Cape Spear: the eastern most point in the North American continent

About 12 km from St. John’s is Cape Spear, a rugged rocky ridge with spectacular ocean views, . At a 52°37′ W longitude, it is the eastern most point in the North American continent, People often visit Cape Spear to witness the sun as it rises over North America. The vast Atlantic Ocean stretches beyond this cliff with Ireland being the closest land to the east.

Why is it called Cape Spear?

The name originates from what the Portuguese called it, ‘Cabo da Esperança’, meaning “cape of hope”. This later became Cap d’Espoir in French and finally “Cape Spear” in English. The lands in this area were originally inhabited by Beothuk people who lived on the resources from the ocean and the land. There is also evidence that Mi’kmaq people also used this land temporarily.

Cape Spear landscape is awesome

Cape Spear is a popular destination for residents and visitors to St. John’s. A short trail from the car park leads to an ocean look out which provides incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean and the rocky coast. And, in the right seasons, icebergs and whales add to the splendour.

The trail runs through a field which is full of wild, beautiful flowers during spring and summer. The rocky cliff and the coastline open to the ocean are treacherous. Thick fogs which obscure the view and visibility altogether and gusting winds are also frequent. Fatal accidents have occurred here and hence it is a strict requirement to stick to marked trails.

This area, almost at the entrance to The Narrows became significant in maritime activities, with European settlement and the development of St. Johns harbour.

Cape Spear lighthouse

As an effort by the then community to make navigation safer, a lighthouse was constructed in 1836. The light from this lighthouse guided vessels heading for The Narrows and the St. John’s harbour, the centre of commerce at that time. This would be the first structure announcing landfall seen by ships crossing the Atlantic. It is also significant that it was the first major achievement as a public works project, of the new representative Government of Newfoundland. It functioned till 1955, when a new concrete lighthouse was built close to the old one and the light was moved to the new one.

The Cape Spear lighthouse is the second lighthouse in Newfoundland, the first being the Fort Amherst lighthouse guarding The Narrows. The Fort Amherst lighthouse is visible in the picture of the Narrows (above)as a white structure towards the left of Narrows. The original lighthouse at Cape Spear however, is the oldest living lighthouse in the province. It is a National Historic Site and illustrates Newfoundland’s marine history. The architecture is an example of the unique lighthouse architecture of that period. A circular stone tower that carries the light stands in the middle surrounded by a square wooden building which served as the residence of the keeper. It has the traditional colour scheme, white for the building, red for the chimney and red and white for lighthouse, making it visually prominent in the landscape and from the sea.

The original light was brought from Scotland. And a foghorn, which functions even today, was added later. That the tower and the residence survived over a century of harsh weather, speaks for itself about the construction. When the concrete new lighthouse was built in the 1950s, the light was moved into the new one. The arrival of electricity changed traditional practices.

The story of the lighthouse keepers is also interesting. It goes that around the time the lighthouse was being built, a dense fog enveloped a warship heading to St. John’s and carrying an important person. Several pilot boats were sent out and the one piloted by James Cantwell located the ship and brought it safely into the harbour. When he was asked what he would like in return, he requested that he be appointed the keeper of Cape Spear lighthouse.  The position however, was already promised to some one else who became the first keeper.  James Cantwell became the second keeper in 1846, 10yrs after the lighthouse was built. Since then, for over 150 years several generations of Cantwells have been keepers of the lighthouse.

The old Cape Spear Lighthouse is a well-recognised landmark in the Avalon Peninsula and is open to visitors. It showcases the life in the lighthouse over a century ago.

Remnants of a coastal defence at Cape Spear

Since Cape Spear was close to the convoy routes during the second world war, a gun battery was stationed there to protect the entrance to the harbour.  Remnants of this coastal defence including two cannons are preserved. These and other exhibits commemorating the role of Cape Spear are open to visitors.

We enjoy our visits to Cape Spear, usually with friends and family. I also found some additional information online from sources including https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/spear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Spear