St. John's Guide

Newfoundland was until 1949 an independent island, when it became part of Canada. The name derives from the English New Found Land. Although the Vikings are recognised as being the first Europeans to come here, it is in fact John Cabot who is widely believed to have given the capital city its name - St. John's. He first arrived here in 1497. Nearly 100 years later the British claimed the island as an overseas colony for Queen Elisabeth 1.

The first thing I did when I got here was to be told that my long held beliefs on the pronunciation of the island were completely wrong. I've said 'Newfoundland all my life. It is in fact Newfound'land. Like most people, I headed straight for St. John's, by far and away the biggest conurbation. Indeed, four times bigger than the next in size Mount Pearl which has a population of around 25,000. Before coming I was told that St. John's had a superlative climate, which at the time I didn't really understand. What the person meant of course was that of all the major Canadian cities this one is the wettest, foggiest, snowiest, cloudiest and windiest.

The city's main economic activity was cod fishing - the white fish found mainly in the North Atlantic. However, from the late 1980's less and less fish were being caught and the government effectively banned cod fishing to protect the species. This was a major blow to the region. However, the sea instead provided them with oil and gas reserves to exploit which now is the principal activity.

I'll admit that before coming I'd never heard of this city, or at least I thought I'd never heard of it. Just 10 minutes with my nose in a guide book changed that. Where do you think the first known letter to be sent from North America came from? Of course, St. John's in 1527. Ok, so that's not so well known. But you've heard of Marconi, the man who invented the radio? Guess where he received the first Trans-Atlantic telegraph. Here. And we all know Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1919, landing gloriously in Ireland. Well, the journey had to begin somewhere. And where better than St. John's. I mentioned before that Newfoundland was the first British colony overseas and it was officially claimed on the waterfront of St. John's - and so this was the first building block of the British Empire.

So, what to look out for when you're here. Firstly there are two 'traditions'. These in fact started out as jokes by the locals on visitors but have in fact become popular tourist activities. The first is Kissing the Cod. Remember that fish mentioned earlier? Well, as a visitor you have to kiss one, thankfully now not a real one. The second is called the 'screech - in'. You simply have to drink a glass of Jamaican rum. Screech in English means a little scream of displeasure. You can imagine how this rum tastes. All good entertainment for the locals!

I did both of these and actually got a certificate declaring me an as honorary Newfoundlander, which is not such a small matter when you consider it. The people here are extremely nice. They genuinely welcome you. The sense of community is astonishing. Everyone seems to know everyone and if you ever need help there's 100,000 people ready to do just that. Just a quick note. You may hear the locals referring to each other as Newfies. They can do so, but it's considered offensive if someone from outside the area does it. You should refer to them as Newfoundlanders.

So, what do us Newfoundlanders eat? Well, we love Golden food. That is to say deep fried seafood in golden batter or breadcrumbs. You might try fish and brewis, fish mixed with boiled bread, or a jig's dinner, similar to a roast dinner based on meat. Any big meal here is called a 'scoff', and if dancing is involved afterwards it's a 'scoff and scuff'.

And to drink, sir? Well, a fair bit actually. St. John's has the highest alcohol consumption per head in all of Canada. George Street has the highest density of bars on the North American continent. They go big on beer, especially locally produced ones. There's a large number of small independent breweries who mostly sell only to the local area and the choice is extensive.

So apart from kissing fish, screeching and scoffing what else can you do here? Loads. Just go outside, with a waterproof jacket, and look around. The scenery is breathtaking. Take a boat trip to watch the whales. Go hiking along the cliffs and through the forests. Go fishing, sailing - anything connected to the ocean. I'd wouldn't worry about bringing a swimming costume though.