Institute Vision/Mission:
In 1997, the College of the North Atlantic was formed through amalgamating 17 district vocational schools which had peppered the Newfoundland & Labrador region since 1963.
With the intention of developing highly skilled, enthusiastic and talented employees for an evolving professional landscape, CNA educates and retrains individuals in a spectrum of careers ranging from heavy equipment operation, to university transfer programs, to welding -- thus forming a foundation and providing a locus of hope and dignity for a resilient and hard-working region of the country.
Basque fishermen in the 16th century were the first foreigners to fully appreciate the potential of Placentia's sheltered shores. Sporting steep hills and a narrow entrance to its harbour, it soon became a strategic military port which the French and English alternately became landlords of, and what began as an ideal location to harvest and dry fish soon evolved into a bustling centre of trade and transportation.
The Castle Hill National Historic site provides a testimonial opportunity to learn something of the lives of the French fishermen and soldiers who inhabited Placentia's shores during the 17th century.
