Kite takes a look around the Baie Verte Peninsula and discovers the story of a little cove with a big mining past.
Copper in the hills
“Right b’ys, I was out having a look around the Baie Verte Peninsula, and I found a place with a story that could fill a whole logbook. Tilt Cove! Now, don’t let the quiet fool ya. That little cove once had more going on than I could keep up with—and I’m hard to keep up with.”
Copper was discovered there in 1857. By 1864, the mine was at work, and people began arriving from near and far. The rocky cove filled with miners, families, shops, and all the busy sounds of a growing town. By 1869, nearly 800 people were living there. Later, Tilt Cove had more than 1,000 people, with a doctor, a teacher, a blacksmith, and even a telegraph operator.
“Imagine that!” said Kite. “A place tucked between the hills, with messages flying out over the wires. I can barely keep a paper in my wings.”
The mine brought work, but life there could be dangerous. On March 11, 1912, an avalanche struck Tilt Cove. Five people were killed and five more injured. It was a terrible day for the community, and one we ought to remember with care.
The first mining era ended in 1917, when the mine closed. The quiet that followed lasted for years. Then, in 1957, the mine reopened. Tilt Cove came alive with work again—new ore, new hopes, and a fresh chapter for the town. But mining could only continue while the ore lasted. In 1967, the mine closed for the final time.
Kite looked out toward the water. “A town can get quieter, b’ys, but that doesn’t mean its story disappears. The people who worked there, raised their families, and made a life in that rocky cove are still part of Newfoundland’s story.”
And Tilt Cove wasn’t alone. Nearby Round Harbour had its own story, shaped by fishing and the sea. The two communities stood close together, each with a different kind of work, and each leaving its mark on the coast.
“So there you have it,” said Kite. “Copper in the hills, boats on the water, and a whole lot of history packed into one small corner of the coast. Me nerves—I thought I was only going for a look!”
History credits
This story draws on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history of the 1912 Tilt Cove avalanche, Memorial University’s account of Round Harbour, and Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador’s overview of mining in the province.
Sources: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Tilt Cove avalanche · Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador: Land-based industries and mining · Memorial University: Round Harbour · Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Tilt Cove mine history
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