Social ConventionsNewfoundland society shows the dominant influence of northern European - especially English and Irish, but also French - settlers in its dialects, folk music and dance. Aboriginal peoples with distinct cultures and traditions include the Mi’kmaq on Newfoundland and the Inuit, Innu and Métis in Labrador. Geographical isolation nurtured a fiercely independent spirit in the province, which joined the Canadian Union as late as 1949.
International Travel:Getting There by AirAir Canada (AC) (website:
www.aircanada.com) operates regular
services to Newfoundland and Labrador. Other airlines also serve the province.
Main AirportsGander (YQX) (website:
www.ganderairport.com) is 3km (2 miles) from the city center.
To/from the airport: A 24-hour taxi service is available from the domestic arrivals area and
DRL Coachlines Ltd (tel: (709) 263 2171
or 1 888 263 1854, in Canada and the USA; website:
www.drlgroup.com) operates a daily scheduled passenger coach service across Newfoundland.
Facilities: Car parking, restaurant, duty-free shop and banks.
St John’s (YYT) (website:
www.stjohnsairport.com) is 8km (5 miles) from the city center (journey time - 15 minutes).
To/from the airport: A taxi service is available.
Facilities: Gift shop, duty-free shop, restaurant and pub.
Other major airports are at
Deer Lake (YDF),
St Anthony (YAY), and
Wabush (YWK).
Getting There by WaterA year-round daily passenger and vehicle ferry service runs between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques on Newfoundland’s southwest coast. Summer services run between North Sydney and Argentia on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula, mid June to mid September. Reservations can be made with
Marine Atlantic (tel: (709) 695 4200; website:
www.marine-atlantic.ca). There is also a summer ferry to the French islands of St Pierre & Miquelon from Fortune on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula (tel: 1 800 563 2006, in Canada and the USA; website:
www.spmexpress.net).
Intra-provincial ferries connect island communities with larger towns. A seasonal ferry (tel: 1 866 535 2567, in Canada and the USA) connects Blanc Sablon in southern Labrador and St Barbe on Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula with an 80-minute crossing from April to January. Remote communities on the Labrador coast and Newfoundland’s south coast are also served by coastal boats. All intra-provincial ferry services can be checked online (website:
www.gov.nl.ca/ferryservices). Also available on this website are details of a summer car ferry service between Lewisporte on Newfoundland’s northwest coast and Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Lake Melville in Labrador.
Getting There by RailA passenger service provided by
The Québec North Shore & Labrador Railway (tel: (709) 944 8205) operates between Sept Isles in Québec and Labrador City in western Labrador.
Getting There by RoadA modern paved highway (Route 1, the Trans-Canada Highway) crosses Newfoundland from Port aux Basques in the southwest to the capital of St John’s in the east. The distance is 928km (580 miles). Paved secondary roads connect most communities to the main highway. Visitors can reach western Labrador along a partially paved highway from Baie Comeau, Québec. Route 500, dubbed the ‘Freedom Road’ by residents, crosses Labrador from Happy Valley Goose Bay to Wabush and connects at the Québec-Labrador boundary with Québec Route 389. There are limited services along this road.
Bus:
DRL Coachlines (tel: (709) 263 2171
or 1 888 263 1854, in Canada and the USA; website:
www.drlgroup.com) operates a daily scheduled bus service between St John’s and Port aux Basques (Route 1). Stops along the route include Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and Corner Brook (journey time - 14 hours). Route 510 connects communities along Labrador’s southeast coast between Red Bay and Cartwright with Class A gravel, but is usually closed for a couple of months after the Christmas period due to snow conditions. The road is paved for the first 85km (53 miles) to Red Bay and is Class A gravel from there to Charlottetown, a distance of 160km (100 miles). From L’Anse au Claire to Cartwright is 400km (250 miles).
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