Bank had a school, a doctor, a judicial system, a postal service and a road system. 1870s – A change in fishing vessel from a shallop to a schooner. With the change in vessel came a change in fishing gear. The trawl was introduced. However, the trawl could not be set directly from the schooner. There was a need for a smaller boat, different from the punt; we have the first appearance of the dory. 1879 – Breakwater and Dredging legislation was passed. 1881 – Bank Fishery began and Samuel Harris’s first season on the banks was a success. In short order, a number of other Grand Bankers with schooners followed (some of which include George Abraham Buffett, Simeon N. Tibbo and Daniel Tibbo). The demand for schooners dramatically increased. There were at one point (1885 & 1886) seven schooners being built in Grand Bank. 1890–1940 – Grand Bank had a fleet of banking and foreign-going ships and earned the distinction "The Bank Fishing Capital" of Newfoundland. 1955 – Modern fresh fish processing plant was built in Grand Bank and the schooners were replaced with modern steel trawlers. Today, Grand Bank is the home of a shell fishing industry, a modern plant owned by Grand Bank Seafoods (A division of Clearwater Seafoods). It is also home to Dynamic Air Shelters - Manufactures of specialized, inflatable industrial shelters for the oil and gas sector, as well as structures for promotional and ‘first response’ uses. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Grand Bank had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Tourist attractions Southern Newfoundland Seamans Museum Grand Bank Regional Theatre Festival Annual Grand Bank Summer Festival Harris House Mariner's Memorial Bait Depot Grand Bank Lighthouse Grande Meadows Golf Course – 30 km away: 9-hole, par 36, open May to October. St. Pierre and Miquelon – France's last outpost in North America. Minutes by air from Winterland or 70 minutes by sea from nearby Fortune (just 5 km from Grand Bank) In recent years Grand Bank has seen a tripling of visitors interested in the Queen Anne architecture in the older homes, the traditions of a seafaring people and the heritage still evident in the older businesses, stores, halls and museums.