Upper Amherst Cove is a small fishing village that lies on Newfoundland’s northeast coast, on the Bonavista Peninsula. It is located 20 km southeast of the town of Bonavista, which operates as the primary service center. Upper Amherst Cove was first settled by inshore fishermen in the mid 1800s, who arrived and stayed, to exploit the abundance of local resources. Aside from the cod fishery, the sustainability of the community also depended on winter logging in Blackhead Bay. This secondary industry was vital, as it supplemented the often meager incomes of the fishing community.

Due to the proximity of a booming Bonavista, Upper Amherst Cove never saw the need for substantial development and expansion. According to census records, the community’s population peaked in 1935 with 191 residents. Inevitably though, as fish supplies dwindled over time, and the moratorium on cod fishing was instituted, the population of Upper Amherst saw a serious decline. Today this small community has approximately 35 residents.

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