• According to folklore, the first 12 days of a Newfoundland and Labrador January predicts the weather for the next 12 months. So, if the first 12 days of 2009 are anything to go by, this year will be warmer and drier than usual - no extreme highs or lows.
• A Newfoundlander built the world's first artificial ice arena.
• Before skis were widely available for purchase, outport families used to make makeshift skis by nailing leather or rubber to barrel staves. Sleds were made out of old kitchen canvases.
• If a pond looks frozen but you're not sure if it's safe to walk on, try asking if the ice is "bear" yet—meaning, safely frozen enough to support (bear) weight.
• The northern lights, or aurora borealis, is commonly known in Newfoundland and Labrador by another name: the "Merry Dancers." Legend has it that extra brilliant light is a sign of good weather to come.
• Sheila's Brush is the annual winter storm that occurs around St. Patrick's Day (March 17th). The resulting snow is attributed to Sheila sweeping away the last of winter.
• When no rubber puck was available, rural players would saw off the end of a log or even use an empty can as a hockey puck. Goal posts were usually old winter boots.
• A 'man-cat' is a small sled used to transport wood across snow in the winter.
• The Labrador Tea, a low-growing evergreen of the genus Ledum, grows all year round, and many use the bruised leaves of its plant as a tea substitute.
• Along with the coastal areas, St. John's is the spot to see gulls in winter -- up to a dozen species can be observed around the city in a single day. This winter, birdwatchers flocked to Quidi Vidi Lake to see them, like the slatey-backed gull, a native of Siberia.

Sources

Dictionary of Newfoundland & Labrador by Ron Young (Downhome Publishing, 2006).
Newfoundland Word of the Day: http://www.nfld.com/~sdelaney/wordoday.htm
Atlantic Canada Information: http://www.atlanticcanada.info/areasonapril2003.htm