Quidi Vidi

Quidi Vidi
Neighbourhood
Quidi Vidi as seen looking west from the top of Cuckhold's Cove Head
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
City	St. John's
Ward	2
Government
• Administrative body	St. John's City Council
• Councilor	Frank Galgay

Quidi Vidi (pronunciations vary, even amongst longtime residents, but "Kiddy Viddy" is the most common) is a neighbourhood in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The neighbourhood is named for both Quidi Vidi Lake (where the Royal St. John's Regatta is held the first Wednesday in August, weather permitting) and Quidi Vidi Harbour - known locally as "The Gut". Located in Quidi Vidi is the Quidi Vidi Battery Provincial Historic Site, which had significance as a battery during the War of 1812. The village is also home to Newfoundland's largest microbrewery, the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company. It has many different types of plants and animals. There are numerous scenic places to visit.

Quidi Vidi was known for once being a historic fishing village. It was active after World War II for the construction of Pepperrell Air Force Base. Field work near Quidi Vidi Lake began on October 15, 1940. During April and May, 1941 the Newfoundland Base Contractors' personnel began arriving, and construction was taken over by their organization.

The Quidi Vidi Brewery is a main attraction to the neighbourhood. Since being founded in 1996 by David Fong and David Rees, the independent brewery has provided Newfoundland with exceptional world-class beer. Currently, 8 different beers are brewed, including one of the most well known, Iceberg Beer. Characteristic to this brand of beer is the use of iceberg water, which is harvested from pieces of icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland. The brewery sits just at the mouth of the harbour, surrounded by cliffs and looking out at the picturesque harbour scene many associate Quidi Vidi with. Beer tasting and brewery tours routinely occur throughout the week, creating a friendly, open door practice. Beer tastings are about 45 minutes and involve tasting of all beers as well as a first-hand experience of how Iceberg Beer is made.

Mallard Cottage is an 18th Century, Irish-Newfoundland style cottage. Known as one of the oldest wooden buildings in North America, the cottage is also recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada. The cottage originally housed a fishing family by the name of Mallard from the 18th century until the 1980s. In 1985, the cottage was re-done into an antique shop. In 2011, the cottage was purchased by a team who set out to restore the cottage to its original state alongside guidelines set out by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2013, the work put into restoring the cottage was recognized for excellence. The same year, the newly restored cottage was established as unique venue with means to celebrate local traditions and food. The venue offers daily meals and a public house on Sundays that features local and traditional music. There are also opportunities for events such as weddings and other celebrations to be hosted there.