On very steep McBride Hill, is a dramatic mural depicting the Great Fire of 1892 that is 21 metres long, painted by Julie Lewis.
The Great Fire started on the evening of July 8, 1892, in a stable at the top of Carter's Hill, on the north side of the St. John's harbour. Within just a few hours, flames were barrelling down the hill, destroying homes, stores and warehouses. By morning, most of St. John's was left smouldering and 11,000 people were homeless, camping out in neighbouring parks and open spaces, with little more than the clothes they were wearing when they fled.
Duckworth St. Artists: Derek Holmes and April Norman
I've shown this before but not at Monday Mural.
Mary Brown’sChicken started in Newfoundland back in 1969 and has grown to 156 locations across Canada. says they would never have been able to get there without the support of Newfoundlanders.
Mike Mutrey, originally from Carbonear, is with Mary Brown’s Corporate office and says the mural is by local artist Kyle Bustin and is a playful take on the Newfoundland and chicken theme.
He calls it a whimsical scene, with a nautical designs featuring diving chickens, chickens in boats, and even mer-moose.
How big is Mary Brown's in the Maritimes?
Sarah O'Rourke-Whelan, a recent graduate from Memorial University's Grenfell campus, "I wanted to create a piece that focused on what people think about Newfoundland right now and I felt that that had to do with the geography," she said.
"So you see the waves, you see the cliffs, and the different boats and stuff around but also the music and stuff that's here."
It is nice to be in one place for more than two days. No rushing, packing and unpacking.
We headed out on another sunny day to Cape Spear.
If you stand here, your back to the sea, the entire population of North America stretches out in front of you. And there’s nothing behind you until Ireland.
Perched on a rugged cliff, at our continent’s most easterly point, sits Cape Spear Lighthouse – the oldest surviving lighthouse in the province, a National Historic Site, and an iconic symbol of Newfoundland and Labrador's marine history.
The Portuguese named this location Cabo da Esperança, meaning "cape of hope", which became Cap d'Espoir in French and finally "Cape Spear".
A lighthouse has operated at Cape Spear since September 1836. The original Cape Spear lighthouse was the second lighthouse built in Newfoundland; the first was built in 1810 at Fort Amherst, at the entrance to St. John's Harbour. In 1832, the first legislative assembly for the colony created a lighthouse board. Cape Spear was chosen as the site for a new lighthouse because it was on the rocky eastern coast near the entrance to St. John's harbor.
It started spitting rain so we hopped into the car.
Take heed!
Then drove to Petty Harbour.
Alan Doyle, the frontman of the iconic folk-rock band Great Big Sea, was born in Petty Harbour in 1969. Alan wrote about his childhood in Petty Harbour in his book Where I Belong.
When Mary Brown’s (fried chicken) was deciding upon an appropriate way to celebrate their 50th anniversary, and their return to downtown St. John’s, they knew they wanted to do something big – three storeys big to be exact. What used to be an empty, red brick wall is now a Where’s Waldo-esque world filled with scuba diving chickens, mer-moose and more. In one section, a drumstick-toting crab smiles next to a shark wearing a Hawaiian shirt (which is placed next to an actual walk-up window where late-night revellers can place their order after hours). Nearby, a giant squid roots through a treasure chest filled with gold coins. And up above, a happy sea monster swims near the Battery. Painted by local artist Kyle Bustin.
UPDATE I finally tried Mary Brown's chicken in Toronto 2025 and loved it.
George Street in downtown St. John's is two blocks of bars, pubs, restaurants – and nothing else. It's the centre of the entertainment district and its unique reputation has spread far and wide. It has inspired songs and stories, and has been a magnet for musicians and their fans for decades.
The 12ft tall sculpture is located on George Street, the city's famous entertainment area. It celebrates the performing arts in music and dance, honouring some of the province’s best-known artists: singer-songwriter Ron Hynes, NL accordion pioneer Wilf Doyle, and actor Tommy Sexton.
He wrote Sonny's Dream, which we have heard often on this trip.
The sculpture also serves as a memorial to the artists. Flowers are often placed there to remember their contributions to arts and culture in this province.
Artist bio Morgan MacDonald holds degrees in Fine Art (Grenfell) and Business (Memorial), and runs his Newfoundland Bronze Foundry from Logy Bay, NL. He uses lost wax casting to create works that are highly realistic and technical in nature with an emphasis on our deepest expressive human qualities.
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