The fishing village of St. Anthony dates to the 1500s, when French and Basque fishermen made summer settlements there on the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Starting in 1892, English missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell used St. Anthony, 300 mi/485 km north of St. John's, as a base for his medical operations. His efforts reached many of Newfoundland and Labrador's outport communities.
The Grenfell Museum is located in Sir Wilfred's home, which has been restored to appear as it did during his lifetime. (We were touched by a heartfelt plaque that he posted in honor of three of his dogs: He was forced to kill and eat them while stranded on an ice pan in 1908.)
While you're in the area, see the Jordi Bonet Murals at the Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital, very close to the Grenfell House. They depict the province's people and the Grenfell Mission's impact on Newfoundland and Labrador. Grenfell also supported local handicrafts, and this tradition continues at Grenfell Handicrafts, where you can purchase the work of several excellent bone carvers and famed Grenfell hand-embroidered jackets.
This is a good area for trout, char and salmon fishing, and Fishing Point Park offers an excellent location for watching whales and icebergs. St. Anthony is often seen in conjunction with a visit to L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, which is 30 minutes from the town.
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