Info for Attendees
We're excited to welcome you next week to St. John's for a wonderful conference! Below are some important details including logistics for both in-person and virtual attendees.
Location:
The entire technical program will be hosted at the Core Science Facility at Memorial University. The address is 45 Arctic Avenue (please note that online maps believe that the building is still a parking lot!). There is a dedicated car drop-off lane accessible from Arctic Ave.
Our activities will be run in the Whale Atrium (hard to miss; there's a blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling) and the adjoining multi-purpose room (CSF-1302). Nevertheless, the CSF is a large building with 3 pavilions.
- If you're approaching the CSF from outside, the most direct entrance is facing Arctic Avenue across from a parking garage (as seen in the image above).
- If you take a bus to the University Centre (UC) building, then you can walk directly into the 2nd floor of CSF from the 3rd floor of the UC.
- We will also have signs posted around the CSF to help navigate.
Registration Desk:
The registration desk will be in the Whale Atrium and open every day with the following approximate hours:
- Monday 8am-5pm
- Tuesday 8:30am-5pm
- Wednesday 8:30am-12pm
Posters:
Poster boards will be set up on Tuesday morning in anticipation of the poster session on Tuesday afternoon. You do not need to bring your poster on Monday. Posters will need to be removed at the end of the poster session.
Backup Remote Attendance:
We have 41 individuals registered to attend and almost everyone is anticipated to be in-person. If for some reason you are no longer able to make it in-person or you experience substantial travel delays such that you will miss one or more days of the conference, please let me know at adam.noel@mun.ca and we will make accommodations where we can. This is primarily an in-person event but we can arrange for a remote speaker to "dial in" to their session. You will receive a link from one of the organizers or session chairs.
Social Program:
Our social program includes the following:
- Sun Sept. 20 6pm onward: Informal Welcome Dinner (self-paid) at Jungle Jim's Eatery on George Street (2 Holdsworth Street; intersection of Adelaide and George). RSVP is optional but gives us an idea of numbers and we will share booking info
- Mon Sept. 21 6:30-8pm: Welcome reception in the Whale Atrium. There will be a cash bar and everyone will receive 1 drink ticket.
- Tue Sept. 22 7:30pm onward: Banquet Dinner at O'Reilly's Irish Pub at 13 George Street. There will be a cocktail reception before our 2-course meal. We will have a cash bar and everyone will receive 2 drink tickets to use anytime during the evening.
- Wed Sept. 23 3pm onward: Optional (self-paid) activities. Plans will be weather dependent. If conditions are favourable then we can hike (~1 hour) from Signal Hill National Historic Site to the taproom of the Quidi Vidi Brewery, in an historic fishing village. If the conditions are poor, then we will have some options for indoor activities (e.g., museum, 5-pin bowling).
General Visitor Info:
- St. John's has an official tourism site with extensive information
- There are many boutique stores and restaurants downtown, particularly on Duckworth and Water Streets.
- The Avalon Mall on Kenmount Road is the largest shopping mall in Newfoundland with many Canadian and international chains, plus a large food court.
- Most alcohol is sold from the official chain of "Liquor Stores". You can also buy locally-brewed beer and ciders in convenience stores
Weather:
Weather in St. John's is famous for its diversity and unpredictability! Forecasts often change or are incorrect. Nevertheless, the current government forecast is predicting cool temperatures from Sunday through Wednesday (daily highs in range of 11-15 degrees, lows of 6-8 degrees). There is expected to be rain Monday night and throughout the day on Tuesday. If you arrive early (Saturday) then you might experience more rain and windy conditions from a storm that is expected to mostly miss St. John's.
Transportation:
- The downtown area is readily walkable and many of the local sites are within walking distance of downtown. It's a longer walk from downtown to campus but can be some nice exercise to start your day!
- Rideapp services (e.g., Uber) are locally available and reasonably priced. There are also taxis (City-Wide 709-722-7777, Jiffy Cabs 709-722-2222)
- The local bus service requires $2.50 per ride (ask for transfer if needed). You can only pay in cash (coins only) or using an "mcard". Mcards cost $5 plus you need to buy a pass (10-ride or more). Mcard sales outlets can be found on the Metrobus fares page, but they include St. John's City Hall (downtown) and the Attic store at Memorial University (in the UC next to CSF).
Selection of Local Attractions:
- Signal Hill National Historic Site is the landmark natural attraction with spectacular views of the city and hiking along the coastline. It is within walking distance of the Courtyard Marriott and access to the grounds is free ($10 to enter the Visitor Centre exhibit, but free to access the washrooms therein).
- The Rooms museum overlooks downtown and provides an exploration of Newfoundland culture and history
- MUN's Johnson Geo Centre is a mostly-underground geological museum that can be found on the way up to Signal Hill.
- The East Coast Trail is a world-class 336km trail system of 25 continuous paths that snake along the coast and runs through St. John's.
