History
The name Conception Bay comes from the Portuguese Baía da Conceição or Baia de Comceica and was presumably given in honour of the Feast of the Conception, December 8. The name first appears on the Oliveriana map of 1505 – 1508.
Conception bay was the site of Britaniola Colony, established in 1610. It was the site of Sea-Forest Plantation founded in 1610 and Bristol's Hope Plantation founded in 1619.
From the late 1890s to the 1960s, Bell Island was home to an iron ore mine in Wabana operated most recently by the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation (DOSCO); the ore was shipped to DOSCO's steel mill in Sydney, Nova Scotia. During World War II, DOSCO cargo ships sitting at anchor, along with the loading pier at Wabana, were the target of German U-boats on at least two occasions. During one particular attack on ore carriers sitting at anchor, a torpedo missed its target and struck the pier, making Bell Island one of the few places in North America to suffer a direct enemy attack (see Attacks on North America during World War II). The wrecks of the 4 cargo ships sunk during these two attacks are visible at low tide; a memorial on shore is dedicated to the 69 merchant sailors who lost their lives.
Workers who have come from Newfoundland to Bell Island for work, disembarking at the beach. c1930
Picture of Carbonear (Conception Bay), a view from the southside beach, looking west. c 1910
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