Corner Brook is a friendly leaf-peeper port on the rugged west coast of Newfoundland, 22 miles from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Charted and named by Captain James Cook in 1767, the city of 20,000 once dominated by fishing and lumber industries is now a major regional retail, medical and educational hub on the Island. The Captain James Cook Monument, perched on a hill overlooking the city, sea, and surrounding wooded wilderness, is a favorite destination for cruisers who look for migrating whales and snap photos of fall color while posing with the towering statue of the famous English explorer.