Colours of Newfoundland

You may be starting to think our time in Newfoundland involved only iceberg hunting, hiking, and eating (see Deb’s latest post on this topic here).

I want to point out that we also spent time exploring the colourful capital city of St John’s. It’s famous for its row-houses in vibrant colours, but I was in for a few surprises.

St John’s Water Street

The first was that the colourful jellybean exteriors weren’t restricted to a single street or collection of streets as I had originally thought. They were EVERYWHERE, including the commercial areas.

I admit to a serious sugar issue. The 5-year-old in me was delighted by this find.

We also discovered that this colourful display was embraced well beyond the core of the capital. Bright colours popped up in the countryside and small villages hugging the shoreline.

Even when they aren’t trying, they are cheerfully colourful.

However, I think it was the history behind the crayon colours that surprised me the most.

It was the result of a campaign in the 1970s to revitalize the declining downtown core of St John’s. The idea of using eye-catching colour was embraced with gusto and spread like spilled paint throughout the city and surrounding area.

Now the cheerful look of St John’s buildings matches the cheerfulness of the people themselves.

We wondered if there was some committee that regulated the use of colour to ensure each building was different from its neighbour, but I couldn’t find anything to suggest there was.

Even in the rain the village of Brigus flaunts its charm.

I challenge anyone to resist the charm of this delightful province.

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This post and its title was inspired by the advertisement for Newfoundland and Labrador called “Crayons”. It’s one of my favourites. I hope you’ll take a look and let its music colour you too.