Blogs

They say there are no accidental tourists in Newfoundland. You have to plan your trip to get here since there are no easy links to the Island. Ferries link a few key locations and they are the main entry point for visitors travelling by car or recreational vehicle. Marine Atlantic through its fleet of ferries is a main contact and the Newfoundland ports of entry are Port aux Basques and Argentia. Port aux Basques serves visitors wishing to explore the West Coast of Newfoundland, while Argentia is conveniently located for people visiting St. John’s and the Avalon Peninsula.

If you recall, our last stop was in North West River. Although we had tentatively planned to leave there mid day, I often lose sight of time when I follow my nose so it was dusk when we bid farewell to this region and hit that long long (albeit relatively new) road to Cartwright. Did I say that road was long?  I should have known we wouldn’t get there before midnight.

Even though I knew that Happy Valley Goose Bay was the hub of Labrador, I was surprised to find a town of  7,500+ people with stores, restaurants, pubs, fast food outlets, churches, recreational facilities, building supply outlets, hotels—ad infinitum. Bit of a shock after driving long stretches without seeing neither man nor beast. (Remember those long, long, very long and straight dirt roads I was talking about?)  

If you’re a winter enthusiast, Newfoundland and Labrador is the ultimate destination for outdoor adventure. With an annual snowfall of up to 16 feet, and the activity season running into March and April, there’s no shortage of winter fun. 

Remember those long, very long dirt roads? Yup—lots more on the way to Churchill Falls. At some point we passed Ranger Lake where we saw a camp and an RV. It was such a startling change from miles and miles of black spruce and sky, Barrie piped up “Jeez—it’s built up around here.” (I’ve heard it said that you know you’re a Labradorian when your idea of a traffic jam is two cars waiting to pass a moose. Although we didn’t see a moose on our way to Churchill Falls, seeing a camp and RV on that long and lonely stretch struck my funny bone.)  

When the Trans Labrador Highway opened up—making it possible to drive 1126km from Labrador City all the way across the province to L’Anse-au-Clair, Sandra Phinney and her husband Barrie MacGregor decided to make the loop from their home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  Four provinces and 5673 kilometers later, they are still talking to each other and still talking about their trip. Sandra’s posted some blogs about this journey.

Cross country skiing is a great way to get out and enjoy winter in Newfoundland. Cross country skiing is good exercise since both legs and arms get a workout and like its name suggests, you can cross country ski just about anywhere there is snow. But a popular option for many people is to visit a cross country ski facility. Many communities in the province have ski clubs where there are trails groomed specifically for cross country skiing.

This is a big year for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s “Tempting Providence” as it celebrates 10 years of performances around the world. “Tempting Providence” tells the story of Myra Bennett, a dedicated nurse who practiced on the Northern Peninsula. I recently got a chance to speak to Gaylene Buckle, Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s general manager. “When we developed this play we purposively created it so that it could be performed in a variety of “stages” around the province, from church basements to school gyms.

Newfoundland and Labrador has an enduring Irish culture, which is why we go all out celebrating St. Patrick's day, but some of our Irish history is really quite mysterious, stretching back thousands of years...

Last winter we had a chance to head to Happy Valley- Goose Bay, Labrador and were most impressed with the cross country skiing trails and lodge at the Birch Brook Nordic ski club. As well as enjoying the skiing we were invited to a potluck supper at the lodge which was a great way to meet many of the club members.

Cross country skiing is alive and well in Canada's eastern most province. Cross Country Newfoundland and Labrador (CCNL) is the umbrella group for cross country ski clubs and there are dozens of kilometres of groomed tracks waiting for any visitor.

There are so many things to enjoy when I go back home to Newfoundland. From spending time with family and friends to hiking along the rugged coast, and taking in live music in St. John's. One of the things I look most forward to is getting out in a boat to catch a few cod.

On the last leg of their adventure, the hikers from TrailPeak.com saw the wreck of a ship from the early 1900s, whalebones, and a slew of icebergs.

This week, the hikers from TrailPeak.com saw 10,000-year-old icebergs, and visited historic Battle Harbour, a restored fishing village that thrived over the last three centuries.

From waterfalls to ancient coastlines, the hikers from TrailPeak.com have seen it all over the past three days, while trekking through southern Labrador.

Check out the latest blog from Kurt at TrailPeak.com to read about the scenery, history and culture they’ve discovered along the south coast of Labrador.

The hikers from TrailPeak.com have started their trek from western Newfoundland to the south coast of Labrador. Read about their journey through Gros Morne in the first blog.

An hour on a small boat in not too calm seas brings us to the centuries old fishing villiage of Battle Harbour, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We walk around for hours not seeing another person, and it is difficult to imagine that this was once the unofficial capital of Labrador. Battle Harbour was an active fishing village from the 1770s until the east coast fisheries closed in 1992.