Bay d'Espoir (/ˌbeɪdəsˈpɛər/BAY-dəs-PAIR)[1] is an arm ofHermitage Bay in theGulf of Saint Lawrence, located on the south coast ofNewfoundland.[2][3] Communities in Bay d'Espoir include:Milltown-Head of Bay d'Espoir, Morrisville,St. Alban's,St. Joseph's Cove,St. Veronica's andMiawpukek. TheMiawpukek First Nation reserve of Samiajij Miawpukek (Conne River) is located in Bay d'Espoir.[4][5]
The name appears in printed form with many different spellings, some of which are:Bay D' Espoir/e, Bay of Despair, Bay Despoir/e, Baie D' Espoir/e, Baie Despair andBaie Despoir/e.
Bay d'Espoir is often translated locally either as Bay of Hope or Bay of Despair. The name Bay of Despair may be an English corruption of the French name Baie d'Espoir.[6] However, the French cartographerBellin referred to the bay as "Baie du Desespoir" on his 1743 map "Carte de l'Isle de Terre-Neuve".[7] Therefore, the actual sequence may have been from "Baie du Desespoir" to the English literal translation "Bay of Despair", which appears as early as 1733 on a Henry Popple map,[8] and then to a French corruption of this, namely "Baie d'Espoir". The English name "Bay of Despair" can also be found in a navigation guide written byJames Cook.[9]
Bay d'Espoir is the feature location ofFarley Mowat's 2006 autobiography "Bay of Spirits", in which Mowat chronicles his time living on the southwest coast of the island of Newfoundland.
47°40′26″N56°06′27″W / 47.67389°N 56.10750°W /47.67389; -56.10750
