Corner Brook
Corner Brook is the largest city in Western Newfoundland with a population of 19,300. It offers many urban amenities and is a great launching point for exploring Western Newfoundland. The city's excellent port is also an attraction for visiting cruise ships, such as the Queen Mary II.
Understand
The Corner Brook area has been home to settlement for over a century and a half, but it has a fishery history going further back. It was surveyed by Captain Cook in 1767 before he went on to survey Australia and New Zealand. The Corner Brook area became a highly developed centre for pulp & paper with one of the largest operations in the world. The city of Corner Brook came into existence in the year 1956 with the amalgamation of four area communities, each still reflected in the areas of Humbermouth, Curling, Westside, and Townsite. In many ways, the city's vibe is best described by former Mayor Charles Pender: "As a regional centre, we have the small town atmosphere with a big city infrastructure where people can live in peace and security and raise a family."
Get in
By boat
- Port aux Basques has year round ferry service connecting with North Sydney, Nova Scotia.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Marine Services, toll-free: +1-833-616-5511. Operates ferries connecting communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Operates a vehicle and passenger ferry enabling travel between Newfoundland and Labrador. During most of the year this ferry operates between St Barbe and Blanc Sablon, Quebec with a crossing time of 1.75 hours and operating 1-3 sailings daily. For portions of the winter, the ferry instead travels between Corner Brook and Blanc Sablon with a crossing time of 12 hours.
By car
The city is located on the Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), over 200 km north of Port aux Basques. Newfoundland numbers its exits instead of giving them numbers based on their distance from the highway's starting point, so this is only the fourth exit in 200 km!
This is nearly 700 km west of St. John's. From St. John's, stay on Highway 1 and you'll find the city approximately 50 km south of Deer Lake.
Driving from Stephenville, take Route 460 east for 40 km to the Trans-Canada, then head north on Highway 1 for 50 km to Corner Brook.
By plane
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is in Deer Lake.
By bus
- DRL-LR, ☏ +1 709-263-2171, drl@eastlink.ca. Operates a route daily between Port aux Basques and St. John's with numerous stops including in Stephenville, Corner Brook, Deer Lake, Grand Falls-Windsor, Lewisporte, Gander, and Clarenville. Travel time to Corner Brook from Port aux Basques is 3.5 hours, from Deer Lake is 40 minutes, from Grand Falls-Windsor is 2.75 hours, from Gander is 5 hours, from Clarenville is 7.5 hours, and from St John's is 10.5 hours. Port-aux-Basques is the location of the main ferry terminal to reach Nova Scotia.
- Newhook's Transportation, ☏ +1 709 726-4876. Another bus service from Port Aux Basques to St. John's
- Stew's Bus Lines, ☏ +1 709 886-2955. Serves Burgeo and Newfoundland's South Shore
- Norpen Bus Service, ☏ +1 709 457-2024. Operates a once per week bus route between from Corner Brook and Englee (in the Great Northern Peninsula) including stops in Deer Lake and St. Barbe.
- Thomas Bus Co., Deer Lake, ☏ +1 709 635-3056. Transportation, charter buses, and bus tour services to and from the Deer Lake Airport.
Get around
Like any city or town, locals will speak of areas not listed on maps. In Corner Brook, they are: Humbermouth, Curling, Westside, and Townsite. These are the communities that were brought together to form Corner Brook, and locals still refer to these areas by name. Be sure to ask people to clarify where these places are when receiving directions.
By bus
- Corner Brook Transit (The main transfer terminal is at Remembrance Square in Downtown Corner Brook.), ☏ +1 709 639-7BUS (287) (recorded information), +1 709 634-3345 (charter information). Two routes operate from 7AM to 10AM, and 3PM to 7PM, on a half hour cycle for routes 1 through 4, and from 10AM to 3PM on an hour cycle for routes 5 and 6. During June, July, and August, the buses run only on the hourly cycle of routes 5 and 6. $2.50 adults, $1.25 children (under age of 12). Ride cards and monthly passes are available. A 5-ride card costs $11..
On foot
Corner Brook is a city on many large hills. What looks easy on a map will in fact feel like a true journey if you are not physically fit and mentally prepared for the landscape. Everything will be relative. Walking around the area is the best way to truly take in the surroundings, but it is not always advisable year-round.
Corner Brook is home to a few walking trails exclusively provided for the use of pedestrians. These trails take you around the Glynmill Inn Pond and connect with Margaret Bowater Park. The trails also provide a nice walk to City Hall, the Sir Richard Squires Building and the downtown, not to mention the beautiful gorge. Going through the Western Newfoundland Model Forest, much of the land has been provided for pedestrian usage by Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Ltd.
By car
If you want some convenience and don't want to constantly feel that you are on the Corner Brook One-Step Physical Fitness Walking Program, a car is a handy way to get around town. While the town looks small on a map, the hills complicate things quite a bit. In the winter, be sure to have snow tires. There is no such thing as all-season tires in Corner Brook. They will not get you very far.
A car will also help you reach the nearby sites just outside of Corner Brook, like Marble Mountain or Gros Morne National Park.
By taxi
There are many taxi services in Corner Brook to choose from. Expect to pay a fare of roughly $15 from one side of town to another. Because there is no public transit running on weekends, a cab may be your only option outside of walking.
- Birchy Cabs, ☏ +1 709 785-2540, toll-free: +1-877-634-TAXI (8294).
- Star Taxi, ☏ +1 709 634-4343.
- City Cabs, ☏ +1 709 634-6565.
- Corner Taxi :, ☏ +1 709 634-5662.
See
- 🌍 Grenfell Campus. Memorial University of Newfoundland's western campus in Corner Brook.
- 🌍 The Sir Richard Squires Building. Home to the Corner Brook Public Library, the Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial & Supreme Courts, the Provincial Cabinet on the West Coast and a fountain from Expo 67's Czech Pavilion, purchased by Premier Joseph Smallwood.
- Corner Brook Museum & Archives, 2 West Street, ☏ +1 709 634-2518. one of Corner Brook's oldest buildings, built in 1925. It displays the social and cultural history of Corner Brook and the region.
- 🌍 The Glynmill Pond. Home to swans and other waterfowl.
- 🌍 Humber Valley Resort, info@humbervalley.com. A scenic golf course, 2 beautiful restaurants, 3-6 bedroom chalets complete with hot tubs and barbeques.
- Massey Drive Pond Trail. A beautiful man-made walking trail through the woods of Massey Drive, built around an outdoor swimming pond.
- 🌍 Marble Mountain, ☏ +1 709 637-7601. Great skiing in the winter, and a nice hiking destination in summer. Chair lift rides year-round.
- 🌍 Captain Cook's Monument (in the Atlantic Ave. section of town). A memorial monument for Captain James Cook with a wonderful view of the city and the Atlantic ocean.
- The Man in the Mountain (on one of the cliffs along the Humber River). A nature-made face of a First Nations man is chiselled into the rock. A great tourist attraction, and postcards are available with this image pictured on them.
Do
In early summer, take a walk or go for a drive along the ocean. Look for whales and dolphins.
- Corner Brook Stream Trail. Hike or stroll along the trail. The trail system has two sections, one within the downtown area and another above Margaret Bowater Park that takes visitors into the Gorge, the deep valley through which the stream flows. Most of the trail is a wide gravel path, but portions of the Upper Trail along the Gorge become rough and narrow dirt paths. The main corridor's gravel path is 4 km.
- 🌍 Margaret Bowater Park. Eat at picnic areas, relax on the green, or swim in the stream (when lifeguards are on duty, of course).
- 🌍 Blomidon Golf & Country Club, ☏ +1 709 634-2523, blomidongolfclub@bellaliant.com. 18 holes.
- Corner Brook Winter Carnival. A yearly event celebrating the long snowy season.
- 🌍 Blow-Me-Down, 78 Shamrock Crescent, ☏ +1 709 639-2754, info@blowmedown.ca. Cross-country skiing.
- 🌍 Marble Mountain Ski Resort, ☏ +1 709 637-7601, toll-free: +1-888-462-7253. A downhill ski area.
Buy
There are many Newfoundland-specific shops in Corner Brook, as there are all over the island, but a good concentration of them are on Broadway. You'll be able to find provincial flags, unofficial Newfoundland tricolour flags, traditional and contemporary music, books and art. Cheeky Newfoundland separatist t-shirts are popular. They usually read: "Free NFLD", or "Newfoundland Liberation Army". You'll also be able to pick up t-shirts and the usual items of the tourist variety at these shops.
If you're looking for non-Newfoundland shops, there are two downtowns (relics of the pre-amalgamation communities) centred on Broadway in the west part of Central Corner Brook, and West Street in east Central Corner Brook. These areas have the charm of small communities and give the visitor a more accurate feel for the Newfoundland culture.
As for the fare of generic malls, you can find those inside Corner Brook and on the outskirts of the city. Inside, there's the Valley Mall and Millbrook Mall, nestled right next to each other in the centre of the city where Main Street becomes Herald. On the outskirts, there's Murphy's Square, a collection of big box retailers, and Corner Brook Plaza, a typical city mall with a second floor in the works.
Groceries
- Dominion, 5 Murphy Square (at the Murphy Mall).
- Sobey's, 2 Broadway St. (at the Valley Mall downtown).
- Coleman's, 137 O'Connell Drive (on Caribou Road near Broadway).
Eat
Firstly, expect lots of opportunities to eat seafood. Secondly, like Cape Breton, Newfoundland offers plenty of donairs. In Corner Brook, you'll find them at nearly every pizza joint in the city (for example, Greco at 93 West Street). You'll also have no trouble finding the usual fast food culprits in every conceivable nook and cranny.
- Aroma's Plus (Valley Mall). A charming Newfoundland-style cafeteria.
- Jennifer's Upper Level Restaurant, 48-50 Broadway, ☏ +1 709 632-7979. Specializes in steak and seafood. Come for the food, stay for the atmosphere.
- Jungle Jim's, 41 Maple Valley Road (on the outskirts of the city, attached to the Comfort Inn). An Atlantic Canadian chain of restaurants. Similar to East Side Mario's and the like.
- Lucky Star, 4 Humber. A Chinese-Canadian take-out place.
- Mamateek Restaurant and Pub, Confederation Drive. Serves a wide variety of Canadian cuisine. The specialty is seafood: fresh cod, salmon, scallop, shrimp, mussels is a delight for locals and tourists alike. They also offer delicious baby back ribs (the best in Corner Brook), steak, pasta dishes, and a wide variety of sandwiches. Lunch specials noon-2PM.
- Newfound Sushi, 117 Broadway. Corner Brook got a sushi place. We can hardly believe it either. Nicer interior and food preparation than you would expect in a small mill town.
- Shez West, 13 West Street. Fine dining with a cozy sidewalk patio in warmer weather.
- Somethin' Fishy, 43 Main Street. Fish & chips place with a few tables. It gets quite busy on Friday night as it's the only takeout fish & chips in town.
- Sorrento, 18 Park St.. An elegant restaurant, screened patio overlooking the park, and cozy lounge. Vast variety of organic foods, vegan, vegetarian, seafood, lamb, steaks. Perfect portobello sun-dried tomato gourmet pizza, pear & blue cheese, rustica, stuffed crust baby spinach & organic feta. Reservations recommended.
- Thistle's Place. An internet cafe with coffee and the works. Part of a florist on the lower level of the Millbrook Mall downtown.
- The Wine Cellar & The Carriage Room (at the Glynmill Inn), toll-free: +1-800-563-4400. Two fine restaurants with a large selection of fine wines.
- Z'S Fast Pizza, 117 Broadway, ☏ +1 709 632-FAST (3278). Daily until 4AM. The fastest pizza in town: 7-10 min for orders, pick-ups, take out & delivery. Oven-roasted wings, home fries & donairs.
Drink
There are several bars on Union Street and several more on Broadway.
- 🌍 Crown & Moose Pub, 48 West Street (Attached to the Greenwood Hotel), ☏ +1 709 634-5381, toll-free: +1-800-399-5381, greenwoodcb@whg.com. A typical rural Canadian interpretation of a 'pub' (in essence, no different than any other bar but in name).
- 🌍 King Henry's Pub & the Cellar, 1B Cobb Lane (At the Glynmill Inn), ☏ +1 709 634-5181. Unlike other spots in town, these two bars have Smithwick's ale.
- On the Rocks (attached to the Sorrento Restaurant). A fairly cosmopolitan lounge. It often features live music on the weekends along with 2-for-1 all day & night. They offer organic espresso, latte, cappuccino. Jazz piano bar with trendy desserts and cocktails.
Sleep
- 🌍 The Glynmill Inn, 1B Cobb Lane (next door to the Corner Brook Stream), ☏ +1 709 634-5181. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Once an administration building for the Pulp & Paper Mill, this Inn offers an Old World feel. Singles $150, doubles $150.
- 🌍 The Greenwood Inn, 48 West Street (Downtown), ☏ +1 709 634-5381, toll-free: +1 800 399-5381, info@greenwoodhotel.ca. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Typical tourist accommodations. Doubles $130.
- 🌍 Comfort Inn, 41 Maple Valley Road (On the outskirts of town.), ☏ +1 709 639-1980, cn245@whg.com. Doubles $120.
- 🌍 Grenfell Campus (on University Drive). In the summertime, affordable accommodations can be found on the campus. Chalet-style apartments with four furnished bedrooms, a kitchen, and living room can be rented, or hostel-style single rooms with semi-private washrooms can be rented. All rooms are available daily, weekly, or monthly.
Go next
- Drive down the south and north shores of the Humber Arm to take in all of the small Bay of Islands communities. Taking you along the Blow-me-down Mountain Range in the midst of the Long Range Mountains, you will be able to see the Bay of Islands as the ocean opens up in front of you. On both shores, you'll have about 50 km of road to explore, not to mention countless communities to explore on foot. Take the Captain Cook's Trail via Route 450 on the South Shore, or take Admiral Palliser's Trail via Route 440 on the North Shore.
- Drive the Trans-Canada Highway East and take in the Humber Valley. You'll see Marble Mountain, Atlantic Canada's best downhill skiing resort, and take in roughly 50 km of breathtaking views all the way to Deer Lake. Other attractions along the way: Breakfast Mountain's Old Man in the Mountain, a rock formation resembling a man's face, Steady Brook Falls, a lovely waterfall accessible by trail that leads to a small swimming hole, and Pasadena Beach, an excellent summer swimming destination.
| Routes through Corner Brook |
| North Sydney (via ferry) ← Port aux Basques ← Jct W ← | S E | → Deer Lake → Gander |