The new flight that brings a quirky Canadian province closer

LEGENDARY HOSPITALITY

Newfoundland was once an essential refuelling stopover for anyone flying between the Americas and Europe. The humble Gander Airport – still frozen in time with its mid-century modern interiors – has seen everyone from Fidel Castro to Marilyn Monroe pass through. Gander is the first place the Beatles set foot in North America.

Nowadays it’s only a domestic airport, so the surrounding town didn’t have the hotel rooms and facilities to deal with the 7,000 passengers who arrived out of the blue in 2001. Instead, the locals accommodated global strangers in their homes and fed them out of their own pockets.

“If there’s one legacy we’ll be known for,” says Mayor Claude Elliott, “It’s that there are still good people in the world.”

The people of Newfoundland are known for their friendly natures and take great pride in it. They quickly warm to CFAs, especially those from the British Isles with whom they feel a kinship. Before long they’ll be referring to your clients as “me ol’ trout” and “me duckie” while they’re “havin’ a time” in the pub.

Ask any Newfoundlander about their ancestry and, despite their Irish-inflected accents, they’ll tell you they are English. Indeed, Newfoundland – an island a bit bigger than Ireland, on Canada’s Atlantic coast – was a British territory until 1949.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Newfoundland and Labrador becoming part of Canada. It’s also the year when – from 1 May to 21 October – WestJet will begin flying there direct, three times a week, from London Gatwick. At five-and-three-quarter hours to the capital, St John’s, it makes a long weekend in Canada an appealing option.

“This is the first direct route to the UK since 2019,” says Candice Walsh from Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Tourism. “People are very surprised to learn that, from London, you can enjoy a hot meal, watch two movies, and find yourself in Canada.”

The new flights open up the province for mini-breaks, allowing visitors to explore the culture, arts, and draughts of St John’s. Just outside the city, on Canada’s easternmost point, 19th-century Cape Spear Lighthouse (the oldest in Newfoundland) offers epic coastal views and a prime location for seeing whales and icebergs cruise by.

WILD NATURE ABOUNDS 

The Irish Loop, which follows Route 10 around the Avalon Peninsula, can be driven in a day or two. It encompasses Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, home to millions of nesting seabirds, including puffins; the East Coast hiking trail; Ferryland, one of the oldest European settlements in North America; and the Unesco World Heritage Site at Mistaken Point, where rare 575-million-year-old fossils detail the oldest-known multicellular life on Earth.

“You can’t go anywhere in Newfoundland and not be in the wilderness within five minutes of getting out of your car – that’s what I love about this place,” says a park ranger as he guides me through Terra Nova National Park, where the forest meets the sea. Carved by glaciers and battered by the Atlantic, its precipitous cliffs make a dramatic backdrop for delicate wild flowers and hardy evergreens. It’s just over two-and-a-half hours’ drive from St John’s, with the route passing the scenic coastal towns of Come By Chance and (ahem!) Dildo.

Venture just 40 minutes further along the road and visitors will arrive in Gander, where Brian, Oz, and literally everyone has a tale to tell, an innuendo at the ready – and a frozen fish on ice.

Book it: A seven-night trip to Newfoundland with Audley Travel costs from £2,740pp (based on two sharing). The itinerary visits St John’s, Trinity Bay and Twillingate, and the price includes flights, car hire and accommodation; audleytravel.com/canada