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{{SHORTDESC:Island in Canada}}

[[Image:RandomIsland.jpg|right|thumb|300px|'''Random Island''' (in red), surrounded by [[Bonavista Peninsula]] and [[Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Trinity Bay]].  [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], the provincial capital, is to the southeast.]]

'''Random Island'''  is located off [[Canada]]'s [[Atlantic]] coast.  Part of the Province of [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], it is located on the east coast of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] and partially surrounded by the Bonavista Peninsula on the north and within the confines of [[Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Trinity Bay]].  The island is approximately {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, its width varies from {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}} on the eastern end, to {{convert|6|km|mi|abbr=on}} in the middle, to {{convert|17|km|mi|abbr=on}} on the western end, with a total area of around {{convert|310|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Description">{{cite web|url=http://www.k12.nf.ca/randomisland/description.html |title=Random Island |work=Random Island Academy |year=2002 |access-date=17 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041227120303/http://www.k12.nf.ca/randomisland/description.html |archive-date=27 December 2004 }}</ref> According to the 2016 census, the population of the island is 1,232.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1007006&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Division%20No.%20%207,%20Subd.%20L&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&TABID=1&B1=All | title = Census Profile | publisher = Statistics Canada  | access-date = 2 April 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==

Situated in northwest Trinity Bay, it is separated from [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] by [[Smith Sound, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Smith Sound]] on the north and the [[North West Arm]] of Random Sound on the south and west. It is not circumnavigable except by small boats, as Random Bar (a [[bar (landform)|bar]] that runs from its northwest corner to Newfoundland) separates the two sounds. The Hefferton Causeway (now [[Newfoundland and Labrador Route 231|Route 231 (Random Island Road)]]) was built in 1954 across Random Bar, linking the island with the nearby town of [[Clarenville]].

==Education==

Random Island has one school, [http://www.k12.nf.ca/randomisland Random Island Academy]  (was Random Island integrated), which educates students from [[kindergarten]] to Grade 12.  The school's student body has been steadily declining since its high of 445 students in 1982, and by 1996 it had only 213 students.<ref name="Description"/> In the 2005/06 school year, the Eastern School District was considering shutting Random Island Academy down in the year 2009 because of its small population. The school is still running now. {{As of|2016}} it currently has 115 students.{{Citation_needed|date=October 2016}}

Random Island Academy was founded in 1973, and originally only served the younger students. [[High school]] students had been bused across Random Bar to Clarenville before 1973.  However, due to parents' protests, the Academy was eventually upgraded to accommodate all students.<ref name="Description"/>

==Communities==

Random Island consists of the following eleven communities:<ref name="Communities">{{cite web|url=http://www.k12.nf.ca/randomisland/showcase/gr04/communities/home.htm |title=Communities of Random Island |work=Random Island Academy |year=2002 |access-date=17 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040829205845/http://www.k12.nf.ca/randomisland/showcase/gr04/communities/home.htm |archive-date=29 August 2004 }}</ref>

 

 

 

Other communities have ceased to exist due to natural or artificial conditions. Ryder's Harbour is considered one of the founding communities, but ceased to exist due to natural evolution away from it, while Deer Harbour was a victim of government resettlement policies in the 1960s.

 

==History==

Random Island's first permanent settlement, Ryder's Harbour, was founded in the 1760s. The site, located at the northeastern terminus of the island, was previously visited often by the many fishing expeditions from [[Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador|Trinity]].  Deer Harbor and Thoroughfare were settled nearby in the 1800s as fishing traffic to Random Island grew.  On the western side of the island, settlers began arriving in the 1850s, mostly from the southern end of [[Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Trinity Bay]].  Soon thereafter, settlement took place on the southern portion of island, becoming Hickman's Harbour.

 

By 1900, Hickman's Harbour, the site of the best deep-water anchorage, had become the centre of the Random Island [[fishing]] and [[shipbuilding]] industries.  Other methods of employment include [[sawmill]]ing and [[slate]] [[mining]], though the actual [[quarry]] was across the sound in Nut Cove.  This quarry was closed in 1907, though it reopened in 1990. In western Random Island, the communities were primarily based on [[clay]] mining for [[brickmaking]], and later, [[shale]].

 

The population of Random Island had risen to past 1000 by 1901, with Hickman's Harbour being the most populous community at 309 people.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} However, the industries that had supported Random Island for over a hundred years began to collapse in the early 20th century.  Both slate quarrying and fishing had declined drastically, and as a result, shipbuilding and sawmilling also went down.  Many residents moved to nearby Clarenville, while others were commuted off the island for their employment.

 

 

 

{{Coord|48|7|N|53|44|W|region:CA|display=title}}