Red Harbour


Red Harbour is a Canadian municipality of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located 20 kilometres northeast of Marystown.

Settlement

Red Harbour was inhabited from the early 19th century until the early 1960s when the half dozen families living there abandoned the community under the resettlement program. The present town was created when residents from Port Elizabeth convinced the provincial government to relocate them to Red Harbour during the resettlement program of the 1960s. Red Harbour is primarily a fishing community. Species fished are lobster, snowcrab, lumproe, and cod. The town has modern harbour facilities constructed in 1997.

Town Council

The town council consists of:
Deputy Mayor, Gary Hoskins, Councilors: Wallace Rowe, Allison Miller, Gladys Paddle.
Kevin Paddle has been the Town Clerk/Manager since October 2003. Kevin received a BBA in 2005 and a Diploma in Business Administration from Eastern College in 1995. He is also an accredited Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Accountant.
The position was previously held by Trudy Bennett and prior to Ms. Bennett by Walter Kenway who served as Town Clerk for many years. Mr. Kenway was also Mayor of Red Harbour for several years and was one of the community leaders responsible for creating the community in 1969.

Demographics

The population at the time of the 2006 national census was 214.
As of December 2017, the population was just over 190. The population is aging, more than 70% of homeowners in the community are over 50 years of age and more than 50% are over 60 years of age.
It is the only community in Newfoundland to have been created as a result of resettlement. The town has modern facilities normally found only in larger towns and is well managed. Red Harbour remains debt free while providing residents with water and sewer, garbage collection, snowclearing, street lighting, paved street, and road maintenance.
Property taxes have been set at 9 mills since 2005 and water and sewer rates have remained at $240 per year. These rates are lower than the rates in any neighbouring town.