Oh my America, my New Found Land

Newfoundland, Canada

Additional Research, Images

The title of this article comes from a poem by the seventeenth century English writer, John Donne. He never traveled to the Atlantic coast of Canada, but, in common with a lot of people of his time, the New World loomed large in his imagination. The island of Newfoundland (part of the easternmost Canadian province, Newfoundland and Labrador) isn’t really appropriately named – far from being newly discovered it was the first part of America to be visited by Europeans. In this case, the expedition was led by the Viking Leif Erikson in the ninth century AD – a full five hundred years before Christopher Columbus’ belated arrival a few thousand miles further south. This is historical fact, not legend, and there’s archaeological evidence to back it up.

Not all cruise lines run their itineraries as far out as St. Johns – most stop at Halifax, down the main Canadian coast to the southwest. But if you are aboard a ship that’s bound for this island settlement, you’re in for a treat. The city is geared towards the cruise industry – which is its main source of tourism – and you will find yourself at a dedicated tourist information center as soon as you disembark.

Before heading into town there’s one site of interest that you must visit – Signal Hill. Although you need to be in reasonable shape, the pull to the summit is not at all difficult, and once you’re up there the view over the city and the harbor is definitely worth it. It was from Signal Hill, in 1901, that Gugliemo Marconi sent the very first transatlantic radio message. He picked St. John’s as his base station because it’s the north American city closest to Europe. The test that Marconi made was successful, and the rest is history. There is a small museum on the summit commemorating Marconi’s achievement. It isn’t from wireless that the hill gets its name, however – it’s the site of a tower that was used to hoist signaling flags to ships coming in and out of the city’s harbor in the days before radio was even thought of. If you’re enjoying the fresh air and sea breezes the climb to the top of signal hill is also the start of a ridge walk that takes you along the harbor skyline. More information can be had back at the tourist information station.

Heading back down the hill you might now want to have a wander into the historic center of St. John’s. The downtown area claims to be the ‘oldest commercial district in North America’ – with some justification, as trade was taking place here while the British, French and Spanish were still fighting over the mainland of what would become the United States to decide exactly who was boss. George Street, Water Street and Duckworth Street form the heart of the old town, which in recent years has been regenerated into a thriving shopping and social district.

If shopping is your thing, then this most certainly is not some sort of northern wasteland. Though the big chain stores are not over-represented, there are dozens of small boutiques selling everything from designer clothing to books. Because of the city’s rich Anglo-Irish heritage (the local accent still has a distinct Irish twang about it) and the prominence of the sea in the local economy, the city has a long tradition of producing excellent wood sculpture and other handicrafts. The skills required to make many of the crafts available are derived from the sort of techniques that would have been used onboard wooden hulled, square rigged sailing ships to maintain equipment. There aren’t too many square riggers sailing out of St. John’s today, but the skills and the crafts persist – some wonderful items can be bought quite cheaply if you shop around.

This is also the best area in the city for dining. The Anglo-Irish heritage has also bequeathed the city a host of excellent pubs, many of which serve first rate bar meals. The best are to be found along Water Street and Duckworth Street. Many have outdoor terraces and ‘beer gardens’ where al fresco eating in summertime is great fun. The local cuisine is pretty much what you’d find back home in the states, although the popularity of Irish stew once more hints at the city’s background, while the preponderance of fish dishes is a reminder of the strength of the local fishing industry. Remember that Canadians use Commonwealth usage when talking about the world’s favorite snack – so fries are ‘chips’ and chips are ‘crisps’!

St John’s is quite a small city, so a day is plenty of time to have a good look around. You’ll probably have appreciated as you arrived how remote the city is – which just goes to show what a great time you can have in the most unlikely places!