Elliston is an incorporated fishing
settlement situated on the
Bonavista Peninsula
The Bonavista Peninsula is a large peninsula on the east coast of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It consists of 50 incorporated towns/unincorporated communities which have a population of 12,176 ...
of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Incorporated in 1965, the town of Elliston was once called Bird Island Cove and it is composed of a number of communities, North Side, Noder Cover, Elliston Centre, Elliston Point, Porter's Point, Sandy Cove, The Neck and
Maberly. Elliston is known as the Root Cellar Capital of the World and has claimed that title from the 135
root cellar
A root cellar (American and Canadian English), fruit cellar (Mid-Western American English) or earth cellar (British English) is a structure, usually underground. or partially underground, used for food storage, storage of vegetables, fruits, nu ...
s that exist in the community.
In 2013, parts of the movie
The Grand Seduction were filmed at Elliston.
History
Elliston, originally known as Bird Island Cove, was settled in the early 19th century, primarily by fishing families attracted to the rich marine resources of the region. In 1902, the town was renamed Elliston by Reverend
Charles Lench to honour in honor of Reverend
William Ellis, the first
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
missionary in this town.
In 2010, discussions were held about the potential annexation of Elliston by the nearby town of
Bonavista The proposal arose from concerns about the economic sustainability and administrative challenges of smaller municipalities in the region. A feasibility study was conducted to explore the benefits and drawbacks of merging services and governance. However, the idea was met with mixed reactions from residents, and the annexation did not proceed. Elliston continues to operate as an independent municipality.
Events
* The Roots, Rants and Roars festival is filled with Elliston's music and food, with a competition called Cod Wars where chefs make the most creative and original dishes featuring cod.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Elliston had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
See also
*
List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the ninth-most populous province in Canada, with 510,550 residents recorded in the 2021 Canadian Census, and is the seventh-largest in land area, with . Newfoundland and Labrador has 278 municipalities, including 3 ...
*
List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
This is a list of notable people who are from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that province. This list also includes people associated with the former English, and later British c ...
References
https://www.townofelliston.ca/1about/inquire.html
https://www.townofelliston.ca/2visit/loop.html#ptrain
External links
*
Town of EllistonElliston - Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, vol.1, p. 772-774.
Populated coastal places in Canada
Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
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