For some reason I really want to visit. I know quite a bit of its history and the historical/cultural connection with Ireland fascinates me. Anyone here from there? Visited there? Impressions? Recommendations. I’d like to make it there in 2009 but I haven’t even the most basic plan made for how much it will cost or when I’ll have time to go.
Several years back, maybe 7, we traveled to Newfoundland with some friends. We took the ferry from N. Sidney, Nova Scotia to Port Aux Basques. We then drove to Corner Brook and stayed a few days. We toured around the West coast and Gros Morne National Park. The park and coastal area is very nice. I’d have liked to make it to the the East coast and the areas in between, but didn’t have enough time. We were there for about 4 days. Food was good and the folks were friendly. What more do you need?
I’ve made four short trips there (the company I work for has a small base in St. John’s) and have only been on the Avalon Peninsula, but I love it. Every little bay seems to have a spectacularly picturesque little village in it. Some of the most good-natured people I’ve run into anywhere. It’s not the place for wild excitement, maybe (although George Street in St. John’s has its charms) but I could imagine a fine time being had during the summer by hiring a house or holing up in a B & B with some good books and a pair of hiking shoes.
All I have to say is the south coast is remote, but fricking GORGEOUS!! (as I’m sure is the rest of the island, which I haven’t really had much chance to visit yet)
I mean, pick up your camera, point it in any random direction, hit the button, and you have a picture worthy of being on a postcard.
S^G
I live in Newfoundland now. I’ve been here off-and-on since '93. I’m originally from the US, but am now a Canadian citizen. I mention this stuff so you’ll know my viewpoint as I describe things. For what its worth, my wife grew up in St. John’s and Galway, so comments about Ireland are from what she’s said to me.
Newfoundland is a damn big island, bigger than Cuba, Iceland or Ireland, with only about 500,000 people. This means its a bit hard to see everything you’d like to see. Some of the most interesting things are spread as far apart as possible, with St. John’s, the Southern Shore and the Avalon Peninsula in the southeast, and L’Anse aux Meadows, the Viking settlement in the northern tip of the island, and Gros Morne on the west.
The capitol is St. John’s, usually described as the Oldest City in North America, (by which they mean European city). By most standards, it’s a town, around 100,000 people. Other claims to fame include more bars per person than most cities, and a street composed only of bars (George Street). It very picturesque, and some parts of the city are more like outport communities than like a city. Handbuilt houses, some rather rakish and ramshackle, multicoloured row houses, that sort of stuff.
Newfoundland and in particular St. John’s are not high tech kind of places. There aren’t big flash billboards, there’s no feeling of being at the cutting edge of the future. For someone from Ireland, it can be like going back in time to what Ireland was like before the Celtic Tiger times. If you look like you want to cross the main street in the Capitol, traffic will stop for you and let you go across.
The people are mostly English or Irish. In former times this was important, but not so much now, although I suspect that most people can tell a person’s religion from their last name and accent. They got rid of denominational schools a couple of years ago.
Since its a big island with a history of codfishing, most of the communities on the island are small fishing villages in coves and bays, with all the attendant problems and strengths - economic downturn with the collapse of the fisheries, strong family values, people moving to Alberta for work. Some areas, notably south of St. John’s along the Souther Shore, were settled almost exclusively by Irish, and the accent is essentially the same - the Irish hospitality industy recruits here, since you want the red haired colleen at your bed and breakfast in Galway to have a thick Irish accent.
This also means Newfoundland music, which is derived largely from Irish music. If you like Irish music about fishing, you’re happy. If you don’t…
The people are extremely friendly, very welcoming and happy to talk to anybody. You may have read about Gander on 9/11, when a bunch of planes were diverted to Gander, a small town in Newfoundland with a big airport. The people of Gander and surrounding communities put up all these strangers in their houses and churches for quite a while. It was big news and heartwarming to the people from New York and London, but pretty much what you’d expect from Newfoundlanders.
Newfoundland takes a lot of grief from mainland Canadians as a backward place full of backward people. Like I said, it is a bit behind the times, that’s a lot of its charm. This may change as there is a bit of oil money coming in now, so you may want to visit while you can, before it becomes a ‘have’ province.
I should also mention the ‘Newfie’ word. Like the other ‘N’ word, it’s fine for a Newfoundlander to say, but may be construed as an insult when said by a CFA (“come-from-away”). Also, ‘Newfoundland’ is said in such a way as to rhyme with ‘understand’ . If you said ‘NEW-fun-land’ you wouldn’t be far off.
Its a nice place to live, but the winter lasts forever. St. John’s gets about 3 decent months out of the year -July, August and September. The rest of the time, its snow sleet, hail, fog, drizzle, often simultaneously. I’ve seen a person come to work in shorts in June, and run for their car in a hailstorm at lunchtime. I think I’ve elsewhere told the story of how polar bears occasionally come ashore here, and moose will wander the streets as well as killing people on the highways. I’ve seen it snow in June. They test meteorological instruments here. Outside St. John’s has better weather. Cornerbrook does very well for weather.
Even then, bring a jacket. Not a windcheater, a real warm freaking jacket, you many need it. Physically its a gorgeous place, lots of dramatic cliffs, sweeping vistas, Icebergs (in June), whales (in July/August).
There’s a lot more I could say, but I’ve got to get to work. I’d love to have you visit, but unfortunately I’m moving to Vancouver in 2 weeks. You should have come last year 
. We coulda had the first Newfoundland dopefest.
Maybe you could answer me this: How do the people there stress the pronunciation of its name? Most people in the States say “new FOUND land,” while I’ve heard people on CBC say “NEW found land.”
(My great-grand-parents are from there.)
ETA: Re-read your post, and you’ve already answered the question.
I’ve seen enough clips on youtube to realise the pronunciation is something like “Newfunland” to my ears rather than “New Found Land”. Thanks for your replies folks, especially Attack from the 3rd dimension.
Any truth to the story that news broadcasts in the rest of Canada subtitle individuals from Newfoundland in news reports?
I pronounce it ‘NOO-funlen’ but I’m not sure that’s correct. Anyone who says ‘New Found Land’ as if it were the three original words is definitely unfamiliar with the name, though.
I have NEVER seen this.
After your description, I really want to visit Newfoundland now. It’s the only Canadian province I haven’t been to.
Ah right, was curious. I’ve seen British/Irish people subtitled on American television so it didn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.
When you get there, ask a local for the best way to Dildo.
Conception Bay is another destination.
Just as an aside…
When I worked for a hunting and fishing travel agency, we’d often send hunters there for moose. There are plenty of moose.
In fact, the last pair of hunters I sent there bagged their first moose within 30 minutes of being picked up by the outfitter.
With the front bumper of the truck.
Plenty of woodland caribou, too.
All the people I’ve ever dealt with there were very, very nice.
Satelite^Gal is from Newfoundland, so in the past 4 years, I’ve had alot of exposure to the dialect.
It’s typically pronounced “Newfin’land”, as if “to newf” is a verb, and this is a place where people go newfing. Judging by the newfoundlanders I know, newfing must be a pretty fun thing to do on a Saturday night… 
S^G
More specifically, where is Satellitegal from?
[Now all the jokes begin - Dildo, Spread Eagle…etc. ]
What’s the interior like? lost of good lakes for fishing? Also, is the interior warmer in summer?
Finally: screech: a variety of rum…is it good?
I wouldn’t be averse to fishing although I’ve never done it. I like walking, I like swimming, I like drinking and I like history. Hunting would be a no-no.
Interior is underdeveloped. Most of the island is underdeveloped. The fishing is good, but Labrador is better in this regard. Lots of rocky streams and big rivers. If you’re interested in fishing, you may want to do the west coast area, around Corner Brook.
I really can’t comment on screech. I think I’ve only had it at Screech Ins*.
- When a CFA comes to the island , they get him or her drunk and have a little ceremony that involves drinking screech and kissing a cod, or nowadays a puffin, and becoming an honorary Newfoundlander.
'Tis neither “new,” “found,” nor a “land.”
I had a dream last night wherein I was singing “I’s the Bye”.