Placentia Bay

Placentia Bay opens southward from Newfoundland into the Atlantic, its long shores broken by islands and sheltered coves. Basque fishermen were among the Europeans drawn to its cod, and by the seventeenth century Placentia was an important harbour for the seasonal fishery. The French called it Plaisance and made it the centre of their Newfoundland colony.

French authorities established a fortified settlement in 1662 to protect their fishing interests. Residents and visiting crews shared the work of the fishery, while forts guarded the harbour through wars with England. The colony also offered ships a port of call on the route through Cabot Strait. Under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, France abandoned its Newfoundland colony and moved its fortified headquarters to Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island.