Klondyke Days emblematic of Bay Roberts’ get it done culture

By Mark Squibb / July 21, 2023

The end of July means the beginning of Klondyke Days in the Town of Bay Roberts.

The annual festival is typically held the last week of July and runs into the first week of August, and this year is no exception.

The festivities begin on July 26 with the Klondyke Parade, and conclude with a fireworks display on August 7, Bay Roberts Day.

“I will brag and say that our fireworks display is one of the biggest fireworks displays in the province, and one of the best,” allowed Mayor Walter Yetman.

This year, the Town of Bay Roberts actually went out to the community and asked residents to suggest events.

The Klondyke Festival is one of the community’s flagship annual events, but is only one of many annual activities the town is known for.

“It’s important to celebrate our community,” said Yetman. “We work really hard to do this, and Bay Roberts has always been known for its events, and our ability to do these everts. And our ability to put off these events, like the Seafood Festival, our Tulips Festival, Light the Lamp and Klondyke Days and so on. It’s because of the volunteers we have, and the staff that we have, and the facilities we have.”

Yetman said that festivals like Klondyke also help to bring people into the community.

“These events bring thousands upon thousands of people to Bay Roberts, support our local businesses, and really put Bay Roberts on the map,” said the mayor. “And Bay Roberts is only able to do this because of the people we have.”

The festival takes its name from the causeway joining Bay Roberts and Coley’s Point, built by townsfolk in the late 1800’s. The town has grown a lot since then, taking in over the years Shearstown and other historic local settlements. The last census, in 2021, put the number of residents at just shy of 6,000 people. The town is also one of the most prosperous, and busiest in the province, boasting a business district to rival municipalities much larger, and a culture of independent self-starters that fuels a buoyant local economy. The history of the famous causeway, meanwhile, is emblematic of the self-starting attitude of Bay Roberts residents and also their willingness to reach and build bridges with neighbouring communities. The Town of Bay Roberts officially recognised the causeway as a heritage structure in 2018.