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Newfoundland (pronounced with the accent on the last syllable - "NewfoundLAND," the same cadence as "understand"). The first place that the sun rises in the North America also claims the first European settlement inon the continent. The Vikings made regular journeys to an outpost in Newfoundland to collect wood and haul it back home. Newfoundland has seen many waves of settlement throughout its history. The cold waters of the Labrador Current and the warm Gulf Stream, two of the world’s largest ocean currents, meet in this the area. The mix makes for an extremely rich marine environment. The diversity of fish and larger water animals has always meant a stable food supply for the area. Seal, whale, wild Atlantic Salmon, cod, lobster and shrimp are just a few of the animals that live in the waters of Newfoundland. This has drawn visitors to the shores from the days of wandering tribes of hunter gathers to modern day fishermen who settled and built permanent homes in this northern land. The first people to live along this coast were the Maritime Archaic Indians. Crossing the Strait of Belle Isle some 5000 years ago, they inhabited most of the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador for around 1300 years. The story of the Maritime Archaic Indians ends about 4000 years ago. It was during this time that the Paleoeskimos moved into northern Labrador. These people had been moving across the Arctic from the west, eventually moving southward into Labrador and Newfoundland. It is not known if the Maritime Archaic Indians died off due to starvation after several bad years of hunting, if the climate became cold and left them unprepared, or if they were eliminated by the Paleoeskimos. The Palaeoeskimos were the next people to begin inhabiting this coast, during a period of climactic cooling. Their lifestyle was similar to that of the Maritime Archaic Indians, and they used many similar tools. The Palaeoeskimos are classified into three distinct groups or cultures: Pre-Dorset culture; Groswater culture and Middle Dorset culture. Each groups shared similarites with the others. Generally, as time progresses from pre-Dorset to Middle Dorset culture, tools and hunting practices became more advanced. All groups used the harp seal as a main food source, taking up camp on headlands to catch them whelping. While Pre-Dorset culture depended almost exclusively on these animals, it is thought that the Groswater culture also hunted land animals. It is not known exactly when the last of the Palaeoeskimos – the Middle Dorset culture, left Newfoundland and Labrador, but Inuit legend tells that there were Dorset people in Labrador when the Thule arrived in Labrador 500 years ago Recent native cultures to inhabit the island include the Beothuks, Mi'kmaqs, Innu and Inuit. The most recent remains of these people to have been found are at Cow Head and Green Point, which date back some 1000 years ago. It is mostly speculation that these groups used the area where the national park is now, because of their occupation of surrounding areas. When the Europeans arrived on the east and northern coasts of Newfoundland during the 1500's,
they met the Beothuks. It is probably from these people where the term "Red Indians"
originated, as they liked to decorate themselves with red ochre powder. Sadly, this native culture
is now extinct due mostly to unfamiliar European diseases. Most of the information we have comes
from the last known Beothuk, Shanawdithit, through her descriptions and drawings. She died of
tuberculosis in 1829. Archeological records show Paleo-Eskimos in residence followed by later groups of native people. The Viking visitors did not settle in the area. Apparently there was some misunderstanding between the natives in residence and the intruders which ended the European presence for many centuries. An Italian exporer, Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) is generally credited with the the discovery of Newfoundland in 1497. The Frenchman, Jacques Cartier landed at Cow Head on June 16, 1534. In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland as Britain's first colony for Queen Elizabeth I. In the 1600 and 1700s the French and British argued about who would have the right to the wealth of resources in the area. Under the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), France lost its claim to Newfoundland, but were allowed to fish along parts of the coast between Cape Bonavista and Point Riche. The French were not allowed to settle in this area, however, they were permitted to land and dry their catch onshore. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris prevented Britain's subjects from settling on this shore. The park area came under the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, when the French shore was extended from Cape St. John to Cape Ray. in 1904, when France accepted a cash payment and a settlement of imperial disputes in Africa as an exchange for the French Shore. With this, the entire island of Newfoundland came under British rule, and the west coast settlements were legally recognized.During the second World War, the United States had built four large air and naval bases on the island, and Canada was fearful of Newfoundland joining the US. After a lot of fuss and debate, Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. The oldest British colony became Canada's youngest province. Joined Canada in 1949.
Photo Workshop Pictures of Newfoundland
Horizon & Co - Earth to Human Tour - The first lesson you'll need to learn to get along in Newfoundland is how to say the name correctly. The word is pronounced with the accent on the last syllable - "NewfoundLAND," the same cadence as "underSTAND". After that all you have to do is relax and let the Newfies that you meet take care of you. Whether the rough winter weather or the small population is the cause, the result is a warm and friendly group of people who go out of their way to make any stranger into a lifelong friend. The trip was created by David Maggs, a graduate student in Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of British Columbia, and also pianist and director of Gros Morne Summer Music. His interest in ecology, arts and culture, and history inspired him to arrange this unique itinerary through his native Newfoundland with the help of Anne Marceau, an interpretation specialist from Parks Canada. The tour was produced by Horizon and Co., a Canadian luxury and adventure tour company which offers a variety of tours ranging from literary sojourns to culinary expeditions to African safaris . More recently, they’ve gotten involved in eco-tourism and created a tour on behalf of Canada’s World Wildlife Fund in order to expose its members to the wildlife they want to protect. The ‘Earth to Human’ theme fits under the eco-tour umbrella. With 12 participants on the tour and 5 guides, it was very easy to get one’s questions answered. Our Horizon guide Richard Perron was an adventure tour leader for years and completed some incredible journeys like skiing to the North Pole. We also had two naturalist interpreters: Anne Marceau and Michael Burzynski, an enthusiastic Ecosystem Scientist. On the cultural side were David Maggs and Dr. Michael Newton, a Professor from Memorial University who teaches a class called ‘Spirituality and the Earth’. And then there was the Azmari String Quartet who were spending the summer traveling around Gros Morne playing inspiring music, and thanks to David Maggs’ scheduling their concerts, were able to join our group on occasion to perform several private concerts for our group. Gros Morne - A Cultural History DESTINATIONS Gros Morne National Park - A Guide to the Trails! The
Alaska of the East. Stephen Jermanok, Backpacker, October 2003 The Viking Trail - The Caves - Port-aux-Choix - Phillip's Garden - We were off early to Port-aux-Choix, a historic site halfway up the western peninsula. It was a drizzly day, but the walk to Phillips Gardens was beautiful. At the site, archeologists were busy digging the remains of a Dorset house. Pricilla Renouf, the main archeologist and Canada Research Chair at Memorial University, met us there and explained that Phillips Gardens is the best spot in Newfoundland to hunt harp seals and is also the richest place to find the Dorset people’s remains. The Dorsets were Paleoeskimo people who lived
here 1,200 to 1,800 years ago. The dirt is black from hundreds of years of seal oil. What was
especially interesting is that over 90% of the bones found at this site of over 100 Dorset houses
were from seals, even though caribou came to these fields every day and fish would have been plentiful
as well; the Dorset people hunted caribou and fished in different areas because they considered
it disrespectful to the seal to hunt something else in a place so perfect for seal hunting. Wild Salmon & Fishing Torrent River - After a restful sleep and filling breakfast we were off along the boardwalk to view the salmon holes, where we happened to meet Trevor Pilgrim, the initiator of this sustainable project. He described the journey of the salmon through a mile of underground caves created when water dissolved the calcium in the limestone over thousands of years. We drove to Torrent River where Bill Maynard, owner of the Torrent River Inn, showed us a project to re-introduce salmon to the Torrent River, which had always been one of the best spots in the area to fly-fish, but which had been heavily over-fished to the point that the river was down to only 19 salmon in 1969. Now, the river has over 5,000 salmon and is open to catch-and-release fishing, with each fisherman being able to take home four fish a year, the maximum number that is sustainable for this river. Myra Bennett house in Daniel’s Harbour - Myra was a nurse (who acted like a doctor) to the entire area. Her 82-year-old son Trevor Bennett met with us and told us stories about his mother’s work and the way things used to be. When asked, “If you could bring back one thing, what would it be?” “Humanity,” was his immediate response and then, “the versatility of people… People used to do so many things, like make their own snowshoes… When you’d leave the house your mom would say ‘bring your axe’ because you could always cut trees to make a shelter if you needed to.” Gros Morne Theatre Festival - dinner theatre at the Shallow Bay Motel - Next, we were off to Cow Head for the Gros Morne Theatre Festival’s dinner theatre at the Shallow Bay Motel. The show was The S.S. Effie and during the meal, riotous laughter kept breaking out as the actors who served us took on unforgettably obnoxious personalities. The story of the S.S. Effie was a serious one, though: another piece of local history about an old steamer caught in an intense storm. To try to save the passengers, the captain decided to run the ship aground in an area sandy enough that it would not be torn apart. They managed to do so, but were still too far out. Running out of options, they decided to set up a bowman’s chair by attaching a rope to a barrel and sending it afloat towards shore. The plan worked: the people on shore saw the crisis and caught the rope:. Each of the ship’s passengers then got on the bowman’s chair, and eventually they all made it safely. There had been a baby aboard as well, and in another feat of Newfoundland ingenuity, they wrapped her in blankets and put her in a mail sack, attaching it to the rope chair and sending her ashore to safety. It was an inspiring story and I don’t think I’ll ever fear getting on a boat in Newfoundland. The Shallow Bay Motel was less inspiring, however. The furnishings are older and commonplace, and only the rooms with an ocean view are really worth staying in. Bonne Bay Marine Station - the group
visited the Bonne Bay Marine Station, where we learned that Bonne Bay has the greatest biodiversity
of any bay in eastern Canada. The Center has some of Captain Cook’s surveying tools, as he surveyed
the coast for two seasons and established himself as the pre-eminent marine surveyor of the time.
All of the charts in use now are based on his work. There are also many high-tech devices in use
to give the scientists information for their studies of marine life. There is an area here somewhat
like an aquarium where you can see an array of fish, crabs, and coral that inhabit the bay.Activities
at the Bonne Bay Marine Station include aquarium tours and boat tours of Bonne Bay. Guided tours
are available seasonally, from June until August. Appointments for tours can be scheduled in advance
during the off-season. School and group tours can be arranged. A gift shop is located onsite. Tablelands - After lunch, we took the water taxi to Woody Point, the hometown of our beloved bus driver Bruce Martin who knew every single person in the town. We continued on the bus to the Tablelands --- a completely different landscape than almost anywhere else on the planet. Our resident interpreters Anne Marceau and Michael Burzynski explained that the Tablelands were formed when the tectonic plates of North America and Europe collided, and it is one of only five places on earth where you can see the sequence of rocks from mantle to ocean sediment exposed. It looks extremely dry with its red canyon cliffs, more like someplace you’d find in New Mexico than Newfoundland. It is actually not that dry, but has such high levels of iron in its Peridotite stone that it is very difficult for plants to grow. The plants are trying to adapt, though. They showed us a few that were able to survive here, such as the pitcher plant, which allows some insects to subsist and even hatch their larvae in the deep pockets of water in its leaves. Anne pointed out that “Survival of the fittest has led us down the wrong path and taught us to be competitive. Now, we’re looking at examples of cooperation in nature --- the pitcher plant is one.” It also happens to be the provincial flower of Newfoundland. Newfoundland's Fjords - Western Brook Pond - The next morning we took the boat tour of Western Brook Pond – a deep pond surrounded by high cliffs. It was a nice 45-minute walk to the dock via boardwalks and gravel paths. This trip is one of the most popular highlights in Gros Morne National Park and it certainly is beautiful – best if you have time to climb up to the point where the most famous pictures of the park are taken. Kayaking - Some of us took part in an optional kayak trip to see whales in beautiful Norris Point Animals - Caribou, Moose, Cayotes and Bears L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site - Viking Settlement & Reenactors - breakfast with the Vikings. We ate in a sod longhouse with a very spirited group of actors playing the part of crass Vikings who shared songs and stories with us. Our breakfast was catered by one of the best restaurants in the area, The Norseman Restaurant & Art Gallery (Gina Hodge - 877-623-2018) , and included Viking specialties of apples sautéed with sausage and onions, flatbread, and some more familiar dishes. At the visitor’s center we learned that L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site was a Viking settlement 1,000 years ago. This was actually the first European discovery of North America. Archeologists did not find this site until 1960 and have since excavated many of the longhouses. They’ve even found a blacksmith’s hut, where the first Viking settlers made iron nails for repairing their ships by smelting the ore found in peat. Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve - Burnt Cape Café ice cream, frost polygons and the hope of saving rare plants and a community. Screeching In - Seaside Restaurant in Trout River - Our closing dinner at the Seaside Restaurant in Trout River was excellent. The mussels were the best I’ve ever tasted and incredibly fresh. Members of our group who’d never been to Newfoundland were “screeched in” - that is, made honorary Newfoundlanders by kissing a cod and drinking cod liver oil and moonshine, for which we each received a certificate. I’ll definitely be sure to bring my “screeched in” certificate with me next time I visit Newfoundland, if only to avoid repeating the ceremony! Woody Point - Old Loft Restaurant & St. Patrick's Church - We had a delicious dinner at the Old Loft Restaurant in Woody Point. I had the delectable Fisherman’s Platter with shrimp, scallops, and of course, cod. Afterwards the Azmari Quartet gave a mesmerizing performance in the historic and quaint St. Patrick’s church in Woody Point. The church was moved here from another community in winter across the frozen bay to its spot hill on the hill. Middle Brook Cabins & Motel in Glenburnie Barb Genge - Tuckamore Lodge - The owner of Tuckamore Lodge, Barb Genge, spoke about her short stint in Toronto and her longing to return to her native Newfoundland. Since the cod moratorium in ’91 saw the collapse of the fisheries, many people had to leave the island in search of work in Ontario or other provinces. Barb ended up coming home and found work at a local community development association, where she launched a series of initiatives which were unpopular at the time because they were considered too radical. They included cleaning up the rivers and starting a cottage industry in bird down that would eventually allow local women to collect the feathers and sell them. According to Barb “There’s more power in a blunt pencil than a sharp knife.” With her characteristic warmth, easy laughter, and Newfoundland twang, she told us how she started the Tuckamore Lodge without much money and in the beginning would even collect redeemable bottles at 5am to pay her mortgage. Now the popular lodge attracts both hunting and non-hunting clientele. Her pride in being a Newfoundlander was revealed when she said, “I’m a Newfoundlander and I do what I do so I can stay here.” Number of Rooms: 13 http://www.tuckamorelodge.com/ Tuckamore Lodge Outdoor Canada Interview With Barb Genge Trip To Tuckamore Lodge ( Salmon River at Main Brook) Tuckamore Lodge Newfoundland - Canadian Dream - Moose Caribou & Black Bear A Newfoundland Bowhunting Adventure The Independent - Adventure playground Greenwood Guides - Tuckamore Lodge
Relocation - After dinner, local author John Steffler read from his books about the government’s relocation program and the resulting ghost towns and cultural upheaval, and read poetry highlighting Newfoundland’s creatures like fish and moose. Java Jack’s - Economuseum at The Dark Tickle - Economic Ecology - Next, we stopped in St. Lunaire at the Dark Tickle jam factory, an example of a very successful business based on harvesting the local berries and producing quality jams. The owner spoke with us about his expanding business and about Newfoundland. When asked what he likes most about his homeland he said, “It’s the freedom, the open spaces.” Newfoundland Wine Tasting - Sugar Hill Inn - a lovely B&B called Sugarhill Inn located along the route in Norris Point which is within the boundaries of Gros Morne National Park. It's run by Vince McCarthy and Marina Sexton and has a well deserved reputation for lavish food and good wine. http://www.sugarhillinn.nf.ca/
P.O. Box 100 Travel Canada - Pick your playground from a cool clickable map of the entire country or browse the categories for activities, attractions trip planner and package finder to top Canadian destinations nationwide. Lonely Planet World Guide: Canada - Our favorite travel guide takes on the Canuks with an in-depth travel guide from coast to coast featuring "a lot more...than maple trees, Niagara Falls and wide open spaces." Tour Canada without leaving your desk - A simple link list powers this extensive resource for travel and tourism, images, heritage, culture and entertainment, news and more. Tourism Toronto - Canada's largest city, with plenty of attractions by season, or browse the left-hand menu for more on getting there and getting around, practical tips, a complete virtual tour of Toronto neighborhoods and a bit of history... Bonjour Quebec.com - Wonderful French flavor worthy of the city itself with photos, maps and complete information on attractions both in town and in the surrounding countryside, restaurant and hotel guide, online travel booking, event calendar and fun travel facts. British Columbia Travel and Tourism Guide - A good guide to the Canadian Pacific Northwest including hotel, restaurant and adventure guides, online booking. Prince Edward Island Visitors Guide - Places to stay and things to do, pictures and video clips, with more in-depth information in the surprisingly complete Island in Brief. Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority - The official site with extensive info for shopping and dining, local attractions, current weather reports, online booking, image galleries and event calendar Yukon, Canada's True North - Cool. Check out that interactive Flash trip planner and print out your route along the Alaska Highway, with more on accommodations, tours, event calendar, maps.
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