Eyes around the world were temporarily fixed on St. John’s, N.L., on Jan. 17 when a record-breaking blizzard hammered the coastal city. A state of emergency invoked by the city lasted eight days, as snow plows moved to clear the colourful provincial capital’s streets. Despite challenges to residents, the dramatic snowfall also sparked interest in winter activities the city offers, and interest in tourism to the province.

Images from the aftermath of the storm also piqued prospective tourists’ interest.

News coverage and social media reports of neighbours helping each other with food and company, and making the best of the snowy situation, enticed those watching in other parts of Canada to pick up the phone and inquire about a trip to the island, according to Cathy Duke, CEO of Destination St. John’s.

From monitoring social media comments, Duke said people commenting from around Canada were “endeared” by the authenticity and kindness displayed during the storm, which may have motivated them to finally plan a bucket-list trip to Newfoundland.

She said tour operators around the province reported an unusually high number of calls from interested travellers in the aftermath of the blizzard, happening as provincial tourism ads rolled out across Canada.

“It sort of raised the profile of Newfoundland and Labrador and brought it to people’s attention as a great place,” Duke said in a telephone interview.

“There’s a silver lining that we had so much national exposure.”

With cars now back on the road, the spillover effect of winter activity fever can be seen on the city’s groomed trails most days of the week.

The city has a number of free, accessible trails that are groomed throughout the winter for use.

There’s also the option of driving a few hours to in Clarenville to use the ski hill. Some nearby walking and showshoeing trails, such as the East White Hills Trail near Quidi Vidi Lake, and parts of the East Coast Trail along the coast and the T’Railway aren’t maintained during the winter, though experienced hikers and snowshoers still use them.

At Pippy Park, located in the heart of the city near Memorial University and the provincial legislature, a well-lit network of trails is free and accessible for snowshoers and skiers from morning to evening most days of the week.

Visits to the rental centre in Pippy Park, where people can strap on snowshoes or cross-country skis to hit the trails, spiked this year after a few seasons with comparatively little snow. The city has recorded approximately 2,700 visitors coming through the Pippy Park rental shop so far this year, up from 2,400 last year and 2,000 in 2018.