Farrerexia

First there was Newfoundland Biggerexia, the notion that Newfoundland is bigger than things it is not bigger than.

Now, there's Farrerexia, the notion that Newfoundland is farther from things than its real distance from them.

Exhibit A: the Fort McMurray tourism radio ads in which the Newfoundland father laments that his daughter in Fort McMurray is "6,874 kilometres from my comfy chair."

Exhibit B: Fred Wilcox's assertion that Brian Peckford's "view is from 8000 km"

For the record: Fort McMurray is 2,835 km from the nearest populated place in the province, Labrador City; 3,531 from the nearest populated place in Newfoundland, Port au Choix; and 4,040 from the farthest populated place in Newfoundland, the province as a whole or Canada, Cappahayden. Even as a driving distance, rather than a crow-flying one, the longest drive from Fort McMurray to anywhere in the province is about 300 km shorter than the comfy-chair distance.

Similarly, Brian Peckford's residence in Qualicum Beach, B.C., is a mere 3,832 km from the Labrador boundary with Quebec, 4,620 km from the Bill of Cape St. George, and 5,125 km from Cape Race. The farthest driving itinerary from Qualicum Beach to anywhere in the province would be about 7,600 km, and, obviously, much less if your destination is Labrador City or Port aux Basques rather than the Southern Shore.

Meanwhile, 8,000 km, as the crow flies from Qualicum Beach, is almost exactly the distance to Paris. (The one in France.)