Community Profile

Bay Roberts is located in the North Western quadrant of the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Close to approximately 51% of the province’s population is within an hour of our town. Besides having its own internationally insured harbour facilities, Bay Roberts is about one hour West from the provincial capital, St. John’s and St. John’s International Airport, the province’s major airport and the Port of St. John’s, the province’s major shipping facility. In addition, Bay Roberts is about one hour North East from Argentia, the Eastern Terminus of the Marine Atlantic Ferry Service from Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Demographics

Statistics are sourced from Townfolio.

Population

The population of the Town of Bay Roberts is 5,974. The population change from 2016 to 2021 was -0.3%. (Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population.)

Population Density

Residents live in an area covering more than 23.92 square km., giving the Town a population density of 243.2 people per square kilometer. The low population density offers a great deal of space for both business and residential expansion.

Stable Work Force

A number of factors point to a stable work force in Bay Roberts. The median age in Bay Roberts is 47.2 years. Approximately 2,010 homes in Bay Roberts are owner-occupied dwellings while 475 are rented. 93% of the population lived in the same residence for at least one year, and 80% of the population had been living at the same residence for the five years previous to the census. The mature, settled work force is looking for employment that will keep them in the region, close to family and friends. This is reflected in the fact that the Town had an increase in population of 7.5%.

Housing Costs

The 2016 Census showed that housing in Bay Roberts is less expensive than in the St. John’s metropolitan area. The average value of dwellings in the Town was $264,269 per dwelling. As well, the average monthly rent for rented dwellings was $657.

Median Family Income

The median family yearly income in the Town is $72,500 (Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population). 

Catchment Area & Labour Market

Bay Roberts services a much larger community than the municipal population. Because many of the towns of Conception Bay North and the South Shore of Trinity Bay are within 30 minutes of Bay Roberts, a number of people come to Bay Roberts for services and shopping. When starting a business in Bay Roberts, the employer can rely on people in the Town and on people in the surrounding region as part of the labour market.

Transportation

The easy access to major transportation routes has enabled Bay Roberts companies to market provincially, nationally, and internationally.

Transportation Routes to Bay Roberts

Road Transportation

Bay Roberts is connected to the Trans Canada Highway (Route 1) by Veterans Memorial Highway (Route 75). Veterans Memorial Highway is an interchange between the larger towns of Conception Bay North and the Trans Canada Highway. There is very little traffic congestion on the highways, so traffic flow is fast. Via Veterans Memorial Highway, Bay Roberts is about 12-15 minutes from the Trans Canada Highway.

During the summer months the Marine Atlantic Ferry Service, which carries transport trucks and trailers (as well as passengers), lands in Argentia which is about one hour from Bay Roberts.

Trucks and other traffic to and from Bay Roberts have access to the Trans Canada Highway and all points east and west. For this reason the Town has a number of successful wholesale businesses.  

Air Transportation

St. John’s International Airport is about one hour by highway from Bay Roberts.

Sea Transportation

Bay Roberts Harbour offers year round shipping services through its large port which is similar in size St. John’s Harbour, and can accommodate the largest of ships and offers year round shipping. It is protected from ocean storms by Fergus Island at its entrance. The bay and harbour have clear shorelines, without rocks or headland protrusions. As a result of its size and outstanding features, it has been approved for anchorage by marine insurance companies.

The Port of St. John’s is only about one hour away by highway for businesses that want to use commercial shipping services using established shipping routes.

Telecommunications

Telecommunications networks are provided by:

Bell Aliant (bellaliant.net) which serves customers with information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, including internet (including FibreOP), TV, home phone, and cell phones.

Eastlink (eastlink.ca) which serves customers with information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, including cable TV, digital cable TV, high-speed data, communication and Internet solutions. Also available are a number of cellular telephone and satellite TV services.