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Home > Travel Canada > Canada Destinations > St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador (City)
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador (City)
Canada is a country in the northern half of North America. The Canadian city of Saint John's is the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, its largest city and the oldest city in Canada. Saint John's is a sister city with Waterford, Ireland. Saint John's is the oldest British-founded settlement in North America. Tradition declares that the city earned its name when explorer John Cabot became the first European to sail into the harbour, on June 24, 1497 the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. However, the exact locations of Cabot's landfalls are disputed. A series of expeditions to Saint John's by Portuguese in the Azores followed in the early 16th century, and by 1540 French, Basques and Portuguese crossed the Atlantic annually to fish the waters off the Avalon Peninsula. In 2001 the population was 99,512 and metropolitan population was 172,918.
In the Basque Country, it is a common belief that the name of Saint John's was given by Basque fishermen because the bay of Saint John's is very similar to the Bay of Pasaia in the Basque Country, where one of the fishing towns surrounding it, is also called Saint John. The city is located on the beautiful northeast coast of the Avalon Peninsula in southeastern Newfoundland, and on the large Atlantic Ocean. It is the most easterly city in North America, as well as the second largest city in Atlantic Canada after Halifax, Nova Scotia. The downtown area exists to the north of Saint John's Harbour and the rest of the city expands uphill to the west, north, and east. Saint John's is the largest city in census division number 1.
Of all major cities of Canada, St John's is the cloudiest, foggiest, windiest, snowiest and wettest. However, Saint John's has the third mildest winter in comparison to other Canadian cities. Saint John's has a maritime climate with cool-to-warm summers and relatively mild winters. Saint John's is the home of the Saint John's Fog Devils, a junior hockey team in the QMJHL, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Fog Devils' home stadium is Mile One Centre in downtown Saint John's. Victoria, British Columbia is the western terminus. The city is served by Saint John's International Airport.
Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and gain enthusiasm in its natural beauty and populace. Saint John enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers.
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