Description
Located east of Bay d’Leau Drive in an area of Harbour Breton, NL, known as The Arm, Sandy Point is a beach area formed largely from the tidal movement of the ocean entering and leaving The Arm. The designation is confined to that piece of land known locally as Sandy Point.
Statement of Significance
Formal Recognition Type
Municipal Heritage Building, Structure or Land
Heritage Value
Sandy Point has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of Harbour Breton because of its historic, cultural, and aesthetic value.
Sandy Point has historic and cultural value as a former site of subsistence and fishery related activities. A circa 1887 image from a Newman & Company photo album shows an individual harvesting wild berries in the area. Reference is also made in Newman & Company records to farming activity being carried out in the area.
In later years Sandy Point was the location of icehouses owned by prominent fishermen, including the Pierces, John Rose, and Tom Pardy. Ice was cut at Beaver Pond in the winter and hauled down to the icehouses. Sawdust was used to cover the ice in storage and slow melting. The sawdust was generally obtained from sawmills at Bay d’Espoir. The icehouses were in operation until the mid 1960s. Harbour Breton resident Dan Mahoney recalls digging ice out of the sawdust in the summertime to make ice cream for various parish functions.
After homes were built near the area in the late 1960s, residents used Sandy Point for storing their boats and dories. The sandy beach was an ideal location to easily haul boats and dories out of the water.
Sandy Point has aesthetic value as a recognized landmark in the community of Harbour Breton. It has been valued for its natural features for generations and remains an important component of the community’s landscape. When accessing Sandy Point from land, a somewhat boggy area transitions to a sandy beach. The area has been developed as a nature park and learning centre for students attending the nearby school.
Source: Town of Harbour Breton Regular Council Meeting, Motion 25-013, January 20, 2025.
Character Defining Elements
All those elements which represent the historical, cultural, and aesthetic value of Sandy Point, including:
-the name Sandy Point:
-association with the subsistence activities and the fishing industry;
-continued public access to Sandy Point;
-the untouched, natural landscape of Sandy Point.
Location and History
Community
Harbour Breton
Municipality
Town of Harbour Breton
Civic Address
Bay d’Leau Drive
Construction (circa)
1880 - 1970
Location
Similar Heritage Properties
Google map
Town of Harbour Breton Website
