Stories from Newfoundland and Labrador | Share NL https://sharenl.ca/category/all-posts/ Stories From Newfoundland & Labrador Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:53:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://sharenl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/cropped-cropped-NL-Round-Logo-2-32x32.webp Stories from Newfoundland and Labrador | Share NL https://sharenl.ca/category/all-posts/ 32 32 Free Colouring Books Have Arrived on ShareNL.ca! https://sharenl.ca/free-colouring-books/ Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:03:33 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=783 We’re excited to introduce a brand-new section on ShareNL.ca — Free Colouring Books, starting with two books inspired by Newfoundland and Labrador! Berry Season —...

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We’re excited to introduce a brand-new section on ShareNL.ca — Free Colouring Books, starting with two books inspired by Newfoundland and Labrador!

Berry Season — featuring some of the wild berries, homemade treats and familiar scenes that make berry season in Newfoundland so special.

Newfoundland Boat Tour — grab your crayons and head out around the coast with whales, puffins, icebergs, fishing villages and more!

And yes… they’re completely FREE!

Print the entire book at once, or choose and print individual pages. They’re great for kids, adults, classrooms, daycares and community groups — and anyone who loves to colour!

Browse & print the FREE colouring books here:
https://sharenl.ca/free-colouring-books/

#ShareNL #NewfoundlandAndLabrador #FreeColouringBooks #ColouringPages #FreePrintables #Newfoundland #FamilyFun

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Shipwrecks of Newfoundland: Tragedy, Survival and Heroes of the Sea https://sharenl.ca/newfoundland-shipwrecks/ Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:01:06 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=723 From storm-battered steamships to wartime freighters resting beneath Conception Bay, Newfoundland’s shipwrecks tell stories not only of disaster, but of courage, community and an enduring...

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From storm-battered steamships to wartime freighters resting beneath Conception Bay, Newfoundland’s shipwrecks tell stories not only of disaster, but of courage, community and an enduring relationship with the sea.

On a grey Newfoundland morning, the ocean can seem to erase the horizon. Fog settles against the cliffs, seabirds vanish into the mist, and the steady Atlantic swell rolls toward a coastline carved into coves, headlands, islands and reefs. From shore, there may be little to suggest what lies beneath.

But Newfoundland’s waters hold the remains of generations of ships.

Some were driven onto rocks by winter gales. Others disappeared in fog or darkness. Some carried passengers, fishermen and freight between isolated communities. During the Second World War, others were deliberately sent to the bottom by enemy torpedoes.

Together, these wrecks form an extraordinary underwater record of Newfoundland’s maritime past — a history in which tragedy is inseparable from remarkable stories of survival and rescue.

An Island Shaped by the Sea

For centuries, ships were Newfoundland’s highways.

Before roads connected much of the island, schooners and coastal steamers carried people, food, mail and supplies from community to community. Fishing vessels worked offshore grounds while ocean-going ships passed Newfoundland on voyages between Europe and North America.

The same geography that made Newfoundland important to Atlantic navigation also made its coast dangerous. Fog, reefs, powerful seas, winter ice and rapidly changing weather could turn an ordinary passage into an emergency.

The Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland & Labrador maintains records of wrecks scattered around the province, documenting vessels ranging from small schooners to passenger steamers and wartime freighters. Their stories span centuries.

Yet numbers and wreck locations reveal only part of the history. Again and again, the most memorable chapters begin after a ship strikes the rocks — when somebody on shore realizes lives are in danger.

Isle aux Morts: A Family Runs Toward the Storm

One of Newfoundland’s greatest rescue stories unfolded at Isle aux Morts in 1828.

The immigrant ship Despatch was wrecked on offshore reefs during a hurricane. According to the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, George Harvey, his 17-year-old daughter Ann and 12-year-old son Tom helped rescue more than 150 people from the stricken vessel.

It was an astonishing act of courage.

George Harvey received recognition from the Royal Humane Society of Great Britain, but the family’s story did not end there. Ten years later, the Harveys again participated in a maritime rescue when the Rankin was wrecked, saving another 25 men.

Today, Ann Harvey remains one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most celebrated figures of maritime heroism. Her story captures something found repeatedly in the province’s shipwreck history: when strangers appeared in mortal danger offshore, coastal residents often became rescuers.

The Florizel: Disaster Near Cappahayden

Nearly a century later, Newfoundland was shaken by another tragedy.

The Florizel was no anonymous vessel. Built in Scotland in 1909, she had served Newfoundland as a passenger ship, sealing vessel and wartime troop carrier. In October 1914, she carried members of the Newfoundland Regiment overseas.

Then came February 24, 1918.

After leaving St. John’s for Halifax and New York, the Florizel encountered severe winter weather. Navigation became difficult, and the ship struck rocks near Cappahayden on Newfoundland’s Southern Shore.

Memorial University’s Maritime History Archive records 138 people aboard. Only 44 survived.

The wreck became one of the most haunting maritime disasters in Newfoundland history. Contemporary records and later recollections describe enormous seas breaking over the vessel while rescuers struggled to reach survivors stranded frighteningly close to shore.

The Florizel had crossed the Atlantic and carried Newfoundland soldiers toward war. Yet her final voyage ended against the rocks of home.

The Ethie: A Wreck Where Everyone Lived

Not every Newfoundland shipwreck became a story of mass loss.

At Martin’s Point on the west coast, pieces of rusted machinery still lie along the shore within what is now Gros Morne National Park. They are remnants of the SS Ethie, a Reid Newfoundland Company coastal steamer lost on December 11, 1919.

Caught in a violent storm, the Ethie went ashore at Martin’s Point. The Shipwreck Preservation Society records 92 people aboard — 60 passengers and 32 crew.

Every one survived.

A line was established between ship and shore and passengers were brought across using a boatswain’s chair. A small child was famously transported to safety in a mailbag.

The rescue also produced one of Newfoundland’s enduring shipwreck legends: that a heroic dog carried a line ashore. Accounts of a dog’s role have changed considerably over time, and modern retellings have challenged parts of the popular version. What is documented is remarkable enough without embellishment: amid a December storm, local residents and the ship’s crew helped bring every person aboard to safety.

More than a century later, Parks Canada visitors can descend toward the beach and see remains of the Ethie scattered among the stones.

History is not behind glass here. It is rusting beside the Atlantic.

When War Entered Conception Bay

Perhaps Newfoundland’s most extraordinary underwater wreck site lies off Bell Island.

In 1942, Newfoundland was still a separate Dominion and an important Allied base in the Battle of the Atlantic. Bell Island’s iron ore was strategically valuable to wartime steel production.

German submarines came looking for it.

On September 5, German U-boat U-513 attacked ships near Bell Island, sinking the SS Saganaga and SS Lord Strathcona. Two months later, on November 2, U-518 entered Conception Bay and attacked again, sinking the SS Rose Castle and the Free French vessel PLM 27. A torpedo also struck Scotia Pier.

Seventy merchant mariners died in the two attacks, according to Parks Canada.

For Bell Islanders, the Battle of the Atlantic was suddenly not a distant struggle reported from overseas. War had entered their harbour.

The four wrecks remain on the bottom of Conception Bay at depths of roughly 25 to 45 metres. They have become internationally known diving sites, but they are also graves and places of remembrance. Canadian military divers later removed approximately 200 pieces of wartime ammunition from the wrecks during unexploded-ordnance work conducted in 2019 and 2021.

The German U-boat attacks at Bell Island were designated a national historic event in 2019.

St. Lawrence and Lawn: Rescue in a February Sea

The same year brought another catastrophe to Newfoundland’s south coast.

On February 18, 1942, the American destroyer USS Truxtun and supply ship USS Pollux were lost during a winter storm near St. Lawrence and Lawn while travelling toward the American naval base at Argentia.

Of 389 men aboard the two vessels, 203 died.

The survival of the other 186 was due in large measure to residents of St. Lawrence and Lawn, who helped pull exhausted and injured sailors from an unforgiving winter sea and provided shelter afterward.

The wreck sites are considered war graves.

Once again, Newfoundland’s shipwreck history became a story about what happened on land as much as what happened at sea.

Ordinary people became rescuers because there was nobody else to do it.

More Than Wreckage Beneath the Waves

It is tempting to think of shipwrecks as ships frozen at the moment they sank. In reality, wreck sites continue to change. Salt water, currents, storms, corrosion and marine life slowly transform them.

Their stories change too.

Facts become family stories. Family stories sometimes become folklore. Songs are written, monuments erected, artifacts preserved and names passed from one generation to another.

That makes careful preservation especially important. A shipwreck is not simply an interesting object on the seabed. It can be an archaeological site, a workplace lost in disaster, evidence of international conflict and, in some cases, the final resting place of people who never returned home.

To stand on Newfoundland’s coast knowing a wreck lies somewhere beyond the breakers is to see the ocean differently.

The water stops looking empty.

Why It Matters Today

Newfoundland’s shipwrecks remind us how completely the sea shaped life here. They tell of danger and loss, certainly, but they also preserve something deeply human: the instinct of coastal people to help when somebody offshore was in trouble.

From Ann Harvey at Isle aux Morts to the rescuers of the Ethie, the Florizel, the Truxtun and the Pollux, these stories belong not only to maritime history but to community history.

The ships may be disappearing slowly beneath waves, rust and stone, but their stories do not have to disappear with them. Remembering them gives us another way to understand Newfoundland — not simply as an island surrounded by an ocean, but as a place whose identity was forged through generations of living with it.

Do You Have a Shipwreck Story?

Almost every stretch of Newfoundland coastline seems to have a story connected to the sea. Perhaps your community has a wreck known mostly to local residents. Maybe an ancestor participated in a rescue, survived a sinking, worked aboard a coastal steamer or told stories about wreckage that once washed ashore.

We’d love to hear those stories.

Share your memories, family photographs, local knowledge and shipwreck stories in the comments. Together, they can help preserve pieces of Newfoundland and Labrador history that may never appear in an official archive.

History lives through the stories we share.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to read more fascinating Newfoundland and Labrador stories here on ShareNL.ca.

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What’s on Your Perfect Jiggs Dinner Plate? https://sharenl.ca/traditional-jiggs-dinner-ingredients/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:44:49 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=700 There’s something about the smell of a Jiggs Dinner simmering away on the stove that instantly feels like home. Long before anyone gathered around the...

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There’s something about the smell of a Jiggs Dinner simmering away on the stove that instantly feels like home. Long before anyone gathered around the table, the aroma of salt beef, fresh vegetables, and savoury pease pudding filled the house, letting everyone know Sunday dinner was on the way.

For many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, a traditional Jiggs Dinner is much more than a meal—it’s a family tradition. While every household has its own way of preparing it, the classic plate usually includes salt beef, cabbage, carrots, turnip, potatoes, pease pudding, and sometimes cooked greens. Many families also add roast chicken or turkey alongside the salt beef, while others wouldn’t dream of serving it without a generous helping of dressing and rich gravy. And of course, there’s always plenty of leftovers for a cold plate or sandwiches the next day!

What makes Jiggs Dinner so special isn’t just the ingredients—it’s the memories that come with it. Family gathered around the kitchen table, stories being shared, laughter filling the room, and everyone reaching for just one more spoonful of pease pudding.

Now we’d love to hear from you!

What goes into your perfect Jiggs Dinner? Do you make it the traditional way, or does your family have a few special additions? How often do you enjoy a Jiggs Dinner? Do you have any old family recipes or favourite memories of Sunday dinners growing up?

Share your photos, recipes, memories, and stories in the comments below, and don’t forget to tag someone who always makes an unforgettable Jiggs Dinner!

If you enjoy celebrating the traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador, please like this post, leave a comment, and share it with your friends. Be sure to react to and reply to other people’s stories too—that’s what makes the ShareNL community so special.

Let’s keep celebrating everything that makes Newfoundland and Labrador such a wonderful place to call home—one story, one photo, and one memory at a time.

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Who’s Your Favourite Newfoundland and Labrador Entertainer? https://sharenl.ca/favourite-newfoundland-labrador-entertainer/ Sun, 26 Jul 2026 15:04:07 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=695 There’s something special about Newfoundland and Labrador talent. Whether it’s a singer whose songs remind you of home, a musician who gets everyone tapping their...

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There’s something special about Newfoundland and Labrador talent. Whether it’s a singer whose songs remind you of home, a musician who gets everyone tapping their feet, a comedian who can have a room in stitches, an actor who makes us proud on the big screen, a local band that always fills the dance floor, or a comedy troupe that captures our unique sense of humour, we’ve never been short on people who know how to entertain.

With festival season in full swing, you’ll find stages across the province filled with incredible local performers. From waterfront concerts and community festivals to kitchen parties and outdoor shows, it’s one of the best times of year to celebrate the amazing talent that calls this province home.

But the truth is, Newfoundland and Labrador entertainment isn’t just a summer tradition. We enjoy it all year long—in theatres, pubs, community halls, arenas, concert venues, on television, in films, and around countless kitchen tables, where a guitar, accordion, fiddle, or a good story can turn an ordinary evening into one you’ll never forget.

Now we’d love to hear from you!

Who is your favourite Newfoundland and Labrador entertainer?

It could be a singer, musician, actor, comedian, band, comedy troupe, storyteller, or performer of any kind. What makes them your favourite? Have you seen them perform live? Do you have a favourite song, show, movie, or memory?

Share your stories and photos in the comments, and don’t forget to tag the friends and family who love Newfoundland and Labrador entertainment as much as you do.

If you enjoy celebrating everything that makes this province so special, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with your friends, and invite others to join the ShareNL community. Be sure to react to and reply to other people’s memories, too—you never know what great stories you’ll discover.

Let’s keep sharing everything that makes Newfoundland and Labrador such a wonderful place to call home, one story, one photo, and one memory at a time.

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Fish and Brewis, or Fisherman’s Brewis? https://sharenl.ca/fish-and-brewis-or-fishermans-brewis/ Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:15:49 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=689 Few meals spark as much conversation in Newfoundland and Labrador as a hearty plate of brewis. But before we even get to the toppings, there’s...

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Few meals spark as much conversation in Newfoundland and Labrador as a hearty plate of brewis. But before we even get to the toppings, there’s one question that can divide a kitchen table faster than anything else…

Do you call it Fish and Brewis, or Fisherman’s Brewis?

For generations, this humble dish has been a staple of outport life. Hard bread soaked overnight, salt fish flaked to perfection, and a generous drizzle of scrunchions has filled countless homes with unforgettable aromas. Some families add onions, others serve it with mustard pickles or a side of baked beans, while a few have their own secret touch that’s been passed down through the generations.

No matter what you call it, every plate seems to tell a story. It reminds us of family suppers, Sunday dinners, visits to Nan’s house, and traditions that have been lovingly carried forward for decades.

So let’s settle the debate—or maybe keep it going!

What do you call it: Fish and Brewis or Fisherman’s Brewis? And what has to be on your perfect plate? We’d love to know who makes the best you’ve ever tasted, too!

Share your photos, recipes, memories, and stories in the comments below, and don’t forget to tag the family member who’s known for making the best brewis around.

If you enjoy celebrating Newfoundland and Labrador traditions, please like, comment, share this post, and invite your friends to join the ShareNL community. Be sure to reply to other people’s stories and photos as well—it’s those conversations that make this community so special.

Let’s keep sharing everything that makes Newfoundland and Labrador such an incredible place to call home, one story, one photo, and one memory at a time.

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The Haunted Legends of Signal Hill https://sharenl.ca/haunted-legends-of-signal-hill/ Fri, 24 Jul 2026 14:00:32 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=674 Where History, Folklore, and Memory Meet Above St. John’s Harbour A bank of Atlantic fog drifts across the cliffs as evening settles over Signal Hill....

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Where History, Folklore, and Memory Meet Above St. John’s Harbour

A bank of Atlantic fog drifts across the cliffs as evening settles over Signal Hill. The wind whistles around the stone walls of Cabot Tower, carrying the cries of gulls high above St. John’s Harbour. Below, the city lights begin to sparkle across the water while waves crash against the rugged coastline that has guarded this harbour for centuries.

As the last visitors make their way down the trails, the hill grows remarkably quiet.

It is easy to understand why Signal Hill has inspired generations of stories. Few places in Newfoundland and Labrador combine such dramatic scenery with so much history. Soldiers once stood watch here, signalmen scanned the horizon for distant sails, and families anxiously waited for ships carrying fathers, sons, and loved ones home from the sea.

Today, Signal Hill is celebrated as one of Canada’s most important National Historic Sites. Yet alongside its well-documented military and communications history lives another tradition—one passed from generation to generation through local storytelling rather than official records.

Here, history and folklore often stand side by side.

A Hill That Watched History Unfold

For more than three centuries, Signal Hill has overlooked the only entrance into St. John’s Harbour. Its commanding position made it one of the colony’s most important defensive locations.

Fortifications were established around the harbour as early as the seventeenth century, and the hill played a decisive role during the Battle of Signal Hill in September 1762. British forces under Lieutenant-Colonel William Amherst captured the heights overlooking the harbour, gaining the advantage that ultimately led to the recapture of St. John’s from French forces.

Long after the cannons fell silent, Signal Hill remained an important military post. It later became internationally famous in 1901 when Guglielmo Marconi received the world’s first transatlantic wireless signal near Cabot Tower.

Few places in Newfoundland and Labrador have witnessed so many defining moments in the province’s history.

Gibbet Hill and the Origins of a Dark Legend

Among Signal Hill’s many historic features is Gibbet Hill, where executed criminals were publicly displayed during the eighteenth century as a warning to others. Parks Canada documents the existence of the gibbet, making this one of the hill’s darker but well-established historical facts.

What happened afterward, however, belongs to folklore.

One long-standing local legend claims that the bodies of those executed were later placed in barrels, weighted with stones, and rolled into nearby Deadman’s Pond. Another version suggests the pond was bottomless—a gateway to hell itself.

No reliable historical evidence has been found to support these stories.

Professional Newfoundland folklorists, including Dale Jarvis, identify them as examples of local oral tradition rather than documented history. Even the famous “bottomless pond” legend has been tested in modern times and found to be just that—a legend.

Yet like many Newfoundland stories, its survival says as much about the imagination of the people as it does about the landscape itself.

Deadman’s Pond and a Real Tragedy

Although many tales surrounding Deadman’s Pond belong to folklore, one heartbreaking event is firmly documented.

On Boxing Day in 1869, Frederick Weston Carter—a young lawyer and volunteer officer—attempted to rescue two girls, remembered in historical records by the surnames Bruin and Martin, after they broke through the ice while skating on the pond.

Despite his courage, all three drowned.

The tragedy deeply affected the people of St. John’s. Carter was later honoured with a public memorial recognizing his selfless attempt to save the children.

Over time, the pond’s existing reputation for mystery became intertwined with this tragic event. In some modern retellings, the story has taken on supernatural overtones.

Historical records confirm the tragedy itself.

They do not confirm reports of ghosts, mysterious cries, or apparitions.

Those stories remain part of modern folklore rather than documented history.

Ladies’ Lookout: Waiting for Home

Not every legend connected with Signal Hill is a ghost story.

One of its best-known traditions centres on Ladies’ Lookout, where, according to local legend recorded by Parks Canada, women climbed the hill to watch for ships carrying husbands, fathers, sons, and sweethearts safely home through the Narrows.

Whether every detail can be historically verified matters less than what the story represents.

For generations of Newfoundlanders, life was shaped by the sea. Fishing voyages, military service, sealing expeditions, and overseas travel often separated families for months at a time. Every sail appearing on the horizon brought hope—or heartbreak.

Standing at the lookout today, it is easy to imagine the quiet anticipation that once filled this remarkable place.

Why Signal Hill Inspires So Many Stories

Unlike many places promoted as haunted destinations, Signal Hill’s official interpretation focuses on its military, communications, archaeological, and cultural history.

The historical sources consulted for this article do not document verified paranormal activity on Signal Hill.

Instead, its supernatural reputation has grown naturally through local storytelling, folklore collections, guided ghost walks, and generations of residents sharing tales with family and friends.

Perhaps that is exactly why these stories continue to endure.

The sweeping fog, abandoned batteries, steep cliffs, hidden valleys, and centuries of human experience create a setting where imagination comes easily.

Signal Hill does not need proven ghosts to feel mysterious.

Its history provides more than enough.

Where History Meets Imagination

Whether you visit to climb Cabot Tower, watch the firing of the Noon Day Gun, hike the North Head Trail, or simply admire one of Canada’s most spectacular views, Signal Hill offers something beyond scenery.

It offers perspective.

Every generation has left its mark here—soldiers, sailors, inventors, immigrants, families, and storytellers.

Some left official records preserved in archives.

Others left only stories passed from one generation to the next.

Neither should be forgotten.

For while history tells us what happened, folklore reminds us how people remembered it.

Together, they make Signal Hill one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most fascinating places to explore.

Why It Matters Today

Signal Hill continues to symbolize Newfoundland and Labrador’s resilience, ingenuity, and deep connection to the Atlantic. Visitors come for its spectacular views, military history, and the birthplace of one of the world’s greatest communications achievements, but they also encounter something less tangible: the stories that generations have shared about this remarkable landscape. Whether rooted in documented events or shaped by local folklore, these tales encourage us to see history as something that lives not only in archives and monuments, but also in family memories, community traditions, and conversations passed from one generation to the next. That enduring blend of history and storytelling is part of what makes Signal Hill unforgettable.

Share Your Story

Have you ever visited Signal Hill after sunset, walked past Deadman’s Pond, or heard one of the old stories connected with Gibbet Hill or Ladies’ Lookout?

We’d love to hear your memories, family stories, local traditions, or photographs in the comments below.

History lives through the stories we share.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to read more fascinating Newfoundland and Labrador stories here on ShareNL.ca.

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Flea Markets, Yard Sales, and Craft Fairs… Do You Go Looking for Hidden Treasures? https://sharenl.ca/newfoundland-flea-markets-yard-sales-craft-fairs/ Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:08:11 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=671 There’s something exciting about arriving early at a flea market, wandering through a community yard sale, or stepping into a local craft fair. You never...

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There’s something exciting about arriving early at a flea market, wandering through a community yard sale, or stepping into a local craft fair. You never really know what you’ll find. One table might have a vintage lantern or an old Newfoundland map, while the next is filled with handmade quilts, knitted socks, wood carvings, homemade jams, or jewellery created by talented local artisans.

Across Newfoundland and Labrador, these events are more than places to shop. They’re where neighbours catch up over a cup of tea, visitors discover local craftsmanship, and forgotten treasures find new homes. Sometimes the best part isn’t even what you buy—it’s the stories behind the items and the people selling them.

Have you ever stumbled across an incredible bargain? Maybe you found a family heirloom, an antique you’ve been searching for, a rare collectible, or a handmade gift that’s become one of your favourites. Or perhaps you simply enjoy browsing the tables and chatting with the friendly faces behind them.

We’d love to hear about it!

Share your favourite flea market, yard sale, or craft fair in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tell us about your best find, post your photos, recommend places to visit, and tag a friend who’s always on the hunt for a great deal.

If you enjoy celebrating everything that makes our province special, please like, comment, and share this post to help more people join the conversation. Be sure to reply to other people’s stories and photos too—it’s what makes the ShareNL community so special.

Let’s keep sharing Newfoundland and Labrador, one story, one photo, and one great find at a time.

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Does Gravy Belong on Fish n’ Chips? https://sharenl.ca/newfoundland-fish-and-chips-gravy/ Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:50:15 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=666 This might be one of the friendliest debates in Newfoundland and Labrador… and it has probably started around more restaurant tables than we’d care to...

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This might be one of the friendliest debates in Newfoundland and Labrador… and it has probably started around more restaurant tables than we’d care to count.

Picture it: a plate of golden, crispy fish, fresh-cut fries, a side of dressing, maybe a little coleslaw, and the unmistakable smell of fresh cod filling the air. Then comes the big question.

“Gravy or no gravy?”

For some, the answer is easy. Gravy belongs on the fries—rich, hot, and poured generously without touching the fish. Others don’t mind if a little finds its way onto everything on the plate. And then there are the purists who believe a proper Newfoundland fish and chips should be enjoyed just as it comes, with maybe a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of salt and vinegar, or nothing at all.

Like so many food traditions in our province, there’s rarely a right or wrong answer. It often comes down to family traditions, favourite restaurants, and the way you’ve always enjoyed it.

So let’s settle this the Newfoundland way—with a good conversation!

Does gravy belong on a traditional Newfoundland fish and chips dinner? If so, does it stay on the fries, or is everything fair game?

Tell us how you like your favourite fish and chips, share a photo of your perfect plate, and tag the friend!

We’d love to see your photos and hear your stories in the comments below! If you enjoy celebrating Newfoundland and Labrador, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with your friends, and invite others to join the ShareNL community.

Let’s keep sharing everything that makes Newfoundland and Labrador such a special place to call home, one story, one photo, and one memory at a time.

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The Lights Beyond the Fog: Newfoundland and Labrador UFO and Paranormal Mysteries https://sharenl.ca/newfoundland-ufo-paranormal-mysteries/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:44:41 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=656 The fog rolls ashore without warning. Along Newfoundland and Labrador’s rugged coast, it can swallow an entire harbour in minutes, muffling the sound of waves...

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The fog rolls ashore without warning.

Along Newfoundland and Labrador’s rugged coast, it can swallow an entire harbour in minutes, muffling the sound of waves against weathered fishing stages and turning familiar landmarks into ghostly silhouettes. On clear nights, countless stars stretch from horizon to horizon, interrupted only by the occasional aircraft crossing the North Atlantic. It’s a landscape that inspires wonder—and sometimes raises questions that remain unanswered.

For generations, people throughout the province have shared stories of strange lights over the ocean, mysterious figures in abandoned communities, unexplained sounds echoing through lonely coves, and unusual objects crossing the night sky. Some accounts have found their way into official police reports. Others belong to the rich tradition of Newfoundland and Labrador folklore, passed from one generation to the next around kitchen tables and wood stoves.

Whether one believes in extraterrestrial visitors, paranormal phenomena, or simply the power of human imagination, one thing is certain: Newfoundland and Labrador has no shortage of mysteries.

Where History Ends and Mystery Begins

Before exploring some of the province’s best-known stories, it’s important to separate documented events from folklore.

Several UFO—or more accurately, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)—reports from Newfoundland and Labrador were officially investigated by authorities because witnesses reported seeing objects that could not immediately be identified. “Unidentified” does not mean extraterrestrial. It simply means investigators could not determine a definitive explanation based on the available evidence.

Likewise, many ghost stories and paranormal traditions are part of the province’s cultural heritage rather than documented historical fact. These legends remain valuable because they reflect the experiences, beliefs, and imaginations of the people who lived here.

The Clarenville UFO of 1978

Among Newfoundland’s most famous unexplained aerial sightings occurred on the evening of October 26, 1978, near Clarenville.

After local residents reported an unusual illuminated object hovering over the harbour, an RCMP officer, Constable James Blackwood, responded to investigate. According to official reports and later interviews, Blackwood observed an oval-shaped object displaying multiple coloured lights. Witnesses reported that it remained nearly motionless above the water for an extended period before eventually disappearing from view.

What makes this case unusual isn’t proof of extraterrestrial activity—it is the credibility of the documentation. The event generated official police reports and was later included among Canada’s better-known unexplained aerial cases. Decades later, the incident was even commemorated by the Royal Canadian Mint as one of Canada’s famous unexplained phenomena.

To this day, no universally accepted explanation has emerged.

The Harbour Mille Mystery

More than thirty years later, another incident placed Newfoundland back in international headlines.

In January 2010, several residents of the small south coast community of Harbour Mille reported seeing bright, missile-like objects apparently rising from near the ocean before travelling across the evening sky. One resident photographed the event, prompting widespread speculation.

Authorities, including NORAD, reported finding no evidence of missile activity during the time in question. Various explanations were proposed, including unusual atmospheric conditions and sunlight reflecting from high-altitude aircraft and vapour trails. None completely satisfied every witness, leaving the event among Canada’s more discussed modern UAP reports.

Strange Lights Along the Coast

Not every unexplained sighting became national news.

Historical records and published accounts describe additional reports from communities including Outer Cove, where RCMP officers reportedly observed an unusual light over the water in 1970. According to later published accounts, the light appeared to respond to the officers’ emergency lights and siren in unexpected ways. While intriguing, these stories remain anecdotal and lack enough evidence to reach firm conclusions.

Fishermen, lighthouse keepers, mariners, pilots, and residents across Newfoundland and Labrador have occasionally described mysterious lights over the ocean for generations. In many cases, later explanations included atmospheric refraction, distant vessels, meteors, satellites, aircraft, or astronomical phenomena.

Others remain simply… unexplained.

Newfoundland’s Haunted Reputation

While UFO stories capture the imagination, ghost stories have an even longer history here.

From abandoned outports reclaimed by nature to lonely lighthouses battered by Atlantic storms, Newfoundland and Labrador offers countless settings where folklore thrives.

Communities such as Bell Island have developed reputations for paranormal tales involving old mine workings, unexplained apparitions, and mysterious sounds. Local legends also surround abandoned settlements where former homes slowly disappear into the landscape, giving rise to stories of ghostly figures or voices carried on the wind.

These stories are best understood as part of the province’s oral tradition rather than documented historical events. They reveal how isolated communities interpreted unfamiliar experiences long before modern technology could provide easy explanations.

Why So Many Mysteries?

Perhaps no Canadian province is better suited to mystery than Newfoundland and Labrador.

For centuries, fishermen navigated dense fog with only a compass and experience. Families lived in isolated outports where help could be days away. Long winter nights, powerful storms, dramatic coastlines, and one of the busiest transatlantic air corridors in the world created conditions where unusual sights naturally captured attention.

Modern science explains many phenomena that once seemed impossible. Yet even today, trained observers occasionally report events that investigators cannot immediately identify.

That uncertainty continues to fuel curiosity.

More Than Belief

The enduring appeal of Newfoundland’s unexplained stories isn’t necessarily about proving ghosts or visitors from another world.

Instead, these stories remind us that curiosity is part of who we are.

Every generation has looked toward the dark Atlantic horizon and wondered what might lie beyond it. Sometimes the answer has been science. Sometimes history. Sometimes folklore.

And occasionally…

The answer remains unknown.

Why It Matters Today

Whether viewed through the lens of folklore, history, or scientific curiosity, Newfoundland and Labrador’s unexplained stories are part of its cultural identity. They encourage us to ask questions, preserve local memories, and appreciate the unique landscapes that inspire wonder. As modern researchers continue studying unidentified aerial phenomena with greater openness than in decades past, these older reports remind us that curiosity and careful investigation can exist side by side. The greatest value of these stories may not be whether they are ever solved, but that they continue bringing people together to share experiences, debate possibilities, and keep local history alive.


Have You Ever Seen Something You Couldn’t Explain?

Have you witnessed unusual lights over the ocean, experienced something strange in an abandoned community, or grown up hearing local ghost stories from parents or grandparents?

Share your memories, photographs, family stories, or local legends in the comments. We’d love to hear them.

History lives through the stories we share.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to read more fascinating Newfoundland and Labrador stories here on ShareNL.ca.

The post The Lights Beyond the Fog: Newfoundland and Labrador UFO and Paranormal Mysteries appeared first on Share NL.

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Where’s Your Favourite Fishing Hole in Newfoundland and Labrador? https://sharenl.ca/favourite-fishing-holes-newfoundland-labrador/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 02:48:58 +0000 https://sharenl.ca/?p=653 Have you ever had a fishing spot that felt like your own little piece of Newfoundland and Labrador? Maybe it’s a quiet brook tucked away...

The post Where’s Your Favourite Fishing Hole in Newfoundland and Labrador? appeared first on Share NL.

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Have you ever had a fishing spot that felt like your own little piece of Newfoundland and Labrador?

Maybe it’s a quiet brook tucked away behind the trees, a peaceful pond where the trout are always biting, or a favourite stretch of coastline where you’ve spent countless mornings casting a line as the sun rises over the water. Sometimes it’s not even about what you catch—it’s about the fresh air, the sound of the wind, good company, and the memories made along the way.

Fishing has long been part of life across our province. It’s where grandparents pass along their favourite techniques, parents teach the next generation how to cast, and lifelong friends gather for stories that somehow get a little bigger with every trip. Every community seems to have that one special place known only to locals, where the scenery is just as rewarding as the fishing itself.

Now we’d love to hear from you! Where is your favourite fishing hole in Newfoundland and Labrador? What makes it so special? Share your photos, your biggest catch, your favourite memories, or even a tip for fellow anglers. Be sure to tag a friend or family member who’s always happiest with a fishing rod in hand.

We’d love to see your photos and hear your stories in the comments below! If you enjoy celebrating Newfoundland and Labrador, please like, comment, and share this post, and invite your friends to join the ShareNL community. Don’t forget to react to and reply to other people’s stories and photos too.

Together, let’s keep sharing everything that makes Newfoundland and Labrador such a special place to call home.

The post Where’s Your Favourite Fishing Hole in Newfoundland and Labrador? appeared first on Share NL.

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