Town of Dover Newfoundland
Dover is located 70 km east of Gander, turn off at Gambo intersection; it is located in a small cove at the head of freshwater bay, Bonavista Bay, northeast of Gambo. An incorporated fishing and lumbering community, Dover's former name was Shoal Bay (probably derived from the numerous shoals common in the harbours and cove of the north shore of Bonavista Bay). From the 1950's to 1970 Shoal Bay was referred to as "Wellington" although it was locally referred to as Dover.
Local tradition maintiains that it was intially changed to "Wellington" to avoid confusion with other Newfoundland communities called "Shoal Bay." An unpublished paper on the history of the community states that the name of "Dover" was added to avoid further confusion after Confederation, a new postal service was offered with stipulation that the name of the town be changed again, this time to avoid confusing the mail with that of Wellington in the other provinces of Canada. A general meeting was held and list of names including the very popular Port Charles was decided upon. From the submitted names the authorities chose Dover. The double name Wellington (Dover), by which name the community was officially called was also confusing, and in 1973, in a ceremony conducted by the Lieutenant Governor, the name was officially declared Dover in conjunction with the name change. We are proud of our residents who make our town the great place it is to live. Your next door neighbors are not just your neighbors, they are your friends. Our people who are our greatest resources are committed to the betterment and development of our town which is why we welcome you from all across our great nation, Canada, and the world, with enthusiasm and friendliness.
The Town of Dover has three external committees Recreation, Dover Fault and Tidy Town. All three committees are responsible for keeping tourist interested in Dover and it's history and also getting residents in the community to participate in activities outside the home. Upgrading the sports facilities, playgrounds and attraction area's. All three committees make sure the Town of Dover is kept clean and tidy.
The Municipal Crest
The Municipal Crest holds many significant meanings to the Town of Dover. It signifies how the community was built by hard working people and represents our focus on a high set of standards as a community. The green in the flag represents the forestry, the blue represents the fishery both past and present, there are 5 peaks in the water each peak has a meaning as well they are as follows education, religion, heritage, family and freedom and the logo in the flag is for the Dover Fault.
