Codroy Valley facts for kids
The Codroy Valley is a special place located in the southwestern part of Newfoundland, an island in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It's a beautiful valley that has a rich history and unique features.
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Welcome to the Codroy Valley!
The Codroy Valley is a long, low area of land. It was carved out by glaciers a very long time ago. This valley is part of the Anguille Mountains, which are a smaller part of the larger Long Range Mountains. These mountains run along the west coast of Newfoundland, right next to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
How the Valley Was Formed
Imagine giant sheets of ice, called glaciers, slowly moving across the land. As they moved, they scraped and shaped the earth. This is how the Codroy Valley was formed! It runs inland from the coast, carrying the Codroy River and its smaller streams towards the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The Windy Wreckhouse
The part of the Codroy Valley closest to the coast is known for being extremely windy. This area is called Wreckhouse. It got its name from the early days of the Newfoundland Railway. The wind was so strong here that it could actually blow railway cars right off the tracks! It was quite a challenge for the train workers.
Who Settled Here?
Over the years, many different families came to live in the Codroy Valley. These included people of French, Irish, Mi'kmaq, English, and Scottish backgrounds.
The Scottish settlers were mostly from the Scottish Highlands. They arrived between the 1840s and 1860s. Many of them had first lived on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia before moving to the Codroy Valley. By the 1880s, about 38% of the homes in the valley belonged to families of Scottish descent.
The Scottish Gaelic language was once very common in the Codroy Valley. Some families continued to speak Gaelic at home even into the 1960s. It's a fascinating part of the valley's cultural heritage.
