Iona was a small community in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador made up of small islands that used to be inhabited. The islands were once called The Ram's or Ram's Islands.

History

The population was reported to be 197 in the 1836 Census (the most populous island in

Placentia Bay Placentia Bay () is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people long before the first Europ ...

at the time), 100 in 1921 and 67 in 1940. Iona was originally settled by

Irish Roman Catholics Irish commonly refers to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the island and the sovereign state *** Erse (disambiguati ...

, which included but not limited to, the surnames of Griffin, Bruce, Fitzpatrick, Murphy, Sweeney, McFarrell (later McFarlane), Duke, Pope, Newman, Northover, Bird, Whiffen, and King. The depression of the 1930s severely impacted the Island's people, causing many people to leave and find work. Also, in 1935 a lightning storm struck and destroyed the Island's school, in the next year the small church located on the island was destroyed by fire, and in 1937 a North Atlantic storm splintered the Island's fleet, and washed away many homes and sheds. Most of the families who migrated from the island moved to the close communities of Ship Harbour, Fox Harbour and Long Harbour.

References

{{NLDivision1 Ghost towns in Newfoundland and Labrador