Canada
Welcome to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Article and photography by Steve Gillick
A visitor to Newfoundland and Labrador is referred to as a “come from away”. This affectionate term embraces the welcoming spirit of the province with an inclusive feeling of community bonding.
I was impressed from the start. I flew into St. John’s, checked into my room at the Sheraton Hotel, and gazed out the window at the impressive view of Cabot Tower atop Signal Hill and the Narrows, the passageway that leads ships from the Atlantic Ocean to St. John’s Harbour. But this was my third visit to the city, so I headed to a favourite lunch spot. At the Yellowbelly Distillery, I ordered Salt & Vinegar Fish and Chips, made with fresh Cod, while savouring a Fighting Irish Red Ale. Livia, the bartender, originally from Rome, Italy, confided that her initial fears about being an outsider were quickly dismissed by the pervasive local attitude that “we’re going to allow you to be one of us”.
And I heard a similar sentiment later that week from Drew Wolfson-Bell, the sous chef at Terre Restaurant. Originally from Toronto and Montreal, he moved to St. John’s in 2019 to open Terre with his friend Mathew Swift. He told me that “there’s something magical about this place… it’s fun to show tourists what we like about the province.” And for the record, Terre is a star player in St. John’s culinary scene.
All in all, it was so relaxing for me to explore my favourite St. John’s haunts. The jelly-bean houses on Duckworth Street, the bars and restaurants on Water and George Streets, the panoramic views from Signal Hill, and the picturesque walk along Lady’s Lookout Trail, past Cuckold’s Cove to the enchanting neighbourhood of Quidi Vidi. In the evening, we embarked on the Iceberg Quest cruise and visited the Masonic Temple to laugh along with the Spirit of Newfoundland show. We even enjoyed a Screech-In, where we uttered the felicitous phrase, “Long may your big jib draw”. We kissed the Cod (literally), drank screech (spicy rum), and became “Honourary Newfoundlanders.” It was all part of community bonding!
And there are many things to experience just outside of St. John’s. At Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America, you can follow trails punctuated by songs of Savannah Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks, as you marvel at the roaring Atlantic waters and the oldest surviving lighthouse in the province.
And at Witless Bay, we hopped on a small site-seeing boat with the entertaining Con O’Brien (the lead singer with the Irish Descendants) as our guide, and headed out to the Ecological Reserve, known as Puffin Rock. The site and clamour of thousands of Puffins, Razorbacks, Common Murres and Herring Gulls is nothing short of spectacular!
St. John’s is perfect for travellers who love to indulge in history, culture, food, nature and gorgeous scenery, and take home with them warm memories of the city’s community spirit.
