is very high due to the lakes nearby and the unstable northerly airstreams that prevail, but because the town is relatively far from the open sea, sunshine is higher than even in St. John's due to the absence of fog from the Labrador Current. Snow usually melts off in May.

Climate data for Wabush (Wabush Airport, normals from 1981−2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 7.7 5.9 14.6 16.9 35.0 37.1 39.0 35.3 32.2 22.6 13.8 6.5 39.0
Record high °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4)
6.2
(43.2)
14.7
(58.5)
16.8
(62.2)
28.4
(83.1)
33.3
(91.9)
32.6
(90.7)
30.6
(87.1)
27.8
(82.0)
21.1
(70.0)
12.2
(54.0)
5.6
(42.1)
33.3
(91.9)
Average high °C (°F) −16.7
(1.9)
−14.2
(6.4)
−6.7
(19.9)
1.5
(34.7)
9.6
(49.3)
16.1
(61.0)
19.1
(66.4)
17.6
(63.7)
11.8
(53.2)
3.8
(38.8)
−4.2
(24.4)
−12.6
(9.3)
2.1
(35.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −22.2
(−8.0)
−20.6
(−5.1)
−13.3
(8.1)
−4.3
(24.3)
4.0
(39.2)
10.3
(50.5)
13.8
(56.8)
12.5
(54.5)
7.6
(45.7)
0.5
(32.9)
−8.2
(17.2)
−17.5
(0.5)
−3.1
(26.4)
Average low °C (°F) −27.8
(−18.0)
−27
(−17)
−19.8
(−3.6)
−10
(14)
−1.7
(28.9)
4.4
(39.9)
8.3
(46.9)
7.4
(45.3)
3.3
(37.9)
−2.9
(26.8)
−12
(10)
−22.5
(−8.5)
−8.4
(16.9)
Record low °C (°F) −43.9
(−47.0)
−47.8
(−54.0)
−46.7
(−52.1)
−37.2
(−35.0)
−21.7
(−7.1)
−11.1
(12.0)
−6.7
(19.9)
−0.6
(30.9)
−7
(19)
−21.7
(−7.1)
−33.1
(−27.6)
−46.1
(−51.0)
−47.8
(−54.0)
Record low wind chill −62.8 −57.1 −52.6 −41.8 −32.6 −9.6 0.0 −6.2 −13.9 −25.6 −43.9 −59.5 −62.8
Average precipitation mm (inches) 49.2
(1.94)
40.3
(1.59)
54.1
(2.13)
48.8
(1.92)
53.5
(2.11)
82.7
(3.26)
113.9
(4.48)
103.5
(4.07)
96.5
(3.80)
75.7
(2.98)
70.9
(2.79)
50.4
(1.98)
839.5
(33.05)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.6
(0.02)
1.6
(0.06)
2.6
(0.10)
12.1
(0.48)
40.4
(1.59)
80.6
(3.17)
113.9
(4.48)
103.4
(4.07)
92.3
(3.63)
42.0
(1.65)
10.9
(0.43)
2.5
(0.10)
502.9
(19.80)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 63.8
(25.1)
50.9
(20.0)
65.9
(25.9)
44.3
(17.4)
14.4
(5.7)
2.1
(0.8)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.0)
4.4
(1.7)
39.0
(15.4)
77.5
(30.5)
66.2
(26.1)
428.7
(168.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 17.3 14.6 16.0 14.2 15.2 17.1 19.0 20.0 20.5 20.1 20.4 19.3 213.7
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.44 0.78 1.4 3.8 11.9 16.4 19.0 20.0 19.7 10.5 3.9 1.0 109.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 17.7 15.0 16.4 12.3 6.0 1.2 0.04 0.07 2.5 13.9 19.7 19.7 124.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours 98.0 132.2 151.3 180.1 210.6 212.5 218.0 202.7 116.6 75.4 56.9 67.3 1,721.4
Percent possible sunshine 38.6 47.6 41.2 43.1 43.0 42.1 43.0 44.4 30.6 22.9 21.7 28.3 37.2
Source: Environment Canada[4]

Demographics

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
19912,331    
19962,018−13.4%
20011,894−6.1%
20061,739−8.2%
20111,861+7.0%
Canada 2006 CensusPopulation% of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[5]
South Asian201.1%
Chinese00%
Black100.6%
Filipino905.7%
Latin American10%
Arab00%
Southeast Asian00%
West Asian00%
Korean00%
Japanese50%
Other visible minority00%
Mixed visible minority00%
Total visible minority population301.7%
Aboriginal group
Source:[6]
First Nations502.9%
Métis704.6%
Inuit00%
Total Aboriginal population1458.3%
White1,59591.7%
Total population1,861100%

Notable residents

Literary references

Wabush appears in the John Wyndham post-catastrophe novel The Chrysalids under the name of Waknuk.

References

  1. Town of Wabush. "Mayor and Council". Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  2. Statistics Canada (2016). "Wabush Census Profile". Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  3. "Amalgamation is in the cards with Wabush, Lab City mayor predicts - CBC News".
  4. "Wabush Lake Airport". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  5. , Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada – Census Subdivision
  6. , Aboriginal Peoples – Data table


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