St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Origins and Early European Presence

The earliest cartographic record of St. John's appears as São João on a Portuguese map by Pedro Reinel in 1519. European fishermen from Portugal, Spain, France and England used the excellent harbour for seasonal fishing camps throughout the 1500s. The origin of the city's name is popularly linked to the belief that John Cabot sailed into the harbour on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist in 1497, but historians consider this a legend that accompanied later British settlement. When the English mariner John Rut visited in 1527, he found Norman, Breton and Portuguese ships already in the harbour. Rut's letter to King Henry VIII about his voyage, sent on 3 August 1527, is considered the first known letter sent from North America.

Sir Humphrey Gilbert formally claimed the area for England in August 1583 under a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I, declaring it England's first overseas colony. No permanent settlement followed, as Gilbert was lost at sea on his return voyage. The English claim was reinforced by Bernard Drake's Newfoundland Expedition in 1585, which used St. John's as a base and severely disrupted Spanish and Portuguese fishing in the region. Despite this activity, the English government, urged by West Country fishing interests, expressly forbade the establishment of permanent settlements along the coast for decades. As a result, a permanent town at St. John's was not established until sometime after 1630, preceded by other English settlements like Jamestown and Cupids.

Military History and Fortification

St. John's strategic harbour made it a repeated target in European colonial conflicts from the 17th to the 18th century. The town's first significant defences were erected after the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter temporarily seized the settlement in June 1665. In 1673, English merchant captain Christopher Martin successfully defended the harbour from a second Dutch attack by landing six cannons from his ship and constructing an earthen battery near Chain Rock. The French admiral Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville captured and destroyed the town during the Avalon Peninsula Campaign in 1696, leaving it in rubble when English reinforcements arrived the following year.

Further French attacks occurred in 1705 during the Siege of St. John's and in 1708 when the French captured the town again, devastating civilian structures with fire each time. The final battle of the Seven Years' War in North America was fought in St. John's in 1762. After a surprise French capture early that year, British forces under Colonel William Amherst responded and defeated the French at the Battle of Signal Hill, securing British control. In the late 1700s, Fort Amherst and Fort Waldegrave were constructed to defend the narrow harbour entrance, and the harbour remained heavily fortified through much of the 19th century.

Nineteenth Century Growth and Disasters

The 18th and 19th centuries brought gradual growth as St. John's evolved from a seasonal fishing station into a permanent centre of government, commerce and naval activity. It served as a naval base during both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. A significant internal event was the United Irish Uprising on 24 April 1800, when 19 Irish soldiers in the British garrison mutinied, likely as members of the Society of United Irishmen. The mutineers fled but were captured within weeks, resulting in eight executions and five sentences of penal transportation.

The city was plagued by a series of catastrophic fires that repeatedly destroyed large sections. Major fires occurred in 1816, 1817, 1819 and 1846. The 1846 fire began in a cabinetmaker's shop on George Street when a glue pot boiled over, and it spread rapidly aided by stores of seal oil in merchants' premises. An attempt to blow up a house on Water Street to create a firebreak scattered burning embers and worsened the conflagration. The most destructive was the Great Fire of 1892, which began on Freshwater Road on 8 July. A series of unfortunate circumstances allowed the fire to devour virtually the entire east end of the city, including its major commercial district, before it was extinguished.

Twentieth Century Innovations and Transitions

St. John's was the site of two landmark events in global communication and transportation. On 12 December 1901, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal at a station in St. John's, a message sent from Poldhu, Cornwall. In June 1919, the first non-stop transatlantic aircraft flight departed from Lester's Field in St. John's, piloted by Alcock and Brown in a modified Vickers Vimy IV bomber, landing in Ireland. This flight was duplicated in July 2005 by Steve Fossett in a replica aircraft, using St. John's International Airport.

During the Second World War, the harbour was a crucial base for Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships engaged in anti-submarine warfare in the North Atlantic. The United States established Fort Pepperrell under the Lend-Lease Destroyers for Bases Agreement, which included US manned coast defence guns. A Canadian manned battery of two 10 inch M1888 guns was stationed at Fort Cape Spear. A tragic fire at the Knights of Columbus Hostel in December 1942 claimed 99 military and civilian lives. The American base was transferred to Canadian control in 1960, becoming CFS St. John's.

Geography, Climate and Environmental Records

St. John's is located on the northeast coast of the Avalon Peninsula, with a downtown area that lies to the west and north of St. John's Harbour. Native coniferous trees include black spruce, white spruce and balsam fir, while the largest deciduous tree is white birch. Introduced species like sycamore maple and Norway maple are now common in urban areas, along with blue spruce and European beech. The city's humid continental climate is strongly moderated by the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a small seasonal temperature variation for its latitude. Mean temperatures range from -4.7°C in February to 16.5°C in August. St. John's holds several climatic distinctions among major Canadian cities. It is the foggiest, with 124 fog days per year on average, and the windiest, with an average speed of 24.3 kilometres per hour. With an annual average precipitation of 1,538.9 millimetres, it is one of the wettest cities in Canada outside of coastal British Columbia. Precipitation is frequent year round, with a distinct winter maximum. December is the wettest month, averaging 173.9 millimetres.

Snowfall is heavy, averaging 242.8 centimetres per season, but winter storms often feature rapid changes between rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. The city is prone to damaging freezing rain events, such as those in April 1984 and April 2017. On 17 January 2020, a historic snowstorm brought an estimated 76 centimetres of snow, a one day record, and hurricane force winds up to 130 km/h, leading to a state of emergency and the deployment of the Canadian Army for snow removal. The highest temperature ever recorded was 33.9°C in August 1876, while the coldest was -29.4°C in February 1875.

Architectural Character and Heritage Regulation

The architectural character of downtown St. John's is defined by its wooden row houses painted in bright colours, a feature that earned the area the nickname Jelly Bean Row. This colourful streetscape is a modern development. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, coal soot from home heating made light exterior paints impractical, and houses were predominantly dark shades of green, red, brown and grey. The shift to bright colours began in the 1970s after coal was phased out. The city's earliest suburb, Georgestown, was untouched by the 1892 fire and contains some of the oldest residential buildings.

The city council enforces strict heritage regulations in the downtown core, including restrictions on building heights, which have been a source of ongoing debate. During periods of economic growth, a lack of hotel rooms and office space has led to development proposals that exceed height limits. Heritage advocates argue for strict enforcement, while others support relaxing rules to encourage economic development. In response to commercial demand, the council amended regulations to create the Commercial Central Retail West Zone, which allows taller buildings. The first project approved under this change was a 12 storey, 47 metre office building with retail space and a parking garage.

Contemporary Economy and Cultural Life

The economy of St. John's was gravely affected by the collapse of the northern cod fishery in the early 1990s, which had driven the provincial economy for centuries. A subsequent economic boom was fueled by the city's proximity to the Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose offshore oil fields. This boom spurred significant population growth and commercial development, and the St. John's metropolitan area now accounts for about half of the province's economic output. As the provincial capital, the city is a centre for government services and contains 21 National Historic Sites of Canada.

St. John's hosts a full calendar of annual festivals and community events. The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival is held in Bannerman Park in early June. The Royal St. John's Regatta, held on the first Wednesday of August, is the oldest continuous sporting event in North America. MusicNL Week occurs in early October. City led initiatives include the Inclusive Trail Explorers Program to promote use of the trail network and the Art Procurement Program, which purchases works from visual artists for the Civic Art Collection. The St. John's Local Immigration Partnership hosts the annual My New St. John's event for newcomers, scheduled for 22 October 2026 at the St. John's Community Market.

Questions about St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Why is St. John's called the oldest city in North America?

St. John's is often called one of the oldest cities in North America due to its very early use by European fishermen, with its name appearing on a Portuguese map from 1519. However, it is important to distinguish between seasonal use and permanent settlement. While European fishing crews used the harbour seasonally in the 1500s, a permanent English settlement was not established until after the 1630s. Therefore, it is preceded by other permanent European settlements like St. Augustine, Florida (1565) and permanent English settlements like Jamestown, Virginia (1607).

What is St. John's best known for historically?

St. John's is historically known for several key events. It was the site where Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901. It was also the starting point for the first non-stop transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown in 1919. The city played significant military roles in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Its long history as a major North Atlantic fishing port and its subsequent economic transformation driven by offshore oil are also central to its identity.

What is the weather like in St. John's?

St. John's has a humid continental climate heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for being foggy, windy and wet, with high annual precipitation. Winters are milder than many Canadian cities at similar latitudes but feature heavy snowfall and frequent mixed precipitation events like freezing rain. Summers are cool and relatively dry. The city holds records among major Canadian cities for the most foggy days and highest average wind speed. Severe winter storms, like the one in January 2020 that brought 76 cm of snow, can occasionally paralyse the city.

Why are the houses in downtown St. John's so colourful?

The brightly painted houses in downtown St. John's, known as Jelly Bean Row, are a signature feature. This tradition is relatively modern. For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, houses were painted in dark colours like green, brown and grey because lighter paint showed coal soot from home heating. When coal use declined in the 1970s, bright colours became practical and popular, transforming the city's aesthetic. The colourful palette is now celebrated as a key part of the city's charm and cultural identity.

What are the major economic drivers of St. John's today?

The economy of St. John's is diverse but heavily influenced by a few key sectors. As the provincial capital, government services are a major employer. The discovery and development of nearby offshore oil fields like Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose in the late 20th century spurred a significant economic boom that continues to drive growth. Tourism is another important industry, capitalizing on the city's history, culture and role as a gateway for exploring Newfoundland and Labrador. The St. John's metropolitan area now accounts for approximately half of the province's total economic output.

What major festivals happen in St. John's?

St. John's hosts a full calendar of festivals and events throughout the year. Notable annual events include the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, typically held in Bannerman Park in early June. The Royal St. John's Regatta, held on the first Wednesday of August (weather permitting), is a historic rowing event and community celebration. MusicNL Week in early October highlights the province's music industry. The city also hosts community focused events like the My New St. John's event for newcomers, which in 2026 is scheduled for October 22 at the St. John's Community Market.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Your Space Hamilton desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.