St. Anthony, a quaint town nestled in the northern reaches of the Great Northern Peninsula, serves as a primary service centre for northern Newfoundland and southern Labrador. As the largest population centre on the Great Northern Peninsula, St. Anthony is a hub of history, culture, and natural beauty.
European settlement in St. Anthony dates back to the early 16th century when French and Basque fishermen used the well-sheltered harbour as a seasonal fishing station. The town's name, St. Anthony Haven, was reported by explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534.
The mid-19th century saw an influx of settlers, with the population growing from 71 inhabitants in 1857 to 139 by 1891. The arrival of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell in 1900 marked a significant turning point in the town's history. The subsequent establishment of a salt fish plant and cold storage facility in the 1930s and 1940s boosted the local economy.
St. Anthony also served as an outpost for the U.S. military. In 1951, a Pinetree Line radar site was built on a nearby hill, housing 250 servicemen by 1962.
Today, tourism plays a vital role in the town's economy, attracting visitors to historical sites, the nearby Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows, and natural attractions such as icebergs and whales.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, St. Anthony had a population of 2,180 living in 924 of its 1,036 total private dwellings, marking a -3.5% change from its 2016 population of 2,258. The town, with a land area of 37.46 km2 (14.46 sq mi), had a population density of 58.2/km2 (150.7/sq mi) in 2021.
St. Anthony experiences a subarctic climate with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Despite its latitude, the strong maritime influence makes winters less cold than most of Canada, with no permafrost. Precipitation is high year-round, driven by the powerful Icelandic Low, with an annual average of approximately 1,300 millimetres (51.2 in).
St. Anthony is accessible via the Great Northern Peninsula Highway and is also served by St. Anthony Airport.
St. Anthony is a popular tourist destination known for its whale watching and historical sites. The work of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell is commemorated by several historic sites and museums, including the Grenfell House Museum, Grenfell Interpretation Centre, and Tea House Hill.
Other attractions include The Rotunda, a display of ceramic murals depicting the culture and history of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Dockhouse Museum, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, L'Anse aux Meadows, a Norse village inhabited around 1000 AD.
St. Anthony has also made its mark in popular culture, featuring as a playable area in the 2014 videogame Assassin's Creed Rogue.
