Rencontre East



Rencontre East is a small, outport community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada located north east of Belleoram, and west of Terrenceville in Fortune Bay. The population was 136 in September 2010. This small community is not connected to any surrounding areas by road but is accessible by scheduled ferry service. All of the roads are dirt and ATV s are the main source of transportation. The community uses breakwaters to hold the roads in place and keep the water from washing them away. The main industry is cod and lobster fishing. Rencontre East was the location of one of only a few molybdenum mines in Canada's history. The mine was located at Ackley City at Rencontre Lake just north of the town. The mine was closed soon after, with only two-thousand tonnes of mineral being exported. The town has two grocery stores, a volunteer fire department, an all grade school and a community center. There are two churches, one Anglican (St. Stephens) and one Catholic (St. Josephs). The past decade in particular has seen the towns population decline sharply due to a large elderly demographic combined with a lack of industry to entice young people to stay. The school however has undergone some changes in recent years, a fitness room was constructed in 2008 and is used every day by the school children. The school also has a large playing surface outside which the students use often to play ball hockey, kick ball, and hold certain events. St. Stephen's All Grade school now has a total of just 19 students, from kindergarten to grade 12, which means a favorable student/teacher ratio and better possibilities to learn.