Category: Bonavista

Tourists in Newfoundland and Labrador are always amazed at the friendliness of the locals. It is unusual to have a short conversation when asking for directions or explanations of local traditions. Chatty Newfoundlanders or Labradorians are known to “talk the handle off an iron pot”. Often, however, tourists are flummoxed by the conversations. They frequently find that they aren’t quite sure exactly what is being said to them. This is, in part, often due to the accent. Some Newfoundlanders and Labradorians speak like residents of the West Country of England and others sound like they have just arrived from Cork […]

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The town of Trinity — 260 km (161 mi.) north of St. John’s and 52 km (32 mi.) south of Bonavista — is well worth a detour if you are driving around Newfoundland from St. John’s to the ferry at Port Au Basques. This is a living village that has several heritage structures that have been restored and are open to the public. Trinity harbour was used as early as the 16th century by Portuguese fishermen but it was not until the next century that a settlement was established by fishing entrepreneurs from Poole, England. The several heritage buildings in […]

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Upon reading Mr. Hunter’s article in Canada’s History (“Rewriting History” by Douglas Hunter April/May 2010), I learned some little known facts about John Cabot, the explorer who stumbled upon Canada’s East Coast (Newfoundland) in the 15th Century. The article is essentially a conglomeration of disputed facts about the explorer’s journey presented by various scholars. However, the crux of the article is the disappointment in losing years worth of research by British historian Alwyn Ruddock. She devoted her life (1916 – 2006) to the history of John Cabot’s three voyages to the New World (Eastern Canada) from Bristol, England. Throughout her […]

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