Town of Burlington

History

Burlington, formally known as North West Arm, came into known existence around the early 1800s, when the White family settled in what they called White's Point. At the time, residents stuck "North West Arm" on the land, and it was called that from its beginning until the year 1914 or 1915, when other residents decided that the name must be changed. Government records lead us to think that the change took place in 1915, since this was the year "Burlington" is used on their writings, however some people still think it took place in 1914.

No one nows exactly why the name was changed, but several local residents have agreed on a basis that sounds reasonable. They suggest that in the early years, the community's mail kept being mixed up with another community with a similar name to North West Arm. This caused quite a stir in the community and led to three different suggestions for the name change. "Graniteville" was suggested by the Lush brothers, "Riverville" by the FPU Union, and "Burlington" by Mr. George Robbins, which ended up being the new name.

Burlington can be found in the Green Bay/White Bay region of the province of Newfoundland, nestled between the neighboring communities of Smith's Harbour and Middle Arm, located on the Baie Verte Peninsula. This Peninsula was originally known as the "Burlington Peninsula" due to the extensive amount of industry and population growth here. However, the name was changed after the population dwindled and the industry grew smaller and smaller. The year that the name of the peninsula was changed is unknown, but we believe it took place in the early 1900s. Geographically, Burlington is located at 45°45'06''N, 56°01'24''W.

There are roughly 410 residents currently (as of January 2006) residing in approximately 140 homes in the town. Burlington has been many times called a "picturesque place" by its residents and visitors. The White Hills are located at the South, rising up above the lush green spruces that cover the lower area. Many different coves and ponds (such as Perry's Cove and Waddies Pond) make the town an inspiration delight for ran artist, both in summer and fall seasons. Burlington harbour is a well known area in the town since it was the place where the fishermen once gathered and fished mostly for cod and squid. With time the harbour would become almost deserted due to the moratorium years ago. Peopel were forced to work elsewhere and the fishery never recovered. The harbour also was the place of tragedy in later years, when a few men died there.

Burlington has been through her share of both good times and bad. From fast, booming industries, to forest fires that destroyed millions of dollars in property, livestalk, lumber and more. From happy times such as Come Home Year celebrations that took place in 1995, to tragic dreaths of beloved resident.