When you stroll along the boardwalk in Holyrood, you will find people walking their dogs—the bustling port activity to the left, seagulls frolicking slightly above the surface of the water. Your eyes will then take you to a big vacant piece of land where the old Golden Eagle Refinery once stood.
This fall, Valero, the company that owned the private land where the defunct refinery once stood, dismantled the remaining refinery tanks, leaving behind only a memory that at one time solidified a significant piece of Newfoundland’s industrial history and put the province on the map.
Historical Importance
It's been about 41 years since the refinery closed its doors. The piping was disassembled years ago. The only remembrance of it that remained were the oil tanks, which were last used to store products refined elsewhere.
To appreciate what the refinery meant to Newfoundland, one must first understand the province's economic situation at the beginning of the 1960s.
A report released by the province in 2006, The Royal Commission on Renewing and Strengthening our Place in Canada looked at the time period between 1949 to 1972 and stated that even though Newfoundland’s Confederation with Canada was supposed to lead to a more prosperous future, the province was still going through a period of adjusting from a colony to a Canadian province, which also included learning how to integrate into the Canadian economy. Social welfare programs and infrastructure improvements, such as roads and utilities, aimed to improve living standards. There were efforts to develop industries like fisheries, forestry, mining, and energy. Despite these efforts, economic progress was not as extensive as hoped.
The petroleum and oil refining industry proved to be the first success story outside of our fishing, forestry, and mining and natural resources after Confederation.
You only need to read the grand opening booklet, titled Golden Eagle - A Golden First for Newfoundland, which can be downloaded online, to grasp how big of a deal this refinery was.
In it, Joey Smallwood stated:
“In the growing industrialization of this Province, we all take satisfaction and pride in establishing Newfoundland's oil refinery.
There is further reason for satisfaction and pride in the fact that it was created by a firm that combines the financial stability and know-how of the refined British Ultramar interests with the drive and energy of the American Golden Eagle enterprise.
I feel sure that Golden Eagle Refining Company of Canada Limited will have the wholehearted support of all the people of Newfoundland and our ever-expanding commercial and industrial enterprises in operating this modern refinery in Holyrood.
The going on stream of the Golden Eagle refinery is a red-letter day in the industrial development of this Province.”
A Golden Time
As described in Mary Veitch's book Come Ashore to Holyrood, the Golden Eagle Oil Refinery covered an area of about 80 acres in 1961. It employed about 75 full-time and many part-time and seasonal workers, which increased when the refinery was in total production. This positively affected the local economy, offering stable employment opportunities.
Over the years, the refinery flourished and expanded from its initial capacity of 70 barrels to over 15,000 barrels daily by the mid-1970s.
The refinery contributed to the economic development of Holyrood and the surrounding areas. It was a crucial player in the local oil industry, processing crude oil into various products.
The refinery’s workforce alsoa brought many new residents and families to the community.
Beyond employment, the refinery supported local businesses and services, fostering economic growth in the community.
When the refinery closed in June 1983, it marked the end of an era. It had an immediate impact on the local job market and economy.
New Industries
During its tenure, its success allowed for the development of the Come by Chance Oil Refinery and the Holyrood Thermal Generating Station. It's hard not to imagine its influence on the province's dive into hydroelectricity with the Upper Churchill and decades later with the development of Muskrat Falls.
When I was researching information about the refinery I wondered how many people actually knew about the refinery. And if some of the newer Holyrood families saw the old, decaying tanks as an eyesore—a bunch of rusty relics along the shoreline.
Not too many people are going to be saddened by memories of an oil refinery with the worlds transition to battery operated vehicles and green wind energy. Some would be glad its gone or simply wouldn't care.
Personal Reflection
You would have to know someone who worked here to realize the importance of the refinery. One of them was my Dad, the late James Tarrant. He recently passed away on August 29th, 2024. I never had the opportunity to ask him how he felt about the removal of the old Golden Eagle Refinery tanks. I only found out after he passed from my cousin that the tanks were being disabled. Still, I wonder if he would have been saddened by it.
It was my Dad’s first job after he finished his work term after trade school. I always thought being a power engineer was noble, but I never truly understood what they did. My dad, I'm sure, explained it to me a million times. However, the interesting thing about almost any trade, including power engineering, is that it's a role that goes unnoticed mainly because it's behind the scenes. Despite this, my dad was proud to be a power engineer.
Their job is to ensure electricity is generated, transmitted, and distributed safely and efficiently. This is fundamental to refineries, hospitals, universities, and many other private and public buildings in every town and city worldwide.
Lasting Legacy
History is a beautiful thing. It allows us to appreciate where we come from. My dad always appreciated history. He loved researching his genealogy, and history played a significant part in his father's life by surviving the great tsunami in 1929, the Halifax Explosion in 1917 and fighting in two World Wars.
I’d like to think that my dad's efforts and the many men who worked at this refinery with him played a vital role in establishing Newfoundland's industrial identity. The Golden Eagle refinery was a first for Newfoundland, and I’m proud my dad was part of it.
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