Indian Bay

---

title: "Indian Bay" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-coastal-places-in-canada", "towns-in-newfoundland-and-labrador"] topic_path: "geography/canada" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Bay" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Indian Bay
other_name	Parsons Point, Northwest Arm
native_name
settlement_type	Town
pushpin_map
pushpin_label_position	left
pushpin_map_caption	Location of Indian Bay in Newfoundland
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1
subdivision_type3
established_title
established_title2
established_title3
leader_title
leader_title1
leader_title2
unit_pref
population_as_of	2021
population_footnotes
population_total	172
timezone	Newfoundland Time
utc_offset	-3:30
timezone_DST	Newfoundland Daylight
utc_offset_DST	-2:30
elevation_footnotes
postal_code_type
postal_code
area_code	709
blank_name	Highways
blank_info
::

| official_name = Indian Bay | other_name = Parsons Point, Northwest Arm | native_name =
| nickname = | settlement_type = Town | motto = | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | city_logo = | citylogo_size = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Indian Bay in Newfoundland | pushpin_mapsize = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | established_title = | established_date = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | government_type = | government_footnotes = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | unit_pref = | area_footnotes = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_urban_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2021 | population_note = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 172 | population_urban = | population_metro = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_density_km2 = | timezone = Newfoundland Time | utc_offset = -3:30 | timezone_DST = Newfoundland Daylight | utc_offset_DST = -2:30 | latd = | latm = | lats = | latNS = | longd = | longm = | longs = | longEW = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_ft = | elevation_m = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = 709 | blank_name = Highways | blank_info = | website = | footnotes = Indian Bay (Parsons Point) is located in Newfoundland, Canada.

Geography

Situated on the northwest arm of Bonavista Bay, Indian Bay was until the late 19th century the only mainland community located between Salvage and Greenspond.

History

| title= Population census | percentages = pagr | 1845 |6 | 1869 |5 | 1874 |4 | 1901 | 40 | 1961 | 285 | 2006 | 196 | 2011 | 174 | 2016 | 175 | 2021 | 172 Records show that Indian Bay was the only inhabited settlement in that region that was connected to the mainland part of the Island of Newfoundland until the 19th century. It was also known as Northwest Arm, and later for a period of time, as Parson's Point, after the surname of its first English settlers. Europeans first came to Indian Bay in the 18th century to fish for salmon. In 1720 George Skeffington was salmon fishing there and by 1786 there were eight salmon operations in the area. Permanent settlement began after 1800. The 1836 Census of Newfoundland records Indian Bay as having a population of five, William Parsons and his family. The population was slow in growing, and in 1901 there were 40 people living there. The main source of employment was three sawmills, and a lobster factory was established before 1911. In 1921 the "International Power and Paper Co." arrived in Indian Bay and that same year a school was constructed. The peak of Indian Bay's population was in 1961 with 285 people; afterwards the population began to decline.

Indian Bay is well known for its sports fishing, mainly for Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon. The community has a licensed salmon river called Indian Bay River, but locally known as, "The Brook", that runs through the town. Fishing is still a very popular sport in the area and with its many ATV and Snowmobile trails (old Bowater's woods roads), Indian Bay is a very popular destination for those that enjoy the great outdoors and everything it has to offer.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Indian Bay had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 86.49 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Directory

• Hutchinson's Newfoundland Directory 1864-1865 lists:

• Joseph Osmond, ship carpenter

• Phillip Parsons, ship carpenter

• Lovell's Newfoundland Directory describes Indian Bay as a small fishing community on the west side of Bonavista Bay, distant from Greenspond by 15 miles on boat. The 1871 population was 5. The directory lists one person:

• Adam Parsons, Fisherman.

References

References

1. [http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1007067&Geo2=PR&Code2=10&Data=Count&SearchText=Indian%20Bay&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=1007067&TABID=1=1 Census Profile]
3. ''[[Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador]]''
4. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador". [[Statistics Canada]].
5. Lovell's Newfoundland Directory, 1871.

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