The Government of Canada commemorates
the national historic significance
Bay
Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador, August 2, 2010
–
On behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the
Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada,
Mr. Ed Holder, Member of Parliament for London West,
today unveiled a plaque from the Historic Sites and
Monuments Board of Canada commemorating the national
historical significance of the Cable Building in Bay
Roberts.
“I am
pleased to recognize
the national historical significance of the
Cable
Building in Bay Roberts,
as an important keystone of transatlantic communications and
for its direct affirmation of the impact of the telegraph
industry in the 20th century,” said Mr.
Holder. “The Cable
Building holds an important role in the development of the
Western Union Telegraph Company network, a
telecommunications giant, and telegraph technologies in
Newfoundland.”
Built
in 1913, the Cable Building introduced to Newfoundland a new
type of telegraph station that was more functional and
highly specialized. The Cable Building’s neoclassical
design, open and spacious interior, and state of the art
equipment for the time made it an important keystone of
transatlantic communications. With its connection to the
Western Union Telegraph Company, which occupied the building
from its conception to the 1960s, the Cable Building is
symbolic of change in the Town of Bay Roberts. This site
also played an important role during the Second World War.
Defended by three nations – Canada, United States and
Newfoundland, it carried communications between Britain and
her North American Allies, and housed a private line
established between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Sir Winston
Churchill.
“The
role of the Cable Building in the development of the
telegraph industry in Newfoundland and Labrador throughout
the 20th century, its role in the expansion of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, and its important responsibility
during the Second World War shapes an inspiring story,
deserving of being shared and remembered by all Canadians.”
said minister Prentice.
Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of
Canada advises the Minister of the Environment regarding the
national historic significance of places, people and events
that have marked Canada’s history. Parks Canada manages a
nation-wide network of national historic sites that make up
the rich tapestry of Canada’s cultural heritage and which
offers visitors the opportunity for real and inspiring
discoveries.
For additional information, please see
the accompanying backgrounder at
www.parkscanada.gc.ca,
under Media Room.
-30-
