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Dig about for the Macleans Canadian sexual satisfaction survey.
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Read what it says about Newfoundland.
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Move there.
Another Newfoundlander checking in. Life-long resident of St. John’s. Great place to live.
As for The Shipping News, I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment on how the portrayals of life match up to reality, but as it was shot here, the scenery should be right.
Quite a number of Newfoundlanders have moved to other parts of Canada for work, especially to places like Alberta and the NWT (thus the numbers in Yellowknife). As I understand it, the growing trend is for folks to work part of the year at high-paying jobs in the Alberta oil patch and other resource industries, then spend the rest of the year at home. They make big money while living in company dorms leaving them with more cash to spend at home where it goes farther. Sweet if you like it, I guess.
St. John’s is a fine spot. About 170,000 people in the metro area. Lots of cultural stuff and there’s the aforementioned George Street for those that want to party. As others have said, the people are very friendly and although we have our share of crimes, the murder rate is nearly non-existant. Hell, it’s only in the last decade or less that the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary started to carry sidearms while on patrol.
It’s home to Memorial University, the largest college in Atlantic Canada. MUN has a sizeable body of international students and faculty, so the city has a growing number of ethnic groups represented. We certainly try to be cosmopolitan and we reap the benefits of other cultures and cuisines while so far avoiding any serious issues of bigotry. In Newfoundland a man in a turban will more likely be assumed a doctor than a service worker.
As this is starting to sound like a recruiting brochure, I’ll stop now and head off to the satisfying sex. 
Another great cinematic moment from Newfoundland–(Lord knows there aren’t many)–Jimmy Stewart as Lindbergh in the Spirit of St. Louis, flying low past the stunning backdrop of Signal Hill and the Cabot Tower and heading out over the Atlantic. It was his last glimpse of civilization before beginning the most dangerous phase of his flight, the night ocean crossing. A dramatic and visually striking scene.
Yes. However, lots and lots of Newfs head away from home when they need work, since the economy there isn’t so hot. There are very large populations of Newfoundlanders in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and perhaps most notably, Fort McMurry, in northern Alberta.
Fort McMurray. The Oil Sands.
I have seen the movie and read the book. We studied it in Univeristy for my Newfoundland Lit course. There was a great deal of debate as to it should be studied in such a course as Ms Proulx is not a NLer. but I digress…
The movie was filmed very close to where I am living, in Trinity. It is beautiful there. Spectauclar scenery.
Some of the stuff in the movie is true and realistic. I think there was a scene where they moved a house across the water. A lot of homes were moved this way during “Resettlement,” a time when people in rural areas were moved to larger centers. This was an organized event. People are still moving, but more piecemeal, not a whole community at a time.
Other stuff in the movie does not stand out at the moment… refresh my memory if you like.
I have been living in rural NL for the past year, but grew up in “town.” Most people around here go to the “mainland” to work. A number of people have gone to PEI and New Brunswick as well to work in fish plants. One of the local fishplants in this area is having a hard time getting people to work.
I suppose this trend may be one of the reasons that NLers have a reputation for living on the dole. A lot of people go away to work, “get their stamps” and live on EI for the rest of the year.
Storyguide; don’t stop with the sell job… we need the tourists! And you know we’ll treat you right 