Labrador City

Canada

Labrador City and Wabush are a pair of towns in Labrador West on the Québec border. Dedicated primarily to iron ore mining, their burgeoning population of 9,350 people makes them the largest metropolitan area in otherwise sparsely-populated Labrador, rivalled only by Happy Valley-Goose Bay (with 7,750 people). The bulk of this population is in Labrador City, with Wabush (established 1955) as a de facto suburb of 1,860.

Open pit iron mine in Labrador Established at the end of the 1950s as "Carol Lake", a mining community, Labrador City is the largest town and the primary overland point of entry into Labrador, a vast and largely-unpopulated territory. (It's also possible to enter Labrador from a ferry crossing which runs from Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula to Blanc Sablon, near Forteau; the road at that point dead-ends at Vieux-Fort, Quebec, instead of continuing westward toward Sept-Îles.)

The town's fortunes have largely risen or fallen in lock-step with global demand for iron ore; reaching a peak in the 1970s, declining in the 1980s (an era when Schefferville, Quebec, at one point ceased all mining activity) and staging a comeback in the 21st century as demand from Chinese industry pushed the world price of iron ore to US$190/tonne at its peak in 2011. As of 2017-2018, the ore sold for US$60-75/tonne and local jobs were once again in jeopardy.

An enclosed indoor mall houses Labrador's only Walmart; Labrador City is also home to Labrador's only McDonalds and one of Labrador's two hospitals (the other is in Goose Bay). The gravel road to Manic 5 and Baie-Comeau opened in 1986, with a road from Labrador City to Goose Bay in 1992. The Trans-Labrador Highway made overland travel from Labrador City to Forteau possible by 2009. The last section of Route 500 eastward from Labrador City to Goose Bay was paved in mid-2015.

Labrador City, Goose Bay and Cartwright use Atlantic time, the same time zone as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

View of Wabush in early fall, 2007

  • Basilica of our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1 Sutton Way, Labrador City, +1 709 944-2289. Roman Catholic minor basilica and former cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, completed in 1962. Labrador City–Schefferville was its own diocese before being merged to the "Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador" in Sept 2007, making this small church a cathedral from 1980-2007.
  • Gateway Labrador, 1365 Route 500, +1 709 944-5399. 9AM-5PM daily, 9AM-8PM Thu-Fri. Exhibit hall with artefacts of fur trading and mining describe the history of Western Labrador, its culture and people. The same log structure houses the Labrador West Heritage Shop, Labrador West Tourism Corporation and Labrador Wilderness Connections.
  • Royal Newfoundland Constabulary display exhibits, Wabush airport, depict the history of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary from 1871 to today.

Basilica of our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1 Sutton Way, Labrador City, +1 709 944-2289. Roman Catholic minor basilica and former cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, completed in 1962. Labrador City–Schefferville was its own diocese before being merged to the "Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador" in Sept 2007, making this small church a cathedral from 1980-2007.

Gateway Labrador, 1365 Route 500, +1 709 944-5399. 9AM-5PM daily, 9AM-8PM Thu-Fri. Exhibit hall with artefacts of fur trading and mining describe the history of Western Labrador, its culture and people. The same log structure houses the Labrador West Heritage Shop, Labrador West Tourism Corporation and Labrador Wilderness Connections.

  • Arts and Culture Centre - Labrador West, Hudson Dr., +1 709 944-5412. Live performance venue.
  • Carol Curling Club, 411 Booth St.
  • Menihek Nordic Ski Club, Smokey Mountain Road, +1 709 944-5842. October-April. Cross-country skiing, lodge with canteen, meeting rooms, waxing facilities, showers, indoor barbecue pit, licensed bar, ski lockers and rental skis.
  • Smokey Mountain Ski Club, +1 709 944-2129. mid November-mid April. Downhill skiing in the Wapusakatta Mountains, 5km from Labrador City. 19 groomed runs, a 1000 ft vertical drop and all natural snow. Snowboard park, double chair, three pommel lifts, base lodge, ski/snowboard rentals, lessons and canteen and bar services.
  • Tamarack Golf Club, Duley Lake, +1 709 944-3007 (clubhouse). May-Oct. Lakefront golf course with snack bar, pull cart and club rentals. Only 18-hole course in Labrador. $45 (18 holes), $30 (9 holes).
  • Walking trails: Jean Lake Walking Trail (Grenfell Drive, 5km trail around Jean Lake), Menihek Interpretive Trail (Smokey Mountain Road, 5 km of Menihek Nordic Trails) and Tanya Lake Walking Trail (Badden Powell Road, 3km trail around Tanya Lake).
  • White Wolf Snowmobile Club, +1 709 944-7401. November-April. Trail passes for 450km of groomed trails, which connect to the 300km Fermont Snowmobile Club trails and 200km of groomed trails to Churchill Falls, are available from the Club and various local outlets in the area.

  • Cain's Quest, +1 709 944-5011. 3300km cross-Labrador snowmobile run over extremely rough terrain in sub-zero temperatures from Labrador City to Labrador’s south coast, then to the north coast and back to Labrador City. March.
  • Labrador City Winter Carnival, +1 709 944-3602. second week in March. Week-long festival with ice sculptures, snowmobile parade and bonfire, fireworks display, sports tournaments, dog-sledding, winter tubing and skiing.

Cain's Quest, +1 709 944-5011. 3300km cross-Labrador snowmobile run over extremely rough terrain in sub-zero temperatures from Labrador City to Labrador’s south coast, then to the north coast and back to Labrador City. March.

Labrador City Winter Carnival, +1 709 944-3602. second week in March. Week-long festival with ice sculptures, snowmobile parade and bonfire, fireworks display, sports tournaments, dog-sledding, winter tubing and skiing.

Arts and Culture Centre - Labrador West, Hudson Dr., +1 709 944-5412. Live performance venue.

Carol Curling Club, 411 Booth St.

Menihek Nordic Ski Club, Smokey Mountain Road, +1 709 944-5842. October-April. Cross-country skiing, lodge with canteen, meeting rooms, waxing facilities, showers, indoor barbecue pit, licensed bar, ski lockers and rental skis.

Smokey Mountain Ski Club, +1 709 944-2129. mid November-mid April. Downhill skiing in the Wapusakatta Mountains, 5km from Labrador City. 19 groomed runs, a 1000 ft vertical drop and all natural snow. Snowboard park, double chair, three pommel lifts, base lodge, ski/snowboard rentals, lessons and canteen and bar services.

Tamarack Golf Club, Duley Lake, +1 709 944-3007 (clubhouse). May-Oct. Lakefront golf course with snack bar, pull cart and club rentals. Only 18-hole course in Labrador. $45 (18 holes), $30 (9 holes).

Walking trails: Jean Lake Walking Trail (Grenfell Drive, 5km trail around Jean Lake), Menihek Interpretive Trail (Smokey Mountain Road, 5 km of Menihek Nordic Trails) and Tanya Lake Walking Trail (Badden Powell Road, 3km trail around Tanya Lake).

White Wolf Snowmobile Club, +1 709 944-7401. November-April. Trail passes for 450km of groomed trails, which connect to the 300km Fermont Snowmobile Club trails and 200km of groomed trails to Churchill Falls, are available from the Club and various local outlets in the area.

  • Labrador Mall, 500 Vanier Ave, +1 709 944-3773. 9:30AM-9PM. Labrador City's only fully-enclosed shopping centre; 31 stores including Walmart, Canadian Tire and Mark's Work Wearhouse.
  • Carol Lake Shopping Centre, 208 Humber Ave, +1 709 944-5443. Strip mall with a grocery store and a cinema.

Labrador Mall, 500 Vanier Ave, +1 709 944-3773. 9:30AM-9PM. Labrador City's only fully-enclosed shopping centre; 31 stores including Walmart, Canadian Tire and Mark's Work Wearhouse.

Carol Lake Shopping Centre, 208 Humber Ave, +1 709 944-5443. Strip mall with a grocery store and a cinema.

Eileen's Country Kitchen, Wabush Plaza, +1 709 282-3310.

Hilda's Funfood, Labrador Mall, 500 Vanier Avenue, +1 709 944-7959.

SushiLab, 118 Humphrey Rd, +1 709 944-4179.

Terrace Dining Room, Avalon Drive, +1 709 944-2661.

Corby's Pub, 301 Humber Ave, +1 709 944-3711.

The K-Bar (Kaboulo Bar),, 118 Humphrey Road., +1 709 944-3876. Labrador City's only Discotheque & Nightclub.

  • Fermont and Baie-Comeau, Quebec, via Quebec Route 389