St. John's — Harbour, Fire & Signal Hill
Harbourside Park and the Narrows
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
Listen
Transcript
Begin by looking east through the Narrows.
St. John's harbour is a protected basin connected to the Atlantic by a narrow entrance between steep hills. That geography made it valuable for fishing, commerce and defence.
European fishing fleets used Newfoundland waters for centuries, and permanent settlement grew gradually around the harbour.
The cod economy connected St. John's to markets across the Atlantic. Merchants financed voyages, imported food and manufactured goods, and exported fish.
The harbour also made the city strategically vulnerable. Whoever controlled the heights around the Narrows could threaten shipping below.
Modern cruise ships and supply vessels make the port look international, which is historically appropriate. St. John's has always faced outward.
For much of its history, London, Lisbon or the fishing grounds could feel economically closer than the Canadian mainland.
The harbour is not one attraction among many. It is the reason the rest of the city is here.