We used to give the boys in Vancouver a shocking tormenting; often asking if B.C. meant ‘Before Christ’, and frequently suggesting; “If anyone needs an extra half hour in their time zone it must be you crowd!”
We found wonderful friends “out west”, and while most understood the humour regarding Newfoundland’s unique time zone – quite a few knew nothing about this luxury. No big deal since we figure there are as many Newfoundlanders who’ve never even thought about their perceived fortune and our ability to create an extra half hour in every day.
“… needs an extra half hour…”
Thankfully, guests on McCarthy’s Party Tours are an inquisitive lot who often wonder;
“Why does Newfoundland have an extra half hour in its time zone?”
And that’s one of the many reasons they choose to travel with our family.
The obvious and most comical answer is;
“There’s so much going on, we need an extra half hour to get everything done!”
“… syncronized our watches…”
But the reality is, we’re not a half hour ahead of Canada – we’re actually 3.5 hours behind England’s ‘Greenwich Mean’. Remember we were an English colony whose watches synchronized with London’s ‘Big Ben‘ a long time before we joined the “New” world in 1949.
As well, ‘Time Zones’ were introduced to provide a unified time-keeping system that could accommodate the scheduling needs of the faster and more efficient transportation and communication technologies introduced in the 19th century. Train schedules, flights, and stock market information could now span many local, ‘Solar Adjusted Time Zones’, and this required a universal standard as travel got faster and the world grew smaller. (Especially important for trains who require timely schedules to ensure crash avoidance on shared tracks)
“… last point of contact…”
Newfoundland was the first and last point of contact on an Atlantic crossing by sea, air, or cable, so it was especially important that we embrace the most accurate measure available. St. John’s longitudinal position sits exactly 52 and a half degrees west of Greenwich. In honour of this fortunate coincidence and the quest for precision, we chose to embrace a half hour divide and apply it throughout the entire colony. A significant sacrifice that greatly enhanced safety & security measures for world trade, transport, and communication.
Though we might not be “Making Time” in Newfoundland, we’ve got a solid reputation for “Making Things Happen”!
Half an hour later
on an island in the sea,
She may be late,
but she’s still great,
She means the world to me;
When God designed creation
In his own master plan
He spent half an hour more
Creating Newfoundland
