Aspen Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Aspen Cove is a small fishing community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It sits at the mouth of Hamilton Sound, between Carmanville and Musgrave Harbour. It was once called Aspey Cove or Apsey Cove, likely named after aspen trees in the area.

The first census in 1857 recorded 13 people living in Aspen Cove, all working in the salmon fishery. By the 1870s more families moved here for cod and lobster. In 1921 the population was 104, with the economy shifting to cod, lobster, and lumbering. The first settler was Robert Shelly (later Shelley) from Fogo, born in Hampshire, England. Edith Tulk was the first postmistress.

Originally the community followed the Church of England, but Methodism grew over time. A Methodist school-chapel was built in 1902 and a new church in 1964. In the 1950s there were some Jehovah’s Witnesses, but most residents belonged to the United Church.

In 2016 Aspen Cove was recorded as a designated place with a population of 178 living in 80 of 101 private dwellings, down from 220 in 2011. The area covers 3.06 square kilometers, giving a population density of about 58 people per square kilometer.

Aspen Cove is a local service district, governed by a committee. The chair is Steven Tulk.