It Depends on Your Point of View

Place Names North of Smokey France Neils Harbour Victoria County Newfoundland Scotland New Haven Cape North Cabot Trail Cape Smokey Pleasant Bay Ingonish

Have you ever heard the saying “There are two sides to every story?” Your point of view can affect how you see events. Two stories about the villages North of Smokey are good examples of this.

Trading Fish for a New Home

Fishermen from France started fishing near Neils Harbour hundreds of years ago. They fished in the summer months and used the good beach at Neils Harbour to dry their catches before returning to France. Later, Scottish settlers from other parts of Victoria County fished in the area.

It wasn’t until the 1860s, however, that people began to live there year-round. These early settlers were not French or Scottish. They were from Newfoundland!