If there was a book that covered Canadian geo-sites, the Manuels River would be a site listed for Newfoundland. We headed to Conception Bay, about 20 minutes away from St. John's and visited the Interpretation Center and took a guided hike along the river. The geology of the Manuels River valley tells the story about how the Earth developed and took its present day shape. The rocks along the Manuels River range from 500 to 600 million years old and are among the oldest rocks in the Province. These rocks are remnants of the ancient African continental plate that collided with North America 400 million years ago. The indoor exhibits explore the geology from about 650 million years ago and the transformations that have since taken place. This story is told through large art panels painted by Newfoundland Artist Diana Dabinett. We could touch the various rock types found along the river and learn what these rocks reveal about the Earth’s history.
A glacier once covered the Avalon Peninsula and subsequently a river carved a deep gorge which exposed the Paradoxides trilobite fossils – the extinct marine arthropod that made this area famous. Trilobites were first discovered in the shale beds along the river in 1874 by Mr. T.C. Weston of the Geological Survey of Canada. The trilobite fossils on display were donated by Riccardo Levi-Setti. Dr. Levi-Setti excavated the shale beds along the Manuels River, prior to 1980, and discovered many magnificent trilobite fossils.
A graphic depiction of the history of the earth.
A view down the Manuels River at the beginning of our guided hike. This is also a site of an un-conformity that is studied by local geology students.
Our guide, Emily, a geology student who works at the Interpretation Center, pointed out such interesting features as this "erosion tree" and boulders that are called glacial erratics.
Shale beds along the side of the river where the fossils were found.
A fossil site along the side of the river. Frederick and Emily are prying open shale to see if they can find some trilobite fossils. They didn't.
This is Emily, our tour guide. We we the only people on her tour.
Mr. Spock was fascinated by the trilobite fossils.
Here Mr. Spock and Frederick are talking with Dr. Riccardo Levi-Setti about the fossil finds.
Returning to St. John's, we drove up to the Signal Hill National Historic Site of Canada. Similar in time and in function with the Castle Hill Fort that we saw in Plaisance, we were able to experience Signal Hill in beautiful sunshine and warm weather. We were also able to view the Signal Hill Tattoo that portrayed over 150 years of Newfoundland's military history. Tracing the earliest roots of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, there was a performance by the band of the 1795 Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Foot's Fife and Drum Corps. Following this was a demonstration of infantry and artillery drills by the War of 1812 era Royal Newfoundland Fencibles and Royal Artillery. Finally, there was an exercise by the Newfoundland Regiment as they would have appeared during the First World War.
Canada is in the midst of a three-year commemoration of the War of 1812. They have an interesting perspective on the war and view it as a defining moment in the history of the nation. As they see it, the United States declared war on Great Britain and its British North American colonies in what is today Central and Eastern Canada. British regular troops assisted by English- and French-speaking Canadian militiamen and First Nations allies repelled American invasions over the course of more than two years. Canada feels it would not exist had the American invasion of 1812-14 been successful. For that reason the War of 1812 was a defining chapter in their history and a key event in shaping their identity as Canadians. Because they were able to defeat the American invasion, they exist today as an independent and free country united under the Crown with a strong respect for diversity. The signing of theTreaty of Ghent which ended the war, confirmed the border between Canada and the United States, which is now the world's longest undefended border.
As we have been driving the roads of Newfoundland we have been seeings fields and roadside displays of lupins. They are beautiful.
Young people portraying the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. This is the drum and bugle corps. They are marching to the parade grounds.
This is how the Regiment would have appeared in the War of 1812. The building in the background is the Visitor Center for Signal Hill.
First World War members of the Regiment.
On the Parade Grounds during the tattoo.
First World War training exercises.
All three groups leaving the Parade Grounds.
Marching in close formation.
These are the young people who participated in the tattoo after the performance. Sure look different!
This is the view of St. John's Harbour from the Signal Hill Visitor Center.
We took the hike from the Visitor Center up to the top of Signal Hill.
A view of the Harbour a little higher up.
The narrow, defensible entrance to St. John's Harbour.
This is Cabot's Tower at the very top of Signal Hill. Cabot's Tower was built in 1897 to mark the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's North American Landfall and the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign. It was finished in 1900 -- built with private donations.
Inside Cabot's Tower was an exhibit highlighting the December 12, 1901, successful demonstration of the first wireless communication across the Atlantic by Guglielmo Marconi. That took place in what is now the upper parking lot of Cabot's Tower.
View of St. John's from the top of Signal Hill.
The view out to sea.
Sure is lovely to see all of the young and old fossils, isn't it?
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