This point of land appears to have served in the defence of St. John's Harbour since 1632. It was apparently so named after Col. Amherst who, in 1762, took St. John's from the French.
The Terra Nova Sulphite Company sought funding for the construction of a new pulp and paper mill near present-day Glovertown, Newfoundland. The location was considered ideal because it was close to sea lanes, railways and a river for transporting logs and generating electricity.
Aviation has been a part of Botwood for a very long time. As early as the 1930's, Charles and Anne Lindbergh arrived here and recommended it as a stop-over for sea-planes flying across the Atlantic Ocean. The recommendation was accepted, and air lines like Pan American began scheduled flights.
Business here began in 1918 as Holmes Blunt Ltd., opened by J.S. Blunt. The foundry manufactured car parts, predominantly engine-casting blocks for Ford.
At the early phase of the Cold War, the primary perceived threat was waves of Soviet bombers flying over the arctic to rain nuclear horror down upon North America. A line of radar stations across Canada, the Pinetree Line, was constructed to detect such an attack. But shortcomings in this line were being identified even before construction had been completed.
From what I've been able to piece together, this building was originally constructed as a dedicated observatory for the Canadian Astronomical Research Group in 1976. The equipment, apparently including a 24" telescope, was removed in 1997, and the building converted into a private home.
Originally, the first lock on this site was built in 1798 by the Northwest Trading Company. It was used to facilitate the shipment of goods past the rapids of the St. Mary's River. However, in 1814, U.S. forces attacked and destroyed the lock during the War of 1812.
In 1995, The Government of Ontario under the Conservative Party, created a task force to look into "strict discipline", also sometimes referred to as "boot camp" for young offenders. After research, consultations, and visits to other similar institutions, the task force recommended a pilot project that, if successful, could be expanded.
