As a student in the Newfoundland International Student Education Program (NISEP), you will live in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada’s newest province. It is an area internationally recognized for its hospitality and the warmth of its people, making it one of the friendliest and safest places in the world. The NISEP program offers students an opportunity to live and learn at the site where North America begins. It is a place where you can photograph herds of caribou or seabird colonies, icebergs, or whales, still unspoiled by the urbanization of North America.
Discover yourself in Newfoundland!
Forged by geological upheaval eons ago, Newfoundland and Labrador is unique. No other easily-reached place on the planet has a geological record that so fully reveals the history of the Earth, going back almost to its birth over 4.5 billion years ago. The province is the closest point to Europe in North America. With a land area of 405,720 sq km and a coastline of about 9,656 kilometers, the province is almost one and three quarter times the size of Great Britain. The Island of Newfoundland, with an area of 111,390 sq km, is the sixteenth largest island in the world.
Newfoundland and Labrador is made up of the island of Newfoundland and a mainland area, Labrador, which is north east of the province of Quebec. Canada’s most Eastern province did not join the Canadian confederation until April of 1949. As a result, you will find the province has retained much of its own cultural heritage, including collections of music and stories, traditional foods and celebrations, and a treasured way of life.
The province has given the world the Newfoundland dog, the Labrador Retriever (which was called the “lesser Newfoundland” because of its smaller size), and the Newfoundland pony. All these animals have acquired specific characteristics that are adapted to the environment of the province.
Lots and Lots of Space!
Most towns on the Island of Newfoundland are near the sea, since early settlers made their living from the sea. Each small community has unique geological and geographical features. During the spring and early summer icebergs from the North visit the sheltered harbours of Trinity and Conception Bays.
Notable features almost everywhere in the province are hills and cliffs, rivers, lakes, ponds, a breeze from the Atlantic Ocean, and lots and lots of space!
Travel to the Province
St. John’s International Airport (airport code YYT) will be the airport where most students arrive. Located on the outskirts of St. John’s, it is the largest airport in the province. St. John’s is a 3-hour flight from New York; 3 hours from Toronto; and 4.5 hours from London, England. Scheduled arrivals and departures are available through the airport web site – www.stjohnsairport.com.