Hidden Newfoundland

Summer has definitely arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador and it might have you looking for a place to beat the heat. Here's a list of some wicked waterfalls and swimming holes across the province! Don't see your favourite spot on the list? Send us a message or comment below so we can check it out. Read more here: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/waterfalls-and-swimming-ho... #hiddenNL #summer2017

Harmon Air Force base Stephenville When the "Destroyers for Base Agreement" was signed by the United Kingdom and the United States in 1940, the small town of Stephenville soon became home to one of the largest American Air Force Bases outside continental US. ... Earnest Harmon Air Force Base was built immediately after the signing and was used as a refueling point for large military aircraft travelling to the war overseas. The base remained in operation after the war had ended and soon played a large role in the protection of North America during the Cold War. Harmon continued to be used as a refueling point and housed a fleet of KC-97 Stratofreighters. These aircraft were used to refuel nuclear armed B-52 Stratofortress aircraft that were constantly flying in the air in case of an attack by the Soviet Union. To protect these aircraft and defend against the possibility of Soviet Aircraft flying over the North Pole, a squadron of F-102 Flight Interceptor aircraft were assigned to the base as well. The community’s wartime boom extended far into the Cold War until the base was abandoned by the US and transferred to local governments in 1966. Today the area is scarred with wartime remnants including the ammunition and explosives bunker that are seen below. Many have been re-purposed for new uses while others have been abandoned or torn down. The abandoned air force base has also led to many stories and myths about secret tunnel networks, hidden aircraft wreckage, military dumpsites and much more. Read more at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/harmon-air-force-base #hiddenNL #exploreNL #Urbanexploring #Urbex

Here at Hidden Newfoundland we're gearing up for another adventure fueled summer and we're looking forward to sharing it with all of you! To kick it all off make sure you grab a copy of the May edition Downhome Magazine and get a glimpse of how this whole project started. Huge thanks to Ashley Miller for capturing it all in this article! Keep an eye on this page for more updates and tag us in your adventures with #hiddenNL. We're also now on Instagram @hiddennewfoundland. Happy exploring!

Happy New Year! To kick off the new year how about an abandoned community and mine in Placentia Bay. The La Manche Lead Mines... Not to be confused with the Provincial Park south of St. Johns, the resettled community of La Manche and the adjacent lead mine were discovered in 1855 by the Telegraph Land Company while surveying a possible route to place the trans-Atlantic cable. While the community existed before the discovery of the ore, the community saw a large boom once mining began in 1857. The mine went in and out of operation several times over the next 80 years and during that time roughly 200,000 tonnes of ore was extracted. The last major mining operation ended in 1935 but prospecting and sampling continues to this day. Today little remains at the mine site and while shafts were dug into the rock, they remain unexplorable. The only two entrances to the mine shaft have since become flooded by a nearby brook which disappears and travels about half a kilometer underground before exiting near the coast. Nearby, the resettled community of La Manche offers great scenery and hiking opportunities. Read more at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/la-manche-lead-mine

Waterfalls and Swimming Holes With summer finally here, so is the swimming season! Newfoundland's waterfalls are some of its most incredible features. Besides a great photo and sightseeing opportunity, they often contain the best swimming and picnic areas in the province. Swimming holes and waterfalls always make for popular tourist destinations but most outdoor swimming locations and waterfalls are either exclusively known only to those living around them or not known at al...l. Middle Brook Falls Middle Brook Falls consists of three different falls, each with its own swimming area. If you are travelling to Gros Mourne this summer make sure to make a stop in Middle Brook. Even if swimming is not your thing, the falls make for an excellent sightseeing and picnic area. Keep checking back over the summer for more swimming locations! Read more at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/ #hiddenNL #hiddennewfoundland #exploreNL #lostNL

Ridley Hall Ridley Hall is a sad reminder of what happens when our built heritage is neglected and forgotten. Even though it is located within the Harbour Grace Historical District, the outer walls are all that remain intact of this historic building. The house was built in 1834 by prominent fishing/sealing merchant, Thomas Ridley. The structure was built from local bluestone and had originally possessed a slate gable roof with chimneys on each end. The house is placed on ...a T-shaped foundation and comprised of a two storey bay at the front. Ridley Halls interior once reflected its high class style complete with extravagant staircases, expensive furniture and even a large ballroom that was located at the rear of the building. It’s a classic example of the unique stone structures that were built by the wealthy at the time and is a symbol for the high class society that Harbour Grace once had. Read more at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/#!ridley-hall/kcsvs #hiddennl

The Brigus Tunnel Many people have messaged me about a rumoured pirate cave near the community of Brigus. The cave supposedly leads to a cove where local pirates had buried their treasure. I don’t believe such a tunnel exists but is loosely based off the famous Brigus Tunnel. While not as exciting as pirates and buried treasure, the tunnel is an interesting (and surprising) remnant of the Labrador fishery and seal fishery. The tunnel was built for the famous Captain Robert ...Abram Bartlett. Bartlett frequently made trips to Labrador to partake in the summer fishery but due to an overcrowded harbour would often have trouble finding a dock to unload his catch. After purchasing a larger ship, his previous berth at Riverhead was no longer usable. The only remaining suitable deep water berth nearby was in Brigus Harbour. While the harbour was deep and sheltered, surrounding cliffs made it difficult to land a ship. To solve this problem Bartlett contracted the building of a tunnel through a small ridge giving Bartlett access to his ship and easy offloading of his catch. Digging the 80 foot tunnel in the 1860s was a long and difficult task that took nearly 4 months to complete. Today it can be found and explored on the waterfront of Brigus, behind the historic St. Georges Church. Read more at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/#!brigus-tunnel/rv8p0 #hiddenNL #HiddenNewfoundland #exploreNL

Grace Nursing Residence, St. John's The nursing residence is all that remains of the historic Grace Hospital in St. John's. It is one of those buildings that is an "eyesore" to most but it is the last remaining structure of Newfoundland and Labrador's first maternity hospital. The Grace Hospital was opened by the Salvation Army on September 19, 1923. The hospital was opened as a maternity hospital for unwed mothers and offered 22 beds to patients. The first patients were adm...itted on December 20 of the same year by two nurses from New Brunswick. The hospital served the purpose to educate and train maternity nurses through an 18 month program specifically designed for midwives. The residence we see today was part of an extension built around 1964. The hospital closed in 2000 and shortly after was demolished. Read more about the residence at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/ I have not had the chance to see inside the building but for those interested I recommend viewing the photos taken by Colin Peddle Photography at: http://www.colinpeddle.com/2010/grace-hospital-circa-2007/

Argentia Naval Air Station and Fort McAndrew Between 1941 and 1994 the United States operated a strategic military base on a large flat piece of land that extended out into Placentia Bay near the community of Placentia. This Naval Air base was one of the largest military bases built by the Americans during World War II. The base consisted of a large airfield, dockyard, submarine base as well as an Army base known as Fort McAndrew. The base was built adjacent to the airfield s...hortly after its completion in 1942 and was to provide sea and air protection from enemy U-boats and aircraft. At its peak 20,000 American servicemen were stationed at the Air Station and the services it provided would help win the Battle of the Atlantic. Read More At: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/ Today the old base can be easily visited. While most of the buildings and structures that were originally built here have been torn down there are still lots of remnants to see today. Concrete bunkers and protection batteries lie scattered throughout the hills as well as several hangers left in place near what was once a seaplane base. You can still drive on the old tarmac of the runways and see where the dockyards once were (part of which is now occupied by Marine Atlantic and the Coast Guard). Also, due to popular request I have included an interactive map to make the points of interest discussed easier to find. Visit us at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/

Burgoynes Cove B-36 Crash On the night of March 17, 1953 General Richard E. Ellsworth and his crew took off from the Canary Islands on a mission to test North American air defenses. The mission took a tragic turn when a change in weather conditions pushed the plane off course. Early in the morning on March 18 the enormous B-36 Peacemaker aircraft crashed into a mountain on the western side of Trinity Bay just north of the community of Burgoynes Cove. All 23 crew members were ...killed. The day took another dark turn when a B-29 Superfortress aircraft was sent to search for the missing B-36 and disappeared. All 10 crew members were presumed dead. Today the wreckage of the aircraft is still littered on the hill side north of Clarenville. After a short hike up the hillside, the area is marked with a memorial to the men who died there. The most incredible and disturbing scene in the area is the enormous size of the debris field. Read more at: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/

Hi everyone, apologies for the slow down over the winter, but we are back and will be attempting to post more regularly from now on. Check out our new look at HiddenNewfoundland.ca and stay with us for more lesser known attractions, curiosities, and locations across our amazing province !

The Rare 'August Gern' Organ in the St. John's Masonic Temple Anyone lucky enough to have had the opportunity to get a tour of the Masonic Temple on Cathedral Street in Downtown St. John’s will be familiar with the old August Gern Musical Organ located in what used to be the meeting hall of the Free Masons. The organ was built in 1883 by August Gern Organ Builders in London. The August Gern organ is one of only two ever built of its kind with its counterpart being located in ...a cloistered convent in Notting Hill, London. The instrument was built for John B. Ayre in 1883. John B. Ayre was a well-known merchant and politician in the St. John’s area and had a great love for music and more specifically, the organ. The organ spent part of its life in Harbour Grace until being purchased by the Masonic Hall Joint Stock Company and presented to the Masonic Temple in 1916. It has been dedicated to George Graham Crosbie for his family's donations which made the purchase of the organ possible.

Happy New Year from HiddenNewfoundland! Here is a picture taken earlier the week at the Corner Brook caves. Make sure to keep checking back as we share more of Newfoundland's hidden gems !

NASA's Satellite Tracking Station near Pouch Cove Many people would be surprised to hear about Newfoundland's involvement in the space program and its contribution to space technology. But from 1960 to 1983, Newfoundland's strategic north eastern location made it a critical site for tracking satellites and spacecraft. Built in 1960 the tracking station was used by a number of different agencies to track and record data from satellites orbiting the earth. The most notable use ...of the station was its involvement in tracking the Apollo lunar missions. The site allowed longer communication and increased tracking accuracy of the spacecraft after they launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. After being transferred to the Canadian government in the 1970's it was later shutdown in 1983. Today the majority of the original buildings are gone. The Lions Club occupies one of the sites old administration buildings and the support structure to the 30 metre satellite dish can still be seen today. Read more here: http://www.hiddennewfoundland.ca/