'The Rock': Home of Newfoundland and Labrador
The island's rocky composition is one to be explored!
Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is where Guglielmo Marconi chose a frigid December day in 1901 to prove that transatlantic wireless transmissions could bend with the earth’s curvature. He had established a station on the western tip of England and another at the top of this eastern Canadian point. His first message was the letter “S,” repeated several times in Morse code: “Ssssss.” It can be exceptionally cold in December to send a profound message like Neil Armstrong’s “One Small Step for Man” moon landing speech. But, from Signal Hill, it was a giant leap.
Regardless of the season, the hill offers more than just a series of S’s and a breathtaking view of St. John’s Harbour. At its base lies Newfoundland and Labrador’s Science Centre, home to the Johnson Geo Centre, where visitors can uncover the true story behind how Newfoundland earned the nickname “The Rock.” The island is called the Rock because it’s composed of just that.
The Rock formed millions of years ago off the coast of present-day Africa. It travelled north and collided with North America around 400 million years ago. On the province’s west coast, there are materials from Africa, while the east coast features materials from the Canadian Shield, along with more recent rocks, geologically speaking. Between these two lies the ocean floor that has been compressed and raised, where some of the oldest rocks on the planet now rest. After many more years, glaciers sculpted a landscape that fosters a unique, biodiversity-rich environment.
The nearby Memorial University Botanical Garden features 3.5 kilometres of nature trails that showcase the province’s diverse ecosystems, including boreal forests, wetlands, fens, and barrens, which support rare and endemic species thriving in this challenging landscape. European settlers introduced some plants in the garden, demonstrating a resilience that allowed them to survive and make Newfoundland their home. After visiting this beautiful province, you’ll understand why they did just that.
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