Marystown, Nfld, Town, pop 5908 (2001c), 6742 (1996c), 6739 (1991c), area 61.97 km2, inc 1951, is a shipbuilding and fish-processing centre, comprising the settlements of Marystown (formerly Mortier Bay) and Creston, on the E side of the Burin Pen. Marystown, having one of the finest natural harbours in Newfoundland, has been promoted historically as a free port. Probably frequented by French and BASQUE fishermen in the 16th and 17th centuries, the area was settled predominantly by English and Irish fishermen by the early 1800s.
In 1966 a shipyard and fish plant were constructed, providing much-needed alternative employment. One of the most efficient and best-equipped shipbuilding and ship-repair facilities of its size in N America, the yard is a crown corporation and produces mainly stern trawlers for the Newfoundland fishing industry, although it has the capacity to design and build vessels of all types up to 85 m long.