Category: Cupids

The oldest English settlement in Canada is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year.  Cupids, Newfoundland is the oldest official British colony in Canada, the second oldest on continental North America, and was the site of the first child born of European parents on the continent. John Guy, a Bristol merchant, lead a group of thirty-nine men to Cuper’s Cove – later known as Cupids – where they established a settlement in August, 1610.  By 1612 the population was sixty-two and Guy also made contact with the Aboriginal people of Newfoundland (the Beothuk) by trading for furs and sharing a meal.  […]

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The villages of Brigus and nearby Cupids are ideal destinations for a day trip from St. John’s. Brigus Brigus is 86 km (53 mi.) from St. John’s (about an hour’s drive). Nestled in a protected harbour, Brigus is as close to the image of a perfect Newfoundland outport that you are likely to find. The streets of the sleepy village are lined with brightly coloured and well maintained old houses. Stop in at The Country Corner for gifts and fresh cod chowder with blueberry crisp, and visit other welcoming shops in town. If you want to stay the night in […]

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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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