No Short Cut East 4/15/21

St John’s, the capitol of Newfoundland Province, is located on the southeast corner of the Newfoundland Island (see the right most arrow in the photo above and the first photo below). The port of entry for road traffic on the island is via ferries at Channel-Port aux Basques, which is located on the southwest corner of the island (see the left most arrow in the photo above and the second photo below). The road route between the two, Canadian Route 1, loops up and around the north sides of the island. Looking at the map, one naturally asks, Why isn't there a more direct west-east route along the southern shoreline?

The answer is rocky terrain. The island was settled by the English in 1583 who found that only the northern crescent of the island could support agriculture. The terrain across the 150 miles of southern shoreline and up into the central area of the island, though beautiful in its own right, is very rough and rocky with a thin layer of soil that is not tillable. Even today, it is a significant engineering challenge for road building.

This post includes scans of 35mm photos taken in 2003. The immediate two above and the two below were taken along the 25 miles of east-west road out of Channel-Port aux Basques along the southern coastline (Rt 470 - see "Road End" notation in the top photo). They show the challenging terrain and one of the last fishing villages connected by road. A handful of fishing villages that continue to exist further east along the southern coast remain accessible only by boat. So, if you are looking to get off the grid, the southern coast and central area of Newfoundland Island may be the place for you.