St. John’s is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. St. John’s was incorporated as a city in 1921, yet is considered by some to be the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.  Considered to be “North America’s Oldest City”, St. John’s is one of the oldest settlements in North America, with year-round settlement beginning sometime after 1630 and seasonal habitation long before that.   It is not, however, the oldest surviving English settlement in North America or Canada, having been preceded by the Cuper’s Cove colony at Cupids, founded in 1610, and the Bristol’s Hope colony at Harbour Grace, founded in 1618.  In fact, although English fishermen had begun setting up seasonal camps in Newfoundland in the 16th Century, they were expressly forbidden by the British government, at the urging of the West Country fishing industry, from establishing permanent settlements along the English controlled coast, hence the town of St. John’s was not established as a permanent community until after the 1630s at the earliest.

The 18th century saw major changes in Newfoundland: population growth, beginnings of government, establishment of churches, and reinforcement of commercial ties with North America and development of the seal, salmon and Grand Banks fisheries. St. John’s population grew slowly, and although it was still primarily a fishing station, it was also a garrison, a centre of government and a commercial hub. St. John’s served as a naval base during both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

St. John’s economy is connected to both its role as the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador and to the ocean. The civil service which is supported by the federal, provincial and municipal governments has been the key to the expansion of the city’s labour force and to the stability of its economy, which supports a sizable retail, service and business sector. The provincial government is the largest employer in the city, followed by Memorial University. With the collapse of the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador in the 1990s the role of the ocean is now tied to what lies beneath it – oil and gas – as opposed to what swims in or travels across it. The city is the centre of the oil and gas industry in Eastern Canada and is one of 19 World Energy Cities.

The downtown area is the cultural hub of St. John’s and is a major tourist destination in Newfoundland and Labrador and Atlantic Canada. The LSPU Hall is home to the Resource Centre for the Arts. The “Hall” hosts a vibrant and diverse arts community and is regarded as the backbone of artistic infrastructure and development in the downtown.  The Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador (c. 1892–93) was located on Duckworth Street in a building designated as a heritage site by the City of St. John’s. In 2005 the museum, along with the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, moved into The Rooms. The Rooms is Newfoundland and Labrador’s cultural facility, and is located in the downtown area.