Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to Newfoundland (new-fun-LAND), an island that, along with the continental portion of Labrador, makes up the easternmost Province of Canada. This is the fourth Province (of ten) that we have visited. Below, you will find information from our trip.
Newfoundland (which became the 10th Province of Canada in 1949) is an island, which is twice the size of New York, and has a population of 500,000 people, 200,000 of whom live in the capital of St. John’s and the surrounding area. Together with its continental counterpart, Labrador, this Province is three quarters the size of the state of Texas. It would take 11 hours to drive around one side of the island, and 14 hours to drive around the other side. Nova Scotia is the closest Province, and two ferries travel from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and Labrador, carrying people and 1000 cars during the six-hour journey. Newfoundland was settled by the English and Irish (who came over to escape the Potato Famine), who were at odds due to religion (Protestantism for the former, Catholicism for the latter). They ended up settling on opposite sides of the harbour.
The weather in Newfoundland is varied, with as many as four seasons in one day. It is warmest in the summer (up to 80F/27C), and is quite pleasant until the end of October. The harshest months are January to March, with a lot of wind and snow, including three to four inches (eight to ten centimeters) of snow on one day, and rain the next day. Wind and fog are significant problems for the area, as the wind can reach 140km/hour (87mi/hour) at the airport, with gusts up to 200km/hour (124mi/hour), often closing the airport for up to a week. Storms can bring 20-25 inches (50-64cm) of snow, which closes down the city for a day to allow for clean-up. In February of 2020, they had “Snow-mageddon,” which resulted in 4-6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) of snow that closed down the city for 10 days. They had to call in the army, as well as obtain snow equipment from other Provinces to clear out the snow.
THE HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
Ruins from the Colony of Avalon (circa 1497). The stones are original, and left where they were discovered/uncovered
The History of Newfoundland includes several old/original colonies. One is the Colony of Avalon (on the Baccalieu Trail), which was established by John Cabot after he discovered the “new land” for the King of England in 1497. Lord Baltimore (aka George Calvert) established an area called Ferryland (which was the first capital of Newfoundland) in a place they called “New Found Land,” so named because they found so much fish/cod in the surrounding waters. Sir David Kirke came to Ferryland as a prize for the English defeating the French in 1629, and figured out how to make the fishery work. Ferryland was important in the trans-Atlantic fishing industry, bringing cod to Western Europe. It should be noted that Baltimore, Maryland (USA) is named after Calvert, and has the same flag.
Cupid’s Cove Plantation
Established in August 1610 under the directive of King James I, Cupid’s Cove Plantation is considered to be the first English Settlement in Canada. The excavation of this area (seen above) was begun in 1995. Within eight days, they uncovered the first of the buried city, and since then, they have collected 190,000 artifacts. The buildings date back to 1613, and there is a pit that they have uncovered that dates back to the 1600s, as well. The main threat at the time was piracy, and archaeologists have uncovered a section that they believe was a cannon mount. They also uncovered a journal written by John Guy, who wrote that the area was called Cuperts Cove. In addition, archaeologists have found evidence of amber and glass beads that were used to trade with the Beothuk, who were the indigenous people of the land.
In 1612, women came to take care of the house, and John Guy’s wife gave birth to the first person born in Canada. There continue to be individuals and families with the surname “Guy” in Canada. In 1813, a gentleman by the name of Samuel Spracklin inhabited the house and owned this land in Cupid’s Cove, and it was his great, great, granddaughter (who is in her 80s and still lives in a house on the property) who gave the archaeologists permission to dig up the land.
Heart’s Content Cable Station and Museum is home to the first successful trans-Atlantic cable, which was sent from Heart’s Content, Newfoundland, to Valencia, Ireland, in 1866. They chose this area because it was a protected deep-water port with walls around the area. After two failed attempts, Frederic Gisborne and Cyrus Field were able to lay the cable across/under the Atlantic Ocean by using the Great Eastern, a 394ft (120m) long ship that was designed to be a luxury liner, but was too big to dock on most ports and too expensive for people to cruise. It was able to hold 43km (27mi) of cable, and it took two weeks for the cable to get to Ireland. All of the original equipment was used until the 1900s, and the station closed in 1965 when the telephone took over as the cheaper way to communicate across seas.
WAR AND PEACE
The gun barrel above is one of the “disappearing guns” that was installed in 1896 on the Delaware River to defend Philadelphia (USA). It was subsequently sold to Canada in 1941 to satisfy the terms of an arms supply agreement. The guns were installed in November 1941 at Cape Spear, and subsequently dismantled after WWII and removed from the site.
July 1, 2024, marked 100 years since the Newfoundland National War Memorial was established/opened. To mark this occasion, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was relocated from France to St. John’s. The Canadian Prime Minister was in attendance to honor the many lives that were lost during WWI in France.
Cape Spear, Newfoundland (above) is the easternmost point in North America. There was a station there for US and Canadian armies during World War II (WWII), and old bunkers and cannons remain. There are also two lighthouses in this area, including the oldest lighthouse in Newfoundland, and the oldest lighthouse operating in Newfoundland today.
Interesting Fact: French is the primary spoken language on the West Coast of Newfoundland, as well as on two islands that are off the coast of Newfoundland.
Newfoundland has many landmarks that reflect a colorful history. Signal Hill is where the first trans-Atlantic signal was received by Marconi in December 1901 for ships in the harbor that were going to Ireland. Signal Hill is the home of the Waldegrove Battery, upon which one gun was installed in World War I (WWI) to defend Newfoundland.
Chain Rock is located in the Narrows, which opens from the Harbour out to the Atlantic Ocean. It was considered to be the first defense against entry of German U-boats into the Newfoundland Harbour during WWII. There was said to be a chain that stretched between this rock and a second rock (Pancake Rock) to protect the harbour.
Interesting Fact: Labrador is not known for tourism, and is considered to be a very small-scale destination for “middle-of-nowhere adventure.”
Fishing is the top industry in Newfoundland, with the season running from late April until the end of October. It is regulated and monitored very closely. In the summer, crab and lobster are in season, and crab brings in the most money. Cod is the most popular and plentiful fish found in the waters around Newfoundland, followed by halibut and flounder.
Humpback Whales can be found in the waters surrounding Newfoundland. They are mammals that eat Capelin, which is a smelt-like fish. They can eat up to one ton of Capelin per day, diving for them for 4-5 minutes (though they can stay under water for up to 30 minutes), and ultimately eating up to double their body weight. They will open their mouths, swim through a school of fish, and then use their tongues to push water through their spout, as their throats are the size of a grapefruit. They then swim to the Caribbean (near the Dominican Republic) for the winter to have their baby, during which they do not eat at all.
Interesting Fact: Whale’s tails are the strongest muscle in the world, pound for pound.
Puffins
The Atlantic Puffin is the Provincial bird of Newfoundland, and Newfoundland is home to the largest puffin colony in North America. In Bay Bulls Harbor of Witless Bay on the Irish Loop are four islands, where the bulk of the sea birds live, including 360,000 Puffins, the second largest population of puffins in the world after Iceland. The puffin is a sea bird that spends eight months in solitary at sea, and then comes back to its mate, which it has for life (monogamously). They lay one egg, digging a burrow 3-5 feet inward from the side of a cliff, and small enough just for them (which protects them from other birds). There is a 6-week incubation period, during which the male and female puffin switch off protecting the egg and getting food, with the egg hatching in August or September. After they hatch and are able to fly, the puffins spend four years on the open ocean by themselves. They eventually shed a pigment layer of skin on the beach, and it grows back orange (with each beak being unique), which is the signal that they are able to mate. Puffin also eat Capelin, as they can dive up to depths of 60m (197ft) due to the fact that the bones in their bodies are dense, and they do not float up to the surface like other birds. However, because of this, they have to beat their wings 400 beats per minute to gain flight, and they do not fly very well. Puffin can live up to 20 years.
In 1892, St. John’s endured a Great Fire, which destroyed many of the houses and other buildings on the island. The Historical Society started to renovate some of the houses and painted them bright colors, and others followed suit.
We enjoyed visiting Newfoundland and look forward to exploring more Provinces of Canada. Until next time, take care and be well…