Cupids

John Guy landed here in 1610 with thirty-nine colonists under a charter from the London and Bristol Company, founding the first English colony in what is now Canada and the second in North America after Jamestown. The first English child born in Canada was born here in 1613. The settlement's exact location was then lost for centuries until archaeologist William Gilbert found it in 1995 by test-trenching; excavation has since uncovered the dwelling house, a defensive ditch and enclosure, and tens of thousands of artefacts. The dig continues each summer. A museum in the village displays the finds and the search that located them.

Background

The town lies on Conception Bay and has gone by several older names, among them Cuperts, Coopers, Cuper's Cove and Copers Cove. The 2021 Census counted 699 residents, down from 743 in 2016, living in 325 of 428 private dwellings. The 400th anniversary of the founding drew visitors from around the world in August 2010, and on August 17, 2010 Canada Post issued a stamp to mark it. That same year the Cupids Legacy Centre opened, with a museum, a Faerie Garden, a cafe and book shop, a family history archive and Legacy Hall, an open space of 2000 square feet that was renovated in 2024 when a small showroom was added.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cupids"

What to look for

• The 1610 foundations - the dwelling house and enclosure uncovered since 1995.
• The rediscovery story - how the lost site was found by trenching.
• The artefacts - tens of thousands of finds displayed in the museum.
• The working dig - excavation continuing through the summer.

When to go

June to September; the site and museum are seasonal and the excavation runs in summer. The 1610 anniversary is marked in August.

What to expect

The remains are foundations and require interpretation. The site closes for winter. The village is small with limited services.

Nearby

Brigus lies close; Heart's Content is west.

Key facts