Renews is on Hwy 10 as you continue to head south along the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula. It is nearly 100 km from St. John’s. It is 20 km south of Ferryland. Renews was amalgamated with Cappahayden in the mid 1960’s.
There is an extensive history in this area. A local museum, The Renews-Cappahayden Heritage Museum at the Regina Mundi Complex can provide valuable information.
Interesting finds include carvings that could date back to about 500AD and Devil’s Rock .
2018 marked the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the SS Florizel. The passenger ship departed from St. John’s the evening of February 23, 1918. The Florizel was one of the first ships designed and built to deal with ice. The evening it set sail, the weather was stormy, the seas were rough and the water was icy.
The ship headed south, scheduled to dock in Halifax and then proceed to New York. There were 138 souls on the ship. After about 9 hours, the captain, sure that he had cleared Cape Race, ran under full power into the rocks at Horn Head Point. Severe storm conditions made it impossible for rescues to succeed from the shore. Frigid waters and pounding waves took their toll and 94 people died.
There is a dirt track road that a local pointed out to us. It is called Bear Cove Point Road that takes you to, you guessed it, Bear Cove Point. You will find the deserted lighthouse keepers dwelling. It is really fascinating to see signs of habitation in the windows and to look at details of how the building was constructed. The eaves troughs appear to have been carved out of wood!
On the South Side of Renews we found Merry Meeting. From the outside it is an unassuming building. What you will find inside is glorious! Gathered from local artisans is some of the best artwork you will see. The caliber and talent is second to none. In addition to show casing local arts and crafts, they house a coffee shop and serve as the local performance and event venue. Be prepared to spend some time here!
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