Lake Melville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake MelvilleTessiartosoak (Inuktitut) Atatshi-unipek (Innu-aimun) |
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A map of the Lake Melville/Hamilton Inlet/Groswater Bay system, showing Hamilton Inlet as inclusive of L. Melville
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 Lake Melville
Location in Newfoundland and Labrador
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| Location | Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
| Coordinates | 53°41′N 59°43′W / 53.683°N 59.717°W |
| Type | Tidal Extension |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface area | 3,069 km2 (1,185 sq mi) |
| Settlements | Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Mud Lake, North West River, Rigolet, Sheshatshiu |
Lake Melville is a large body of water in Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Even though it's called a "lake," it's actually a saltwater area connected to the ocean. It's part of a bigger system that includes Hamilton Inlet and Groswater Bay.
Lake Melville is huge, covering about 3,069 square kilometers (1,185 square miles). It stretches about 140 kilometers (87 miles) inland towards Happy Valley-Goose Bay. This area is part of the biggest estuary (where a river meets the sea) in the province. The main rivers that flow into it are the Churchill River and the Naskaupi River. Mountains surround Lake Melville and Hamilton Inlet. Important towns nearby include Happy Valley-Goose Bay, North West River, and Sheshatshiu.
Contents
Why it's Called Lake Melville
Lake Melville was named after Henry Dundas. He was the first Viscount Melville and worked as Britain's lord of the Admiralty in the early 1800s.
Where is Lake Melville?
Lake Melville is located in the middle of Labrador. To the south, you'll find the Mealy Mountains. Another water body called Double Mer is to the north. The Churchill River flows into the southwest part of Lake Melville.
Lake Melville has parts that reach even further inland. These are known as "Little Lake" and "Grand Lake." The Naskaupi River flows into Grand Lake.
You can reach many areas around Lake Melville by road using the Trans-Labrador Highway. Route 500 goes from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Labrador West. Route 510 connects Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Blanc-Sablon, where you can catch a ferry to Newfoundland. Route 520 is a paved road on the west side of Lake Melville. It links Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Sheshatshiu, and North West River. However, two communities, Rigolet and Mud Lake, can only be reached by boat or air.
A Look at Lake Melville's History
The land around Lake Melville has been home to the Inuit and Innu peoples for a very long time. It's thought that the Inuit of Labrador came from Baffin Island. They were looking for Europeans, like the Norsemen, who had visited Baffin Island around 1000 AD.
After the Seven Years' War, the area of New France, including Labrador, became part of Great Britain. The British wanted to start a cod fishing industry in Labrador. Many fishermen from Newfoundland came and often married Inuit women. Their descendants are known as the "Inuit-Metis" people. By 1824, about 326 people lived around Lake Melville. This group included Inuit, 'half-Inuit,' European settlers, and Canadian settlers.
The economy around Lake Melville used to depend on fishing and fur trading. Fort Smith, which is now North West River, was an important trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. It also supplied goods to Fort Naskaupi after John McLean found easy river routes into the land.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, prices for fish and fur dropped a lot. This made life harder for people who relied on these trades. But in 1941, an air base was built at Goose Bay. Radar stations were also set up along the coast. This gave the Southern Inuit their first chances for paid jobs. Today, Happy Valley-Goose Bay is one of the biggest towns in Labrador. It's also the tenth-largest community in all of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Lower Churchill Project is a plan to build a hydroelectric power plant on the lower Churchill River.
Getting Around Lake Melville
A ferry service operates on Lake Melville and Hamilton Inlet. This ferry connects several communities. These include Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Rigolet, and Cartwright.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Melville para niños
