In his recent book, former Newfoundland
Premier Brian Peckford rewrote a part of
Canadian history and forced the Canadian
Encyclopedia to rewrite its article about the
1982 patriation of the Constitution:
Labrador grasswork woven baskets were once
used as a medium of exchange with the island
of Newfoundland. They are still produced in
Labrador. A basket that was woven around 1930
can be seen at this
link.
In January, 2011, a hummingbird not normally
seen east of the Rocky Mountains in western
Canada was spotted in eastern Newfoundland.
The hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte
anna), is the only species of
hummingbird that spends the winter in northern
areas. Anna's
Hummingbird
in Newfoundland.
In early November, 2010, archeologists
working at Cupids, Newfoundland discovered the
earliest known English cemetery in Canada. The
cemetery is about 400 years old.
On August 9, 1945, when the
Japanese city of Nagasaki was largely
destroyed by an atomic bomb during the
Second World War, Newfoundland (Channel-Port
aux Basques) native Jack Ford was a Prisoner
of War about 7 km (~4 miles) from Ground
Zero. He survived and returned home to
Newfoundland. His story is the subject of
the book The
Jack
Ford Story.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake
occurred south of Newfoundland on November
18, 1929. The tsunami that was caused by the
earthquake killed 28 people in communities
along the southern coast of
Newfoundland. The
Grand
Banks Earthquake and Tsunami.
The Hibernia, Terra Nova, and
White Rose oil fields off eastern
Newfoundland contain about 28% (178 million
cubic metres) of Canada's conventional
established oil reserves.
99% of the world's population
of the critically endangered Boreal Felt
Lichen (Erioderma
pedicellatum) is found on the
island of Newfoundland: Boreal
Felt Lichen.
Newfoundland is home to wave forests.
A wave forest is a rare type of forest
characterized by alternating bands of living
and dead trees that slowly move (in profile)
across the landscape, typically at a rate of
50-100 metres per century. In cross-section,
a wave forest might remind the observer of a
line of dominoes tipping over and knocking
each other down. In a wave forest, the
taller trees fall over (slowly - over
many years) primarily as a result of the
force of strong winds acting on them. This,
coupled with small tree root plate
development, opens an area in the forest
which allows in sunlight that helps new tree
seedlings to grow. As the seedlings grow,
mature trees grow taller, and they in turn
tip over and open new areas in the forest
for new seedlings to grow. This process
continues over decades, and the living areas
of new trees and the dead areas of fallen
trees appear to move in a wave-like
fashion across the countryside. Wave forests
are found in high alpine areas of Japan,
mountainous area of New Hampshire, and in
some coastal areas of Newfoundland.
Showy
Lady's
Slipper
orchid (Cypripedium reginae) , the
largest and most beautiful northern orchid
in North America is found in western
Newfoundland. Because of its rarity, this
orchid is imperiled in the wild.
The ocean around Newfoundland is home to
more than 20 species of whales at one time
of the year or another, making Newfoundland
one of the best whale viewing locations in
the world. Humpback whales, Fin whales,
Minke whales, and Sperm whales, are some the
common whales around Newfoundland.
Here is a link to more information
about the whales in Newfoundland waters: Whale
watching in Newfoundland and Labrador
Contrary to much popular
opinion, Newfoundland is not a part of
northern Canada. Corner Brook,
Newfoundland, in terms of latitude, is a
little distance south of Vancouver,
British Columbia. Corner Brook is on the
same latitude as Paris, France. St.
Anthony, on the northern tip of
Newfoundland, is on the same latitude as
London, England.
The first
known St. John's Regatta was held on
September 22, 1818 to celebrate the
coronation of King George III in 1761.
Mention of the race was made in the
'Mercantile Journal.' The Custom House
won the race of 2 miles in 25 minutes.
The producing oil fields off
eastern Newfoundland are so profitable
that the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador is now off of the Canadian
equalization plan (the
equalization plan, made possible by
the Canadian Constitution, allows the
Federal Government to send money from
financially richer provinces to
financially poorer provinces) .
The MV
Caribou, which plied the
waters between Newfoundland and Nova
Scotia, was named in honour of the S.S.
Caribou which was torpedoed
and sunk by a Nazi submarine on
October 14, 1942. An account of the
sinking of the S.S.Caribou can be
found at this link:
Shortly after the United States
was attacked on September 11, 2001,
air traffic controllers at Gander
airport, Newfoundland, used their
emergency Y2K plans to help safely
land dozens of transatlantic
aircraft that were headed toward
North America. The Y2K emergency
plans had been ridiculed as
unnecessary when no major problem
occurred after clocks changed from
1999 to 2000 (midnight, December 31,
1999), but the Y2K plans may have
saved lives at Gander on September
11, 2001.
The population of Newfoundland
in 1800 was approximately 10,000
(ten thousand) people.
Shannon Tweed, Playboy's
Playmate of the Year for 1982,
was born in
Newfoundland, in 1957. Since
1983, Shannon Tweed has lived
with Gene Simmons, former lead
performer with the rock band
KISS. They were married in
2011.
The ceilings of the
Council Chamber and the
Assembly Room in the
Colonial Building in St.
John's were painted by
Polish fresco painter
Alexander Pindikowski in
1880. Mr. Pindikowski had
been serving a 15 month
prison sentence for passing
forged cheques - his
sentence was reduced by 1
month for his work. In 1940,
the ceiling work was
restored by local painter
Clem Murphy.
The Black Spruce (Picea
mariana) was
proclaimed
the Provincial Tree
of Newfoundland in May,
1991. The Black
Spruce has had a
significant social and
economic impact on the
provincial economy:
it is the favoured tree of
the pulp and paper
industry, it has
played a prominent role in
the lives of aboriginal
people and in local folk
medicine, and it is very
hardy and grows well
throughout the
province.
The Pitcher Plant (Sarracenis
purpurea) is
the official flower of
Newfoundland and
Labrador. It was chosen
as the provincial flower
in 1954 by the
Newfoundland Cabinet.
Queen Victoria
chose the Pitcher Plant
to be engraved on the
Newfoundland penny
in the late 1800s.
In terms of phonetic
differences (spoken
accents), with the
exception of
Newfoundland, the
English speaking regions
of Canada have much more
in common than the
English speaking regions
of the United States
(see The Atlas of
North American English).
During the War of
1812, at the naval
Battle of Lake Erie
(September 10, 1813),
28% of British
casualties (39 men) were
suffered by
Newfoundlanders (Google
'Newfoundland Regiment
of Fencible Infantry').
Newfoundlanders
received a special
commendation from
Major-General Issac
Brock on the fall of
Detroit during the War
of 1812 (Google
'Newfoundland Regiment
of Fencible Infantry').
The Long Range
Mountains in
southwestern
Newfoundland are part of
the Appalachian
Mountains. They are now
eroded down to the root
of the original
mountains which were as
high as the Himalayan
Mountains in their day.
There isn't one
homeless person, or one
person living on the
streets, in Newfoundland
and Labrador. This is
likely because of strong
social ties (people
generally know each
other), strong community
churches, provincial
government programs to
help the disadvantaged,
and ages old respect
among people (it's
shameful to have
homeless people in a
community, so something
is done about it).
Newfoundland
forms an almost perfect
equilateral triangle on
a map. Port aux Basques
to L'Anse aux Meadows to
St. John's are all
nearly the same distance
apart.
Prince Charles
and Princess Diana
visited Newfoundland in
1983. Princess Diana
planted a tree on
Government House grounds
in St. John's.
About 4000
years ago, people of the
Maritime Archaic
Tradition occupied the
entire coastline of
Newfoundland and
Labrador. A cemetery of
these people has been
excavated by
archaeologists at Port
aux Choix on the Great
Northern Peninsula. In
this cemetery have been
found a wealth of
artifacts including more
than 100 human
skeletons, domestic dog
skeletons, great auk (Pinguinus
impennis) remains,
wolf remains, musical
instruments, a specimen
of native copper,
fire-making sets,
hunting equipment,
artifact manufacturing
equipment, religious
objects, etc.
The first train
from St. John's to Port
aux Basques arrived on
June 30, 1898.
Railroading ended in
Newfoundland on October
1, 1988.
Bonfire Night
(or Guy Fawkes Night),
the evening of November
5, is still celebrated
in many parts of
Newfoundland. The
bonfires are generally
lit as part of a
community event to mark
the escape (deliverance)
of King James I of
England (James VI of
Scotland) from a plot to
kill him, his family,
most of the British
aristocracy, and both
Houses of Parliament
(King and company) in
November 1605. Guy
Fawkes was discovered
with explosives (red
handed) in the basement
of the Houses of
Parliament before the
explosives could be
detonated. He was later
executed.
It has been
illegal to hunt Pine
Marten (Martes
americana atrata)
on the island of
Newfoundland since 1934
because of low
population numbers. The
total population is
approximately 300
animals. A synopsis of
the Newfoundland
regulations for fishing
and shooting in 1925 can
be found at this link:
Fishing
and
Shooting Regulations
There are 18
trees that are native to
Newfoundland: Red Pine,
White Pine, Black
Spruce, White Spruce,
Balsam Fir,
Tamarack/Larch,
Trembling Aspen, Balsam
Popular, Showy Mountain
Ash, American Mountain
Ash, Mountain Maple, Red
Maple, Pin Cherry, Choke
Cherry, Speckled Alder,
Yellow Birch, White
Birch, and Black Ash
(rare).
Many non-native
(exotic) trees also grow
in Newfoundland. These
exotic trees are mostly
found in private
collections. Among the
exotic trees growing in
Newfoundland are Douglas
Fir, Korean Fir,
Siberian Fir, Nordmann
Fir, Black Locust,
Ponderosa Pine, Sitka
Spruce, and Garry Oak.
Arctic Hares are
native to
Newfoundland, but
Snowshoe Hares were
introduced from Nova
Scotia in 1864 and
1876. They were
released at the same
time by local
Magistrates. Hares are
often erroneously
called rabbits.
The Newfoundland
Timber or Grey Wolf
became extinct on the
island of Newfoundland
in the 1930s.
The coyote arrived
in Newfoundland during
the winter of 1985,
when heavy ice in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence
allowed passage from
Nova Scotia.
There are no snakes,
skunks, deer,
porcupines or
groundhogs on the
island of
Newfoundland.
Chipmunks were
introduced to
Newfoundland from Nova
Scotia in 1962 and
1964, and today they
are plentiful in the
Codroy Valley of
southwestern
Newfoundland where
cultivated (farm) oats
are a favourite treat.
There is no ragweed
pollen on the island
either (a very common
allergen).
The motto of
Newfoundland and
Labrador is "Seek ye
first the Kingdom of
God" from Matthew 6:33
in the Holy Bible.
Newfoundland is
actually 3.5 hours
west of Greenwich, and
hence has its own
proper time zone. The
Newfoundland Standard
Time Act of 1935
enshrined this time
zone before
Newfoundland joined
Canada in 1949.
Newfoundland
routinely has one of
the lowest crime rates
in Canada.
44 species of
orchids are native to
Newfoundland.
Traditionally,
Newfoundlanders
watched the black bear
on February 2 since
there are no
groundhogs on the
island.
The only
authenticated Viking
site in North America
is located at L'Anse
aux Meadows, north of
St. Anthony, on
Newfoundland's Great
Northern Peninsula.
The remains of the sod
houses used by the
Vikings can still be
seen there, along with
some of their
artifacts.
Newfoundland is the
16th largest island in
the world. Visitors
should keep this in
mind when planning a
visit; it is not
possible to see the
whole island in just a
few days and at least
10 days are needed for
even a brief look
around.
Squirrels were
introduced to
Newfoundland in 1963 (The
Canadian Field
Naturalist,
Volume 90, pp. 60-64)
and they have now
colonised the whole
island.
Moose are not native
to Newfoundland, but
today there are more
than 100,000 on the
island. 1 pair was
introduced in 1878
from Nova Scotia (not
thought to have
survived). 2 pairs of
moose were introduced
on May 14, 1904 from
New Brunswick. All of
the moose in
Newfoundland today are
descended from the
1904 moose and
possibly also from the
1878 moose.
For bird-watchers,
the Piping Plover
(Charadrius melodus)
can be seen along the
coast from Port aux
Basques to Cape Ray
during the summer
months (until August).
Dozens were seen in
1997. Nesting areas
are marked.
Between 1857 and
1949 Newfoundland
issued its own postage
stamps. They are still
valid for mail posted
anywhere in Canada.
Not all of
Newfoundland was
covered with glaciers
during the last ice
age. Parts of the
Codroy Valley in
southwestern
Newfoundland were
largely ice free.
The ski resort at
Marble Mountain, near
Corner Brook, has
nearly 30 ski runs;
the highest run has a
vertical drop of
almost 1600 feet (485
metres). Corner Brook
hosted the Canada
Winter Games between
February 20 and March
6, 1999.
The Hibernia
oilfield, off the east
coast of Newfoundland,
contains more oil than
40 of the 44 oilfields
in the North Sea.
Combined, the Hibernia
and Terra Nova
oilfields contain more
than 1 billion barrels
of recoverable oil. In
1999, the Hibernia
oilfield was the most
profitable oilfield in
Canada.