Approved 1998 From the early 18th to the mid-20th century, winterhousing was an important way of life for settlers in Newfoundland and Labrador. Each year, many families moved from coastal fishing communities to winter quarters in more sheltered locations, where they lived in houses known as tilts. In places like this, they hunted, trapped, cut firewood and timber, built boats, and preparations for the fishery. A rare instance of seasonal migration among colonists of European origin, winterhousing added much to the society and economy of Newfoundland and Labrador.