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Epic Summer Contest!
$4.99 June 2019
Vol 32 • No 01
8 Tasty Tomato Recipes
High-Tech Harp Seals Blushing Explained
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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Janice Stuckless Assistant Editor Elizabeth Whitten Special Publications Editor Tobias Romaniuk Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Graphic and Web Designer Cory Way Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Senior Account Manager Robert Saunders Account Manager Barbara Young Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Junior Accountant Marlena Grant Operations Manager Alicia Brennan Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Warehouse Operations Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Distribution Sales & Merchandising Joseph Reddy Sr. Customer Service Associate Sharon Muise Inventory Control Clerk Heather Lane Warehouse Associate Anthony Sparrow Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, Water Street Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Carol Howell Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Emma Goodyear, Jonathon Organ, Nicole French, Elizabeth Gleason, Janet Watkins, Melissa Wheeler, Rebecca Ford, Darlene Burton, Erin McCarthy
Subscriptions Sr. Administrative Assistant Amanda Ricks Customer Service Associate Ciara Hodge Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer / Publisher Grant Young President Todd Goodyear Chief Financial Officer Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL $39; AB, BC, MB, NU, NT, QC, SK, YT $40.95; ON $44.07; NB, NS, PE $44.85. US and International mailing price for a 1-year term is $49.00.
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of
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Contents
JUNE 2019
54 Berry Good Business Why blueberries are Newfoundland and Labrador’s super fruit Elizabeth Whitten
72 Gros Morne and Beyond Former Smallwood minister envisions a “third pillar” world recognition for Great Northern Peninsula Kim Ploughman
80 On Capelin Watch
54 wildly popular www.downhomelife.com
This annual event has no set date, it happens fast and doesn’t last long. Will you be ready when the capelin roll?
128 The Great Daily Mail Race The challenge that changed air travel forever Robert Thorne June 2019
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Contents
JUNE 2019
homefront 10 I Dare Say A note from the editor 11 Contributors Meet the people behind the magazine
12 Letters From Our Readers NL’s aviation connection, helping kids in Jamaica, and school days memories
20 Saved by the Bible How a story published in Downhome brought an old poem out of hiding Dennis Flynn
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high-tech harp
24 Downhome Tours Explore New York City with Downhome 26 Why is That Why do we blush? And why don’t the number of wieners and hot dog buns in a package match up? Linda Browne 28 That’s Amazing Wild news from around the world
30 Life’s Funny Not Exactly as Advertised Isabel England
31 l’il mates
31 Say What A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
32 Lil Charmers Making Waves 34 Pets of the Month Beach Bums 36 A Dog’s Life Saying goodbye after 25 years Elizabeth Whitten 38 Blast from the Past Remember reel-to-reel tape machines? 4
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38 rewind to yesterday 1-888-588-6353
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58 keeping in step
40 Reviewed Denise Flint interviews Rod Etheridge and reviews his book, 18 Souls: The Loss and Legacy of Cougar Flight 491.
42 What Odds How Paul Warford became a “jar half-full” kinda guy 44 Treasured Teddy Bear Tracy McIsaac
46 My Dad in the Clouds Dora Skinner
features 50 Make Bologna Beautiful Again A story of dedication to craft, continuing cultural traditions, and working toward local food security Tobias Romaniuk
58 Decades of Dance St. Pat’s
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Dancers close in on 90 years of performances. Elizabeth Whitten
explore 66 What’s on the Go Exciting events happening around Atlantic Canada June 2019
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Contents
JUNE 2019
68 Whatever Floats Your Boat Berries, bands and beers – exploring Newfoundland by water Tobias Romaniuk
76 Travel Diary Southern Exposure Robert Lilley
86 The Maid of Industry Dennis Flynn reveals the woman behind a famous stoic figure overlooking Water Street West in St. John’s. 88 Follow the Readers We let our Facebook friends be our summer tour guides.
food and Leisure 96 Everyday Gourmet Fun food on a stick Andrea Maunder
100 Everyday Recipes 8 tasty tomato recipes
100 you say tomato…
108 Down to Earth How to grow perennial herbs Ross Traverse 114 Stuff About What do KFC’s famous chicken breading recipe, St. John’s Wort and Mount Scio Farms have in common?
reminiscing 116 Flashbacks Old photos of people and places
117 This Month in History When the cornerstone for the first Masonic temple was laid in St. John’s 6
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108 flavour of life
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118 death-defying antics
118 Visions and Vignettes Gnat, do you mind… High Diving? Harold N. Walters 122 Newfoundlandia The Meeting of Myth and Fact: The Giant Squid Chad Bennett 124 Tragedy on the Barrens A day of berrypicking turned into a night of struggling to survive in the outdoors for these four children. Lester Green About the cover This incredible photo of a puffin mid-flight, bringing a meal of capelin back to its nest on Gull Island, was taken by Downhome reader Paul Regular of Bay Bulls, NL. For more about capelin season, our cover story begins on page 80.
Cover Index Cone Wars • 48 Bologna Made Beautiful • 50 Capelin Season is Here! • 80 8 Tasty Tomato Recipes • 100 High-Tech Harp Seal • 28 Blushing Explained • 26 www.downhomelife.com
132 Looking for Votes The day Joey Smallwood came to our church Burton K. Janes 134 Newly Landed in Great Brehat Excerpt from Gladys Schmidt’s memoir
140 Mail Order 144 Real Estate 146 Marketplace 148 Puzzles 160 Photo Finish June 2019
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How not making it to your destination can be the best part of a trip page 76
Icebergs, whales, summer scenes and seldom seen – we want to see all your photos. Share them with your fellow readers at downhomelife.com/submit
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The Colonel’s 11 secret herbs and spices revealed page 114
Win a book! Enter at downhomelife.com/contests, between June 3 and 14 for your chance to win a copy of The Overcast’s Guide to Beers of Newfoundland.
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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules
You could WIN $100! Every reader whose PHOTO, STORY, JOKE or POEM appears next to this yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue receives $10 and a chance at being drawn for the monthly prize: $100 for one photo submission and $100 for one written submission. Prizes are awarded in Downhome Dollars certificates, which can be spent like cash in our retail stores and online at shopDownhome.com.*
Submit Today! Send your photo, story, joke or poem to
Downhome 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at:
www.downhomelife.com *Only 1 prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material. www.downhomelife.com
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i dare say Growing up, my generation learned things the hard way. You know, without the internet.
Todd Young photo
In going over letters from our older readers, as they reminisce about learning with a slate and pencil (or chalk) and being kept warm by a potbelly stove (see page 18), I realize again how much Newfoundland and Labrador living changed as the 20th century progressed. More importantly, I realize now that enough years have passed since my own school days that I can look at the generation coming up behind me and say, “When I went to school, we didn’t have (insert any number of conveniences here).” Does anyone even use chalkboards in school anymore? I remember in elementary school the teacher would choose student prefects for the class, and one of their jobs was to bang the erasers outside and wash the chalkboard (blackboard) after school. Nowadays there are smartboards that save what’s written in an electronic file that can be emailed to students. They don’t even have to write down notes off the board! And do kids still borrow textbooks for the year, wrapping their covers in brown paper to keep them in good condition for next year’s class? With cellphones these days and all their apps, is there even a market for calculators? Do kids still have to memorize the times table? In my day, our instant messages were on paper, Will Smith was a rapper and Pluto was a planet. And the elementary school my siblings went to? It’s now a winery! What do you tell your kids and grandkids about your school days? Write to me about it. You won’t be graded on it – school’s out for us. Thanks for reading,
Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com
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Contributors
Meet the people behind the magazine
Robert Lilley Originally from Lewisporte, NL, Robert Lilley now lives in Cambridge, ON, but loves to travel and explore his home province. In this issue, you can read about Robert and his brother Scott’s trip on the south coast of Newfoundland on page 76. “I think this type of trip is the best and I don’t get to do it nearly enough: you’re able to explore, make discoveries and meet people, which is what makes travel truly memorable,” Robert says. This province is bursting with history just waiting to be discovered and explored, if only you’re willing to go outdoors, Robert says. “Just head down a road or a trail or visit a community you’ve never travelled to before. That’s how I get started.” For him, the Bay d’Espoir region is an underappreciated gem. “There’s a lot to be seen and experienced south of the Trans-Canada Highway, and a run to this not-well promoted part of the island is like being an explorer in the comfort of your own car. Just keep an eye on your fuel level – there can be long distances between gas stations.”
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Chad Bennett Freelance journalist Chad Bennett’s work has appeared in various local publications, and he has a few book manuscripts in the works. “There are exciting things on the horizon,” he says from his downtown St. John’s home where he lives with his family. In this issue, Chad makes his Downhome debut with his new column “Newfoundlandia,” in which he vividly recreates scenes from NL’s past. Starting on page 122, he retells the scientific discovery of the first giant squid in 1873. “I feel the fascination with huge animals like the giant squid is that they inspire childlike wonder. They allow us all to dream of new possibilities,” he explains. When writing this article, Chad drew on plenty of sources, such as archival newspaper articles, Kevin Major’s book As Near to Heaven by Sea, and the journal of Moses Harvey. While hunting down information on the giant squid, “I was surprised and delighted that the house where the photograph was taken, proving that this mythical creature really existed, was still standing. It’s incredible to have a physical connection to such a remarkable moment in our shared past.” June 2019
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Special Stop in Jamaica
During a recent Caribbean cruise we visited Falmouth, Jamaica and spent the day with our friend, Past Kiwanis Governor Hope Markes of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean Kiwanis District. With the Downhome’s generous donation of a dozen beautiful Newfoundland and Labrador children’s books, we were able to join with Hope and other Kiwanians in Falmouth in visiting Hague Gr. 1-6 school. We spent time with the children, reading to them from these books. We presented the school with some Downhome magazines, the books and school supplies that we brought. The children and teachers were delighted. The Downhome, the Kiwanis family and a cruise combined to give us the opportunity to share our province’s culture and geography with the children of Jamaica. Kiwanis Past Lt.-Governors Lloyd White & Eileen St. Croix Outer Cove, NL
Thanks for updating us on your trip to this school, and for giving us the chance to help you deliver gifts to these children and their teachers. Jamaica is a beautiful country that many of us Canadians like to visit on holiday. Perhaps they’ll get to see Newfoundland and Labrador for themselves someday. 12
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Thank you for Sharing my Story I refer to the story “A Family Lost and Found” in the April 2019 issue of the Downhome. I want to say thank you for the magnificent work you did on putting that story together. Especially since it really was only the tip of the iceberg as it pertains to my whole story. Your writeup so perfectly and succinctly portrayed the most important events of that life story. I especially want to thank Ashley Miller for her tremendous communications skills in listening to and recording the story from me over the phone. Having now publicly told the story, I feel it has
My Aunt Margaret Carter I read with great interest the article in your March edition referring to my aunt Margaret Carter, who I remember well [“Who Was the Mysterious Margaret Carter?”]. However, she was not the only one in the family who was interested in early transatlantic flying. On June 23, 1930, C. Kingsford Smith left Port Marnock, Ireland, in the Southern Cross headed for New York. Running into fog over the southern Avalon, he turned towards Harbour Grace, NL, landing there on June 25 after 31 hours 5 minutes. He departed some 24 hours later and arrived in New York after flying 3,364 miles in 46 hours 31 minutes. Margaret’s younger brother Harry, my father, arranged through his father-in-law, W P Rogerson, to have Shell Oil refuel their aircraft in order to complete the flight to New York. Indeed, shortly after, Harry received a letter written by Kingsford Smith in New York, www.downhomelife.com
been laid to rest. I also am greatly indebted to the most wonderful woman in the world – my loving wife of 59 years, formerly Iris Manning of Harbour Buffett, NL – who so patiently supported and encouraged me in dealing with this whole life event. Again, many thanks to you. Wally Collett Via email
Thank you for trusting Ashley Miller and us with your story, Wally. Perhaps your story will inspire and encourage others seeking truths and new relationships in their family tree.
thanking him for all his assistance. As a footnote to this story, in December 1930, Shell Oil presented W P Rogerson with a large silver box inscribed as follows: “Presented to Mr. W P Rogerson in appreciation of the unfailing and valued assistance rendered by him in the Pioneer stages of Trans Atlantic Flying.” P. Rogerson Carter Via email
Thank you for sharing this interesting bit of family and early aviation history. Here is the photo you sent of the Southern Cross.
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find corky sly conner Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.
Can you find him? Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.
Send your replies to: Corky Contest
Congratulations to Helen Wareham of Newmarket, ON, who found Corky on page 72 of the April issue.
Film About Earhart in Trepassey On June 17, 1928, Amelia Earhart made her first transatlantic crossing from Trepassey, Newfoundland. The town celebrated the 90th anniversary of this event in June 2018. Last fall, I had the pleasure of speaking with Carol Ann Devereaux and Lorne Warr about the details of their celebration (“Amelia Earhart’s Legacy in Newfoundland,” September 2018 Downhome). Carol Ann described a short video Lorne had made about the 12 days Amelia, her pilot Wilmer (Bill) Stultz, and her mechanic Louis (Slim) Gordon spent in Trepassey before they were able to take off. It was shown on the opening Friday night and helped to set the mood for the whole weekend. When I returned home, Lorne sent me a copy of the video and
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43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com *No Phone Calls Please One entry per person
Deadline for replies is the end of each month.
explained that he and his co-producer, Roger Maunder, are hoping to make a longer version for a wider audience. Since June 2019 marks the 91st anniversary of Amelia’s flight, I thought your readers might like to see Lorne’s video. Go to www.vimeo.com/ 280207396. For me, it captures the excitement of an important moment in Newfoundland history. Heather Stemp North Bay, ON
Thanks for the update, Heather. We watched the short film and it’s quite good. Of course, this month marks another milestone in world aviation history that is also connected to Newfoundland and Labrador. To relive Alcock and Brown’s famous flight, turn to page 128 of this issue.
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My Celebrity Debut My husband and I were very interested to read Ed Power’s story about meeting Alan Doyle in your April 2019 issue [“My Celebrity Debut”]. We, too, were very lucky to meet Ed Power and his family in 2004, on a trip to Cuba. Travelling from the airport in Cayo Cocoa to our resort, there were a number of Newfoundlanders on our bus. One man leaned over to my husband and said, “I saw a guy has a guitar.” My husband said, “That might be me.” This was Ed Power. He and his family were there for his daughter’s wedding and staying at the same resort that we were. We all had an instant connection, and each night in the lobby of the hotel (with permission from the resort), Ed, my husband Angus and our friend Dave played the guitars and sang for a large group of other Maritimers and wannabe Maritimers at the resort. Although I felt sorry for the new
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arrivals coming to Cuba and hearing Maritime music instead of the Caribbean music they were expecting, it was a ton of fun. I recall a lady there with her elderly father who wanted to sing an Irish ballad. We all became instant family and many of us were invited to the wedding during the week. Just this morning I was looking through some old CDs and came across Ed Power’s CD that he sent to us after we returned home. And then we opened our Downhome magazine to find the post on page 90 where he met Alan Doyle. Over the years we have had fond memories of this particular trip to Cuba, where we met Ed and his family. Sharon Emberley Dartmouth, NS
You know how it is with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians: where there’s music, there’s friends.
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Thank You The board of Tourism Bell Island Inc. met last night and viewed the article written by Dennis Flynn for Downhome magazine [May issue]. Words cannot express our gratitude in seeing Mr. Flynn portray Bell Island in such a positive manner. Our office, board and myself as chairperson have already received enormous amounts of feedback from local people and those who live far away from us. The impact to this island with our history, folklore and culture has received a boost from Mr. Flynn’s article that we could not begin to describe. The May issue has yet to be heavily circulated, and we have already felt the effect. The board thanks him for an amazing story and we thank the Downhome magazine for considering what we do on Bell Island worthy of being published in your magazine. Your article will no doubt enhance our attendance and our ability to develop our arts program, and have a profound effect on folklore for sometime to come. You have already made our lives brighter. Once more, thank you for making us all feel proud to be Bell Islanders, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Henry Crane Chairperson, Tourism Bell Island Inc.
Dennis Flynn indeed delivered a truly interesting story about Bell Island’s history, culture and the richness of its offerings. You folks are doing a superb job in turning the former mines into a fascinating tourist attraction. Bell Island is a beautiful and unique place, and we encourage readers to check it out for themselves. 16
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Found on Facebook
Danielle Mercer You have a new reader all the way from Alberta! Mia Grace Mercer, she is 11 weeks old!
Saddle Island Information We are seeking any photos or information about life on Saddle Island previous to the settlement being moved off the island by the Newfoundland government in 1945. There were five families living on Saddle Island in Bay d’Espoir, including my husband’s grandparents, Charles and Frances Nash, who had eight children. We don’t know the other family names, but one might have been Durnford. We know that the residents were fishermen, and that Saddle Island was only accessible by boat. After the settlement was removed, it appears the five families initially went to Pushthrough. The Nash family eventually lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Gail and David Nash Sooke, BC
You may reach Gail and David by email at nashramblers@hotmail.com. Letters contnued on p. 18 1-888-588-6353
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The First Newfoundland Pony Foal of 2019! There’s lots of excitement at the Pike farm in Harbour Grace and it has a lot to do with the first Newfoundland Pony foal born in the province in 2019 (to the best of our knowledge). ‘Harbour Ace’ is the pride of grade nine student Johnna Pike who attends nearby Carbonear Collegiate. Johnna wants to become a large animal veterinarian one day, and with Newfoundland Ponies, goats, cows, sheep and chickens to look after, she’s getting great hands-on experience. Harbour Ace was born on March 4, 2019, at the Pike farm. The proud dam is Valen’s Fancy and the handsome sire is Dawson’s Star. In fact, this is Valen Fancy’s third colt. Johnna’s father, John Pike, works on rotation, so it is Johnna who assumes the great responsibility of caring for the animals when he is away. The barn is kept in immaculate condition and, with five goats there – three of whom are pregnant– Johnna and her family are kept busy taking care of them all. When the Newfoundland Pony mare was close to giving birth, the Pikes had the clever idea of using a baby monitor to check her status, in order to be ready when her time came to give birth. The pregnant goats are now getting the same pre-maternal care using the baby monitor. What an innovative idea! The Pike family has a long history of keeping Newfoundland Ponies and farm animals, and with young people like Johnna interested in the breed, this heritage animal has a bright future. Keep up the great work, Johnna! Top: Proud mama, Valen’s Fancy, with her colt, Harbour Ace Middle: Johnna Pike with Valen's Fancy Bottom: Baby goats at the Pike Farm
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Good Old School Days
We got a lot of response from our slate Blast From the Past in the February issue. It sparked a number of memories. As school lets out in June for another year, here’s a look back at school days of old, through the eyes of readers:
Slate Pencils My mother, the late Jessie (Spracklin) Harvey, met my dad while teaching in the early 1930s at the little one-room school in the community of Boswarlos on the Port au Port Peninsula, west of Stephenville. In 1970, while visiting the community with Mom, we visited the school [below], which was still standing, and Mom walked over to a huge flat rock, and said, “This is where the kids sharpened their slate pencils.” Doug Harvey London, ON
upper floor was for various things, such as concerts and dances, and it had a stage. Each classroom had a potbelly stove. The older students (boys) came a bit early with splits to light the fires and have the rooms warm for opening at 9 a.m. There was a short recess, and dinner (lunch) was from noon to 1 p.m. School ended at 4 p.m. School was Monday to Friday, and there were no snow days then. It was also the days of “cocoa malt,” served hot at recess time. The opening and closing was by the bell ringing by the principal. He also had a leather strap that was used if required. William Kirby Burin, NL
Slate with Chalk
The Slate and Pencil I started school in 1935. The grades were “Primmer” to six in the “small room,” as it was called then. We used the slate and pencil for the first year. The desks were all wood and seated two students. The desktop had two holes for ink bottles and a groove on the outer edges for holding pencils. A shelf under the desktop was used for storing our slates or books. The “big room” was grades seven to 11. The male teacher also served as principal. The building was two-storeys, fairly large and called the Parish Hall. The 18
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I started school in 1946 in Heatherton, NL. My first book was a slate and a stick of white chalk. When we didn’t have water to clean the slate, we would spit on it and use our shirt sleeve to wipe it clean – and get heck for that. Them first years l remember my mom’s sister took me to school. She’s over 90 now, the last of 11 children living in Ducksbury, Massachusetts. The school in Heatherton was a one-room classroom, grades Primer to 11. It’s no longer there. I guess everyone goes to Jeffries by bus. The good old days – we all took turns lighting the old potbelly stove in the winter season; that was my favourite part of going to school. W. Gregory Elliot Lake, ON 1-888-588-6353
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Not long after my story about the doomed Swallow and her crew was published in the December issue of Downhome, I heard from Gerald Snow of Bay Roberts. “I was reading the story you wrote in the Downhome magazine about the shipwreck of the Swallow and it was very interesting, and it reminded me about some type of poem I’d seen all about that event,” says the 83-year-old retired salesman. “So I got talking to Reg Bowering in St. John’s, and I believe Captain John Bowering [of the Swallow] was his uncle. Reg said there was a poem the captain wrote that had something like 140 verses about the entire trip and the rescue, from the time they left till they got back home.” Reg promised to have a look for it and get back to Gerald. Meantime, Gerald mentioned the poem to his wife, Faye, who said, “Gerald, I got that somewhere in the den.” As many people do with important papers, she’d stowed the poem in the family Bible for safekeeping. And upon Gerald’s invitation, I paid a visit to him and Faye, to see this find for myself. As I peruse the undated, delicate and dog-eared 20-page booklet, titled Trip of the Ill-Fated Swallow (in Rhyme) by her Captain John Bowering and published by Barnes and Co., Gerald holds the pages in place for me to photograph them for posterity’s sake. The glue on the spine is peeling away in places where perhaps some clear tape was added to reinforce the two original staples holding the tattered cover. While it may show its age and frequent use, this wonderful document is remarkably well-preserved. “Oh yes, it has been in that Bible a long time,” says Faye. “I guess when I found it in the den years ago I thought, that is a very old story of Bay Roberts and worth keeping, so I put it in the Bible knowing it would be safe there. I actually remember Captain John Bowering very well. He and his entire family used to sit behind us in church when I was a little girl attending services at the old United Church over on Coley’s Point. Captain Bowering was a nice man, and I guess Dad and he were friends belonging to the same church and whatnot. Of course, my mother came from Coley’s Point as well, so that is how I came to be there and know who he was.” Gerald points out a minor difference between the newspaper www.downhomelife.com
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Faye and Gerald Snow show where they kept the copy of the Swallow poem at their home in Bay Roberts. accounts of the day and Captain Bowering’s poem, namely that instead of arriving on Christmas Eve 1915, the verses indicate they didn’t actually get back to Bay Roberts (due to delays in the connecting trains) until Christmas Day: At ten o’clock on Christmas night, We to Bay Roberts came; And every one felt glad to think That they were home again. As Gerald says, “The poem doesn’t say what became of Captain Bowering or the crew in later years after they got home. It just ends with them getting into Bay Roberts Christmas Day after www.downhomelife.com
having to wait an extra four hours for a train at Brigus Junction. Of course, they probably didn’t mind that too much; they were just happy to be home, no doubt.” Armed with the exact title, author’s name and approximate date of publication, I reached out to the helpful staff at the Centre for Newfoundland Studies (CNS) at Memorial University. The CNS has a slightly different copy of the booklet, if you’re interesting in seeing it for yourself. It contains extra information, such as a letter Bowering wrote in gratitude to the captain and crew of the Hercules, the vessel that rescued those on the Swallow and delivered them safely to Scotland. June 2019
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homefront Downhome Tours...
New York City
The Big Apple
On a girls’ trip to New York City, Doreen Hoskins (High Level, AB), Melanie Kearley (Fort Smith, NT), Shirley Rose (Fortune, NL) and Joanne Hodder (St. Bernard’s, NL) stopped by the Statue of Liberty. (Submitted by Melanie Kearley of Fort Smith, NT) The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States in 1886. It was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and the metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The figure is Libertas, a Roman goddess of liberty. The tablet in her arms has the date for the US Declaration of Independence and there is a broken chain at her feet. 24
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Crossroads of the World
Harry Youden was on a trip to New York City to watch his first Rangers hockey game and stopped in Times Square. (Submitted by Kerry Youden of Conception Bay South, NL)
Located in Midtown Manhattan, Times Square used to be known as Longacre Square, but it was renamed in 1904 when The New York Times moved in. Today, approximately 330,000 people walk through the square daily, including tourists and New Yorkers.
At the Top
Stephanie Pinksen took her copy of Downhome magazine to the very top of Rockefeller Center. Spearheaded by John D. Rockefeller Jr., Rockefeller Center opened in May 1933 and had at one point employed more than 40,000 people. It was designed in the Art Deco style that was popular at the time and remains to this day. Traditions like the annual lighting of the Christmas tree began in 1931, and the famous ice skating rink has been there since 1936! At the very top is the Top of The Rock observation deck with amazing skyline views. www.downhomelife.com
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Why do we blush? Picture this: You’re at the grocery store, happily wheeling along in a daze, not really paying attention to what you’re doing or where you’re going, when you accidentally plow your cart into a pyramid-shaped Pepsi display, sending bottles flying and suds erupting. All of a sudden, your face turns redder than Nan’s bottled beets as you look up and see all the other shoppers staring at you. While your most embarrassing moment might be a little different, the result is likely the same. To blush is to be human. Even Charles Darwin called it “the most peculiar and the most human of all expressions.” But how does it happen, and why? “Blushing is triggered by various positive and negative emotions [e.g. surprise, joy, guilt, embarrassment, shame], so perhaps being the unwanted centre of attention is the underlying cause,” says Dr. Peter Drummond, professor of psychology at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, who has done much research into the phenomenon. When we experience such an emotion, our sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear: adrenaline is released, our heart rate spikes, the blood vessels in our face dilate and blood flow increases, resulting in that telltale facial flush. 26
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“Blushing spreads to the neck and upper chest in some people, but presumably is most intense in the face because of the dense supply of blood vessels close to the surface that contain beta-adrenergic receptors, which make the vessels dilate when stimulated by adrenaline,” Drummond says. While no one knows for sure why blushing evolved, Drummond adds, “as the physiological mechanism is similar to flushing in the heat and during exercise, presumably blushing cools the body down after an intense emotional experience. This might help to dissipate the emotion.” Blushing also acts as an emotional barometer of sorts, signalling to others that we feel shame or embarrassment – and that’s not entirely a bad thing. A team of Dutch researchers found that their subjects viewed more favourably, and were more likely to 1-888-588-6353
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forgive, another’s embarrassing mishap if they could spot a blush – accepting them at face value, so to speak. Blushing is an involuntary response and there’s not much you can do about it. Though if it affects your day-to-day, “psychologists can help people manage the discomfort often associated with blushing and the thoughts that trigger it,” Drummond says.
Of course, you can always take the extreme measure of getting an “endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy” (a medical procedure that involves severing the sympathetic nerve that triggers blushing), but then you might have to put up with compensatory sweating. Perhaps it’s best to just embrace this quirky little part of being human.
Why don’t the number of wieners and hot dog buns in a package match up? Nothing calls to mind campfires, backyard BBQs and beach boil-ups like a juicy hot dog. It’s the ultimate summertime treat. You might’ve even tossed a few packages of weenies and buns into your cart the last time you were at the grocery store in anticipation of firing up the barbie at the first hint of warm(ish) weather. But as you did so, did you also scratch your head at the fact that something didn’t add up, namely the number of wieners and buns in their respective packages? Did you ever stop to think if this was some kind of trickery or evil attempt by the local grocer to puzzle you with math problems as you stock up on supplies? Turns out, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. While they do come in varying quantities, you’ll find that typically there are 10 hot dogs in a pack, but only eight buns in a bag. Hot dog wieners were sold in varying numbers at the butcher shop when hot dog buns first came onto the scene, explains the USbased National Hot Dog and Sausage
Council (yes, there is such a thing!) on their website. When the 1940s rolled around, they started to be packaged in the way we’re familiar with today, ten to a pack. “The packages are usually 1 lb and historically there have been 10 hot dogs/lb. Today it can vary based on brand, which is why some packages have less than 10 if the hot dogs are a little larger, but generally the 1 lb package still applies,” writes Eric Mittenthal, president of the NHDSC, in an email to Downhome. As for the buns? Well, they’re usually baked in clusters of four in pans designed to hold eight rolls, explains the council. The eight-roll pan, they add, remains the most popular. And should you find yourself perplexed in the bread aisle while planning your first bash of the summer, “you need to purchase five bags of eight-to-the-pack buns and four 10-tothe-pack hot dogs to break even,” the council advises.
Do you have a burning life question for Linda to investigate? Turn to page 9 for ways to contact us. www.downhomelife.com
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homefront
That’s
AMAZING Wild news from around the world
High-Tech Harp
If you happen to see a seal around Newfoundland and Labrador with a radio antenna sticking up from behind its head, don’t worry – it’s not a remote controlled robot. It’s just one of 12 harp seals the DFO has tagged in a study to track the behaviour of young seals, which includes recording their speed and how they react to climate change.
The Taste of Music
Swiss researchers took nine wheels of Emmental cheese and subjected each one to either hip hop, Mozart or classic rock to find out if it changed the cheese’s flavour. According to their results, hip hop had the biggest impact on taste and smell!
Close Call
An Australian man had a brush with death when he decided to confront a man armed with a bow in the small town of Nimbin. As the man tried to take a photo of the intruder with his cellphone, the armed man shot an arrow at him. Miraculously, the arrow pierced the man’s cellphone, sparing him a deadly wound. 28
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Can You Take It Lying Down?
How much do you love sleeping in? Well, you might be the perfect fit for a NASA and European Space Agency study on the effects of microgravity on the human body. Volunteers will have to stay horizontal in bed for a whole two months, never getting up. That means they’ll have to figure out how to eat and, yes, use the bathroom while lying down. They’ll be paid about C$24,800 for their troubles. Applicants must speak German.
For Sale: Town
The entire town of Story, Indiana could be yours, if you have US$3.8 million lying around. At the moment, the town has a population of three people and six houses. Founded in 1851, it was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Morocco Run
The 251-km Marathon Des Sables is a brutal, six-day run across the Sahara Dessert in Morocco. Considered the toughest foot race in the world, it’s a test of stamina in the gruelling heat. In April this year, 16year-old Jack Davison from British Columbia become one of the youngest people to ever complete it.
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homefront life’s funny
Not Exactly as Advertised
When my last child was born, the doctor phoned home and told my husband and family the news. The day I returned home from the hospital, our older son asked me if our new baby had springs inside of him. “Why would you think that?” I asked. “Because,” he said, “the doctor told us we had a bouncing baby boy!” Isabel England Via Downhomelife.com
Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories? Share them with us. If your story is selected, you’ll win a prize! See page 9 for details. 30
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ear. YES, “YES, I am a polar b S, I AM I am a polar bear. YE A POLAR–BKEeaAlieR-A!”nn Hedderson
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (sent in by Karen Drover) on our website and Facebook page and asked our members to imagine what the dog might be saying. Kealie-Ann Hedderson’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: “I should have given my run away from home plan a little more thought.” Gerald King “I knew I couldn’t trust that cat.” Christine Gilbert “Never booking a low cost cruise again.” Bernadette Luedee Doyle
Want to get in on the action? Go to www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
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“Like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/downhomelife
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homefront lil charmers
Making Waves Fresh Catch Joshua Warren of Massey Drive lands his first salmon just days before his 8th birthday. Carolyn Warren Massey Drive, NL
Coming Up for Air Seven-month-old Brixton Broderick is having a time at the pool. Joan Broderick Gambo, NL
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Little Captain This little guy waves as he takes command of the boat. Joan Reader Wells Cox’s Cove, NL
Maiden Awaiting Voyage Isla Ocean perches in the bow of her Poppy’s newly built boat, named after her. Renee MacGregor Carbonear, NL www.downhomelife.com
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homefront pets of the month
beach bums All Aboard! Rosie, Daisy, Jessie and Stormy all love spending their summers at the family cabin on Exploits Island, where they can go on boat trips. Stephanie Cuff Lewisporte, NL
Pampered Pooch After a fun-filled day at the beach, Gila is waiting for a bath to clean up. Valerie Alexander
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Sea Kitty This cute cat was spotted lounging on the beach at Neddies Harbour in Norris Point, NL. Megan Tilley Corner Brook, NL
Seaside Stroll This handsome sevenmonth-old Labrador Husky enjoys a walk on the beach. Crystal Peddle Long Beach, NL
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growled at him!” He laughs more. “That was her bunk.” She’d even accompany him when he’d go offshore crab fishing. There was another time Pepper went on the seal hunt and she ran out on the ice to try to chase some seals. “She was just a brave, brave young dog. She was a good travelling companion, I tell ya. She went everywhere with me.” Lloyd guesses Pepper had been on the Marine Atlantic ferry more than any other pet, and she wasn’t above causing a little mischief either; on one memorable trip she escaped from the ship’s kennel and ran around the boat on her own little adventure. Eventually, they found her wandering the ship, and Lloyd and Pepper hung out on the top deck for the rest of the trip. “She was an adventurous dog. She just wanted to get out and explore,” says Lloyd. But eventually the years began to catch up with her and changes started happening to Pepper. More grey hairs started to sprout up in her brown coat. Five years ago, she lost her teeth and Lloyd started giving her soft foods that were easier for her to eat, like rotisserie chicken. But she kept in good cheer and was happy, Lloyd says. That 25-year long companionship came to an end abruptly. Pepper was healthy, but then quickly fell ill. Last year, she had a couple of seizures, and one happened just after Christmas. Lloyd held off making a decision about putting her down; he didn’t want to let her go, “but she was just suffering more and more, every time.” Finally, he realized he couldn’t see her in pain like that, so he made the difficult choice to end her pain and say goodbye. “You can’t let them suffer; it’s the www.downhomelife.com
Lloyd Gaslard and Pepper were inseparable for 25 years. worst thing in the world, the vet told me,” Lloyd recalls. But he’ll always have Pepper in his heart. “She was just like a kid to me.” Remarkably, she was with him through his 20s, 30s and into his 40s. Not many dogs enjoy such a long life. “She was always on the run, she loved to run. And I mean she’d run like a bullet, she was an outgoing dog… She was full of life when she was young.” June 2019
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homefront
Remember reel-toreel tape machines? For the audiophile – one who is interested in a high quality, high fidelity music listening experience – a reel-to-reel tape machine was once a necessary home stereo component. These days, it’s pretty uncommon, unless you have a recording studio or a penchant for vintage audio gear.
Before the digital revolution completely changed everything about the way we listen to music, there was the magnetic tape. In the 1950s, buying vinyl records was the main way to get music into your house. But what if you didn’t want to get up every 25 minutes to flip the record, or wanted to listen to songs from multiple albums, or wanted an uninterrupted stream of music for, say, a party? The answer was tape: 7-inch reels of the stuff, in widths from ¼ inch up to 2 inches for a variety of uses. Paired with a quality reel-to-reel tape machine, the audiophile looking to preserve their records or wanting to make a music mix could easily duplicate music with a sound quality rivaling the original record. Reel-to-reel machines found a niche within the audiophile world once cassette tapes hit the mainstream in the 38
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1970s. These large reels of tape had a better sound quality than cassettes. But convenience won out over quality, and the cassette tape – easily portable, easy to play and not as precious (you could drop a cassette and not worry about the entire thing unrolling across the floor) – won the consumer market, with the reel-toreel machine withdrawing to its stronghold in recording studios. Even that last refuge was surrendered in the battles of the digital revolution, and now it’s rare to find a recording studio dedicated to tape. Reel-to-reel machines can still be found on the used market and new tapes are still being manufactured, for anyone wishing to wander down memory lane with the record button on. Plus, having one of these beside your modern stereo is a “reel” conversation piece. 1-888-588-6353
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
18 Souls: The Loss and Legacy of Cougar Flight 491 Rod Etheridge Boulder Books $24.95
Ten years ago, Cougar Flight 491 crashed in the ocean on its way to the offshore oil field. There was one survivor. An extensive inquiry took place, and its findings and recommendations are in the public record. What hasn’t been so public is the story of the people who were killed in that crash and how their loss affected those they left behind. Now Rod Etheridge has filled that gap in 18 Souls: The Loss and Legacy of Cougar Flight 491. Etheridge conducted extensive interviews to draw a picture of the passengers of the doomed flight. We learn about their everyday lives before they boarded and how their loss affected their parents, their spouses, their children, their siblings and their best friends. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself choking up as you read. Etheridge knows how to frame a sentence for greatest visceral impact. But that’s not a bad thing in this case. We’re all human in the face of tragedy. The voices are those who were closest to the men and one woman who died, so it’s not surprising that the victims of the crash occasionally come across as too good to be true, with nary a single flaw. What is surprising is how consumed those they left behind still appear to be by this one life-changing event. Ten years later, parents still visit their son’s grave twice a day; a grandchild still kisses poppy’s picture before bed every night; no widow seems to have found somebody new. And that might be the saddest legacy of all.
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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: Only some of the victims and their survivors appear in this book. What happened to the rest? Rod Etheridge: That was tough. I reached out to them all. Only one said no; and once someone said no, I was going to leave it alone. Everyone else said they’d think about it. I got up to 12 and the other four said they would get back to me. I realized how hard it was to talk about. They’d say they’d call next week and I wouldn’t hear for a month. At some point we just had to meet the deadline. I was very disappointed I couldn’t get all 18, but I couldn’t wait.
DF: This is your first book after being a journalist for such a long time. What drew you to this particular story? RE: I had just come off a big project at work, and when it was over and I went back to my regular job producing, I thought I’d love to do another big project. I noticed we didn’t mention the people who died during the crash. The reason we know about the merchants and how they didn’t care about sealers is because Cassie Brown wrote about it [Death on the Ice about the 1914 Newfoundland sealing disaster], and I thought if we don’t talk to the families how are we going to know how important this was? I thought someone has to tell their story.
DF: Did writing this book take an emotional toll on you? RE: I didn’t realize it did until I got
writing is done a certain way and you tell a story, but sitting down with the families it became about them. They laugh and then they cry and then laugh again, and go through a whole range of emotions. Now I feel like I know [the victims] in death, even though I didn’t know them in life. Janet Breen described her husband’s laugh so well I felt I could hear it. I found myself getting emotional.
DF: Do you think we’ve learned a lesson from this? Has transport safety improved? RE: That’s a tough one to answer. I stayed away from having an opinion in the book. Every time I went down that rabbit hole it started to consume the book, and this was supposed to be about the people. There have been a lot of changes and the family members told me they thought safety had improved. The dad of Greg Duggan [who still works offshore and whose brother Wade was one of the victims] watches his flight online until it arrives safely.
DF: It seems that almost everyone in Newfoundland has a connection to at least one of the victims. Did you know any of them? RE: There’s no connection to any of them personally. I knew Allison Maher’s name because she was the only woman on board. Over the years I’d remember the crash and move on. Like everyone else, I knew about it and I covered it.
towards the end of the book. The www.downhomelife.com
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homefront what odds
jar half full By Paul Warford
was invited to perform at Just For When ILaughs in 2010. The sun was warm on my good things cheeks while I spoke to the JFL people on the My girlfriend at the time sat and watched happen to me, phone. as I spoke to the representatives who gave me I’m in such the good news. JFL would fly me to Toronto, fly me to Montreal, what more could I ask disbelief they’d for? I hung up the phone and tried to think I tend to straight. After a few minutes of my silence, my girlfriend have trouble asked, “Aren’t you excited?” registering I thought I was. To be honest, I’ve never been great at getting excited. When good things hapthe reality. pen to me, I’m in such disbelief I tend to have trouble registering the reality. Recently I won a big comedy competition, and seconds before I was called to the stage, I was telling my wife, “Ah, I don’t think I won.” That’s why I have a glass jar on top of my fridge. It once contained marinara sauce, but now I put something else in there. I had my first on-screen speaking role today. I can’t tell you what it’s for because that’s against the rules, but I’m pretty sure it’s a movie. And it almost didn’t happen. Yesterday, while up to my eyeballs in tissues and those Halls with the stuff in the centre, the casting people called out of the blue, saying they needed someone to play a TV salesman in a department store, and they needed them the following morning. So, was I interested? Would I be available? And if so, what was my neck size? Turns out the answer is 14.5 inches. However, I’d spent the previous two days moping and sneezing and cinched up in quilts. I told them all of this on the phone and said I was worried I wouldn’t be able to give them “clean takes” because of all the coughing. I said “clean takes”
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on purpose, hoping it made me sound like I played salesmen on TV all the time. Of course, St. John’s is a small town with a tight-knit film community, so they were probably well aware of just how many clean takes I’ve had. This local familiarity seems to have worked in my favour, though, because the only reason they asked me in the first place was because I had helped cater a filming – I’ve done this a couple of times. They remembered me from my time behind the ladle, scooping up dinner and topping up coffee, and based on those memories, they thought I would fit the role. “Isn’t that neat? They could tell you’d be good just from serving them food and talking to them. You should be proud!” My wife says all of this once I’ve hung up with the casting people. Being proud hadn’t occurred to me. Instead, I was panicking about the shoot and how it would go – my cold was quite bad. Would I cough and make things complicated for the cast and crew? My wife reminded me that I’m a great comedic actor and this would be easy for me. Being a great comedic actor hadn’t occurred to me either. The shoot went really well. I did cough a lot while waiting to perform between takes, but every time I glanced up, another kind face was standing over me with a throat lozenge, telling me I was doing great. Sometimes you just need to hear the little things, even if they’re being said
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by strangers. So, why did I mention the marinara jar earlier? Alessia Cara. I don’t know Alessia Cara personally, I just know she’s a young, emerging musician from Canada. I watched a live performance of hers on YouTube around this time last year. Before getting onstage and doing her thing, she did a quick interview. She mentioned how she has always kept a jar since she was a kid, and every time an opportunity comes her way, or something positive happens in her life, she writes the event on a piece of paper and sticks it in the jar. At the end of the year, she reads the contents. Quite an enlightened habit for a 17year-old, wouldn’t you say? I started my own jar as soon as Alessia gave me the idea, and maybe you should start one, too. Everyone’s so busy and exhausted it can be tough to remember the quick casting calls and proffered cough drops. As a born pessimist, I tend to focus on the bad colds rather than the good days, but today was a good day. And now that day’s in the jar! It waits with all the others, ready to remind me that it’s okay to get a little excited every now and then. Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada. Follow him on Twitter @paulwarford
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homefront in your words
This Bear
waited a loooong time to get to this little girl. My Aunt Freda gave it to her for Christmas about four years ago, but Layla was too young to have it yet. So last night, I told her the story of the bear and finally gave it to her. The story goes like this...
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My great-grandmother, Mari Tessness, was born in Tessanden and worked in Gjendesheim, Norway. She left Norway on a ship in 1929, when she was 24 years old. She’d been hired to work as a cook for Marit Campbell Fabritious, who was the lady in waiting to the Queen of Norway, and her husband, Captain Victor Campbell. They had settled on The Great Harry’s River (Harry’s River) in western Newfoundland in 1926. Marit didn’t like the cooking here, so she hired her own Norwegian cook – Nan. The Campbells offered her lodgings and wages ($15/month), plus the cost of the trip over, with a minimum oneyear term. So she set out on what would become a lifelong journey. Nan said when she got off the train she saw Dan Parsons walking toward her with his rubber boots slung over his shoulder. She ended up marrying him, having a family and never went back to Norway. I remember talking to her about it and she said, “If I had my time back—” I chimed in and finished, “You would do it all over again?” But she said, “No! I would have turned around and got back on the train!” I think she was kidding; she was a bit of a hard case. Anyway, getting back to the story of the bear. Aunt Marjorie, Nan’s sister-
Mari Parsons (nee Tessness)
in-law, gave her a mink fur coat that came all the way from New York! She cherished it, and after Nan passed away at the ripe old age of 102, Aunt Freda (her granddaughter, Mom’s sister) had six teddy bears made out of the coat. She gave one of those very special bears to my daughter. So here sits the bear, in the arms of my daughter, made from an old mink coat that kept this strong Norwegian woman warm, in a foreign land that she learned to call home.
Anton, Anne, Thor, Mari, Hans, Rudolph (Mari’s brothers and parents, before leaving Norway)
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homefront
By Dora Skinner
Father’s Day is fast approaching, and for many years I have attempted to write an article about my father, Harvey Tulk Sr. Here I go.
I am 70 years old now, but I will never forget the trauma that entered my life at age five. We lived in a small community on the south coast of Newfoundland called Point au Gaul. I remember so well standing in the kitchen as I saw so many
The last photo taken of Harvey Tulk, Sr., the day before he passed away suddenly in 1986.
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people in that small community crying, but what stands out more than anything is my father crying and my mother pregnant with another child. I remember running away as my Uncle Jim tried to comfort me. My dad was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and had to go to the Sanatorium in St. John’s for treatment. Imagine how harsh that news was to a man who had three children and another on the way. We were poor, had no money, and a magistrate from Grand Bank promised to get Dad to St. John’s somehow. Sometime later, I remember being in a taxi from Lamaline with Mom. We were going to St. John’s to see Dad, and it was my first ride in a vehicle that I can recall. The year was 1953. I remember us stopping at Goobies to eat. I had never seen a tea bag before; back then all we had was loose tea. The most amazing discovery was the sink in the washroom, where water disappeared. I couldn’t understand where the water was going as I expected to see it spill out on the floor below. At home we used a wash pan for everything. At the Sanatorium, I thought I would finally see Dad and wrap my arms around him, but not so. Mom put on a gown and spent time with him, but all I was allowed to do was stand outside, pressing my little hands to the window to where Dad was inside. He was crying again. As a child, it was so difficult to understand why he couldn’t hold me and make all the pain go away. Dad was eventually released from the Sanatorium, and over the years he worked hard but always struggled with health issues he couldn’t control, www.downhomelife.com
no matter how hard he tried. After battling TB, he had a heart attack at age 57, followed by open heart surgery. After that he got back on his feet and went back to working to support his family. Our family grew to 10 children: four daughters and six sons. Mom and Dad visited me and my husband Ed often over the years, turning up in our driveway unexpected so many times, but what fun we had.
While all the memories bring tears of sadness, they also bring joy – so much fun packed into a lifetime of 62 years. Their last visit was with us in Conception Bay South on July 7, 1986. It was my 33rd birthday. He bought a dish for me; it still sits on a side table full of nuts. We drove Mom and Dad back to Fortune on July 11. That next morning, when we were preparing to drive home, Dad was at my brother Paul’s cabin picking up a Coleman stove for some reason, and that’s the first time ever I didn’t kiss Dad goodbye. The next day, he was suddenly taken from us, with three sons still living at home and a family ripped apart with the heartache of missing a father who meant the world to us. While all the memories bring tears of sadness, they also bring joy – so much fun packed into a lifetime of 62 years. Dad, I know you’re in the clouds smiling down at us. Happy Father’s Day to you, and to all who have or have had such great fathers who can make us laugh as well as cry. June 2019
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features
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A story of dedication to craft, continuing cultural traditions, and working toward local food security. Story and photos by Tobias Romaniuk
A full side of pork, feet hanging over the edge, fills the prep table in the kitchen of Chinched restaurant on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. Executive chef and co-owner Shaun Hussey hones his butcher’s knife and leans in to deftly remove the loin. He and his crew will break down the entire side, making use of every bit. Much of the animal is destined, eventually, for the deli cabinet, where a variety of artistically crafted sausages, duck confit, pastrami, mortadella and bologna await the charcuterie platter. Shaun refers to his bologna as “fancy Newfoundland bologna.” And mortadella, he says, is just fancy Italian bologna. In Italy, making mortadella has always been serious business. Historically, the proper method for making it was overseen by a guild of charcutiers, and the penalty for making mortadella without the consent of the guild was to be stretched on the rack – tortured, in other words. Keep in mind this was the 1700s, and our sense of appropriate punishment has changed significantly. The process of making mortadella, however, hasn’t. Making a proper mortadella is still a difficult task that requires skill and practice. It also happens to be the same method used in making bologna. “Seasoned properly and made with the right ingredients,” Shaun says, “…it’s a piece of artwork.” Making bologna correctly – using quality ingredients, making it by hand and putting care into creating a quality product – is similar to the way mortadella was made a few hundred years ago. And that’s the way Shaun makes all his charcuterie, including bologna. www.downhomelife.com
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Before the Bates Hill location, with its deli counter that was the reason for the move, the restaurant was on Queen Street, both in downtown St. John’s. Before Chinched, Shaun and Michelle LeBlanc, his wife and Chinched co-owner, were on Fogo Island. Before that, he spent eight years working at restaurants on the mainland. This is where Shaun’s journey into charcuterie begins, sometime between 2005 and 2007 – he’s not sure of the exact year. He and the chef he was working with, who he credits as being a mentor, got curious about cured meats, and started making and hanging salamis. They also started warning coworkers not to eat it. “Nothing we ever made we were confident enough to eat because we didn’t really know. It was more of a trial and error. It was the very beginning of experiments for us,” Shaun says. Why make food with no intention of serving or eating it? Because it’s all part of the process. This experimental phase allowed Shaun to observe how meat dries and what happens through the various stages. And because they were working with uncooked, dried meat, with its potential for bacterial contamination, their hesitancy in consuming it was understandable. When they moved to working with cooked meats, bacteria was no longer a concern. The first edible charcuterie he made was a country style pâté, “and that’s something that I’ve kept in my repertoire ever since,” he says. Old ways of doing things, of making food, has long interested Shaun, inspiring his forays into traditional methods of preserving food and the way it’s done in various cultures. 52
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From the centuries-old traditions of Italian charcutiers to the methods of salting and cellaring used by Newfoundlanders, there is a common sinew of method, knowledge and technique connecting the cultures and ages across the Atlantic. Through the centuries, those Italian meats made their way to Newfoundland plates, transforming along the way from mortadella to bologna. On Fogo Island, the old-timers told Shaun that when they were young bologna was considered a good meal. The bologna of the old-timers’ youth: that’s what Shaun wanted to recreate in his effort to make bologna beautiful again. But there’s more to it than a love of food and an interest in traditional methods. He is a chef, yes, but he’s also an entrepreneur and business owner looking to get more people in the door. 1-888-588-6353
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Given the popularity of all things bologna here (looking at you, Maple Leaf bologna stick mascot), he figured bologna would be a good, buzzworthy item at the deli counter. And with an active Instagram presence, of course there is a hashtag: #MakeBolognaBeautifulAgain. Pork is Shaun’s meat of choice. It’s what most of the deli meats are made
from, it’s in the illustrated butcher cuts framed on the wall, and it features heavily on the menu, including the ever-popular pigs ears appetizer. So it makes sense that Shaun has sought out Leamington Farms, in Point Leamington, NL, to supply him with fresh pork. Admittedly, not all the pork comes from Leamington Farms – Chinched simply doesn’t www.downhomelife.com
have the space to process all the pork they need, so they order in shoulders from off-island suppliers in addition to the full sides of pork like the one on that prep table. At first, the pigs from Leamington Farm were lean, because that was the current market trend. Shaun wanted big pigs, porkers with a good bit of fat on them, ones that had been given time to grow, age and develop. Fat, he says, stores flavour, which is affected by diet. It stands to reason, then, that a fat pig is a flavourful pig. So Shaun requested porkier porkers. The folks at Leamington Farms provided, and Shaun is now able to offer a farm-to-fork experience to diners while having the piece of mind of knowing exactly where his main ingredient is coming from and how it’s fed, grown and processed. Before moving the restaurant and creating the deli space, Shaun tested the local demand for his crafted charcuterie by setting up a table at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market. He prepared several coolers worth of product, including a variety of sausages. On his first day he was completely sold out within 25 minutes. It continued like this for several weeks, eventually slowing as people stocked up their freezers. There was, evidently, a demand for quality prepared meats. Fast forward a few years, and now people are visiting the Bates Hill deli for their fix of locally prepared meats – including bologna, which, despite its poor reputation, has a pedigreed history and, when made with care and quality ingredients, is worthy of respect. “This is an advanced piece of charcuterie that’s being made here,” says Shaun, “and as fancy as mortadella.” June 2019
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For Philip Thornley, seeing a child get into the blueberry bushes and emerge with a face stained purple is a joyful thing. Understandable, since he’s the owner of Campbellton Berry Farm in Campbellton, NL. Located in the Bay of Exploits, it’s the perfect spot for a berry farm. “It’s a nice little peninsula because the climate, to some extent, is moderated by the bay. So frosts aren’t as bad as they could be inland,” Philip explains. A farmer for several decades, Philip has to keep an eye on what may have a negative impact on his fields. While Philip’s farm is best known for its strawberry u-pick, he’s also been harvesting blueberries for the last 25 years. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers, out of all the fruit Canada exports, blueberries are the most valuable and in 2016, those exports were valued at more than $223 million. Our country is the second largest producer of blueberries, and in 2017, Newfoundland and Labrador produced approximately 115 tons of them. The health benefits of this little berry are well-documented: they’re rich in antioxidants and eating this fruit regularly has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. They’re also high in nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, manganese and copper. And these berries can be found growing wild all over NL, so it’s little wonder these small, but powerful berries are so popular. The blueberries in this province are typically lowbush blueberries, which are noticeably more nutritious than the www.downhomelife.com
highbush variety, do better in cooler climates, tend to be smaller and have a better flavour. Philip’s farm has both varieties.
NL’s super fruit
While Newfoundlanders and Labradorians don’t always love our climate (lookin’ at you, late April ice shower), our generally cooler climate has benefits when it comes to blueberries. It’s produced a hardier berry that can withstand our temperatures, as well as a better flavour, according to Philip. A lot of antioxidants are in the berry’s skin, he says, and the smaller blueberries have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio, making them packed with these beneficial antioxidants. As well, where there’s lower soil fertility, the blueberry plant has to get resourceful when it comes to finding its nutrients. It can partner with mycorrhiza (a symbiotic relationship between fungus and the plant’s root system) to meet its needs, such as water, phosphorous and potassium. “So having a plant that has to struggle a bit, like Newfoundlanders or the Newfoundland pony… can end up being a better breed,” he says. It’s like a type of survival of the fittest. Our local blueberry bushes are the descendants of plants that have had to struggle to survive, so June 2019
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they’ve adapted to make themselves comfortable in this environment. “Plants are smart; they’ll adapt if we have the patience to give them the time,” Philip muses. While small berries aren’t always stocked in supermarkets because consumers are more visually drawn to plumper berries, Philip says bigger blueberries can mean higher water content and fewer nutrients. He would also like to see a shift in the way people buy their berries. “Instead of thinking about size and appearance, people who are stocking supermarket shelves should be thinking about nutrition and the consumer should be thinking... ‘When I spend my dollar, am I getting good value for vitamin C, for example, or nutrient value and taste?’”
The creeping threat of climate change There are plenty of threats to crops, and after 40 years on the farm, Philip’s seen climate change creeping up faster than he’d anticipated. He knows it’s going to be a major problem. In fact, a recent report from Environment and Climate Change
Canada stated that Canada is experiencing climate change at twice the speed of the global average. “And it might have some unexpected consequences for Newfoundland because we’re on Iceberg Alley,” Philip says. “And if the Greenland ice sheet is really shedding ice water, it’s gonna shed it into Newfoundland, right on our northeast coast. That’s gonna result in colder temperatures, especially in the spring.” There are also severe economic impacts that come with climate change, which will be felt especially by those who work the land. If a crop is destroyed, that can put a farmer’s finances in jeopardy, “which is what happened last year,” Philip says. “And it’s not just gonna be predictable change, it’s gonna be extremes. Plants are quite happy with averages, but they’re not happy with extremes – that’s what kills them.” So you can have a nice spring, but if the temperature suddenly soars or plummets, it can kill the plant. Philip says there are things a farmer can prepare for, but even then he can still get hit with something unexpected. For instance, farmers monitor and manage the content of
5 BLUEBERRY BITS Blueberries are high in fibre and low in calories, making them a popular snacking food. Canada is the world’s second largest producer and exporter of blueberries (US is #1). More than 75,000 hectares of blueberries are harvested each year in Canada. 56
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Highbush blueberries refer to the cultivated plant and were developed from the wild variety in the early 20th century. Canada is the largest producer of lowbush berries (a.k.a. wild blueberries), which are mostly grown in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
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Philip Thornley has been a berry farmer for more than 40 years, an interest he got from his parents.
the soil to make sure there’s the right levels of certain elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. But if something fails that’s out of his control (like temperature, sunlight or rainfall), he can still get a bad yield, Philip explains. “So you can do everything right, or you think you’ve done it right, and you’re nailed by something that’s unpredictable. So yes, [climate change is] going to have economic consequences. It means we’ve got to take more measures to try and protect crops or we’ve got to grow crops that are way less vulnerable, and that’s all expensive.” Blueberries have vulnerabilities, Philip says. For instance, the plant might survive a severe frost, but the blossoms won’t. Blueberry bushes are self-pollinating, but cross-pollination is good for the plant, so they still need bees and a breeze. But what if it gets too cold and wet for pollinators to get around? Or maybe the fruit never develops because it got www.downhomelife.com
too hot and dry? This isn’t great for farmers who are selling the fruit the plant bears. It’s not just weather that threatens blueberries, but also the potential diseases that could hit them, such as mummy berry, a disease caused by a fungus that can wipe out crops and can linger in the area for years. The fact that Newfoundland is an island can offer some degree of separation and protection from certain problems, including fruit fly. However, they can still infect Newfoundland blueberries if the insects are blown over the Gulf of St. Lawrence or brought in accidentally. Last year there was a recall for blueberry bushes being sold in NL that potentially contained blueberry maggot, a species of tephritid fruit fly. It’s an insect that eats the plants and can already be found in the eastern United States, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but not Newfoundland and Labrador – at least, not yet. June 2019
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To raise funds, they hold events and performances. In fact, last year they were hired by O’Reilly’s Pub on George Street in St. John’s to perform there every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. Not only are the dancers, teachers and organizers all volunteers, there is no cost to parents whose kids want to be St. Pat’s Dancers. “All the money that is given [raised] goes into a bank account for the children, for their travel, for their shoes and for their uniforms if needed. So it won’t be any cost to the parents,” Yvonne confirms. She enrolled her own daughters decades ago – that’s how she got involved – and one of her daughters still volunteers alongside her.
Tracing the History of the St. Pat’s Dancers
The St. Pat’s Dancers were founded in the 1930s by the Irish Christian Brothers. It started as a group of five boys who were taught Irish step dancing and performed around the city. From the 1940s to the 1980s, they got an inspirational boost from Brother Murphy, who’d returned 60
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from New York City, where he was influenced by local dancing styles and studied with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. He introduced these new dances to the St. Pat’s Dancers, which was still an all-boys group. That changed in the 1980s, when the floor was opened for girls. Females make up the majority of St. Pat’s Dancers today. Currently, there are 14 dances that members learn and perform. Dancers are divided into two groups: junior and senior. On Friday evenings, as many as 50 people show up for the junior class, led by more experienced dancers. “That’s how we carry on the tradition,” Yvonne explains. “And we’ve got kids at Memorial University, several of them actually, who joined when they were five and six years old, like my daughter, and they still stay with it. And they come back on a regular basis and teach the younger ones on the tradition. Children teaching children.” Getting the dancers to teach the younger members is a good way to keep them connected to the group and stay with it, rather than just age out. They’re also helping produce 1-888-588-6353
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well-rounded students, many of whom go on to earn the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and volunteer with other groups. Plus, Yvonne says, “The kids have a lot of fun at it!” In the past, St. Pat’s Dancers would visit and perform at long-term care homes in the city, such as St. Patrick’s Mercy Home (where they also practise one night a week) and they’ve expanded into venues across
the Avalon Peninsula. They’ve even performed for royalty, including the Belgian king and queen in the 1970s when they visited NL. In 2014, the St. Pat’s Dancers were in Ireland and performed at the Canada Day celebrations at the embassy in Dublin. “We’re all over the place; put it that way,” Yvonne says.
Irish Homecoming
Whenever they can, Yvonne says the group travels and last August, a St. Pat’s Dancers troupe travelled to Ireland again. That trip’s origin started with Causeway Delight, a musical www.downhomelife.com
group from Ireland who was visiting the province and met the dancers. The musicians said on their next trip to Ireland, they should visit Killarney, “so that’s what we did,” Yvonne says. The dancers took the opportunity to learn more dances at the Maureen Haggerty School of Dance in Killarney. They also performed at a few venues and met up with Causeway Delight. It was a familyfriendly trip, in that some parents came along, too. The dancers had free time to explore the area, and some rented bicycles to ride around town. “It wasn’t all dance, dance, dance, dance,” Yvonne says. During this visit, Yvonne says she was told by people that the St. Pat’s Dancers were doing Irish dancing that’s forgotten there. “I think that’s why we go over so well,” though she isn’t sure that Irish dancing has actually fallen by the wayside in Ireland. But the St. Pat’s Dancers are certainly doing their part to preserve and build on this type of traditional Irish dance. The 2018 trip to Killarney went over so well, the St. Pat’s Dancers hope to be in Galway in 2020. All the while, they’re keeping the group going strong, performing in the community and reaching out to new members. “I love it,” Yvonne says. “I never get sick of it and I’m at it over 30 years.” June 2019
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life is better The little boats of Champney’s West, NL Wanda Pippy, NL
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We’re wasting no time preparing for the next
Downhome Calendar, . . . and neither should you! Submit your best photos of scenery, activities and icons that illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, heritage animals, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views and so much more – and photos from all four seasons. In addition to free calendars and a one-year subscription to Downhome for all those chosen for the calendar, one lucky winner will receive a free trip for four aboard O’Brien’s famous whale and bird boat tours!
Here’s how to submit: Online: www.downhomelife.com/calendar By mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3
Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, files sizes of about 1MB Must be original photos or high quality copies. We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.
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Go June 7-16
St. Anthony, NL
June 1
Gander, NL It’s a summer kick-off rock-n-roll dance! Head down to the Legion to dance the night away to the sounds of local band Airship XL. This isn’t your average rock band – Airship XL has a horn section! Tickets for the show can be picked up at the Royal Canadian Legion in Gander. To preview Airship XL’s sound, check out their Facebook page.
June 2
Clarenville, NL Music For Our Minds aims to entertain your ears while raising awareness and funds for mental health initiatives in the Clarenville area. The concert with a cause at the Eastlink Events Centre features the music of BellaVoce and PHANTOM 4. Tickets are available at Eastlinkeventscentre.com.
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Celebrate the arrival of spring and icebergs on the Northern Peninsula at the Iceberg Festival. The lineup includes music, dancing, food, and a mix of history and culture. This year features the music of Jim Payne and Fergus O’Byrne, ugly stick workshops, a fused glass art workshop, a polar bear dip and plenty of other events. For the full list, visit Theicebergfestival.ca
June 12-16
St. John’s, NL One hundred years ago, two men – Arthur Brown and John Alcock – climbed aboard a biplane in Lester’s Farm field, started the engine and took off, barely clearing the treetops. Sixteen hours later, they crash-landed in an Ireland bog, earning themselves a spot in the history books as the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic. To mark the event, Aviation History Newfoundland and Labrador has planned a series of events, including a black tie Aviators Ball on June 14, a George Street concert, the launching of a commemorative beer and more. For details, visit Aviationhistorynl.com
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June 20-23
Ochre Pit Cove, NL
June 16
Corner Brook, NL Reptiles and baking – it’s not a regular pairing, but this isn’t a regular event. It’s a Father’s Day party that everyone should attend because, honestly, dad doesn’t need another tie. Reptile Frenzy has joined forces with Sugar Street West Bakery for this unique fête to fatherhood. The event begins by getting to know some cold-blooded critters and finishes with a giant cupcake you get to decorate and take home. Or eat immediately – your choice. For more details, or to purchase a wristband, drop by the bakery at 86 West Street.
Ochre Fest celebrates books and music by playing host to authors and musicians in a variety of venues, including a shed party and a pop-up restaurant featuring the culinary wizardry of Ross Larkin, 2018 winner of TV show “Top Chef Canada.” For a full list of events and to buy tickets, visit Ochrefest.ca.
June 23-29
Various Locations, NL Fleetwood Mac tribute act Rumours is on a cross-island Arts and Culture Centres tour. The last time they were here, in 2016, the tour sold out. The California-based band recreates late 1970sera Fleetwood Mac, with period-correct costumes and equipment, for one of the most authentic as-they-were experiences you can get, short of hopping in a time machine.
June 18-22
St. John’s, NL Now in its 18th year, the Nickel Independent Film Festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking, showcasing films made here in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as films from away. For details on screenings and events, visit Nickelfestival.com
June 26-30
Charlottetown, PEI Jazz and blues fans, head to the party tent at Confederation Landing for a festival full of live music, with bands performing in a variety of jazz sub genres at the TD PEI Jazz and Blues Festival. Passes for the entire festival are available, or you can pick and choose the shows you’d like to see. For more information, visit Jazzandblues.ca. www.downhomelife.com
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Newfoundland has been a sailing destination ever since people got curious about what was over the horizon. The lure of the unknown, the promise of adventure, the joy of being on the water, escaping everything – whatever your motivation, Newfoundland’s coastline makes for a great cold water boating experience, whether you’ve just arrived to the island or have a boat docked here all season. For those of you new to our coastline, well, you’ve likely already done your research and are prepared for what lies ahead. Just keep in mind that our coastline tends toward the rugged and rocky, with unmarked hazards. This isn’t a comprehensive sailing manual, but rather a starting point for your trip planning. Be sure to do more research before heading out and talk to local boaters; whether it’s one bay over or an ocean away, local knowledge is invaluable. With that in mind, we sought out some local knowledge for suggestions on boating destinations around Newfoundland. Janet Davis is an artist, printmaker, entrepreneur, restaurant owner and sailor. Her restaurant, Norton’s Cove Café, is mere metres from the ocean’s edge, and the large windows are great for gazing out to sea. Or, if everything goes according to plan, admiring your boat at the dock as you eat lunch. Although there’s
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Communities with floating docks are perfect for sailboats. Gloria Young photo nothing there yet, Janet and her husband are hoping within the next few years to install a floating dock to accommodate two or three boats for people passing through. Paired with a planned laundry and shower facility in the café building, the dock will give boaters a reason to visit with the piece of mind that a decent docking option exists. Boaters know this next bit, but for the rest of us, it’s good to know that all docks are not created equal. The government wharf, a private wharf, a fixed dock and a floating dock each have benefits, but for a sailboat, a floating dock works best: it’s easier to board or disembark, and since the dock – and the boat tied to it – rises and falls with the tides, there’s no need to wake up in the middle of the night to retie your lines. Floating docks outside Norton’s Cove Café, in Brookfield, don’t exist yet. Nearby Wesleyville, though, has a floating dock and is walking distance to grocery stores and banking, and Janet says she’s willing to give boaters a ride to the café if they wish. It’s not part of a car service or anything like that, but rather a gesture of good will and camaraderie to fellow mariners. Seldom, on Fogo Island, is one of 70
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Janet’s favourite destinations. Entering this harbour for the first time is a bit unusual. You’re greeted, says Janet, by what sounds like gunshots. Then you see a large building with a large “F U” painted on the side. Any feelings of unease are displaced by the realization those noises are air cannons to keep birds away, and the big letters stand for Fisherman’s Union. The people here, says Janet, are friendly and accommodating, and Seldom is a pleasure to visit. Closer to home, Bonavista Bay is also one of Janet’s favourite sailing destinations and is an ideal bay for whale watching, with a large seasonal population of humpbacks, as well as dolphins, orcas, minkes and other aquatic wonders. The large bay – more than 20 km across – is full of islands, many of which were once inhabited. Following a government resettlement program, most of those island villages are gone, although there are still some summer residences. Sydney Cove, a resettled community on Pork Island, is worth checking out, says Janet, who is fond of anchoring and exploring islands by dinghy. The island has especially good blueberries, she says. In Port Rexton, the owners of Fishers 1-888-588-6353
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Loft installed moorings to attract boaters to the area. The plan worked, with sailboats using the mooring the first season it was installed. After a dinghy ride to land, you can rest those sea legs and quench your thirst at the Port Rexton Brewery before a short walk up the hill to Fishers Loft, where they have a restaurant and, if the onboard berth is getting tiresome, beds for the weary in the main inn and in saltbox style guest houses. At the bottom of Conception Bay lies Holyrood, home to Terra Nova Yacht Club and Holyrood Marina. The marina has guest berths available, but be sure to call ahead to check availability. For music lovers,
Holyrood’s annual Squid Fest is a great time to visit, with its nighttime concert at the festival grounds that neighbours the marina. From your boat, you can enjoy the sounds of traditional Newfoundland folk music while snacking on food truck fries from the festival grounds. No matter where you go by boat, the rugged coast makes for remarkable views. But beware: along with that beauty lies danger. These rocky shores, like the area around Lumsden, can be tricky to navigate. “Legend has it,” says Janet, “that pirates stayed there because the coast was so rocky that no one in their right mind would go in there in a boat.”
The Holyrood Marina offers guests berths for travellers by sea Theresa Earle photo
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CONTINENTAL DRIFT and glacial action may have shaped Gros
Morne into a magnificent geological wonder some 487 million years ago, but if it wasn’t for the passion of one Newfoundlander, it might have remained a relatively obscure wilderness area. In the 1960s, William (Bill) Callahan was minister of Mines, Agriculture and Resources in Premier Joey Smallwood’s cabinet when he received his first provincial parks file, one that would forever distinguish his life and lead generations of people to climb the 805 metres up Gros Morne Mountain. As Bill recalls in his book, Joseph Roberts Smallwood: Journalist, Premier, Newfoundland Patriot, “…in 1965, the Smallwood government asked Ottawa to undertake studies to determine the potential for creating the province’s second national park there.” (Terra Nova Park was already created in eastern Newfoundland.)
PARK CONTROVERSY
In a recent conversation, Bill recollects how, when he was growing up in the Corner Brook area, his family would travel up the Northern Peninsula to camp in the wilderness. And he recalls how, as minister, he immersed himself in the Gros Morne file, driven, in part, by a desire to see a major park development that would prevent the possibility of resettlement of the communities should the fisheries fail. But creating a national park, while preserving the long-established settlements within its proposed boundary, was not a simple sell. “This file set off a virtual war with Ottawa, fuelled by opposition Tories www.downhomelife.com
and disaffected Liberal MHAs who joined with a few environmental purists to howl for my scalp,” Bill says. The minister’s goal at the time was to receive adequate federal money so the region’s unique historical resources, including those found in L’Anse aux Meadows and Port au Choix, would be developed. He says part of the battle was Ottawa’s insistence the province blindly turn over a large territory to make the park a reality. “The feds were also demanding too much territory… with dire consequences for the people living there. The provincial government was not willing to do any such thing,” recalls Bill. June 2019
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L’Anse aux Meadows became a National Historic Site in 1968 and gained UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1978. Local public support was also divided. Some people wanted the park, no matter what was bargained away. Others were concerned about losing their outdoor rights and privileges for hunting, fishing and wood-cutting. Bill recalls finally locking himself into a room at the Holiday Inn at Clarenville for the writing stages of the province’s proposal. He emerged with a white paper entitled, “The Historic Coast: A Proposal for the Integrated Development of the Great Northern Peninsula.” The paper was tabled in the Legislature on April 7, 1970.
THE GROS MORNE AGREEMENT
On October 31, 1970, two years after taking on the Gros Morne file and following a series of complex negotiations (aided in Ottawa by Newfoundland MP Donald Jamieson), Bill inked a deal with Ottawa to create what is now one of the most remarkable icons of our province and indeed the country. The pinnacle of the deal came when then federal minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Jean Chrétien flew to Corner Brook 74
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to sign the Memorandum of Agreement. Before the formal signing, a helicopter delivered the two men in business suits to the summit of Gros Morne Mountain. “I recall nothing quaint or unique about that stop at the mountain with Chrétien other than here we were dressed in our street clothes walking across the top of Gros Morne,” Bill says, laughing as he adds, “Chrétien never fails to mention it every time I see him, so it made quite an impression on him!” According to the federal-provincial agreement reached, the proposed park, including the towering Long Range Mountains, would cover 1,805 square kilometres and embrace several small communities. Three years later, in 1973, Gros Morne National Park officially opened. In an effort to preserve the traditional lifestyle, residents within the park boundaries could continue to cut wood, snare rabbits and catch fish. The Canada-Newfoundland Gros Morne Agreement also launched the development of Port au Choix and L’Anse aux Meadows as national historic sites. 1-888-588-6353
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PORT AU CHOIX, THE “THIRD PILLAR”
While Gros Morne (in 1987) and L’Anse aux Meadows (in 1978) have since been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the third Viking Trail sister, Port au Choix (a National Historic Site), has yet to receive this international distinction. Bill, now 88, would like to see this happen in his lifetime. “I truly would like to see Port au Choix included, as it is not only unique to all of Canada, but to the world,” he says, adding, “Let’s put it into perspective. People were living in Port au Choix 3,000 years before the birth of Christ!”
The Meeting Circle in Port au Choix HistoricsitesNL photo
Bill remarks that while the Vikings may be getting all the glory, he reminds people these seafaring folks were more than 4,000 years late to the party at Port au Choix. This unique area has been the subject of ongoing archaeological digs since the 1940s, with such ancient cultures uncovered as the Maritime Archaic Indians, Dorset and Groswater Paleoeskimos and Recent Indians, as well as an early European settlement. www.downhomelife.com
“It is really an awesome and fantastic place, and I’ve really dedicated myself now to doing anything I can to help Port au Choix become recognized as a World Heritage Site to complement the other two. There’s nowhere else in Canada or the United States that can compare in terms of world and human history with what we have here,” he enthuses. Folks in Port au Choix are behind Bill’s quest. Susan White, a town councillor and member of the local heritage committee, remarks, “I always found it peculiar that such priority was given to the ruins of the Norsemen living on the Northern Peninsula 1,000 years ago to make it a World UNESCO site, yet the discovery of humans dating back over 6,000 years ago – with dwellings and burial sites right here in Port au Choix – was not.” She adds, “So much have been gathered, studied and learned for the past 60-70 years or more, yet not acknowledged nor given the historic significance it deserved as a crossroad of ancient cultures. Almost like the country, through Parks Canada, don’t want to acknowledge such a rich discovery of five cultures over five millennia.” She and fellow councillor Jeannie Billard signify that the town is hoping to engage like-minded partners and politicians in the coming months to discuss the path needed to advance Port au Choix to UNESCO heritage status. June 2019
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Journeying to a destination with no clear path to get you there is a great way to end up somewhere unexpected. Our failed attempts to find and photograph Smokey Falls deep in the Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve turned into a memorable adventure for me and my brother, Scott. Rather than give up on our outing, we changed course, continuing south on the Bay d’Espoir highway and exploring the Connaigre Peninsula and its handful of communities, as steadfast as the landscape that holds them.
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(bottom left) The view from Gun Hill Trail in Harbour Breton, one of the few places where you can see France from Newfoundland (above) The “melting” rocks at the end of the Winter Pond Trail The town of Coombs Cove was an unexpected discovery. It was here that we found May Kitt knitting in her well-tended yard at the side of her saltbox house. While my brother and his camera wandered off to work on filling another memory card, I went over to say hello. I believe that nothing happens by chance, and soon realized the reason I didn’t get to finish the hike to Smokey Falls was so that I could meet Mrs. Kitt. In the half-hour we chatted, I found out that she had grown up in Coombs Cove but now only spends the summers there. When I mentioned how we found ourselves here by way of a shortened hike, she suggested the Winter Pond Walking Trail just outside the nearby town of Wreck Cove. We made our way toward Wreck Cove and had no trouble finding the trailhead. Less than a half-kilometre www.downhomelife.com
later over a beautiful boardwalk, we stepped onto a wildflower-speckled meadow cut by the brook from the pond. The brook ended in a small waterfall spilling over the most unusual rock formations. From a distance, the rocks appeared to have been melted and poured over the edge of the landscape. Our exploration also brought us to Harbour Breton, the largest community in the region. After a short hike to the top of Gun Hill, several hundred feet above the surrounding landscape, we got two memorable views. The first was of the town itself, spread out before us along the sloping curve of the harbour, the houses and businesses resembling the seating of an amphitheatre. The other view was that of France in the form of Miquelon, a hazy smudge on the horizon. June 2019
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A handmade birchbark canoe almost ready for the water Eventually, we found our way around to the community of Conne River on the east side of Bay d’Espoir. I had just gotten out of the car in the parking area for the Miawpukek Walking Trails when a pickup truck pulled in next to us. The smiling driver leaned out the window and called us over to tell us that if we were interested, we could go see a birchbark canoe being built. He directed us to go to the end of the road and follow the trail marked with a carved eagle. We followed his directions and parked next to a wide-open field, which we later found out is the location of the annual Miawpukek First Nation Powwow, an event that draws huge crowds from across North America to celebrate the heritage and culture of the Mi’kmaq people. A moment later, we were once 78
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again joined by the pickup driver. He introduced himself as Aubrey Joe and offered to lead us to where the canoe was being built. As we strolled through the woods, Aubrey pointed out a shed and a firepit. He explained that on the weekend of the Powwow, a sacred fire is started in the pit and is not permitted to go out for the entire weekend. A short distance farther down the trail brought us to a shed covered in blue tarps. We stepped inside and there on the earthen floor, cradled in a long bed of soft sand, was the sagging shape of a handmade birchbark canoe built entirely of natural materials. Billy Joe, the master canoe builder, and his assistant, Derek Stride, took close to half an hour out of their work to satisfy my curiosity and answer my questions. They explained the birch had been 1-888-588-6353
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gathered from trees in the surrounding woods. The lacing holding the patches of birch together were spruce roots dug from the ground, split and softened to be pliable enough to stitch. Each of the seams between the patches was smeared with black spruce gum to make it waterproof. The plan for the next day was to insert the ribs along its full length, which would stretch out the sag and give it its shape and strength. The reliability these artisans build into these crafts was proven when a previous construction of theirs was paddled from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia! Their work has historic significance and, in fact, one of their canoes is on display at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, ON. On Billy’s suggestion, we took a
short side trail to climb Clem Joe’s Lookout for an expansive perspective of the area. The view of the community and the unending wilderness surrounding us was spectacular. Yet another trail found by way of a friendly chat. If every time we try to reach Smokey Falls we instead meet people like Mrs. Kitt of Coombs Cove, Aubrey Joe and the canoe builders of Conne River, I’ll gladly keep trying and not making it. Still, I would like to eventually get to the falls and, thinking the Miawpukek people might have some inside knowledge of an unmarked trail or just a more direct route, I told Billy of our three unsuccessful attempts and asked if he had any advice. “Hire a guide.”
The panoramic view of Miawpukek (Conne River) from Clem Joe’s Lookout trail, another unexpected discovery www.downhomelife.com
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Harold Feiertag photo
Beginning in late June,
especially during a run of mauzy (foggy, damp) weather, folks in the know start scanning the beaches for more than driftwood. They’re looking for a dark pool in the incoming tide, and a distinct flurry of movement in the waves as they sweep in over pebbly and sandy beaches. A silvery shimmer, a flick of tails and scales, followed by a burst of commotion on the landwash. Then the call is heard around the community, “The capelin are rolling!”
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Cindy Dixon photo
Capelin (Mallotus villosus) is a pelagic fish, meaning it lives in the deep ocean most of its life, from Greenland to Alaska, Japan to Atlantic Canada. They only come ashore to spawn. That is what all their fuss is about when the capelin roll – the females come ashore to lay their eggs, where the males fertilize them. These tiny smelt-like fish have silver and green backs, and silvery
white bellies. During spawning season, the males’ heads and backs appear darker and their fins larger than the females’, and the males gain a row of longer scales on their sides, called “spawning ridges.” After laying their eggs, the females head back out to sea to spawn somewhere else again someday. The males hang around in the shallower waters to spawn more than once and they die when the spawning season is over.
Kathy Savoury photo
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are often whales spotted in those bays. They’ve chased the schools on the hunt for a tasty meal. Seabirds also fill the sky and put off quite the high diving show when the capelin are in. Also flocking the beaches in search of a meal are the locals. Whenever the capelin roll – doesn’t matRon Andrews photo ter if it’s under a brilliant sun or a shimmering moon – the crowds come with their Essentially, they sacrifice themselves cast nets, dip nets and buckets. It’s for the survival of their species. an all-ages event, and the delighted Capelin feed on plankton and small squeals and shouts could be from a crustaceans. More importantly, they toddler or a senior, in hip rubbers or are the food source for much higher sandals, all equally excited to grasp ups on the food chain, from cod to the slippery, flapping fish by the squid, seals and whales. In fact, when dozens. Some freshly caught capelin the capelin are rolling ashore, there will be cooked up over a fire right
Capelin Catching Kit Keep in your trunk at least one item from each category
To Wear Rubber boots / Hip waders • Sandals (but water will be cold!) • Water shoes • Spare dry socks and shoes
To Catch Dip net • Cast net • Rod and reel
To Carry Fish tub / plastic tub with lid • Salt beef bucket
To Linger Camp chairs • Kindling • Matches/ lighter • Beach blankets www.downhomelife.com
Lee Stringer photo
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Darlene Simms photo
Capelin Weather Often in late May to late June, there is a stretch of foggy, rainy, muggy weather in Newfoundland and Labrador. Like Sheila’s Brush that always brings snow after St. Patrick’s Day, this weather lore has proven uncannily accurate every year. Where NL weather can be otherwise unpredictable, you can pretty well count on the mauzy spring weather being broken as soon as the capelin start rolling on the beaches.
there on the beach; others will be carefully salted and dried at home and later fried up with scrunchins, barbecued, or frozen for a mid-winter treat. Some like them cleaned with heads removed, like a trout or salmon, and others scarf them down whole. And
while there’s not a lot of call for it in Newfoundland and Labrador, there is a market for capelin roe made into caviar and sushi. (Traditionally, rather than eat them, local residents add capelin to their vegetable beds to fertilize the soil.)
Spellings for Cap·e·lin /ˈkāp(ə)lən/
Caplin Capeling Capling
Capelan Caplain Capon
Capellin Capline Ceaplin
Source: Dictionary of Newfoundland English
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Crispy DeepFried Capelin By Academy Canada Culinary Class for EverydayRecipes.ca
20 male capelin, cleaned and heads removed 1/4 cup cornmeal 3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp celery salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp cumin, ground 1/2 tsp onion powder 1 cup flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk
Mix together cornmeal and breadcrumbs in one bowl. In a second bowl, combine flour and spices. In a third bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Lightly moisten the capelin with water, but only just enough that the flour can stick. Roll each fish in the flour and spices, shake off the excess and dip in egg wash, then roll in crumbs. Pat to be sure it’s all coated. Deep fry in oil heated to 325°F until golden brown. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings
In 2018, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) revealed that their 2017 capelin count showed the stock size had plummeted 70 per cent since the last count in 2015. Their research suggests it’s not related to the commercial capelin fishery, which harvested about 20,000 tonnes of capelin in 2017, but more likely environmental factors. A group of interested parties, including DFO, Parks Canada and the World Wildlife Federation, have launched the website www.ecapelin.com to encourage citizen scientists to help them gather data on the small, but significant fish. Anyone who sees the capelin www.downhomelife.com
Jody Martin photo
rolling can submit a photo to the website along with the time, date and location of the sighting. That information will be displayed on a map there, which other folks can use to find out where the capelin are. You can also use and follow the social media hashtag #capelinroll2019. June 2019
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The evening sun catches
her discerning features as she gazes out over Water Street where rails now run to roads. The telltale tempo of trains on tracks has been long ago replaced by the cacophony of cars and clattering container trucks carrying cargo to and fro. She stands in Mona Lisa-esque mysterious silence, adorned in her flowing gown and gazing off into infinity, as she has done from her lofty granite perch for more than a century. Casual visitors and locals alike may be forgiven if they miss her in passing, as she is somewhat overshadowed by the magnificent stone building at her back. It is the former West End Railway Station and headquarters for the Reid Railway, built at the turn of the 20th century by Scottish stonemasons overseen by foreman and master mason Charles Henderson. The railway service on the island ended in 1988, and the building now houses the Railway Coastal Museum. According to information on display in the museum, Charles Henderson also sculpted the statue outside, named the “Maid of Industry,” supposedly as a tribute to the workers involved with construction of the railway. It is said that Henderson sculpted the statue, which also served as a public water fountain for a time, in his backyard in St. John’s. The woman who posed for him has www.downhomelife.com
surprisingly humble and local roots. The model for the “Maid of Industry” was actually the Hendersons’ housekeeper, Fanny Quinlan, from North Arm, Holyrood, about a halfhour drive west of St. John’s. The exquisite gown worn by the Maid is another unexpected delight – it turns out it was a tablecloth belonging to Mrs. Henderson. The stone for the statue also has an interesting backstory. According to A.R. Penney and Fabian Kennedy, authors of A History of the Newfoundland Railway: 100th Anniversary Edition, “The base was of granite from the Gaff Topsails, while the figure itself was of sandstone, said to be from one of the gateposts of the Anglican Cathedral in St. John’s, obtained after the fire of 1892.” Fanny Quinlan went on to marry a J. Gushue of Whitbourne. Whether she ever modelled for any other works in not known. June 2019
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We let our Facebook friends suggest the best places in NL to seek out this summer We recently reached out
to our Facebook audience and asked them to name their favourite places to visit in Newfoundland and Labrador, or the must-see spots in their hometown there. We had hundreds of responses (thank you!) and they all made us want to head out of the office right away to go summer road tripping. We’ve left out the obvious locations (Trinity, Fogo Island, Twillingate) that are always getting media attention and decided to focus on some of the less publicized destinations. When it’s time for you to get your motor running, here are some places worth driving to when you head out on the highway.
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BURGEO
Chris Durnford photo
The first stop on our road trip is Burgeo, at the end of Route 480. Once you’ve grabbed a bite to eat in the small town, head another couple of kilometres down the road to Sandbanks Provincial Park, where you’ll be treated to uncrowded white sand beaches rivaling those “down south.” Of course, the water is still bone chillingly cold. Instead of swimming, consider going for a walk – there are several trails through the park for exploring and nature watching.
RAMEA
Eric Bartlett photo
After Burgeo, hop on the ferry to Ramea. Being a bit more than out of the way makes it worth the effort to get to. Ramea is on a small island off the south coast of Newfoundland, accessible only by a ferry that leaves at various times from Burgeo, depending on the day of the week. And some days it isn’t scheduled to run at all. The town of Ramea has less than 500 people, so if you’re looking for a remote rural experience, this is it. Plus, this archipelago is a sea kayaker’s dream. www.downhomelife.com
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CODROY VALLEY
Dave Dominie photo
A few of our Facebook commenters said Codroy Valley is a must-see spot. This valley on the west coast is home to Pirate’s Haven, which offers ATV tours and organizes all sorts of fun excursions and special events. Bird watchers and nature photographers will want to check out the Codroy Valley Estuary for a chance to see one of several varieties of ducks or some of the nearly 2,000 Canada Geese that seasonally stop in the area. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a Eurasian Wigeon.
COW HEAD
Jan Boone photo
Cow Head, in – or more accurately, surrounded by – Gros Morne National Park, hosts a lobster festival from June 30 to July 2, where you can be sure to get your fill of lobsters. If seafood isn’t your thing, you can check out the sandy beaches, play a round at the 18-hole Gros Morne Golf Course nearby, or head down the road a bit to explore massive sea arches. Cow Head is also home to the renowned summertime Gros Morne Theatre Festival. 90
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CONCHE
Paula Bromley photo
People have been visiting Conche, on the Northern Peninsula, since the 1500s to fish for cod. First it was the French, then in the 1700s the English got wind of the good fishing and started visiting as well. Fights broke out, ships were sunk, and now those wrecks in Martinique Bay are recognized as historically significant sites by the provincial government. If diving to shipwrecks isn’t your thing, hop aboard a boat tour to look for whales and icebergs. Or admire the 217-foot, locally embroidered tapestry showcasing the region’s rich history at the French Shore Interpretation Centre.
HEART’S CONTENT
Lorraine Winsor photo
The very first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858, from Valentia Island in Ireland to Heart’s Content. The connection only lasted a few weeks, but a replacement cable laid in 1866 lasted much longer. Today, the telegraph station serves as a museum of the region’s telecommunications history, and several of the houses built for management and staff of the telegraph operations have been restored and are now guest homes. www.downhomelife.com
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BOTWOOD
Lorraine Winsor photo
Large murals on the sides of buildings – commissioned street art – is the sort of thing you expect to see in large cities but is somewhat uncommon in small towns. In Botwood, however, they’ve made murals their thing. The Botwood Mural Arts Society (they have a Facebook page) is responsible for the large-scale artworks, many of which depict the region’s history. But Botwood’s true claim to fame is found in the Botwood Flying Boat Museum, where you can learn how this small town was at the forefront of early aviation, and for a short while was the North American launching point for planes crossing the Atlantic.
COX’S COVE
Norman Purchase photo
When visiting the west coast of the island, be sure to stop at Cox’s Cove, where you’ll be treated to lovely views of the Bay of Islands. There are several tour outfitters in the Cox’s Cove area offering boat tours, deep sea fishing and bird watching. At Four Seasons Tours, you can go fishing in a wooden dory. The Bay of Islands fishermen have been modifying the traditional Grand Banks dory for years, to the point that it has evolved into its own form, the Bay of Islands dory. 92
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ROSE BLANCHE
Harold Feiertag photo
Stone buildings are somewhat rare in Newfoundland, despite the island’s nickname of The Rock. And stone lighthouses are rarer still. Rose Blanche just so happens to have a stone lighthouse, and in the evening light it’s a beautiful sight. Built in 1871-1873, it was operational into the 1940s. It was fully restored in 1999, furnished with antiques and reproductions of period furniture, and is open to the public during the non-winter months.
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life is better Summer on Fogo Island, NL Vicki Schofield, Stratford, ON
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food & leisure the everyday gourmet
fun food on a
stick
the everyday gourmet By Andrea Maunder
Andrea Maunder is the owner and creative force behind Saucy & Sweet – Homemade Specialty Foods & Catering. 96
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Nearly every
culture has food on a stick. Carnival-fare, street-food or just backyard BBQ, skewered food is easy to cook over flame, wonderfully portable, delicious and fun! In North America, we tend to think of skewering chunks of food, such as steak, chicken or veggies. But in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine, ground meat is used quite a bit. It’s a fantastic way to get flavour all the way through the meat without the need for prolonged marination, and allows for plenty of ways to add fat or moisture to leaner cuts to ensure a 1-888-588-6353
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juicy end result. The following is a beef recipe, but you can certainly substitute with another ground meat: lamb, chicken, turkey or pork, for example. All ground meat should be cooked fully, but not to the point of dryness. Pressing on the meat with your finger will let you know if it’s firmed up. A poke with a fresh skewer and juices that run clear are another way to tell. And you can certainly cut one open if you’re not sure. This recipe is inspired by Mediterwww.downhomelife.com
ranean flavours, but you can substitute the herbs and spices. You can swap out the cheese or omit it altogether – in which case you should use a fattier meat to keep it juicy or add a little Greek yogurt. If using bamboo skewers rather than metal, soak them for at least a half hour (or overnight, if you’ve planned ahead) to keep the skewers from burning on the grill. And don’t fret if the weather isn’t BBQ-friendly or you don’t have a BBQ. You can cook these under the oven broiler. June 2019
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Beef Kofta 1 lb lean ground beef 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated 1 tsp dry dill 1 tsp dry oregano 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp cumin 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp (or so) olive or vegetable oil to coat kofta
Mix all ingredients (except olive oil) together well. Cook a teaspoon quickly in a little dish in the microwave (30 or 40 seconds) and taste; adjust seasonings as you like. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions and form into sausage shapes around the skewers (presoaked if wooden). Squeeze and pat them so they are tight and even. Drizzle or brush a little olive oil to coat the kofta. BBQ or grill over medium-high heat until cooked through – about 7-8 minutes per side. Turn as needed to keep them from burning. Alternate oven directions: Heat up the broiler. Line a baking tray with foil, grease it, and fold an edge of the foil over the exposed part of the skewers to keep them from burning. Cook under hot broiler. Flip the skewers halfway through the cooking time – about 15 minutes total. Serve 2 per person. Enjoy with tzatziki, grilled pita or baguette, and a fresh, crisp salad. (Or remove skewers and roll inside fresh pita bread with chopped tomato, sweet onion and lettuce for a delicious sandwich.) Makes 8, serves 4.
Tzatziki 1 cup full fat Balkan or Greek yogurt (3% milk fat or higher) 1/4 English cucumber, skin ON, cut into very small dice 2 tsp finely crushed garlic 1/3 tsp salt Fresh pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon zest 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp dry mint 1/4 tsp sugar 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp olive oil
Combine everything except the olive oil and stir well. Then stir in olive oil. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon. Garlic flavour will develop as it sits. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
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everyday recipes.ca
While biologically a fruit, the tomato is often used like a vegetable – a most popular one, in fact. It’s such a versatile staple, delicious in so many ways. Here are eight ways we’ve found to enjoy tomatoes.
Salsa 4 Roma tomatoes, small diced 3/4 cup green peppers, small diced 1/2 cup red onion, small diced 1 tbsp jalapeños, minced
2 tsp cumin 2 tbsp lime juice Salt to taste Pepper to taste 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Pulse on low speed 3-5 times. All ingredients should be thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for about an hour to allow the flavours to develop. Yield: approximately 2 cups
All of our recipes are brought to you by the fantastic foodies in Academy Canada’s Culinary Arts program, led by instructor Bernie-Ann Ezekiel.
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Tomato Frittata 4 eggs 1/4 cup cream 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup shallots, small dice
1/2 cup mushrooms, small dice 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat broiler to high. Whisk together eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Set aside. SautĂŠ shallots and mushrooms in oil over medium heat in a nonstick, oven-safe fry pan, until shallots are translucent. Add basil, garlic and sundried tomatoes. SautĂŠ until garlic just starts to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes. Remove vegetables from heat and reserve in a bowl. Wipe out the pan, and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Stir egg mixture and pour into pan. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula so as to slightly scramble the eggs. When eggs are approximately half cooked, sprinkle vegetable mixture and goat cheese evenly over the top and place in the oven under the broiler until the eggs are cooked through and start to puff a little, about 2-3 minutes. Once eggs are set, slide onto a large plate and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings www.downhomelife.com
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Tomato Quiche 5 eggs 3/4 cup cream 1/4 tsp celery salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3/4 cup Portobello mushrooms, minced
3/4 cup leeks, minced 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated 1 uncooked pie crust of your choice 2 tomatoes, sliced thinly
Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together eggs, cream, celery salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Sauté mushrooms and leeks until the leeks have softened, about 2 minutes. Add basil and garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add vinegar, stir quickly to combine, and remove from heat. Spread cheese evenly over the bottom of the pie crust. Arrange the vegetables evenly over the cheese, and arrange the tomato slices attractively on top. Stir egg mixture and carefully pour into the prepared pie crust. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F and cook for approximately another 20 minutes. The eggs should jiggle only slightly when poked, and may even start to puff a little. The crust will be a medium to deep golden brown. Yield: 8 servings
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Tomato Jam 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 cup shallots, julienned 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves 4 tomatoes, small diced 5 tbsp sugar 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. SautĂŠ shallots until they start to soften. Add garlic, chili flakes, cinnamon and cloves and sautĂŠ briefly, about 30 seconds. Turn heat to high and add tomatoes. Once the tomatoes start to soften, add the sugar and mix thoroughly. When the pan starts to sizzle loudly and the sugar is caramelizing, add vinegar and shake the pan vigorously so that it deglazes evenly. Cook until the mixture has thickened to a jam-like consistency, about 3-5 minutes. Serve with any meat, poultry or fish. Yield: approximately 2 cups
table For prin rds a c e recip visit
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Roasted Tomato Soup 6 tomatoes 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup carrots, chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped 1 (5.5 oz) can tomato paste
2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced 1 tsp dried basil 1/4 cup flour 1 L vegetable stock, hot 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 cup cream, hot Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat broiler to high. Slice each tomato into 3 thick slices, brush each side with olive oil and arrange them on a small sheet pan. Place the tomatoes under the broiler as close as possible to the burner/element. When the tomatoes have started to char, take them out and flip them over to char the other side. When both sides have been charred, remove from heat and set aside. In a large pot, add butter and sautĂŠ the carrots, celery and onion over medium heat until the onion has softened and started to turn golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and basil, and sautĂŠ for about 2 minutes. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Mix together stock and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually add to the pot, stirring continuously. Allow to boil for approximately 1 minute and remove from heat. Place soup in a high powered blender, vent appropriately, and purĂŠe thoroughly while gradually adding the cream. Season to taste and serve. Yield: approximately 2 L
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Tomato Sauce 3 tbsp bacon grease 1 cup carrots, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 2 cups onion, chopped 1/4 cup fresh garlic, minced 1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp smoked paprika 1 (5.5 oz) can tomato paste 1 tsp sugar 1/2 cup white wine 1 (19 oz) can diced tomatoes 1/2 L vegetable stock
Heat bacon grease in a large pot over medium-high heat and sautĂŠ the carrots, celery and onion until all vegetables begin to caramelize. Add garlic, basil, paprika, tomato paste and sugar, and continue to sautĂŠ until the mixture starts to stick to the pan (about 2 minutes). Deglaze with white wine, add canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and thoroughly purĂŠe sauce in a high-powered blender. Serve in your favourite dishes that require tomato sauce, such as pasta. Yield: approximately 2 L
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Stuffed Tomato 12 beefsteak tomatoes 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 lbs ground beef 1 cup carrot, grated 1 cup celery, minced 2 cups onion, minced 2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp garam masala 1 tsp celery salt 3/4 tsp black pepper 1 cup dry basmati rice, cooked according to package directions 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan, grated
Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice tops off tomatoes (trim the bottom slightly if necessary, to allow them to sit upright) and scoop them hollow. Reserve scoopings in a bowl, mashing slightly to remove large chunks. Set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté the ground beef, being sure to break up all lumps. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic and spices. Continue to sauté until vegetables are cooked through. Add in the mashed tomato scoopings and basmati rice, and mix thoroughly. Stuff tomatoes with meat mixture, allowing them to overflow slightly, and top each one with 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese. Place tomatoes in a casserole dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Yield: 12 servings
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Bruschetta 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup shallots, small dice 1 cup tomato, small dice 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil 1/4 cup white wine 12 crostinis 1/2 cup grated provolone cheese
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat and sauté the shallots for about 1 minute. Add tomato, garlic and basil and continue to sauté for about 1 minute. Add wine and shake the pan vigorously. (The alcohol may briefly catch fire and burn off – don’t worry, this is normal! If this makes you nervous, you can cover the pan to smother it.) There should be little to no liquid left in the pan. If not, continue to cook for 1 minute longer and remove from heat. Divide mixture evenly between all crostinis and top with cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese melts. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings
For printa recipe ca ble rds visit
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food & leisure down to earth
A Garden to Savour How to grow perennial herbs By Ross Traverse
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Many recipes call for fresh herbs rather than the dried product because of the superior flavour they add to the food. If you’re a home cook, you could greatly benefit from a herb garden. Many herb plants are easy to grow at home and don’t take up much space because large quantities are not required. In our climate, herb plants are either annual (live for one year), biannual (live for two years) or perennial (live for many years). Some perennial herbs, like rosemary, are not completely winter hardy, so they have to be taken inside in a container during the winter. Most perennial herbs can be dried or frozen when harvested, to be enjoyed all winter. The big advantage of growing peren-nial herbs is that once they are established they need minimum care. And you needn’t spend extra money on new plants as many types can be divided to produce new plants and some can be grown from cuttings. When you start out with new herb plants, make sure you know if they are annual, perennial or biannual. Choose a garden location close to your house, within easy reach when you are cooking. Most perennial herbs require a sunny location to do their best. New soil should be improved with organic matter, lime and a generalpurpose fertilizer mixed completely with the soil to a depth of at least one foot. As perennial herbs are going to be growing in the same area for many years, it is best to keep them together in a separate bed so you don’t have to be digging around them to set other plants. Some perennial herbs, like mint and thyme, need to be kept contained to prevent crowding out other plants. The bed system also enables you to easily apply mulch and protect them during the winter. Water the plants when the soil is dry; deep watering is essential to produce healthy growth during the summer. www.downhomelife.com
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An application of a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring is usually sufficient for perennial herbs. Do not fertilize in the fall because this may affect the ability of the plants to overwinter. Chemical sprays should not be used because the plants are being consumed throughout the growing season. On the rare occasion when there is a problem with insects, they can be picked off by hand. Any diseased plants should be removed completely from the growing bed. Here are some of the popular perennial herbs that can be grown in our climate:
Chives The long slender green leaves of the chive, with its purple flower that appears later in the season, is probably the most recognized and popular perennial herb that has been grown in Newfoundland and Labrador for hundreds of years. This plant in the onion family sends up new leaves each spring just in time to flavour a traditional Newfoundland fish stew. In the old days when onions were in short supply in the spring, chives were a welcome treat to flavour many dishes. Chives can be started from seed, and once they are established can be 110
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divided in clumps. They have a small onion-like bulb that enables them to be easily transplanted anytime during the growing season. The leaves die back during the winter, but you can still get fresh chives by potting up a clump to bring inside during the winter. Chives lose their flavour when they are dried, but they can be chopped and frozen in water to keep their flavour.
Rosemary The fragrant rosemary is a tender, perennial, woody shrub that is native to the Mediterranean region. In our climate, rosemary is best grown in a container and overwintered inside as a houseplant. In the summer it can be taken out of the container and planted in the garden for easy watering. Its pine-like needles release a pungent aroma when crushed or cut. It is used to flavour a variety of dishes including breads and biscuits. It is a popular herb for flavouring roasted lamb. Rosemary can also be added to the bath for a refreshing soak. It can be dried for use during the winter.
Thyme Culinary thyme grows like a small shrub with tiny aromatic leaves and small spikes of purple flowers. The plant will grow for many years and is easy to propagate from cuttings. It is best to buy plants that are already established. It grows best in a sunny area and can be used as a ground cover by a path. It needs clipping 1-888-588-6353
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back every spring to encourage new growth. Thyme is used to flavour meat, soups, stews and other dishes. It can be used fresh or dried. Cut the sprigs to dry just before flowering because this is when it has the best flavour. When the leaves are dry, rub them from the stems and store in an airtight container.
used with tomato dishes and in Mediterranean-style cooking. Oregano plants can be propagated by division in the spring. New plants can be also started by cuttings or when the stems root where they touch the soil. You need to prune it back several times during the growing season.
French Tarragon Mint Mint grows wild in wet areas in some places in this province. This plant can be invasive, so you need to take steps to contain it in one area. This can be done by planting it in a large bottomless bucket or barrel sunk into the ground. If you have a wet area on the property, mint will make an excellent ground cover as well as provide leaves for culinary use. The fresh leaves make refreshing drinks, like the famous rum-based Cuban mojito. Mint sauce or jelly is always popular with food like lamb or peas. The stalks with the leaves can be hung and dried for winter use. Mint does not lose its flavour when it is dried.
True French tarragon is not well known or used in this province, but it is popular with people of French descent. It has sort of a licorice flavour and is used in vinegars, fish dishes, poultry and vegetables. Tarragon chicken is a very popular dish in France. French tarragon cannot be grown from seed, so you have to buy the plants already established or grow them from cuttings of an existing plant. Make sure that it is the true French tarragon because other varieties do not have the same flavour. French tarragon has no flavour if it is dried, so it has to be used fresh. When it is cut fresh it will last for several weeks in the refrigerator wrapped in damp paper towels.
Oregano There is a variety of oregano called “Hot and Spicy� that has a superior flavour and overwinters fairly well if mulched with a coarse material like straw. Oregano keeps its flavour very well when it is dried. It is commonly www.downhomelife.com
Dr. Ross Traverse has been a horticultural consultant to gardeners and farmers for more than 50 years. downtoearth @downhomelife.com June 2019
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with Ross Vegetable Pest Control Q: I was a dairy farmer in Cormack (1974-1998), and in retirement I now live on a postage stamp-size property and grow raspberries, strawberries and root crops. This brings me to my question of growing cabbages that are not eaten by insects and turnips without root maggots. I’m not a fan of chemicals. Any recommendations on this problem? Also, is it possible to grow these crops in a plastic tunnel – will this keep the insects out? – Jack Taylor A: Jack, cabbage and turnip grow best in our cool northern climate. It would
Azalea Aid Q: I live on the Burin Peninsula (Marystown) and my question concerns two azaleas that I have on my property. The plants were bought four or five years ago (Canadian Tire), but have shown no new growth. They are the same size today as when I bought them. They produce new leaves every year but have never produced any flowers. I also have a rhododendron, which is doing nicely every year. I’m wondering if I should give up on them or transplant them to some other location? – Paul Green 112
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not be a good idea to try and grow them in plastic tunnels unless you want to use them to get a really early crop. If you delay planting until around July 1, you will likely avoid the first generation of root maggot. You can use a floating row cover that will prevent the root maggot flies from laying their eggs around the plants. A: Paul, don’t give up on the azaleas just yet. Maybe it would be a good idea to transplant them in the spring into a new location. Azaleas can grow in part shade or in full sun here in Newfoundland. You need to improve the soil in the new location by mixing peat (about one-third by volume) with the soil that you take out. Make sure the area is well drained because poor drainage is detrimental to rhododendrons and azaleas. After the new growth starts you should apply a soluble fertilizer like 20–20–20 early in the season during the first year. Layer organic mulch around the azalea to prevent weed growth. 1-888-588-6353
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Looking to Buy a Greenhouse
Gala Good for NL? Q: I am wondering if Gala apple trees will do any good here in Central Newfoundland? – Curtis A: Curtis, Gala is a late ripening apple and is not resistant to apple scab disease. In Newfoundland, we need an early ripening apple because of our short season, and we need a scab-resistant variety because of our damp weather conditions that is conducive to the development of this fungus. This is why I don’t recommend this variety. A much better choice would be the old established variety called Yellow Transparent or a newer, early and scab-resistant variety called William’s Pride. You can look up the characteristics of these varieties online.
Q: I have an 8' x 10' homemade greenhouse with a plastic cover, which I will use again this year, but next growing season I intend to invest in a good greenhouse as I have come to appreciate the value of this investment. Where might I buy an 8' x 10' greenhouse? – Reginald A: Reginald, there are many types of greenhouses, and it depends on how much you want to invest. You can build a relatively cheap greenhouse using the prefab frames that are sold for “baby barns” at most hardware stores. Six-mil greenhouse plastic is probably the best covering. It can last for five years. Costco sells a beautiful cedar greenhouse kit, but it is a bit pricey.
Got a gardening question for Ross? email him anytime at downtoearth@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com
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food & leisure stuff about
Herbs Probably the most commonly used herb in Newfoundland and Labrador cooking is summer savoury. The best known producer of local savoury is Mount Scio Farms in St. John’s, which was started by former MHA John Carter in the 1960s.
The longest continually serving Member of Parliament in Canadian history was Herb Gray, one-time deputy prime minister. He was first elected in 1962 and was re-elected 12 times in a row. He retired in 2002, at the age of 71, and died in 2014.
Before Don Cherry exploded all over Hockey Night in Canada in his wildly patterned suits, there was plaidsuited, not-soslick salesman Herb Tarlek Jr. on “WKRP in Cincinatti” (1978-82). He was played by Frank Bonner, who directed several episodes. 114
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St. John’s Wort, a flowering plant often referenced in herbal medicine as a treatment for mild depression, is named not for a saint but for when it blooms. It flowers and is harvested around June 24, St. John’s Feast Day (coincidentally, also Discovery Day in St. John’s, NL). 1-888-588-6353
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In 1996, parts of Asia were ravaged by the worst tropical storm that year. Typhoon Herb, a category 4 storm when it first made landfall, killed more than 50 people in Taiwan and at least 233 people in China. Damage to property and farmable land was in the billions of dollars. A Chicago Tribune reporter thought he had cracked the code on KFC’s famously guarded chicken breading recipe, after a 2016 interview with a Sanders family member revealed an old handwritten recipe featuring 11 herbs and spices. The company wouldn’t confirm the authenticity of the recipe, but if you’d like to try it, here it is: 2/3 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp thyme; 1/2 tsp basil; 1/3 tsp oregano; 1 tsp each of celery salt, black pepper, ground ginger and dried mustard; 4 tsp paprika; 2 tsp garlic salt; 3 tsp white pepper. Mix with 2 cups of flour.
Herbie the Love Bug was a self-aware vehicle in a series of Disney films. To make it seem that Herbie was driving himself around, a second steering column was installed behind the driver’s seat for a literal backseat driver who was kept hidden from view. The man behind the charitable foundation Stages and Stores in Change Islands, responsible for revitalizing the built heritage there, was the late Herb Bown. While heralded there for helping preserve the past, he was named to the Order of Canada for his cutting-edge work in more modern endeavours: computer coding and telecommunications. www.downhomelife.com
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reminiscing flashbacks
Mailman of Long Ago
This photo is of Alfred Prince of Princeton, Bonavista Bay, after delivering the mail to the post office in Open Hall, Bonavista Bay. He would collect mail from the train when it stopped in town and then make his deliveries. This photo was taken by Hilda Quinton of Red Cliff, Bonavista. Marjorie (Prince) Yetman Princeton, NL
Old Tools at Work
John (Archie) MacDonald of St. Andrews, Codroy Valley, NL is cutting wood the old-fashioned way with a bucksaw. It was hard work, but they always got the job done. Cathy Gale Codroy Valley, NL
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Picnic in the Park
This photo was taken at a Salvation Army summer picnic in 1940, in Bowring Park in St. John’s, NL. The men in the photo include Don Whitten, Percy Noseworthy, Clayton Burry, Heber Noseworthy and Major Ebsary. The two little boys in the front are Herb (the submitter, Percy’s son) and his cousin, Leonard Whitten. Herb Noseworthy Christina Lake, BC
This Month in History The Freemasons are known as one of the largest esoteric organizations in the world and have had a presence in Newfoundland and Labrador since 1746. As the organization grew and membership increased, members sought a permanent location for their temple. They’d been holding meetings in taverns, homes and vacant halls, but they wanted their own space. On June 11, 1885, Sir William Whiteway (a Worshipful Master and later Prime Minister) laid the cornerstone for the first temple of the Masonic society in St. John’s. Located on Long’s Hill, the wooden building wasn’t even completed before the Great Fire of 1892 burned it, and most of the city, to the ground. The fire also wiped out the Masonic records. With insurance money, the Freemasons rebuilt on Cathedral Street – this time with brick – and it was completed in 1894. Today, it’s a registered City of St. John’s Heritage Building and home of Spirit of Newfoundland Productions.
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reminiscing visions & vignettes
Gnat, do you mind…
High Diving? By Harold N. Walters
Peter Paul handed Harry the View-Master. “Have a gander at my new pictures,” he said. Harry lifted the View-Master to his eyes and turned to face the light from the window, his finger on the trigger to crank the reel along. The pictures showed men diving off cliffs at a place called Acapulco in Mexico. “How high is them cliffs?” Harry wondered. “A hundred feet for sure,” said Peter Paul. “That’s higher than the Big Head,” said Harry. “Higher than the Plate on the Buntown Bluff,” said Peter Paul. Dodging home from Peter Paul’s, Harry thought about the feats of the 118
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cliff divers in Acapulco, thought about the guts it must take to jump off those steep cliffs into the sea. It didn’t enter his mind that soon memories of Peter Paul’s View-Master pictures would cause him to behave like a nitwit. Halfway home, Harry approached the crowd of youngsters congregated at the Big Rock across the road from Uncle Pell’s shop. Gnat stood on top of the rock crowing like a rooster – showing off for the girls, Harry reckoned. As if his antics disgusted her, Ugly Maude shuffed Gnat off the rock. He tumbled to the ground, 1-888-588-6353
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jumped up and cock-a-doodled some more. Spud Spurvey leaped on Gnat’s back and wrestled him into the dirt. Harry rounded the side of the Big Rock and discovered Sally – her blonde hair flashing like gathered sunbeams – talking to Slab Woodman, that brute of a Buntown bully. “What’s you doin’ in Brookwater?” demanded Harry, jealousy sparking instant belligerence. “None of your business,” said Slab. “Behave yourselves,” said Sally, standing between me buckoes. “Thinks you’m a big shot, I s’pose,” said Harry. “Big enough,” said Slab. “I don’t ’low you even got the guts to jump off the head of the wharf.” “I’d jump off anything you would,” said Slab. Peter Paul’s View-Master pictures spun in Harry’s noggin as fast as a pinwheel in a gale – fearless men diving into the sea. “I chicken you to jump off the Plate,” said Harry. Slab double-glutched before accepting Harry’s extreme dare. “I chicken you to jump first,” he said. “Greetings, lads and lassies, who is challenging whom?” asked Clarence Bramwell, arriving out of nowhere, eyebrows arched like question marks. Grinning, Gnat said, “Harry chickened Slab to jump off the Buntown Plate.” “The Plate?” Clarence asked, unfamiliar with the area. “It’s a flat spot on the Buntown Bluff,” said Gnat. “You’d have to be nuts to jump off it. You’d likely kill yourself.” “Hmm,” said Clarence. “In your considered opinion, Gnat, will the 1-888-588-6353
chaps jump?” His grin widening to his ears, Gnat imagined the extent to which foolishly gallant boys will go to impress fair young maidens. “I ’low,” he said. “Hmm,” said Clarence. He turned to Harry and Slab, and tapped each on the shoulder with a forefinger. “Might one more participant join the exhibition?” “What?” said Harry and Slab, breaking goading eye contact. “May I dive off the Plate with you?” “Why?” asked Harry and Slab. “I have been wondering about joining the high diving team at the Academy next fall. Diving from a cliff might influence my decision.” “B’y, if you wants to jump, then jump,” said Harry. Gnat slugged Spud Spurvey’s shoulder, clapped his hands as if at a concert, and said, “I ’low that’ll be somethin’ to see. Three foolish fools jumpin’ off the Plate.” The boys decided that on the first civil day when waves weren’t smashing off the foot of the Buntown Bluff they would meet on the Plate and – one, two, three – jump into the sea. While awaiting a calm morning, Gnat coaxed Harry to train for the jump. “You should jump off the head of the wharf a few times,” said Gnat. “Get some practice. You never knows what Slab Woodman is doin’ to prepare. He might be jumpin’ off cliffs every day.” “Naw, I’ll wait,” said Harry, ruefully swallowing his quavering kin-corn. “If you had a grain of sense,” said Sally, “you’d give up on the idea.” Ugly Maude nodded agreement. “P’raps we’ll tell your mother what you’m at,” she said. But telling wouldn’t happen. As June 2019
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always, there was a definitive line that wouldn’t be crossed between adult authority and childhood actions – no matter how dangerous. Clarence, in the meantime, was observed daily performing stretches and squats on his uncle’s verandah. “Don’t know what that got to do with jumpin’ off a cliff,” said Gnat, as he and Harry leaned on a fence rail and watched Clarence. “Gettin’ ready is you, Clarence?” Gnat called to him. “Simply limbering up, lads,” said Clarence. The Arm was flat calm the morning Harry and his entourage left Brookwater to hike the three miles of crooked gravel road to Buntown. Occasionally, Gnat latched on to Harry’s shoulders and rubbed them as if preparing Harry for fisticuffs. “You can do it, Champ,” he said. “You’ll sail through the air and leave Slab shakin’ on the summit.” Harry said nothing. He glanced at Sally. Despite her harvest-gold hair, her scowl was not heartening. Clarence joined the troupe near the Rock Cut. Frequently, as they marched forward, Clarence spurted ahead, bent to touch his toes and jogged in place until the gang caught up. “Must keep one’s muscles active,” he said. “Humph,” muttered Harry after Clarence’s most recent sprint. He booted an innocent tin can into the ditch. By the time Brookwater’s band and Buntown’s bunch assembled on the Plate, a gallery of clouds sat beside the sun, ready to witness a spectacle that, maybe, occurred at only a few places in the world – Acapulco, for instance. 120
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Far below, where miniature gulls dabbled, the dead calm water looked as slick and shiny and hard as brandnew kitchen canvas. “Whoever picks the shortest stick goes first,” said Gnat, holding three Popsicle sticks he’d had the foresight to tuck in his pocket yesterday at Uncle Pell’s shop. Gnat passed his fist around. Each diver drew a stick. Clarence, it was soon revealed, had drawn the shortest stick. “Indeed,” he said. “Excuse me while I dash into yonder bushes and change into my swimwear.” Second and third in line, Harry and Slab Woodman stood quaking in their long pants, reluctantly waiting their turns to duck into the privacy of the tuckamore. Stomach sick at the thought of the distance between the Plate’s lip and the dark saltwater, Harry looked at Sally and blinked hard to steel himself for the inevitable plunge. He felt much more distressed than the damsel to whom he was offering his bravery. “It isn’t too late for you foolish boys to change your minds,” said Sally, presenting a final opportunity for the jumpers to step back from the edge of the abyss, so to speak. “Yes ’tis too late,” said Gnat, shuffing Harry and Slab towards the bushes as Clarence emerged in stylish swim trunks with a monogram – CB – stitched on the right hip. Clarence strode to the Plate’s edge, stood for a moment, flexing, his toes curled over the rock like a raptor’s talons lightly gripping its roost. Then, taking one deep breath like a high diver on the cliffs of Acapulco (“friggin’ Acapulco,” probably went 1-888-588-6353
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through Harry’s doleful noggin), Clarence flung himself into the air and flew. He arched his back and spread his arms like eagle’s wings. He banked to the right. He banked to the left. He swooped towards the waves now prickling the sea’s surface like goosebumps, but soared aloft again and bent his spine like a hinge so that he looked like a partly opened pocketknife. Straightening out, he entered the water as slick as the proverbial blade into butter. The youngsters on the cliff gaped in awe. The sun and the gallery of clouds applauded. Harry, his baggy-arsed swimming trunks flapping on his scrawny legs and his knees knocking, scuffed to the Plate’s edge and froze there like a chunk of trembling fat pork abandoned on a platter. “Go on, b’y, jump,” urged Gnat, stepping forward as if to provide a needed push. Startled, Harry turned to take a final glance at Sally’s sheaf of curls. His ankle buckled and he fell off the Plate like a lobster pot hove overboard. His carcass splashed into the sea and sank beneath a wreath of ascending bubbles. The youngsters on the cliff gaped in awe. The sun and the clouds winced and shrank towards the horizon. Slab Woodman vanished. It was weeks before he showed his face in Brookwater, and even then, he did so sheepishly. Mind that Acapulco enactment, Gnat? Fortunately for Harry, Clarence Bramwell fished him from the briny and towed him to dry land in the lee of the Buntown Bluff. 1-888-588-6353
Harold Walters lives in Dunville, Newfoundland, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com June 2019
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reminiscing
The Meeting of Myth and Fact: The Giant Squid by Chad Bennett
Sometimes
the monsters of fear and shadow are real. In the fall of 1873, one crawled out of the deep, fevered recesses of time, onto the shores of Newfoundland and into the world. Moses Harvey sat wide-eyed writing in his journal. Someone had just brought him a story and a specimen that stretched the boundaries of the possible. There it lay, defiantly solid, disturbing the calm of his table: an eight-foot tentacle of something much, much bigger. On October 26, a Sunday, Harvey wrote, “I was now the possessor of one of the rarest curiosities in the whole animal kingdom. I knew that I held in my hand the key of the great mystery, and that a new chapter would be added to natural history.” “What is it?” asked members of the St. John’s Athenaeum, including D.W. Prowse, who had gathered to
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examine the limb. “Something ancient and new,” said Prowse, sinking deep into his heavy beard amid the animating candlelight and smell of depths. “How well do you know your Greek mythology, gentlemen? To the Greeks, this would have been a part of Scylla or Charybdis. The Norse called this creature a Kraken. It was written about by Aristotle, who called it Teuthus, but it was recorded alongside beasts like griffons and dragons.” At the final word, one of the party cut his finger on the razor mouths lining the limb, blood dripping to the floor. “Where on Earth did you get this, Harvey?” “A fisherman in Conception Bay, 1-888-588-6353
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just off the coast of Portugal Cove, a Mr. Piccot.” Harvey paced as he continued, “He claimed it attacked his boat and in desperation he hacked off the limb, driving it back. I bought it from him for $10.” While others declared it a hoax, Prowse, his eyes never leaving the table, surmised, “If you can trust your eyes, a beast from mythology is real.” On November 25, a Tuesday, Harvey wrote, “We’ve got one!” He raced out to the end of a finger pier, nervous excitement and fear sloshing in his throat, and exchanged rapid-fire questions with the men on the pier. “Is it alive?” “No, but whole.” “How? Where?” “In a herring net, just off the coast of Logy Bay.” “Incredible.” A rush of words, then silence. Very few sights have the ability to stagger, weaken the knees and rob the tongue. Only three years earlier, Jules Verne wrote of this creature in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea as fiction and here it was, fact. With a length approaching a three-storey building, and closing in on 1,000 pounds of mouths and nightmare, it was lowered into a horse-drawn trailer by a groaning crane. A question broke the silence: “What do we do with it?” Harvey, unblinking, answered, “Bring it to my house and get the photographers. We need proof.” The resulting photos of the severed limb and a whole creature splayed and draped over an iron-framed tub, tentacles coiled into a St. John’s bathroom, became the first proof that these creatures really existed. They made the front page of newspapers around the globe. Harvey wrote 1-888-588-6353
in his journal: “I knew that I had in my possession what all the savants in the world did not... what the museums in the world did not contain.” P.T. Barnum, famed American circus showman, bid eye-watering sums of money for the carcass. In the end, Harvey donated the specimens to Yale University zoologist Addison Emery Verrill. The Newfoundland photos and Verrill’s scientific papers would establish beyond a doubt the existence of a species. It was named Architeuthis Harveyi in Harvey’s honour. Recognition of Architeuthis, the Giant Squid, as a real animal led to the reappraisal of earlier reports and sightings throughout history. The following decade yielded an extraordinary number of specimens, both dead and alive, in Newfoundland waters. They were meticulously studied and inspired a short story by H.G Wells called “The Sea Raiders” in 1896. To this day fewer than 800 specimens have ever been recorded; they have been described as the most elusive creature in natural history. The night after the photographs were taken, Prowse, Harvey and other members of the Athenaeum all came to the same conclusion: If the creature was at all proportional, the severed limb came from an animal nearly twice the size of the other one, taller than a six-storey building. Moses Harvey’s home survived the Great Fire of 1892. It stands at 3 Devon Row, at the extreme east end of Duckworth Street, in St. John’s. You can still touch the home that brought a monster to life in a meeting of myth and fact. This has been a re-imagining based on real events. June 2019
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reminiscing
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It was a sunny afternoon on May 11, 1926, when three children from St. Jones Without, Trinity Bay, NL decided to go up on the barrens. They were excited to go picking the juicy partridgeberries that had been sweetened by the past winter’s frost. Unknowingly, they were being followed by six-year-old Annie Green. She kept her distance as they climbed the steep path behind Ferry’s Cove that led to the barrens. Leading the group was Mary Blanche Penney, the oldest of the three at 13 years old. Her friend Alice Hiscock was nine, and Alice’s first cousin, Charlie, was seven. Annie watched as they disappeared behind the ridge. She caught up with them a short time later, but by then it was too late to return her home, so they continued on together and soon located a patch of berries. They began picking, filling their containers and mouths with the over-ripened, juicy partridgeberries. They continued to wander on the barrens, searching for more, not realizing that little Annie was reaching exhaustion. At some point, she fell behind. When the others realized Annie was no longer with them, they began shouting her name. They decided to split up and search, with the Hiscocks going in one direction and Mary Blanche in the other towards Little Heart’s Ease. In their desperation to find Annie, they failed to notice the evening fog creeping in over the barrens and blanketing the hills. Alice and Charlie successfully located little Annie, but by then it was too dark and foggy to find their way home. The three nestled behind a large rock that offered some shelter from the night air. They huddled in desperation to keep warm. No one knew where Mary Blanche was. Annie complained about the cold and soon began to shiver. Alice removed her pink sweater and wrapped it around little Annie’s shoulders and held her as tightly as possible. Alice hoped that someone would soon find them. Left: Annie Green (1920-1926) and sister Margaret (1924-2010), St. Jones Without, Trinity Bay. 1-888-588-6353
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Motor boat leaving the beach and crossing St. Jones Without Arm to Ferry’s Cove. Photo courtesy of Annie Green, Winterton
Back in St. Jones Without, families began to worry about the children who had not returned. A search party was quickly organized, but it was morning before they discovered Alice and Charlie. Little Annie appeared to be sleeping beside them. Tragically, the cold had proven too much for her and she had slipped away during the night to be with the angels. The official cause of death was “succumbing to exposure.” Next, searchers turned their attention to finding Mary Blanche, who had set out in the direction of Little Heart’s Ease the evening before. After their tragic discovery of Annie’s body, they could not predict what they would find. Later that afternoon, Mary Blanche was found, alive, in an area above what is locally known as “the Flat” at Little Heart’s Ease. The residents of St. Jones Without experienced mixed feelings. They rejoiced at finding three of the lost children alive, but mourned the 126
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death of little Annie. The little girl’s burial at Methodist church was well attended by the community. Burdened by the tragic loss of their oldest daughter, Eldred and Amelia (Coates) Green could no longer remain in the community. They moved to Winterton with their remaining daughter, Margaret, who was only two years old when her big sister died. She had just a photo to remember her by. Margaret’s family recalls that she often mentioned the grief and pain that she saw in her parents’ faces, but they never spoke about the tragic loss of their precious daughter. They didn’t have any more children. Amelia passed away in 1968 with a heavy burden that she had carried throughout her life. Eldred passed away in 1974. Both died with a broken heart caused by a tragic event that happened on the barrens of St. Jones Without and swept little Annie from their arms in May 1926. 1-888-588-6353
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reminiscing
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the first nonstop transatlantic flight. In 2000, Robert Thorne wrote about this historic event for Downhome, and in honour of the centennial we thought it fitting to run his piece again. It’s still remarkable to think that a giant leap in global transportation got off the ground in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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In 1913,
England’s Daily Mail newspaper announced that a prize of £10,000 would be paid to the first plane to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. The rules of the Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom would apply for the competition. However, due to the First World War, which began in 1914 and lasted until November 1918, the competition was put on hold until the war ended. Shortly after the Armistice was signed, the competition was again announced, but the rules were somewhat changed so that no enemy pilots or aircraft would be allowed to participate in the race. The flight had to originate in the USA, Canada or Newfoundland and terminate in Great Britain or Ireland, or vice versa, in 72 consecutive hours. The Daily Mail prize of £10,000 [roughly C$870,000 in 2019 dollars] created a lot of interest in aviation circles, and all eyes looked towards Newfoundland as the starting or finishing point, as it was the nearest land to Europe. In the early spring of 1919, pilots and planes began arriving in St. John’s by ship. Once unloaded, the planes had to be reassembled and prepared for flight. Suitable places in St. John’s had to be found for takeoff, as these planes were heavily loaded down with fuel for the long trip.
ALCOCK AND BROWN’S VICKERS VIMY ON LESTER’S FIELD, ST. JOHN’S, BEFORE THEIR RECORD-BREAKING FLIGHT IN 1919. Photo courtesy Hilda Gardner, Ottawa, ON
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The first plane to fly the Atlantic was not involved in the race and did not fly nonstop. The United States Navy’s Curtiss seaplane left Long Island, New York, on May 8, 1919, accompanied by two other navy seaplanes. After a stopover in Halifax, Nova Scotia, they arrived in Trepassey, Newfoundland. After leaving Trepassey, stopovers were made in the Azores and in Lisbon, Portugal, and finally one of the planes, the NG-4, arrived in Plymouth, England, on May 31, 1919. While the US navy was making its historic flight, other pilots, navigators and planes were arriving in St. John’s and preparing for the nonstop flight across the Atlantic to claim the large monetary prize. In all, 11 planes were entered, but only four actually
attempted the flight. Aircraft registered for the challenging flight included land-based biplanes, seaplanes and former WWI bombers. The first to take off in an attempt to fly nonstop across the Atlantic was the team of Maj. J. Wood and Capt. C. Wylie, in the Shamrock, a former WWI torpedo bomber. They left England in April 1919, intending to complete the crossing from east to west. But they didn’t get very far. Their engine failed and they had to ditch in the Irish Sea. Their damaged aircraft was towed back to land, and as a result they were out of the race. The second plane to attempt the nonstop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, and the first to fly from west to east in the great race, was the team of Hawker and Grieve. These First
THE GREAT DAILY MAIL RACE DREW CROWDS TO THE ST. JOHN’S FIELDS WHERE VARIOUS TYPES OF PLANES AWAITED THEIR CHANCE TO BE THE FIRST TO FLY NONSTOP ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. Photo courtesy Hilda Gardner, Ottawa, ON 130
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World War veterans flew a Sopwith plane, aptly called the Atlantic. It was a land-based, 350-horsepower biplane. Part of their plane formed a boat that could be detached in case they had trouble over the ocean. This team took off from a field in Mount Pearl on May 18, 1919, and shortly thereafter, Hawker jettisoned the undercarriage. The wheels were later recovered by local fishermen. Several hours into the flight, problems began to happen with the wireless. Later, overheating problems with the engine forced them to ditch in the Atlantic some 14.5 hours into the flight. They abandoned their plane and were rescued by the Danish ship SS Mary. Since the Danish ship carried no wireless, their safe rescue could not be reported and no wreckage was found. So there was great joy a week later, on the 25th of May, when word was received that the crew of the Atlantic were safe. The aviators were transferred from the Mary to the British destroyer Woolston, which brought them to Scapa Flow in the Scottish Orkney Islands, where they spent the night on HMS Revenge. It is recorded that the King of England gave the aviators the Air Force Cross, and the Daily Mail gave them a consolation prize of £5,000. The third attempt to fly the Atlantic nonstop was made by the team of F. Raynham and Capt. Morgan in their Martinsyde Raynor, a land-based biplane with a 285-horsepower engine. This team took off a few hours after Hawker and Grieve on May 18, 1919, from a field in Pleasantville next to Quidi Vidi Lake in St. 1-888-588-6353
John’s. Unfortunately, they crashed on takeoff due to a crosswind and Capt. Morgan was seriously injured. The fourth team to leave St. John’s on this nonstop adventure was the duo of Capt. John Alcock and Lt. Arthur W. Brown. They left the city on June 14, 1919, flying their Vickers Vimy WWI twin-engine bomber. They arrived in Clifden, Ireland, the next day, claiming the £10,000 prize and going down in history as the first aviators to fly the Atlantic nonstop. This historic flight is remembered on monuments in the City of St. John’s. A fifth team of Maj. Brackley, Admiral Mark Kerr, Maj. T. Gran and F. Wyatt, after learning of the successful flight of Alcock and Brown, decided to fly to the United States. On July 4, 1919, they lifted off in their Handley Page four-engine, land-biplane, WWI bomber. After the race of 1919, interest in aviation soared to great heights, with Newfoundland being the pivotal point in transatlantic flights. With the start of the Second World War in 1939, military aviation became very important in Newfoundland, with Canadian and American forces establishing air bases and working jointly under the Eastern Air Command. Special thanks to Dr. R.A. Whiteford, of the Isle of Lewis, United Kingdom. Dr. Whiteford’s grandfather was master/chief engineer of RMS Digby at the time of the race, and it was his ship that brought the plane used by Hawker and Grieve to St. John’s. Also, many thanks to Susan Maunder of the Newfoundland Museum and Helen Miller of the City of St. John’s Archives. June 2019
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reminiscing
downhome memories
Say what you will about Joey Smallwood, but he knew how to milk the voting potential of religious people in Newfoundland and Labrador. In October 1974, Smallwood attempted a political comeback, when he ran against Edward Roberts for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Smallwood was defeated, but soon announced the founding of the Liberal Reform Party, which elected him leader in July 1975. Looking for votes in the next general election, Smallwood hit the campaign trail with a vengeance. I left home in 1974 to attend Memorial University, but I returned to Bay Roberts most weekends. Sundays found me in the local Pentecostal church, sitting two seats from the front and strumming my guitar. One Sunday morning, shortly before the 1975 general election, two men, an older and a younger one, walked into the foyer a few minutes after the service had started. After chatting with the ushers, Joey Smallwood and his lawyer son, William, made their grand entrance into the auditorium. They marched single file to the front and perched on the third pew, directly behind me. Those who were “in the know� realized that this was nothing
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more than an election ploy, to garner the votes of the Pentecostals in the Conception Bay North town. Smallwood had a lifelong love-hate relationship with religion. When it served his purpose, he used it; when it failed to be of use to him, he abandoned it. This morning, he was determined to make the most of it. Out of my peripheral vision, I watched as Smallwood asked his son for a slip of paper. Withdrawing a pen from his breast pocket, the older man scratched a note. He passed it to his son who, in turn, hailed an usher and handed it to him with the instruction, “Give this to the pastor.” The pastor scanned the note while the congregation sang a hymn. After the singing ended and the people were seated, the pastor said, “I have been asked to read a note to the congregation. Here’s what it says.” All eyes were glued to him. “I am very pleased to be here to worship with you this morning. I have many friends who are Pentecostals. In fact, my dear old mother – God rest her soul – was converted in Bethesda Mission in downtown St. John’s under the godly ministry of Miss Alice B. Garrigus soon after she came to St. John’s from the United States of America in 1910. Indeed, when I was but a boy, I worked with Miss Garrigus for part of a summer as a water boy, when she was overseeing an extension to her building. I often attended her meetings and sang some of the old hymns that always touched my soul.” Smallwood’s verbosity had the congregation eating out of his political hand. “I would appreciate it,” the pastor 1-888-588-6353
continued reading, “if you would sing a hymn for me and dedicate it to the memory of my mother. I would like for you to sing, ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’” The pastor, who undoubtedly knew exactly what was going on, wanted to be civil. Looking at the visitors, he said, “We are very pleased to have Mr. Smallwood and his son with us this morning. We will certainly sing the hymn you requested, Sir, and dedicate it to the memory of your saintly mother.” The organist struck up the tune as the congregants stood and sang: What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer. I stole a glance at the Smallwood duo. Tears were streaming down the senior man’s face as he sang lustily, without even glancing at the open hymnal in his hands. At the conclusion of the service, following the prayer of benediction by the pastor, the congregation filed out. In the parking lot, I watched in amusement as Smallwood, with his son close to his side, mingled with the people. As I passed them on my way to our car, I overheard him say, “And I would be very grateful if I could count on your vote in the upcoming election.” In the subsequent provincial election, four Liberal Reform candidates, including Smallwood, were elected. June 2019
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reminiscing
downhome memories
Gladys Schmidt was a 20-year-old prairie girl from Saskatchewan when she came to Newfoundland and Labrador as a teacher in 1961. She had no idea what she would face or how she’d come to cherish those two years on the Northern Peninsula for the rest of her life. The following is excerpted from her memoir of those years, Back ‘Ome.
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The huge waves took us up the crest, then down into the trough, drenching us with cold ocean spray. I could smell the salt, feel it on my face and taste it on my lips. The rhythmic chugging of the inboard motor in the open fishing boat seemed to say, “I think I can, I think I can.” We were just a speck on the vast ocean in a tiny weather-worn, old boat. The rain came down in sheets and the wind howled. It was all my teaching partner, Verla, and I could do to hang onto our seats. Neither of us had ever been on the ocean before, at least not this far from shore. When the boat slowed to turn into a narrow opening, I knew we were approaching our destination. The water became calm and all the houses of Great Brehat, scattered helter-skelter around the harbour, could be seen from the vantage point of our boat. Each one had a small wharf with a fishing boat moored to it. A white church with tall spire in the centre of the rows of houses was a welcome sight. Mr. Noble expertly steered alongside the wharf. Both Verla and I were stiff with cold and with the exertion of hanging on for dear life. And we were both hungry. We had left St. Anthony in a hurry without eating breakfast. With help from the crowd that had gathered, we managed to unfold and get out of the boat. Mr. Noble, or Pearce as he wanted to be called, was also the owner of the house we were renting, and would be our ally and protector in the coming years. He gave orders to the adults gathered around, then said something to us and started walking off the wharf. “What did he say?” I asked Verla. She shrugged. Pearce turned around then, noticed we were still standing there, and motioned with his hand. “Come on,” he said. “Breakfast.” This we understood. We followed him up the bank, onto a narrow, rocky footpath. There were no roads here, only paths. Pearce walked quickly and we stumbled behind him. After passing three houses, we walked up the steps of Pearce’s home. We met his lovely wife, Bertha, who would become our second mother. She prepared the most appreciated breakfast I can ever remember, with eggs from her own chickens, freshly baked bread, partridgeberry jam and instant coffee. Their oldest daughter, Doris, was helping. She 1-888-588-6353
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Young teacher Gladys Schmidt in Saskatchewan looked about 12 or 13, had lovely blond hair and big blue eyes. “We ’as six children, two b’ys and four girls,” Bertha explained when we asked about her family. “You’ll ’ave four of ’em (h)in your class.” We’d been told by others that Newfoundlanders put an “h” in front of a word beginning with a vowel and take off the “h” if the word begins with an “h.” Confusing? Yes, especially when you are trying to teach spelling. After the second cup of coffee, I mouthed to Verla, “Bathroom?” She shrugged. I discreetly asked Doris for a bathroom. She looked perplexed. Washroom? A blank look. Toilet? Of course. Verla and I followed her up a steep set of stairs to the main bedroom. She reached under the bed and pulled out a chamber pot, then left us alone to figure it out. I had read about chamber pots but had never experienced one. However, I was young, had good knees and, filled 136
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with urgency, no problem. After breakfast Bertha took us to our rental place three doors over. It was cute from the outside, more like a cabin at a lake. As we walked up the bridge (deck), I glanced at the view. Wow! It overlooked the harbour and out through a small entrance with the ocean beyond. We would be able to see all the harbour activity and get glimpses of freighters passing by. We entered a small mudroom where a barrel stood with two handles attached. This was our running water – that is, we had to run and get it from the brook. Our rather large living room was stacked with boxes, mattresses and furniture, all sent over from teachers in Wild Bight who had just finished their two-year teaching stint with MCC (Mennonite Central Committee). The oil heater in the room would be replaced by the cook stove we had bought in Lewisporte. The tiny kitchen off the living room had one wall of bottom cupboards with a small window overlooking the harbour. The sink had a bucket beneath the counter. No running water, so no need for taps – we just had to remember to empty the bucket before it overflowed. A small bedroom off the living room had a double bed. Verla and I would be sleeping together under a down quilt, on top of a feather mattress. Pure luxury! The other rooms off the living room would be used for storage and a chamber pot privacy room. After touring the house, we were both anxious to see the new school. So down the ankle-turning, rocky path we walked. Rounding a corner we saw it beside the old school. Nearby was the pretty white church I had 1-888-588-6353
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seen when entering the harbour. How fortunate to be able to start the year with a new building, two large classrooms, bathrooms, and two teachers to divide the workload. As we got closer something didn’t look right. There were carpenters working on the roof and the structure appeared rather unfinished. Hammer in hand, Mr. Sam Patey, the general contractor and school board chairman, climbed down a ladder and approached us. He told us that the school wouldn’t be completed until January and we would use the old school until then. “Oh, and the students’ textbooks ’ave yet to (h)arrive,” he said. “Youse are welcome to look into the old school and start (h)organizing.” Cautiously we walked up the rickety old steps and peered inside. It was worse than I had imagined. The well-used desks were piled up in the corners. At the front of the room was an elevated platform and one small chalkboard. Another smaller chalkboard was on the back wall. In the middle of the room sat a potbelly stove. The entire atmosphere was dark, dirty and uninviting. In the drawer of the teacher’s desk were a few Teacher Guides, but not one for every grade and subject. The storage cupboard was empty – not one book, pencil, chalk, eraser or paper. Nothing! Luckily, Verla and I had had the 1-888-588-6353
Teachers Verla and Gladys, and a girl named Mary Jane, outside the old school in Great Brehat foresight to each bring a box of library books from the St. Anthony public library. School was to start in three days. As we walked out into the sunlight, I could go no farther than the top step. I sat down, put my head in my arms and cried… Despite the bumpy start, I was never sorry that I accepted this assignment. They were the best two years of my life. I became more confident, learned and practised important teaching skills, developed strong relationships, and learned to put my faith in God, trusting Him to lead my life. The friends I made during my stay in NL remain friends today. I have returned “back ’ome” (as the Newfoundlanders would say) several times, renewing and strengthening relationships. June 2019
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Central and Western Canada. 2-3 weeks USA. Guidelines set by Canada Post.
Delivery Time 3-5 days NL, NS & NB. 7-10 days
isfied, please let us know. We will exchange any item in resaleable condition. Sorry, no returns on earrings, books, CDs or DVDs. If you do not receive your order or it is damaged upon delivery, please let us know within 3 business days. Overnight delivery available: please call for details. Product prices and shipping costs may be subject to change without notice.
Service Guarantee If you are not completely sat-
Qty.
Colour
TOTAL
*
Tax (your provincial sales tax )
USA add 15% (+ Shipping)
Shipping & Handling
SUB TOTAL
Size
$15.00
Price
*
NL, NS, PE, NB 15%; ON, 13%; BC, AB, NT, YK, NU, SK, QC, MB, 5%
Please make cheques payable to Downhome Incorporated and send to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 • Fax: 709-726-2135 mailorder@downhomelife.com • www.shopDownhome.com
*
Card #: ___________________________________ Expiry Date: _____ /_____
Payment Info : ❒ Visa ❒ Amex ❒ MasterCard ❒ Cheque/Money Order
Gift Card to read: _________________________________________________
City: __________________________ Province: _____ Postal Code: ________
Address: ________________________________________________________
Send Gift to:_____________________________________________________
Gift Service Information
Telephone: _____________________ E-mail: __________________________
City: __________________________ Province: _____ Postal Code: ________
Address: ________________________________________________________
Send to: _______________________________________________________
Please complete your order form carefully. Please send this form along with payment to the address at bottom, or fax to 709-726-2135.
Shop online for more selection Visit: shopdownhome.com
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Come Home, B’y! Fully furnished two-storey house in beautiful Lower Lance Cove, Random Island, NL. $89,500. Additional photos on request.
LOG HOME
Brigus Junction Only 35 min. from St. John’s.
709-726-1060
PRIVATE SALE BY OWNER Building in Town Square, Gander First Floor, Commercial 1700 Sq.Ft. Second Floor, Residential 1700 Sq.Ft. 2 bedroom apartment with separate entrance. More pictures on request
709-221-8757 or 709-424-0757 f.tizzard@nl.rogers.com
Over 4000 sq. ft.
Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two car garage, heat pump, electric heat and a Pacific Energy woodstove, artesian well, developed basement all on a serviced roadway.
$485,000
Deadman’s Bay, Bonavista North, NL Exceptionally well maintained 5 yr old home sitting on approx. 1 acre of cleared land. 2 Bed, 1 Bath, double Jacuzzi bath, hardwood throughout, interlock stone driveway, two sheds. $119,900
Call Dean 709.689.4228
Call or text: 709-424-4654
144
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Spectacular View and Very Private
Spaniard’s Bay House 1860 sq ft Garage 1340 sq ft approx 5 acres of land $439,000.00 709-589-4179 mash961@yahoo.com
NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS FOR SALE Town of Botwood in the beautiful Bay of Exploits, NL This 3400 sq ft business has been in operation for 30 years and houses a Convenience Store, Gift Shoppe, Coffee Shop and Bakery all on one level.
Book Today 709-726-5113
For more details and pricing, please contact Trevor Tel: 709-290-5592 Email: trevorarlene@hotmail.com
advertising@downhomelife.com
1-888-588-6353
For Sale
Beautiful Waterfront Property
Deer Lake, NL Price Reduced to $419,900!
Listing ID: 1154568
Tel: 709-636-2904 • regberry10@gmail.com • www.rivermountainrealty.ca
Marketplace Information Rates start at $50 for a 1 column x 1 inch colour ad. This size fits approximately 20 words. The smallest size of ad with a picture is a 1 column x 1 inch ad and the cost is $100. Call Today: 709-726-5113 Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 Email: advertising@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com
June 2019
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Marketplace
Announcements
Happy 70th Anniversary Eric & Emmie Neil
Born in Spaniards Bay and Bay Roberts Eric and Emmie (nee Hutchings) were married January 28th 1948. Congratulations from their 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren
Lorl Guesthouse Located in Indian Bay
Full house. 3 bedrooms. $150 / night. Wi-Fi/cable Located on the Shore Highway 1hr 15 mins from Gander. Come from away and stay! Facebook.com/LorlGuesthouse • Lorlguesthousereservations@gmail.com
Announcement ads start at $69.95 Call 1-888-588-6353
July 2019 Downhome Ad Booking Deadline May 24, 2019
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Movers & Shippers Moving you from Ontario and Newfoundland... or any STOP along the way!
DOWNEAST CONNECTION 709-248-4089 905-965-4813
FIVE STAR SERVICE Without The Five Star Price! ★ Local & Long Distance Moves
Voted CBS Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year
★ Packing ★ Door-to-Door Service Across Canada ★ Replacement Protection Available ★ NL Owned & Operated
Hawke’s Bay, NL
MOVING INC. 709-834-0070 866-834-0070 fivestarmoving@outlook.com www.fivestarmoving.ca
(collect calls accepted) downeastconnection@yahoo.ca
Over 25 Years Experience in the Moving Industry
A&K Moving
SAMSON’S MOVING
Covering all Eastern & Western Provinces and Returning Based from Toronto, Ontario Discount Prices Out of NL, NS & NB Newfoundland Owned & Operated
Let our Family Move Your Family Home
Newfoundland, Ontario, Alberta and All Points In Between Newfoundland Owned & Operated Fully Insured, Free Estimates Sales Reps. in Ontario and Alberta
35 Years in the Moving Industry
Andy: 416-247-0639 Out West: 403-471-5313
aandkmoving@gmail.com
A Family Moving Families Professionally and economically Coast to Coast in Canada Fully Insured
Newfoundland Owned & Operated
Call Jim or Carolyn - Peterview, NL 709-257-4223 709-486-2249 - Cell samsonsmovers@yahoo.ca www.samsonsmovers.ca
Contact: Gary or Sharon King
Toll Free: 1-866-586-2341 www.downhomemovers.com
Clarenville Movers
Movers & Shippers
Local & Long Distance Service
Rates start at $175 for a 1 col. x 2" ad.
Your Newfoundland & Alberta Connection
Call Today! 709-726-5113
Over 30 years Experience Toll Free: 1-855-545-2582
709-545-2582 Cell: 709-884-9880 Tel:
clarenvillemover@eastlink.ca www.clarenvillemovers.com
Toll Free 1-888-588-6353 Email advertising@downhomelife.com
July 2019 Downhome Ad Booking Deadline May 24, 2019 www.downhomelife.com
June 2019
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puzzles
The Beaten Path
Nora Phillips photo
By Ron Young
Block out all the letters that are like other letters in every way, including shape and size. The letters that are left over will spell out the name of the above place name in letters that get smaller in size.
H M
T
P
MK
M T
J L R
V
B
m
S S
U
x
Q
A
S
H
B
H m
T
J R
P
M
H
L
T
J
K
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Q
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E
V
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x
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M
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R S
S
O
M
L
U
m
L
T
I
U
T
H
R
P
R S
H
MA M
x
C
M J H
M
T
S
B
S
KA
S L A S Q
S
P
Q m
Last Month’s Community: Lawn 148
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Sudoku
from websudoku.com
Skill level: Medium Last month’s answers
?
Need Help
Visit DownhomeLife.com/puzzles for step-by-step logic for solving this puzzle
www.downhomelife.com
June 2019
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Downhomer Detective Needs You
A
fter more than two decades on the Urban City Police Force, Downhomer Detective has come home to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of a new threat – cunning thief Ragged Rick. A real braggart, the slimy criminal sends DD a blurry photo of his surroundings plus clues to his whereabouts just to prove he’s always a step ahead. DD needs your help to identify where in Newfoundland and Labrador Ragged Rick is hiding out this month.
Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now: • Newfoundland ponies find sanctuary here • home of the Squid Jiggin’ Ground • comprises 3 islands sharing one name • accessible by ferry from Farewell • artist Gerald Squires was born here
Last Month’s Answer: St. Barbe
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Bell Island 150
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: Pilot the one as though you pilfered the one In Other Words: Drive it like you stole it. This Month’s Clue: The peace that occurs ahead of the tempest In Other Words: ___ ____ ______ ___ _____.
A Way With Words Left S
Last Month’s Answer: Leftovers
Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young
1. He who washes denim ______ _____
This Month’s Clue
Eggs Easy ANS: ____ ____ ____
Scrambled Sayings
2. To yearn for a chardonnay ____ for ____ 3. To nab a thief ____ a _____ Last Month’s Answers 1. spring fling, 2. chop shop, 3. meet and greet
by Ron Young
Place each of the letters in the rectangular box below into one of the white square boxes above them to discover a quotation. Incomplete words that begin on the right side of the diagram continue one line down on the left. The letters may or may not go in the box in the same order that they are in the column. Once a letter is used, cross it off and do not use it again.
E E H D A D B H A B A I E F O F I E E J H A B A E D F R I E N D D L I D G N G P R M V O S R O G P I I F H S S E O N I V I N I T M S O U R U R Y Y R P N N T U S I P O O S Y T
Last month’s answer: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime www.downhomelife.com
June 2019
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. season ___________ 2. percussionist ___________ 3. simpler ___________ 4. janney ___________ 5. disappointment ___________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. seating, 2. greeting, 3. meeting, 4. heating, 5. repeating
Tangled Towns by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young
Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.
Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression. For best results sound the clue words out loud!
1. SKGARIES
Ice Mail Air Hat _ _____ _ ___
3. HTAP NDE
Bell Heed Ant Sir _____ ______
5. LAMASRID ACHEB
Last Month’s 1st Clue: Lit Stay Cage Ant Sewn Knit Answer: Let’s take a chance on it Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Eight Hip Pickle Ant Sir Answer: A typical answer
A
nalogical
A
2. HAREDRIVE 4. LALM AYB
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Flatrock, 2. Pouch Cove, 3. Torbay, 4. Bauline, 5. Wabana
nagrams
Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. IVAN IOTA – Clue: this industry is up in the air 2. YAW URN – Clue: makes way for fashion and fliers 3. RAP TRIO – Clue: everyone here is coming or going 4. ACT ISSUE – Clue: wanted baggage 5. RAINY TIRE – Clue: the who, what, when, where of travel Last Month’s Answers: 1. athlete, 2. distance, 3. married, 4. shoulder, 5. mountain 152
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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s By Ron Young
Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction.
1-4: stand 1-6: noise 1-10: gangsters 1-21: colour 1-91: remodel 2-22: amazement 3-23: bunk 6-8: golf start 6-46: skyscraper 7-37: begrudge 10-30: lounged 10-100: intensity 12-14: triumphed 14-34: zero 15-12: flurries 15-17: boy 18-48: haul 26-21: paused 26-23: expect 27-29: big tub 32-12: hem 32-52: tell 34-31: misplace 34-36: Robert E. 35-5: relieve 39-59: food fish 41-43: Chevrolet 41-50: car’s intake 44-74: finest 44-94: give 44-4: two-eyed wink 46-44: chafe 46-76: devastation 48-8: outline 50-30: furrow 53-58: browse 55-35: regret 56-59: secondhand 59-9: physician 59-89: nightfall 61-81: rodent www.downhomelife.com
1
2
3
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100
64-61: lead actor 64-68: insect bite 65-35: honest 65-95: village 68-48: acquire 68-70: stomach 70-50: seafarer 76-73: memo 74-94: pull 83-63: favorite 85-87: direction 87-67: yearning 87-89: chin wag 90-87: all right 92-52: rot 94-91: broad 98-48: objective 98-100: beige
100-91: cross country 100-95: state
Last Month’s Answer 1
2
3
4
5
6
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L E G I S L A T O R
A V A L A I R O S E
N E Z K C A B T A F
D N E R I R I A P I
L O L A N I T R E N
OCKED YRE VE L EVON P AE LO OMR A H DAE L P RAT E E ON I ML P AROE EME N T
June 2019
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
2
3
by Ron Young
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
18
19
22
13 20
27
38
29 32
36
154
33
40
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49
30
37
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17
25
28
35
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31 34
15
21
23 26
14
48 50
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ACROSS 1. “When ___ rays crown thy pine clad hills” 4. Certified Public Accountant (abbrev) 5. not even 7. poem 8. marine ink-squirters 13. loathsome person (colloq) 18. British pound (colloq) 19. “___ split pea and a ten pound tub” 21. ___ Head Cove 22. University of Ottawa (abbrev) 23. “Black bird I’ll ___ ’e” 24. flat piece of sea ice 25. “Whaddaya __?” 26. foolish __ odd socks 28. “As far as ____ a puffin flew” 29. “How’s ya gettin’ __”? 31. “I’m the ___ of a sea cook and a cook in a trader” 32. anchor off 34. him 36. cultivate 37. The ____ – soon (colloq, also name of a band) 38. melted pork fat served over codfish (colloq) 40. hard fat 41. “____ men tell no tales” 42. “When the wind shifts _______ the sun, trust it not for back it will run” 46. either 47. organize 48. Northern Arm (abbrev) 49. Up to my ________ – busy 50. “He would go to mass every Sunday if holy ____ was whiskey” DOWN 1. scraping sound (colloq) 2. “__ the harbour, down the shore” 3. ready (colloq) 6. designated driver (abbrev) www.downhomelife.com
8. askew (colloq) 9. status ___ 10. Unemployment Insurance (abbrev) 11. “I wish __ never taken this excursion around the bay” 12. saved (colloq) 13. opposite of NW 14. period 15. very angry (colloq) 16. short for Edward 17. outdoors 20. “But come again they ____ will for now I’m sixty-four” 24. front of a ship 26. slow __ cold molasses 27. _____ bone – backbone of a codfish (colloq) 30. musical piece for nine 33. before Nov. 35. all 39. Alcoholics Anonymous (abbrev) 40. “As white as the driven ____” 41. female deer 42. ___ in – exhausted 43. girl 44. answer (abbrev) 45. paddle 47. Pikes Arm (abbrev) 48. opposite of SW 1
F 4 A N 5 I O R W 6 E E A 7 T R H 17 E S R 26 27 T R 30 O U Y 40 41 O N 45 U N 48 E 3
2
A N D H E L D O U U T 23 24 H I E E R S H A N A D
ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD 8
B E 18 A M
9
10
11
12
L E S T H 16 A T O A 19 20 S S T S E L F 28 E A 31 32 33 34 E L V E S 36 37 Q U I V E R 42 43 U L E A R I L E 49 P S N U F 15
13
A T T 21 22 A I N 25 T O 29 B O D 35 E L 38 39 D O 44 N 46 47 O C F E
June 2019
14
H E T R E A T E D
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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2019 Ron Young
Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face. __ 69
_____ 46873
___ 927
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; 9378 37 329
___ __ 253 26
_____ 76779
____ _ _ 6477 3 3
__ _ 96 8
__ 48
Last Month’s Answer: Stop destroying the earth, it’s where I keep all my stuff.
©2019 Ron Young
CRACK THE CODE
D
Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =T Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
T _ _ _ _ DQkXk
_ _
LC
_ _
_ _
LC
_ _ _ _ T
pXkLD _
\Z
L
_ _
z\ f\0k _ _
LC
_ _ T _ _ _ B D QkX
_ _ _ QkX
_ _ _ _
\
T _ _ T DQ D
L
_ _ _
Z\X
_ _ _ _ _ hQLfb
Last Month’s Answer: Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one 156
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Food For Thought
© 2019 Ron Young
Each food symbol represents a letter of the alphabet. Find the meanings to the words then match the letters with the food symbols below to get a little “food for thought.”
cot =
cradle =
_ _ _
z bx
frayed =
giggle =
break =
_ _ _ _
wn]Y
_ _ _
}i f i c
_ _
cn
_ _ _ _
zn]Y
_ _
iY
_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_
lnq]
’ i YV
_
flac b]l
_ _ _ _ _
vd i }x
k
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
} b k]Y
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
t]kv cq] b
_ _ _ _ _
_
z kaai Y b c
secret =
_ _ _ _ _
}kqVd
xnY’ c
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
tn]
_ _ _
nwY _ _
_ _ _
db
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
kYn c d b ]
wka _ _ _ _
cifb
Last Month’s Answer: A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost www.downhomelife.com
June 2019
157
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Different Strokes
Our artist’s pen made the two seemingly identical pictures below different in 12 places. See if you can find all 12.
ERN AND COAL BIN AT FERRY TERMINAL IN P-A-B
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Boat, 2. Roof, 3. Stairs, 4. Fence, 5. Mother-in-law door, 6. Chimney, 7. Curtains, 8. Boulder, 9. Hoe, 10. Collar, 11. Ridge, 12. Wheelbarrow. “Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 21 Brentwood Dr., Brampton, ON, L6T 1P8.
158
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HIDE & SEEK NL RIVERS
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
AVAKUTAK BARACHOIS CHURCHILL COAKERS COLINET DROOK EAGLE EXPLOITS FRESHWATER GANDER GILBERT HAMILTON HIGHLANDS HUMBER JEFFREYS R R J B T H G R R J Q L F K F T S I
A R E J A I A L E S H R Y F R D R V
E K E I L R O M Y D E J S W N V E R
K M A B N M A E I S N P L A W Z V N
A H E L O O N C H L T A L C O G I I
X R H N E O M W H F T H G O T F R S
SALMONIER SERPENTINE TORRENT TRAVERSPINE TROUT WATERFORD WHALENS
LOMOND MALONEYS MANUELS NASKAUPI PALMER RENNIES RIVERHEAD B Y H L H X E K Q K Z N Y N Z C W L
Last Month’s Answers
T Q D L L Y A L D O G O S P X G W I
www.downhomelife.com
W N G A C T S M A I I H N H W V Q R
K A M D E O E A H S G S I J R T L W
E P A R P I R N D R O F R E T A W P
W V M E C E P U A W F X M F I X N P
Y P L X I E E E M K J X K S P X T M
I D I P S F N L A U K L N J U Y U R
J N G L R V T S Z D Y E F B A I O L
Q Q A S W A W Z C C R E U D W G N D
L S L X Z S A D J N L D D F O V K H
E X A O R E I H E P L R E A K P R P
G A L X D L B Y J U N N S E A F I Y
W B E R W R E E A A Z B R V U P A Q
Q D M I G P N L E A S I F U S N T A
A M T I O M M S B T N K H Y E U K R
I B T M E L D S R I E K V C J I V R
Z M L R E U U I M I K P G Z N Y W B
M Q G T A D E N H M O R Q N A B V L
V E C L I H S R O G Q Q N I S B I P
Y E Y Y G M P R F A Z L W P K R W W
O A L S J A Q W I C E E E H N A N M
R O V N E O X O F R V J D O D H K Y
D E U X U R C M A V O H N K C C Q Z
Y U M I J E F F R E Y S L K K J A E
P O D S H G F V B N A C K T F M V V
Y I V M S A F R E H P I I X B Y O M
U P D D Z H U A I P S G R U A R Q R
O S N S U N Y S S V W R Y E K C I H
C V I S G J T Z W Z C E E N K U I N
E N I P S R E V A R T U T K H O B M
W D Z R E O A C T Y C S W E R D N A
A Q S X R N S M T Z P S S E N Y H M
C T O R R E N T X R K A K P S D C V
H O U H D A T M Z M P E R R I N F C
C L E A R Y H Q O W T M K A A P J C
N J T A K S O J C N C C O M B L F A
S Y S Y V V D R O O K P L J I T W Z
A R O X O N B N D E D O N O D Y R N
Y K T J C L T B T G O E I N R J J B
Q A T E N I L O C P R E B M U H O Y
June 2019
R N Y Y R K X T I H T I Z Q P E R P
X A X D B H E Z V H Z A N J P K I P
I E E I D R C H U R C H I L L Q M A 159
1906photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 5/2/19 9:05 AM Page 160
photo finish
Is it Dinner Time?
This sly fox, discovered not far from shore, was watching for the capelin to roll in. Kasandra Short Via DownhomeLife.com
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 160
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