Entering St. John's from the end of Trans-Canada Highway 1 with formidable cliffs in the distance that are well utilized as a first line of defense. Throngs of colorful buildings nestle into the valley behind, which seems to be a theme of cities in the far north. I guess with that much darkness and cold during winter, something has to lift people's spirits.


Heading east on Duckworth St., I come to the back entrance of the impressive courthouse.


Signal Hill, the tallest point in the city and therefore a perfect location for an early Marconi (telegraph) station that dramatically improved communications for the isolated island. It was the site of the first trans-Atlantic message.


Cabot Tower, the location from which telegraphs were sent and received. With a building this size, hopefully the transcribers had some company with each other during down times.

Some more history is posted on the wall.


Not sure what the first floor was for, though since the tower was built for Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee (60th anniversary of monarchy), it was probably some sort of reception area. The long, narrow entryway and dark chamber recall a medieval monastery.


Back out of the tower, the spectacular view eastward. The sun lights the way out to Cape Spear in the distance with its two lighthouses. The left tip of visible land in the photo is the easternmost point in Canada, which you can visit via the link at bottom.


This lighthouse is quite a bit closer, just off the side of the hill across the channel.


Continuing a clockwise rotation, around past the city until I'm facing northwest. The view to the north isn't all that great, and then you can start all over again with my first Signal Hill photos.


The only place I haven't looked yet is down toward the harbor, and that's because I wanted to save this till the end. This battery hides behind the entrance to St. John's Harbour. Should any enemy approach the narrow entrance, they would face a great disadvantage right away with all the defenses Canada could muster clustered in front and inside. In the rare event that the enemy succeeds in breaching the defense, these cannons, which I'm sure would have been supporting the effort all along, become the last chance to save the city. They may only be decorative now, but they testify to how secure St. John's is behind its cliffs.

Out to Cape Spear
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