Blaketown, a local service district and designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, is a charming community that offers a unique blend of history and modernity. Nestled on Route 80 (Trinity Road), Blaketown has seen the emergence of several service businesses, contributing to its vibrant local economy.
Blaketown was named after Sir Henry Arthur Blake, the Governor of Newfoundland from 1887 to 1889. The settlement began in 1888 as an agricultural district, with thirty-two families from the Conception Bay communities of Upper Island Cove, Bishops Cove, Spaniards Bay, and Bay Roberts settling along the Dildo Agricultural Road.
A Church of England school/church was constructed around 1890 to accommodate an approximate population of 262. However, the agricultural experiment failed as the land in the area was not suitable for farming and the settlers, who had been fishermen, were not properly trained in farming. By 1911, the number of full-time farmers in Blaketown had decreased to only three, and the lumber industry had taken over a significant part of the economy.
In 1955, the Government of Newfoundland attempted to centralize the mink fur farming industry in the province in Blaketown. The Newfoundland Fur Farmers' Co-op was formed to provide feed, from fish and whale meat, to supply the numerous fur farms. However, with the banning of the whale hunt in 1972, the fur industry also collapsed.
Blaketown is located within Subdivision Y of Division No. 1 in Newfoundland. The community is beautifully situated along Blaketown Pond, a lake that extends most of the length of Blaketown.
As per the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Blaketown recorded a population of 605 living in 252 of its 306 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 18.4% from its 2011 population of 511. With a land area of 19.94 km2 (7.70 sq mi), it had a population density of 30.3/km2 (78.6/sq mi) in 2016.
Today, Blaketown is home to a variety of businesses, including a small grocery store, a gas station, a hardware retailer, an auto repair shop, a woodworking enterprise, an auto parts outlet, and a Regional High School. These businesses not only serve the local community but also contribute to the economic growth of Blaketown.
