Schefferville, Quebec Website Links For
Schefferville
 

Information About

Schefferville, Quebec




The town site is located in the vicinity of the (now defunct) Hudson Bay Company trading Post, Fort Naskapi,on the shores of nearby Petitsikapau Lake.

Schefferville, which constitutes the northern terminus of Tshiuetin Rail Transportation (formerly operated by the Quebec North Shore & Labrador (QNS&L) Railway), was established as a town in 1954 to support the mining of the extremely rich iron ore deposits in the area. The original settlement was called "Burnt Creek" and was located some miles to the north of the current location of the town of Schefferville.

When the plans were drawn up for the town, it was originally called, "Knob Lake" after a prominent iron ore outcropping visible on a prominent hill - south of the town site.

The name Schefferville was adopted in honour of (Roman Catholic) Bishop Lionel Scheffer, O.M.I., who served as the Vicar Apostolic of Labrador from March 14, 1946 until his death on October 3, 1966.

Schefferville's town site was established by the Iron Ore Company Of Canada , which currently conducts iron mining operations in the town of Labrador City , Newfoundland And Labrador , 250 km to the south. Iron ore mining at Schefferville ceased in 1985 and most of the 4,000 or so non-aboriginal occupants left, leaving mostly aboriginal people who settled there in the preceding 30 years. Some houses and public facilities have been demolished, but some new homes have been built.

Naskapi first nation people mostly live in the village of Kawawachikamach, Quebec nearby.