A ferry operates between Argentia and North Sydney, Nova Scotia during the summer months. John and his friends take a look around. Then they head to Freshwater, Jerseyside and Placentia.

The story of Placentia goes back to around 1500, when fishermen from western Europe used this port. In 1662 the Government of France officially laid claim to the place they called Plaisance. The name Plaisance means "pleasant place."

The town of Placentia is on a flat stretch of beach in Placentia Gut. A lift-bridge built in 1960 joins Placentia to the town of Jerseyside. Years ago, as many as 15,000 people lived here during the summer fishery. Now, the total population of the Placentia area is around 8,000.

In 1667, King Louis of France encouraged people to settle at Placentia. He offered ships' masters a hundred dollars for each man and sixty dollars for each woman brought to the colony. When Sieur de la Palme took charge of the colony in December of 1667 there were sixty families and 150 soldiers at Placentia.

In 1693, the French began building Fort Royal on a hill overlooking Placentia. That citadel became one of the most important defences in the area. People who dug up the site many years later found outer walls of stone eight feet thick and inner walls two feet thick. There was gravel and rubble between the two walls.

The French - English War lasted from 1694 to 1714. English forces tried to take Placentia but could not do it. The clashes finally ended in 1713. Under the Treaty of Utrecht, France gave up its claim to Placentia. The French also promised not to set up another colony on the island of Newfoundland.

Queen Anne of England later gave permission for Protestants to own land at Placentia. Many French settlers left Placentia and sold their land to British settlers. Many Irish people settled in this area.