Page 83 - 2026-2027 Travel Guide to Canada

Special Events
MAY
• SONGS, STAGES, AND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL,
BAY ROBERTS
• TRAILS TALES TUNES FESTIVAL,
NORRIS POINT
JUNE
• THE ICEBERG FESTIVAL, ST. ANTHONY
• NICKEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL,
ST. JOHN’S
JUNE – SEPTEMBER
• COME FROM AWAY, GANDER
JUNE – SEPTEMBER
• GROS MORNE THEATRE FESTIVAL,
COW HEAD
• SEASONS IN THE BIGHT THEATRE
FESTIVAL, TRINITY
JULY
• FISH, FUN & FOLK FESTIVAL, TWILLINGATE
• MIAWPUKEK POWWOW, CONNE RIVER
• OCHRE FEST, OCHRE PIT COVE
JULY – AUGUST
• FESTIVAL OF FLIGHT, GANDER
AUGUST
• BRIGUS BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL
• MUDDY HOLE SCUFF’N SCOFF,
MUSGRAVE HARBOUR
• ROYAL ST. JOHN’S REGATTA
• WRITERS AT WOODY POINT,
GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK
SEPTEMBER
• GROS MORNE FALL FEST AND CRAFT FAIR
DECEMBER
• NORTH AMERICA’S FIRST NEW YEAR,
ST. JOHN’S
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/
things-to-do/festivals-and-events
thrust the earth’s crust upward (www.parks.
canada.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne).
Tellingly, the extraordinary animal fossils
discovered at the province’s most recently
inscribed UNESCO site, the 5.7-sq.-km
(2.2-sq.-mi.) Mistaken Point Ecological
Reserve, date back further still. With a
discerning eye and a knowledgeable guide,
you can spot 20 different species embedded
right on the surface of the wave-washed rocks.
Representing the oldest complex multi-
cellular life forms ever found, they are more
than half a billion years old (www.gov.nl.ca/
eccc/natural-areas/wer/r-mpe).
Such ancient attractions—together with
others that are officially protected, privately
operated or provided by Mother Nature—are
tangible reminders of Newfoundland &
Labrador’s timeless appeal.
NL
81
A LARGE WHITE ICEBERG FORMATION FLOATING IN THE COLD OCEAN WITH LAYERS OF TEXTURED
ICE AND SNOW. FERRYLAND, NEWFOUNDLAND • DOLORES HARVEY/ADOBE STOCK
WHAT’S NEW?
Marine Atlantic has leased a new passenger
ferry to operate routes between Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland. It will be powered in
part by liquid natural gas, as well as diesel
fuel, and lithium batteries will help cut down
on carbon emissions for green efficiency.
Iceberg seekers have a new adventure option
with the local family-owned Whaler’s Quest
Ocean Adventures in Red Bay, Labrador
(www.whalersquest.ca).
A number of enchancements have been
announced for popular destinations and
infrastructure in Gros Morne National Park.
Improvements will be made on the highway
leading to L’Anse aux Meadows and the road
from Woody Point to Trout River, and
Western Brook Bridge is being replaced
along Hwy. 430. As well, upgrades are being
made to the Tablelands and L’Anse aux
Meadows parking lots to improve visitor
experience and safety (www.parks.canada.ca/
pn-np/nl/grosmorne).
Combining stories, music and food, the
new Bites of Basque History program lets
visitors experience life in the past lane at
Red Bay National Historic Site (www.parks.
canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/redbay).
CITY LIGHTS
St. John’s is a compelling mix of old and
new. Designated heritage venues and classic
Crayola-coloured houses blend with
contemporary office buildings in this upbeat
seaport. Boutiques, galleries and restaurants,
many of which give tradition a modern
twist, are plentiful here. So are bars: jumping
George Street reputedly has more per square
metre than any street in North America! The
province’s largest urban centre also boasts its
broadest selection of accommodations,
including business class and boutique
hotels, historic inns and quaint B&Bs
(www.stjohns.ca).
Corner Brook, the province’s second
largest city, makes a convenient base for
sports and nature-loving day trippers. Sitting
in the shadow of the Blow Me Down
Mountains, it puts visitors within easy reach
of both Marble Mountain and Humber
Valley. An average annual 5-m. (16-ft.)
snowfall draws an international contingent
of downhill and cross-country skiers to the
former each winter, while the latter is a
favourite locale for anglers and golfers.
Sailing or kayaking on the boater-friendly
Bay of Islands is a memorable summertime
alternative (www.cornerbrook.com).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
This province boasts a 29,000-km
(18,020-mi.) coast and land that
encompasses everything from daunting
mountains and dense boreal forests to
starkly beautiful barrens. So, naturally, it has
much in store.
For starters, it is home to four national
parks, including Akami-Uapishku
-
KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park
Reserve—Atlantic Canada’s newest and
largest—which is working towards
developing natural and cultural tourism
opportunities for visitors. In this early
phase, potential visitors should be aware
that programs are limited, with minimal
infrastructure. The remaining three—Gros
Morne in western Newfoundland, Terra
Nova in eastern Newfoundland, which is
now a designated Dark Sky Preserve, and the
Torngat Mountains on Labrador’s northern-
most tip—are all stand-outs in their own