Newfoundland - St. John's

I can hardly believe it, the sun is out today.. might be intermittent but it still seems like an illusion in the distant sky.

We hopped into the car to and headed up to the Signal Hill Historic Site and Cabot Tower. Dominating the skyline and located overlooking the narrow entrance to St. John’s harbour, Signal Hill has been a key part of this province’s military and communications history and has shaped Newfoundland’s place in the world.

On June 27, 1762, during the Seven Year’s War, St. John’s found

itself under attack by French forces under the command of the Comte d’Haussonville. After successfully capturing St. John’s, Comte d’Haussonville then took over the area and based his forces around Signal Hill.

The Battle of Signal Hill took place on the morning of September 15 that same year when the 200 English soldiers climbed Signal Hill attacking 295 French infantry. The attack, which caught the French by surprise, resulted in the French forces retreating and surrendering three days later. The Battle of Signal Hill was the final battle of the Seven Year’s War in North America, which secured Great Britain as the prominent European power in North America.

In 1897, Cabot Tower was commissioned to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. An excellent example of late-gothic

revival architecture the tower was designed by St. John’s architect William Howe Greene.

In 1901, Signal Hill was at the centre of a major international breakthrough. Guglielmo Marconi, using an antenna suspended 500 feet by kite, received the first transatlantic wireless signal, the letter ‘S’ in Morse code. Marconi’s breakthrough, which was part of an ongoing rivalry with many inventors, led to a new age in communication technology.

The views from Signal Hill of St. John's is simply amazing. On such a clear day you can see clear across the narrow channels and far across the ocean.

From Signal Hill we went headed around the back side of the bay to

visit Quidi Villi Village, a historic fishing village just beyond Quidi Vidi Lake. This is where the famous annual St. John’s Regatta takes place each summer.

The village is a little sheltered corner of the east coast, with a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean from inside the gut. Quidi Vidi Village was used after World War II for the construction of the United States’ Air Force Base. Nowadays, however, the village is a quiet community, where you can walk from one end to the other in five minutes flat.

Quidi Vidi Village’s biggest charms are the antique shop, Quidi Vidi Inn of Olde and the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation. Standing on its own picturesque wharf in an iconic fishing community, the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation is a craft enterprise incubator for emerging artists and a destination for those wishing to explore a unique corner of the oldest cities in North America. Built to reflect the fishing stages and fish plants of the 1600's the Plantation welcomes visitors to watch, interact with and support local craftspeople as they produce unique handmade items in a wide variety of mediums. The area is only a few minutes away from downtown St. John's but still has a quaintness of the old fishing village.

Cape Spear was our next stop, just around the other side of the bay and on the other side of St. John's. Jutting out into the cold and violent North Atlantic, Cape

Spear is the most easterly point of North America. Originally named “Cabo da Esperança” by Portuguese sailors, then “Cap d’Espoir” by the French, and eventually Cape Spear by the English, this point of land has been an important navigational aid from the earliest days of Newfoundland’s exploration to the present.

Built in 1836, Cape Spear features Newfoundland’s oldest surviving lighthouse, which is based on a square two story building with the tower and light in the middle. The light and technology in the lighthouse changed over time until 1955 when a new concrete lighthouse became operational. As it stands now the lighthouse has been restored to its 1839 appearance and is set up to show how a mid-nineteenth century lighthouse keeper and his family would have lived.

Cape Spear’s location near the convoy routes of the Second World War made it a strategic point in the Battle of the Atlantic. To provide protection for convoys from German submarines a battery and garrison was stationed at Cape Spear featuring bunkers, underground passages, and two 10-inch guns. Today this outpost is no longer used by any military and the remains of the bunker stand as a reminder of the impact of the war.

Along with its history Cape Spear is an excellent place to see seabirds, icebergs, ships, and whales in the spring and summer months. Sightings have included Dolphins, Humpback Whales, and even on rare occasions Orca Whales. Along with its opportunities to see wildlife on the sea and land the East Coast Hiking Trail passes through Cape Spear, offering access to some of the island’s best hiking trails.With its outstanding history, natural environment, and outdoor activities Cape Spear is a must see for any visitor and a

treasure for any local to enjoy.

When we were in South Africa we took a drive down the Cape of Good Hope and visited South Africa's most southern point -Cape Agulhas (about 150 km east of the Cape of Good Hope). The Cape marks the boundary between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The clash of warm and cold ocean currents often leads to violent waves and was feared by the seafarers. In the same trip we also had been to Africa's highest peak - Mount Kibo at 5895 metres (within the Kilamanjaro mountain range).

Now that we have been to North America's most easterly point (and Canada's as well), we have to make plans to visit the most westerly point in North America to cover both ends of the country.

North America/Canada's significant markers are:
Northernmost point — Cape Columbia, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut
Southernmost Canadian point — South point of Middle Island, Ontario, Lake Erie
Easternmost point — Cape Spear, Newfoundland
Westernmost point — Boundary Peak 187, Yukon

What a beautiful day for a drive. We really are starting to discover the history of Newfoundland and all that it has to offer.