Geography and Climate
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has been is considered Canada’s most easterly province which consists of the island called Newfoundland and the mainland portion, Labrador. Newfoundland is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and has a unique geography with Grand Falls-Windsor situated in the central region of the province.
Most communities in Newfoundland are located around the bays or along the coast; however, Grand Falls-Windsor is one of the few areas that is not. The interior of Newfoundland is a plateau like region with frequent undulations in the terrain representing the ridges and slopes of watersheds carved out by major stream systems. One of these systems, the Exploits, is in close relation to Grand Falls-Windsor as it said to be Newfoundland largest river (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
The Exploits River springs from the wild heart of an ancient rugged island that flows 246 kilometers north-east to the sea and drains an area of 1,100 square kilometers. This river has been known for its Atlantic salmon; the hunting of big game black bear, moose, caribou and all of its natural resources of minerals, forests and hydroelectric power. Near the exploits river stands spruce and fir which is significant in the overall success of the paper mill. On the river, many individuals like to whitewater raft or canoe for recreational fun. Where the river meets the ocean, the Bay of Exploits is often common for sea kayaking (Great Canadian Rivers).
Newfoundland and Labrador has temperature that is a marine climate. While the east coast of the province experiences mild temperatures, the central region has been drier, warmer and has experienced above average temperatures in the summer. The summers in the province range from cool to hot with a basic temperature of 16 degrees Celsius while the winters on the island are mild with normal temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius with annual snowfall of 300cm (9.8 feet) (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador).
During the summer of 2008, a residential general survey was conducted for ten individuals to complete. Here is how some of them described the geography and climate in Grand Falls Windsor:
“….weather is very moderate with cold, snowy winters and hot summers” - Economic Dev. Coordinator
“….nice hot summers with snow filled winters” - Asset Management Co-coordinator
“…..the summers are beautiful compared to St. John’s” – Human Resources Facilitator
“….summer is better than average for this island” - Unknown
