Grand Bruit residents to relocate
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | 12:42 PM NT
CBC News
Residents of Grand Bruit on Newfoundland's southwest coast expect to relocate by the summer of 2010. This is expected to be the last winter people will live in the isolated community of Grand Bruit on Newfoundland's southwest coast.
The provincial government is backing a plan by the 31 residents who live in the community, which is only accessible by boat, to relocate.
The province is offering each household of at least two people $90,000 to leave the community and live somewhere else.
The chair of the local service district, Cindy Billard, said relocation talks have been going on for more than two years.
"We are relieved," she told CBC News, "we know that government is going to help us out, and now we can kind of make some plans."
Billard said the money will allow people from Grand Bruit to start anew in other larger south coast communities like Burgeo or Port aux Basques.
"I can get a fairly nice home for $90,000. If I pick out a home that's more, well, I'll have to do what everyone else does, and pay a mortgage."
Grand Bruit, which translated from French means "great noise," is believed to have gotten its name from the roaring waterfall that cuts a path right through the tiny community.
Families settled there in the 1800s, most likely because of the well-protected harbour and the nearby rich fishing grounds.
