Early History

In 1908, construction began on the Botwood Railway; the railway ran between Bishop's Falls and Botwood. It was a joint effort between the A.N.D. Company and the A. E. Reed Company of Bishop's Falls. It was to be the transportation link for the export of pulp and paper from the newly built mill at Grand Falls, NL. The railway became operational by the fall of 1909, and the first shipment of paper from the new mill was sent in February 1910. The A.N.D. Company took control of the railway operation in 1910, just a year after the line was completed.

The first aircraft facility in Botwood was established by Captain Sydney Bennett, who was born in Newfoundland (1897–1945), and Major Sidney Cotton from Australia (1894–1969). From 1937 to 1945, both Pan Am and the British Overseas Airways Corporation used Botwood as a terminal for their Atlantic crossings. On June 27, 1939 the Yankee Clipper left Botwood for the first Trans-Atlantic passenger flight to Foynes, Ireland, its counterpart terminal for the shortest route to Europe.

World War II Period

Botwood became host to many dignitaries and celebrities, some as part of official delegations and others who were stalled there waiting out inclement flying weather. In 1943 Bob Hope and his troupe were stormbound in Botwood and performed for the RCAF Coastal Command. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Charles Lindbergh are among some of the other well-known figures that have stayed in the town.

During World War II (1940–1945), the Royal Canadian Air Force changed Botwood into a patrolling and bombing seaplane base. It was home to two squadrons of PBY Canso flying boats equipped with torpedoes and depth charges. A large concrete slipway, two hangars, a tarmac and four bunkers were constructed.

The Canadian Army was garrisoned in the town, and built barracks, a water system, and a full-scale military hospital. The army was responsible for the manning of gun batteries at Philip's Head and Wiseman's Cove that protected the entrance to Botwood Harbour with 10" guns, as well as numerous anti-aircraft batteries throughout the community. During the war Botwood was home to approximately 10,000 Canadian and British personnel, and became Canada's most important overseas base. (Newfoundland and Labrador did not become part of Canada until 1949.)

In October 1942, the Excalibur, an American Export Airlines Sikorsky VS-44 flying boat, crashed and sank into the Bay of Exploits shortly after taking off. 11 military personnel died; 26 survived. In November 1943 a Canso flying boat crashed killing 7 personnel, while 5 survived.

Post-war Period

Military personnel left Botwood at the end of World War II. Military buildings were sold, demolished or relocated. With the rising popularity of land-based aircraft, the commercial seaplane service in Botwood ended in 1945. After a devastating fire destroyed the original paper shed on Water Street in 1961, Botwood continued to ship paper from the Grand Falls-Windsor paper mill until its closure in 2009. The town also shipped ore from Buchans until the mine's closure in 1984.

In 1958, an RCMP officer was shot and killed by Jim Ling after breaking into a restaurant through an open window. Other officers attempted to use tear gas to force Jim and his son Ken out of the building, but the tear gas set the restaurant on fire. Jim, Ken and an RCMP officer died.

In 1961, a fire broke out at the A. N. D. Paper shed on Water Street. The most probable cause of the flames was that an engine backfired on board the M. V. Artensis which was docked at the Botwood Harbour at the time. The fire spread from the aft ship to the wharf, engulfing the town’s brand-new fire truck. The A. N. D. Paper sheds were set alight due to the intense heat from the wharf and collapsed. Homes owned by the Nichols’ and the Boone’s burned to the ground from the flankers and sparks sent into the air. In the end, three engineers on board the Artensis were killed.

The Canadian TV series Still Standing profiled Botwood in an episode that aired on December 1, 2020.^[4]