DESCRIPTION

The Newfoundland and Labrador flag was officially adopted and hoisted in 1980.

It was designed by artist Christopher Pratt. White is symbolic of snow and ice; blue represents the sea, red represents the human struggle for success, and gold the confidence of the Canadian people. The two triangles outlined in red are symbolic of the mainland and the islands of the province, and the golden arrow points to a bright future.

HISTORY

The first known European settlers in Newfoundland go back to the year 1001 when the Vikings came from Iceland to Greenland and then to Baffn Island, Labrador and Newfoundland. They called the land "Markland" or "Land of Forest" and settled in L'Anse aux Meadows. This site probably only lasted for a few years.

In 1497, John Cabot arrived in Newfoundland and made landfall at Bonavista. Here he set up the flag of England and claimed the land as a British colony for his leader Henry VIII.

"In the years following Cabot's voyage the Corte-Reals from Portugal visited Newfoundland and probably left a legacy of place-names on the east coast from Cape Race north to Notre Dame Bay."(1) In 1534 Jacques Cartier circumnavigated the Island; and in 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert reaffirmed the ownership of Britain when he claimed Newfoundland for Queen Elizabeth I.

The first colony in Newfoundland was the one established at Cupids in 1610 by a company of London and Bristol merchants which had received a royal charter for this purpose. John Guy was its first governor.

A significant factor in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador was the abundance of fish that was avaialable on the Grand Banks. Fishing and trading ships routinely came from Portugal, Spain, France and England in the spring of the year and returned in the fall with large cargoes of fish.

The European immigrants who settled in Newfoundland brought their knowledge, beliefs, loyalties and prejudices with them, but the society they built in the New World was unlike the ones they had left, and different from the ones other immigrants would build on the American mainland. As a fish-exporting society, Newfoundland was in contact with many places around the Atlantic rim, but its geographic location and political distinctiveness also isolated it from its closest neighbors in Canada and the United States. Internally, most of its population was spread widely around a rugged coastline in small outport settlements, many of them a long distance from larger centers of population and isolated for long periods by winter ice or bad weather. These conditions had an effect on the culture the immigrants had brought with them and generated new ways of thinking and acting, giving the history of Newfoundland and Labrador a wide variety of distinctive customs, beliefs, stories, songs, and dialects.

The First World War had a powerful and lasting effect on the society and on the History of Newfoundland and Labrador. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded. On July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, France, 753 men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over the top of a trench. The casualties were staggering; the next morning, only 68 men answered the roll-call. Even now, when the rest of Canada celebrates the founding of the country on July 1, many Newfoundlanders take part in solemn ceremonies of remembrance.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the youngest province in Canada, enjoying the status of a country until 1949. That year, the population voted by a narrow margin to join Canada, whose history, economy, culture and political institutions were significantly different.

The History of Newfoundland and Labrador has been one of struggle and hardship, but also one of courage and happiness. Early settlers found a land of beauty and freedom and one that they were proud of.

TEMPERAMENT

The Newfoundland should have a broad head with a short and rather square muzzle that is covered with short hair. They have a soft mouth, which is well covered by the lips, and the jaws have a complete scissor bite. The eyes should be wide and deep set, small in size and dark brown in colour. The ears should be small, set well back, lie close to the head and be covered with short hair. The neck should be strong and well set onto the shoulders. The chest should be deep and broad. The back should be broad with a level topline. The front legs should be perfectly straight and well muscled; the back legs should be muscular and strong. The feet should be large and webbed. The tail should be of moderate length and well covered with hair. At rest the tail should hand down and be slightly curved at the end, when on the move it should be carried slightly up. It should never be carried over the back or have a kink. Their movement should be free with a slight rolling gait. The double coat should be dense, flat, coarse to the touch, oily and water resistant. The front legs should have more feathering than the back. The colours desired are black, brown and landseer (white with certain black markings).

Breeds

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