Survivor Newfoundland: Winter Co-op Students Have No Fear!

Clara Clorey  //  February 28, 2012

When I decided to accept my winter co-op position at Johnson Insurance in St. John’s Newfoundland, I knew that I was going to be in for both a challenge and a treat. I was a little nervous about relocating to a new city, but more than anything I was excited to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of Newfoundland and to expand my horizons.

That being said, though I have only been a resident of St. John’s for a little over a month, I feel as though any co-op student in St. John’s would agree to the following suggestions:

A few rules for co-op students moving to St. John’s in the winter for the first time:

Rule Number 1 – Take winter boots

I can’t stress this enough, winter boots are essential in Newfoundland. Before this trip, I hadn’t owned a good pair of boots since I was very young, and now I can barely walk anywhere in the city without my heavy-duty boots. In addition to frequent poor weather conditions, the snow removal situation in St. John’s is not optimal: the sidewalks in aren’t often cleared, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road (check out this comical CBC news commentary if you think I am exaggerating). As such, I find what works best for me is to always wear my boots when walking to work and leave my nice shoes at my desk. Sort of an “indoor” and “outdoor” shoe system I’m sure many of us experienced in elementary school (those of us who experienced Canadian winters, that is).

Rule Number 2 – See the sights

Due to the weather in the winter months, there may not appear to be many opportunities to see the sights of St. John’s; however, there are many hidden gems just waiting to be discovered in the city. You could check out the view on Signal Hill (at night or during the day), have a tasty meal at a local restaurant downtown, or a beer on George Street. The possibilities for fun things to do are endless – you just have to go out and find them!

Rule Number 3: Sometimes you just have to laugh

It might have been when I asked a Newfoundlander pulled over on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere (collecting fresh water from a spring in a skidoo suit) to drive me to the closest town because I locked my keys in the car…

It might have been when I had to boil water to have a shower because the pipe in my apartment burst, flooding the apartment, causing the wires on the hot water heater to surge, leaving me with no hot water for four days…

It might have been when I thought I was going to an adult skate at the rink and it ended up being a seniors skate and a bunch of elderly ladies glared at me the entire time…

Or it might have been when I looked at the loaf of bread on my counter, only to find that there was a huge hole in the bag and later had a mouse scurry right up to me in my apartment, pause and, I swear, wink at me and run underneath the washing machine…

…that I had to stop, enjoy the humour of the situation, and laugh. Sometimes, on an adventure, you just have to laugh.

I would encourage anyone interested in doing a winter co-op (or any co-op) in St. John’s to go for it! This has been a rewarding experience so far and I am exceedingly excited to see where it will lead me next. I believe as part of the public relations co-op program, the department provides every opportunity for students to experience a new position and a new city.

Seriously b’ys, come join us in Newfoundland!