Welcome to St. John’s - Newfoundland, Canada and to the 134th edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).
Theme: ‘Canada: Reflections of Nature’
Winner FSC March 2020
Congratulations! ^^
Theme: ‘Canada: Reflections of Nature’
Winner FSC March 2020
Congratulations! ^^
The Host city for this FSC #134-edition is : St. John’s - Newfoundland, Canada , the provincial
capital , and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It is on the
eastern tip , of the Avalon Peninsula , on the large Canadian island, Newfoundland . The city is
446.04 km2 in span & is North America's easternmost city (excluding the island of Greenland)
Its name has been attributed to the Nativity of John the Baptist, when John Cabot was believ
ed to have sailed into the harbour in 1497, and to a Basque fishing town with the same name.
Existing on maps as early as 1519 , it is one of the oldest cities, in North America. It was offic
ially incorporated as a city in 1888 . Today, St. John's has a population of ca. 220.000 people.
The St. John's Metropolitan Area , is Canada's 20th largest metropolitan area, and the second
largest Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Atlantic Canada , after Halifax. The city has a rich
history, having played a role in the French & Indian War , the American Revolutionary War, and
the War of 1812. Its history & culture have made the city into an important tourist destination
St. John's is the oldest post-Columbian European settlement in North America with fishermen
setting up seasonal camps , in the early 16th century. A series of expeditions , to St. John's by
Portuguese from the Azores took place in the early 16th century, and by 1540 French, Spanish
& Portuguese ships , crossed the Atlantic annually, to fish the waters off the Avalon Peninsula
The earliest record of the location appears as São João, on a Portuguese map by Pedro Reinel
in 1519 . When the English mariner John Rut visited St. John's in 1527 , finding foreign ships in
the harbour , he wrote a letter to King Henry on the findings of his voyage to North America. St.
Jehan is shown on a world map of 1541 , & San Joham is found, in João Freire's Atlas of 1546.
By 1620 , the fishermen of England's West Country region controlled most of Newfoundland's
east coast. In 1627, William Payne, called St. John's "the principal prime and chief lot in all the
whole country". Sometime after 1630 , the town of St. John's was established as a permanent
community. The population grew slowly in 17th century. The 18th century saw major changes
These were: population growth, beginnings of government, establishment of churches, reinfor
cement of commercial ties with North America and development of the seal , salmon & Grand
Banks fisheries . St. John's population grew slowly. Although it was primarily a fishing station,
it was also a garrison , a centre of government , and a commercial hub / regional transit point.
‘Canada: Reflections of Nature’
‘Geography and Climate - Newfoundland and Labrador ’
Canada is a large nation that occupies much of the continent of North America, sharing land
borders with neighbouring United States to the south , & the U.S. state of Alaska to the north
-west. Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west;
to the north , lies the Arctic Ocean . Greenland is to the northeast . By total area (including its
waters), Canada is the 2nd-largest country in the world, after Russia. By land area alone, how
ever, Canada ranks 4th, the difference being due to it having the world's largest proportion of
fresh water lakes . Of Canada's 13 provinces and territories , only 2 are landlocked (Alberta &
Saskatchewan, the latter one far south) while the other 11 all directly border one of 3 oceans
Much of the Canadian Arctic (Northern Canada) , is covered by ice & permafrost. As a social
rather than political region, the Canadian north is often sub-divided into two, distinct, regions
based on climate , the "near north" (subarctic, a region traditionally a home to the Indigenous
peoples , that is the First Nations, who were hunters of moose, freshwater fishers & trappers)
and the "far north" (arctic, a region north of the tree line: the Barren Grounds and tundra. This
area is home to the various subgroups of the Inuit, a people unrelated to other Aboriginal peo
ples in Canada). The different climates of these 2 regions result in vastly different vegetation
and therefore very different economies, settlement patterns, and histories. In the vastness of
the Canadian landscape we come face to face with 'Reflections of Nature' (refer this edition’s
theme- and the beautiful winter landscape banners that do accompany this Canadian theme)
Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly province in Canada & is at the north-eastern
corner of North America. The Strait of Belle Isle separates the province into two geographical
parts: Labrador which is a large area of mainland Canada, and Newfoundland, an island in the
AtlanticOcean. The province too includes over 7.000 tiny islands. Labrador is the easternmost
part of the CanadianShield, a big area of ancient metamorphic rock comprising much of north
eastern North America. Colliding tectonic plates have shaped much of the geology of Newfou
ndland. Gros Morne National Park has a reputation as an outstanding example of tectonics at
work , and as such has been designated a World Heritage Site. The Long Range Mountains on
Newfoundland's westcoast are the northeasternmost extension of the AppalachianMountains
The name "New founde lande" , was uttered by King Henry VII in reference to the land explored
by the Cabots In Portuguese it is Terra Nova which literally means "new land" which is also the
French name for the Province's island region ( Terre-Neuve ) . The name "Terra Nova" is in wide
use on the island (i.e. Terra Nova National Park). The influence of early Portuguese exploration
is also reflected in name of Labrador, which derives from the surname of the Portuguese navig
ator , João Fernandes Lavrador . Labrador's name in Inuttitut language (spoken in Nunatsiavut,
an area claimed by Inuit) is Nunatsuak , meaning "the big land" ( a known English nickname for
Labrador ) . Newfoundland's Inuttitut name is Ikkarumikluak , meaning "place of many shoals".
Guglielmo Marconi (Italian engineer) received the 1st transatlantic wireless signal in St. John's
on 12th December 1901 , from his wireless station in Poldhu, Cornwall. St. John's was also the
starting point for the first non-stop transatlantic aircraft flight, by Alcock & Brown in a modified
Vickers Vimy IV bomber in 1919 . In WW2 the harbour supported Royal Navy / Canadian ships.
St. John's , and the province , was gravely affected in the 1990s by the collapse of the northern
cod fishery , which had been the driving force of the provincial economy for hundreds of years.
After a decade of high unemployment rates, & depopulation , the city's proximity to the several
oil fields led to an economic boom that spurred population growth & commercial development
As of 2012 , St. John's contained 21 National Historic Sites of Canada. St. John's has a humid
continental climate, with lower seasonal variation than normal for the latitude, which is due to
GulfStream moderation. Despite this average January max temps are slightly lower than in Ke
lowna , British Columbia, a Pacific-near inland city, showing the cold nature of Eastern Canada
St. John's architecture has a distinct style from the rest of Canada, and its major buildings are
remnants of its history , as one of the first British colonial capitals . Buildings took a variety of
styles according to the means available to build them . The Great Fire of 1892 destroyed most
of the downtown core , & most residential & other wood-frame buildings date from this period.
Often compared to San Francisco, due to the hilly terrain and steep maze of residential streets
housing in St. John's is typically painted in bright colours , earning its downtown the nickname
Jelly Bean Row . The city council has implemented strict heritage regulations in the downtown
area including restrictions on the height of buildings. This has sparked some local controversy
St. John's economy is connected , to both its role as the provincial capital of Newfoundland &
Labrador and to the ocean . The civil service which is supported by the federal , provincial and
municipal governments has been the key to the expansion of the city's labour force and to the
stability of its economy, which supports a sizable retail, service and business/financial sector.
The downtown area is the cultural hub of St. John's , and is a major tourist destination in New
foundland and Labrador , and Atlantic Canada . Water Street and Duckworth Street are known
for their brightly, coloured low rise heritage buildings , housing numerous tourist shops , cloth
ing boutiques , and restaurants . George Street is the predominant home of the city's nightlife.
St. John’s holds many annual festivals , incl the George Street Festival and the Mardi Gras Fes
tival. The city has a symphony orchestra , a string quartet, and several choirs . The Rooms is a
cultural facility in the city . It houses the Art Gallery- , the Provincial Archives- , and the Provinc
ial Museum of Newfoundland and L. National Historic Sites incl Murray Premises & Signal Hill
Canada! 
- can I gift all 58 points from the UK jury to the opening act?? Queen Erika continuing to slay my life and brighten my days 
