The lighting of the Signal Hill star, which takes place every December on Cabot Tower at the Signal Hill National Historic Site to mark the start of the holiday season, is a beloved local tradition.
As the name implies, signalmen perched on Signal Hill surveyed the ocean for ships bound for St. John’s. Flag signals flown from the hill communicated the names of arriving ships to those who lived on the harbourfront below.
Signal Hill is also known for being the site of a major international breakthrough in 1901. Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal, the letter ‘S’ in Morse code, using an antenna suspended 500 feet by kite.
Signal Hill was designated a Canadian national historic site due to its significance in Canadian defence and communications history. The historical associations of both sides of the Narrows are reflected in the physical resources of the two cultural landscapes, including their locations, settings, natural and built resources, and evidence of defence and communications activities.
Signal Hill Video: Facebook
