The History of Aquaforte

Aquaforte, NL, 1857 Drawing by Rev. William Grey. From William Grey, Sketches of Newfoundland and Labrador © Heritage NL

The town of Aquaforte’s economy has always rested primarily on fishing. The harbour has been used as a seasonal fishing station since the 1670s. British and French hostilities played out in harbors all along the Avalon Peninsula in the 18th century, and Aquaforte was no exception. However, the first permanent residents did not settle in Aquaforte until the early 1800s. It is located 4 miles from Ferryland and 40 miles from St. John’s by water. It has one of the safest harbors in the island and cod was its main industry.

In 1902 a resident from Norway, Anders Ellefsen, constructed a factory to process whales in the community. The plant operated for a few years but had to shut down around 1908 because of a decline in the whale population. It was incorporated as a community in 1972.

Today Aquaforte is a quaint and scenic community on The Irish Loop whose history is closely tied to the fishery.

Today the fishery still plays an important role in the local economy and a seafood processing facility located in Aquaforte employs local residents and those from surrounding towns.

With the ocean on one side and boreal forest on the other, Aquaforte is surrounded by natural habitat and scenery. You will find the locals friendly and always willing to offer you guidance if lost.

The Aquaforte post office’s postal code, A0A 1A0, is the lowest (alphabetically and numerically first) of any central office in Canada.