Tilt Cove

The next community is Tilt Cove, which is now Canada’s smallest town.  The town’s name may have come from the term for a fishing shack (tilt) that had been built on the shore of the cove and which would have been the only structure visible to ships passing the area (More Than Just a Name, Byron A. Brooks, www.travellingnl.com).

Although tiny now, it was once a vibrant and booming mining community, the second largest in Newfoundland, with over 2000 people, four churches, each with its own school, a couple of banks, and a large copper mine supporting it all.  The mine operated from 1864 for about 50 years, opening again in 1957, and finally closing 10 years later (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/tilt-cove-newfoundland-smallest-town-1.3260204). As of this August, there are now 5 residents in the summer, and we were told there would be just 4 this winter.  The town became famous for its size in 2015 when Marvel reached out to request help in getting a small poster for the upcoming Ant Man movie placed in Tilt Cove, stating “It’s the perfect match."  The ant-sized billboard is still there in the town.

Ant Man sign

The history of the town is captured by the residents in The Way We Were museum, and resident Margaret Collins took us through the pictures, artifacts and stories that have been saved there.  It was interesting to compare the pictures of how it used to look to what structures still remained.  The residents are always happy to take tourists through the museum and explain how life was in a busy mining town, and it’s well worth a stop.

Pictures, stories and artifacts in the museum

Items once treasured

A reminder of how life was

Preserved history

An aerial view of the town when the mine operated

Some of the many mining buildings

Lots more houses then

There were many regattas on the pond

A view of the town looking towards the ocean

Similar view today

The community is built in a bowl between the hills accessed from a road high above the town, and the remaining houses are clustered around a central pond at the bottom – older, abandoned houses on one side and more modern and inhabited houses on the other.

Newer houses at top of pond, older houses at bottom

The town is surrounded by hills and slag

Some of the older houses, still standing

If this house could tell stories...

Very little of the mine remains, except the loose rocks covering what were once entrances, some old support structures, and memories.  Much of the mine was actually above the town, behind what is known as Castle Rock, a large knob in the cliff.  You can still see the road that used to lead to the mining area.

Castle Rock

Road to mine area at right

Old mine shaft, now filled in

Old mining structure, all that remains

You can drive down a short road to visit the beach, where there is a picnic table under an old mine support and overlooking the sparkling bay, where there were a couple of small boats moored.  Scattered on the beach, you can still see a glint of copper in some of the rocks.

The rivers near the mine shafts still show much rust

Yet this hardy flower holds on

Beautiful beach on Notre Dame Bay

There's a small cave behind this boat

Glints of copper and minerals in the rocks

Just a hint of what first explorers found

There’s not a lot to see here now, and yet there’s something very special about this town that touches the heart.

For more information on the story of Tilt Cove, you may be interested in an episode of Land and Sea, featuring the residents talking about what life was like and how the mine was discovered.  The mine is also featured in a book on mining in Newfoundland, Once Upon a Mine, which you can read online.

Next post:  We're going to jump ahead - come back soon to see where