As a diversified corporate event planning company, we are often asked by our clients to suggest destinations that would excite and inspire their potential candidates for an incentive program. While there are innumerable destinations that fit that qualification, for truly a unique destination in North America, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to suggest a place off the beaten path—one completely different from the typical sun and sand destinations. So, we decided to propose Newfoundland—the eastern most island province of Canada on the Atlantic coast.
Newfoundland is perhaps one of the most rugged places in North America with a very colorful history. The legend has it that the British used to send the Irish outlaws to exile in Newfoundland. The native Newfoundlanders’ detectable Irish accent is a testimony to that start.
We flew our active group to St. John’s, the capital of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. With a population of just under 120,000, St. John’s is a small and ultra-friendly city like no other. The St. John’s harbor was settled by the British in the 1600s. The city’s downtown is known for its colorful row houses. Above the city is Signal Hill famous for its walking/hiking trails and the site of the first transatlantic wireless communication, Cabot Tower, which commemorates John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland.
For their stay in St. John’s, the group had been booked at the Alt Hotel St. John’s. The awaiting coaches carried the group to the hotel for an overnight rest and preparation for an action-packed few days ahead. Located on the corner of Water and Prescott Streets, Alt Hotel St. John’s overlooks the harbor and offers a stunning view through The Narrows. The picture-perfect vista is an ideal complement to the hotel’s proximity to downtown businesses and restaurants, to the city’s Convention Center, and to the region’s main attractions.
Next morning, bright and early [after all, Newfoundland has its own time zone 1.5 hours ahead of Eastern Time Zone] and well fed with a hearty Newfoundland breakfast, the group’s first planned activity was a city tour to get the participants acquainted to this spectacular—albeit tiny—metropolis. The day-long tour included stops at Signal Hill, the Cabot Tower, the 1855 Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and Cape Spear to the south—North America's easternmost point and a historic site marked by a 19th-century lighthouse. What excited the group most was being able to spot a humpback whale and an actual iceberg in the distance.
As St. John’s most popular landmark, Signal Hill recalls the town’s historic past and communications triumph, as well as offering coastal hikes and colorful performances against sweeping views overlooking the Atlantic. Signal Hill was the site of St. John’s harbor defenses from the 17th century to the Second World War and where Guglielmo Marconi received the world’s first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901.
Located at the highest point of Signal Hill National Historic Site of Canada, overlooking the city and the ocean, stands the Cabot Tower built of irregularly coursed red sandstone and composed of a two-story, 30-foot square structure with a three-story, 50-foot octagonal tower that stands on the southeast corner of the building. The Cabot Tower is designated a Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
The city and the surrounding area, including Signal Hill, are famous for spectacular hiking trails including a 340-mile hiking trail along the Atlantic coast. But we left that to the motivated participants to do on their own.
After the action-packed day, the group was ready for a sumptuous Newfoundland meal. The first formal dinner for the group was planned at the Mallard Cottage, an 18th century Irish-Newfoundland vernacular-style cottage turned restaurant, and now recognized a National Historic Site of Canada and one of the oldest wood buildings in North America.
The cozy, rustic Cottage, located in Quidi Vidi Village, a quaint fishing hamlet of St. John’s, was the residence of the Mallard family from the 18th century through the 1980s. After extensive renovations, in 2013 the building received the Southcott Award for excellence in the preservation of the built heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. Now, the Mallard Cottage has taken on its new life as a one-of-a-kind venue for corporate functions serving a vast array of wild game, seafood and produce from around the province.
On Day 2, there was more to discover in this unique city. We started at The Rooms, a cultural facility in St. John's. Opened in 2005, the venue houses the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador. Showcasing the region’s heritage and fine art, the museum complex was constructed on a hill overlooking the port city, at a historic location once occupied by Fort Townshend. The unmistakable building is designed to reflect and celebrate the province’s heritage and can be seen from almost any point in St. John's, and the facility has, since its construction, competed with its neighbor, the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, for the dominance of the St. John's skyline.
Following the tour of The Rooms, we headed to George Street, a small street in St. John's known for its many bars, pubs, street vendors and even 24-hour restaurants. The two-block long street houses nothing but bars, pubs and restaurants. George Street is open only to pedestrians in the evenings and during most of the business day, being open to traffic only in the mornings to allow bars to restock their goods. The street does not usually become crowded with people until later at night, around midnight, and will remain busy until early hours in the morning. The street is the venue for an annual Mardi Gras celebration in October which can be confusing since most celebrations of this type occur in February in other parts of the world. However, the largest celebration on George Street is the six-night George Street Festival which occurs in early August and typically concludes on the Tuesday night before the Royal St. John's Regatta, which is set for the first Wednesday in August.
For our second dinner, we took the group to the Raymonds Restaurant, famous as a fine dining eatery in a 1915 building known for its refined, locally sourced meals and wine pairings. Newfoundland is blessed in having access to some of the best seafood, wild game, and produce in the world. Having such a bountiful larder right on its doorsteps means Raymonds is able to adopt a truly sustainable approach to fine dining—foraging and sourcing locally-grown ingredients from independent local suppliers.
Day 3 was upon us and it was time to explore some other areas of this magnificent island. The group boarded a chartered flight to Gander where awaiting vehicles carried the group to Fogo Island via a 50-minute ferry ride from a little town called Farewell. Once on the island, we drove around a bit to give a feel of the place to our guests—starting at Stag Harbour, then onto Seldom, and from the center of the island we visited Tilting, Joe Batts, and Fogo. The island's 11 settlements are located along its rocky coast, best explored in Atlantic sunshine—which we were lucky to enjoy when we arrived there.
Fogo Island is not so much a place as a state of mind. With a long maritime history, the largest offshore island of Newfoundland and Labrador is a gentle world of bright-colored clapboard houses, sea-cliff footpaths, a lush forest, and warm hospitality set against a striking coastline. Recently an inspired arts scene has brought new life to Fogo's struggling fishing communities.
Sadly we missed the flourishing art exhibitions and the boisterous Great Fogo Island “Punt Race to There and Back” that takes place in July and August.
For their overnight stay, the group was lucky to get to stay at now world-famous Fogo Island Inn. Facing the ocean in the village of Joe Batt's Arm, the newly launched Fogo Island Inn is a big splash in Fogo's little pond—a modern, luxurious 29-room boutique hotel with rooftop spa, art studios, solar panels, and individually designed rooms.
Fogo Island Inn sits on an island, off an island, at one of the four corners of the Earth. Every one of its 29 one-of-a-kind guest rooms and suites has dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the wildest and most powerful ocean on the planet. A stimulating relief from the numbing uniformity of modern times, the award-winning Inn is built on the principles of sustainability and respect for nature and culture. The Inn is a community asset, and 100% of operating surpluses are reinvested into the community to help secure a sustainable and resilient future for Fogo Island. Needless to say, Fogo Island Inn has now become one of the new hangouts of the rich and famous flying there on private aircrafts away from the paparazzi.
There are not many restaurants, cafés, and pubs on Fogo, but our guests’ taste buds did not have to suffer. Fogo Island Inn's chef Murray McDonald focuses on "wild things from the North Atlantic." The kitchen uses regionally sourced ingredients like foraged plants and berries, and, of course, seafood direct from the harbor.
On Day 4, after what many of the participants characterized as a once-in-a-lifetime trip, the group was led back to the Gander airport for their departures to their hometowns throughout the US and Canada and with that one of the most unique incentive trips we have ever organized came to an end.
For your once-in-a-lifetime incentive trip, call the professionals at GMS to design a program like no other.