It is one of the best-kept vacation secrets on the continent. The air is clean, the people are friendly and the vistas. Everywhere you go you'll find people willing to tell you the history of their area. Newfoundlanders are proud of their past and have conserved many artifacts in local museums.

There are two distinct parts to Newfoundland and Labrador. The island of Newfoundland, located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, is about half way between the centre of North America and Western Europe. Its location has always been key to its history. The Vikings landed here 1,000 years ago and established the first European settlement in the New World. During the past two centuries the island has been the landing site of the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable, the jump-off for the first non-stop air crossing of that great ocean and the spot where Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless message.

Many of the most beautiful scenic areas are parks. There are over 80 provincial parks throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Whether you plan to camp for a week or just enjoy a leisurely walk in the woods, you'll find place that suits your fancy.

Please choose your Newfoundland "doggy destination" from the menu on the left.

And don't think we've forgotten Newfoundland's most beloved and famous of all dogs...

Origin of the Newfoundland Dog

There are many conflicting stories as to the origin of the Newfoundland. It is agreed only that he is one of the older breeds of dogs in existence today. He may not have originated in Newfoundland, though skeletons of giant dogs have been discovered in Indian gravesites in Newfoundland dating from the 5th century, AD One of the more appealing speculations rests on the legend that when Leif Erikson discovered North America about 1000 AD, he had aboard his boat a large black dog resembling a Newfoundland, called "Oolum." It is recorded that early in the 19th century some Norwegians kept and used Newfoundland-like dogs for bear and wolf hunting. The first record of the Newfoundland dog on the island whose name he bears dates from 1732 when an unknown author wrote, "The Bear Dog of a very large size is very watchful, his business is to guard a court or house, and has a thundering voice." It is possible, too, that some Great Pyrenees were bred to this Newfoundland dog by the Basque fishermen sailing between Newfoundland and their homeland. The breed as we know it today was developed largely in 19th century England and America. The Newfoundland is an ancestor of the present day Labrador and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, which follow the Newfoundland in their natural swimming ability. The rough-coated St. Bernard owes its coat to the Newfoundland.

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