Downhome November 2024 by Downhome Publishing Inc

Vol 37 • No 06

$4.99

November 2024

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Calendar Contest Winners

Stories of Service

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Explore Our Vendors at

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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 Dillon Collins Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young

Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins

Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters

Retail Operations Retail Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Jonathon Organ Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Kim Tucker, Julie Gidge,

Advertising Sales Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett

Heather Stuckless, Destinee Rogers, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Alexandria Skinner, Chloe Evans, Colleen Giovannini, Kaitlan Lewis, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless, Claudia Hartery, MacKenzie Aylward

Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse

Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Jennifer Kane Founding Editor Ron Young

Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley

To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions 1-Year term total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $49.44; ON $48.58; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $45.14. US $54.99; International $59.99

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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Waqas Ali photo

the results are in

Contents

NOVEMBER 2024

42 And the Winners Are… Your first look at the 2025 Calendar Contest Winners!

58 A Strong Will A Labrador man outlasts the competition in the gruelling survival series Alone Dillon Collins

72 On the Trail of the Caribou

The enduring monuments of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Nicola Ryan

92 Downhome Recipes Make Ahead Meals

trail of remembrance www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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Contents

NOVEMBER 2024

homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor

10 Letters From Our Readers From an island to an island, seeing the world through walking and a lens 14 Downhome Asks Some of our favourite callouts and responses from our readers on social media.

16 Downhome Tours Portugal 18 Then & There Recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and more from across NL and beyond.

any mummers ’lowd in?

20 Why is That? What does it mean to give someone the “cold shoulder”? Linda Browne

22 Life’s Funny A Tractor Like That Mark Samuels

23 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth

24 Lil Charmers Beach Babes

22 life’s funny

26 Pets of the Month Call of the Wild 28 Reviewed Called By Mother Earth by Greg Naterer

30 What Odds Paul Warford and a bird’s eye view

32 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Jenina MacGillivray’s sophomore album Perseids 4

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26 wild things

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36 on the hunt

36 Adventures Outdoors Early Season Duck Hunt Gord Follett

40 The Labrador Current Coffee, Kindness, and Other Such Blessings Nathan Freake

eternal tribute

features 52 True Meaning of the Unknown Soldier Reflections on the homecoming of the Unknown Soldier Lester Green

66 The Adventure Continues As Adventures Unknown leaps into its fourth season, host Donny Love says the best adventures are yet to come. Pam Pardy

66 adventure seeker!

www.downhomelife.com

explore 78 Cabin Life at Fifield’s Pond Everything’s Better at the Cabin Fred Parsons November 2024

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Contents

NOVEMBER 2024

creating cosy

home and cabin 82 Stuff We Love Simplify Your Life Nicola Ryan

84 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions.

keep it simple

88 Todd’s Table Barbecue Ribs Todd Goodyear

reminiscing 100 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.

101 This Month in History Fort Pepperrell 6

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102 chasing clyde

102 Visions and Vignettes Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport in days gone by. Harold N. Walters

106 This Month in Downhome History 110 Remembering Albert The wartime service of Pte. Albert Edward Francis Doug Wells About the cover Many are caught in a rat race of hustle, bustle, and burnout between Halloween and Christmas. Our November issue dials in on some handy, make-ahead meals to help quell the anxiety of the pre-holiday rush. Elsewhere, we salute those who served in a variety of touching stories and tributes, spotlight a Labradorian who tested his mettle on reality television and unveil the winners of our annual calendar contest.

Cover Index A Strong Will • 58 Emotional Homecoming • 52 Meals Made Easy • 92 Calendar Contest Winners • 42 Stories of Service • 110 & 112 www.downhomelife.com

112 A Tragic Loss Remembering Pilot Officer Harry Maxwell Gill Ena (Gill) Pringle

116 A Life Remembered A threepart series reflecting on a simpler time in Newfoundland and Labrador Albert Butt

124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish November 2024

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between the lines I write this robe-clad, sitting up in bed surrounded by mangled tissues and a long cold cup of tea. There are expressions for times like these, paraphrased here from lapsed memory: You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape the fall flu. That’s not it, but you get the sentiment. It’s a certainty, right up there with death and taxes, that when the weather turns and the precipitation mounts, noses will run, throats will tighten and eyes will redden. Men Benjamin Button back to boyhood, sooking themselves into woe is me purgatory. If you have a partner like mine, putting up with the amount of whining one can withstand from a “man flu” is worth a thousand I-do’s. A broken arm or torn muscle? No problem. Sniffles and wet cough? Give me something for the pain and let me die. It’s days like these that I’m thankful for the art of planning ahead. No one, not a single solitary soul should enjoy cooking, cleaning or productivity of any sort when they’re sick. On this day of congestive unrest, I am Thanksgiving thankful for my saint of a wife and her penchant for meal prep. The fridge is stacked with chicken bakes, soups and salads to get us through another grinding work week, and the sick boy in me is extra happy for the leg up in quelling the-how-the-heckdo-you-expect-me-to-fend-for-myself-with-a-cold, line of thinking. Because anything outside of a set it and forget or reheat in the slow cooker or microwave today is a fridge too far. Forgive me, I might be delirious with fever, but while I am a shell of a man, I am a well fed shell. With this and many muddled thoughts in mind, our November issue serves up some handy and helpful tips and dishes that are ready made, make ahead classics to serve your household. Sick husbands are, of course, optional. Dillon Collins Editor-in-chief

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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.

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 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3

mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the 25th of each month.

Congratulations to William Collins of Holyrood, NL who found Corky on page 88 of the September issue!

*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person

www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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From an Island to an Island

In 1994, the Argentia Naval Base was decommissioned and, shortly afterwards, Lorraine Chubbs and John Murphy were hiking in the area and found a medal. With the base gone, there was very little chance of finding the owner so Lorraine tucked it away in a chest for safe keeping. Fast forward to November 11, 2022. While cleaning out the chest, Lorraine found the medal and got in touch as I am the admin of an Argentia Facebook site. Within 24 hours, I found the owner, thanks to social media. In my search I found out that it was a Kuwait Liberation medal, only awarded to those who fought in Desert Storm between January 17 and February 28, 1991. Ed Ula (right) was a navy corpsman assigned to a Marine Division at that time, who, shortly afterwards, was assigned to Argentia where he met and married Petrinia Picco from Freshwater. He was one of the last sailors to leave Argentia in 1994 and they now reside in Guam with their two sons. Thank you. Marg Flaherty

Editor’s Note: Thanks for the submission Marg! Incredible the history an item can have, particularly something as meaningful as a medal. If you have any similar stories feel free to share them at editorial@downhomelife.com or directly at downhomelife.com

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Any Mummers ‘Lowed In? Eric Durnford is four years old and lives in Burgeo, NL. (Pictured here) on his way to his very first Mummers party at Burgeo’s Sand & Sea Festival on July 27, 2024, where he had the absolute best time stomping ‘er down. He helped his mommy and daddy make his very own ugly stick, which he was so proud of. Charlene Durnford via downhomelife.com

Way to go Eric! Hope you had a blast at your first Mummers party!

GIVE A CCAA AA MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP & GET A $20 SOBEYS SOBEYS GIFT CARD! CARD! Visit caaatlantic.club/Gift club/G

55 Kelsey Drive 709.579.4222

www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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Seeing the World Through Walking and a Lens

Happy Birthday Mr. Frost This photo shows Mr. Walter Frost (L) and his friend, Austin Greening (R), who had just come ashore with some freshly caught codfish – the Food Fishery was in full force! Mr. Frost is cleaning the cod in anticipation of a meal (or scoff) of fresh cod, boiled potatoes, fried onions and scrunchions, as prepared by his wife, Mrs. Rowena Frost. Soon to celebrate his 93rd birthday, Mr. Frost is the oldest male resident in Hillview, Trinity Bay. Austin Greening Clarenville, NL

A very happy birthday Mr. Frost. We hope you have a fantastic day and maybe even enjoy a proper meal of fish to celebrate!

About five years ago I decided to get in better shape. I always enjoyed walking but only did it from time to time. Now I walk daily. It has improved my physical and mental health big time, but what walking really has done for me is opened up my eyes to the beauty that surrounds me here on the East Coast of Newfoundland. This love of walking led me to another love, photography. Whenever I walk nowadays I usually have my camera with me. It’s amazing the peace and enjoyment the combo of these two things have brought to my life. Capturing moments in nature always brings a smile to my face and hopefully to the people I share my photos with. It’s never too late in life to start enjoying a new hobby. Taking photos has seriously been one of the most rewarding ones I have ever discovered. And living here in Newfoundland really makes it easy to find beauty around every corner. Chris Donovan via downhomelife.com

Thanks for sharing with us Chris! We’re very happy to hear you’ve embraced not only getting out and getting active, but the beauty of your surroundings. Taking in our scenery is surely one of the benefits of walking, hiking or running!

Dear readers,

Would you like to comment on something you’ve read in Downhome? Do you have a question for the editors or for other readers? Submit your letter to the editor at DownhomeLife.com or write to us at 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3. 12

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EPRA24- NL EP

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Asks How do we learn? From you, dear readers. Downhome routinely takes to social media to pose all manner of questions to our followers. From favourites to memories, opinions and everything in between, Downhome Asks, and you answer. Here are some of our favourite callouts for questions and responses from our followers.

What’s the FIRST concert you ever attended? Anne Murray at the Rebecca Cohn in Halifax, sometime in the 70s. She was in bare feet! Ruth Blades Great Big Sea with openers Liam Titcomb (now goes by Liam Russell) and Jimmy Rankin - December 18, 2004, at what was then known as Mile One! Delayed to that date because of Alan Doyle’s back injury! Krista Danielle Culture Club, opened by Corey Hart in the early 80s. Robin Fry Paradise Rocks 1998 in Paradise, NL. Heart, Peter Frampton, John Lay & Steppenwolf, Billy and the Bruisers, Biscuit, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Holly Woods & Toronto, Darby Mills & The Headpins, The Gravel Pit Campers. Debbie Hedd Pike

If you had to lose one thing from your plate of Jigg’s Dinner FOREVER, what would it be? The fork. I’ll eat with my hands before giving anything up! Harvey Conway Salt meat, but I wants me veggies. And I’ll take the salt meat liquor from the pot! Judy Milley LeDrew Cabbage can frig off!!! Kim and Ryan Gould Guess I’m one of the odd ones, I wouldn’t want to lose anything. I love it all. Anne Lynch Vincent The plate! Put everything on a big serving platter and dig in. Jocelynn Cardy

Vanilla Ice at the old Memorial Stadium. Karen C. Smith 14

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What’s your hometown known for?

Where do you go on a Sunday drive?

A whole bunch of friendly people. You are welcome to our home. Juanita Ings

Dad and Mom would take us to many spots around western Newfoundland. My favourite was when we would meet the fishermen to buy lobster. Then we would have a boil-up on the beach. Dad would always have a hammer to smash open our lobsters and have some newspapers in the trunk of the car to clean up the mess. Nothing like fresh lobster. Other Sundays we went to Hammon Farm to buy fresh milk, cream and eggs. My brother and I would sneak in the back of the station wagon and slurp some lip-smacking cream out of containers without Mom catching us! Some good b’ys! Grace Elvik

I live in the U.S. right on Lake Erie. We love our perch and walleye and we have tons of beautiful covered bridges. Renee Philip Martin A rusted fish plant left in mothballs. Carol Dawn In most recent days, the Lucky Seven. Cindy Gillingham Sandbanks Provincial Park. Miles of beautiful sand. Ellen Mardsen-Hurlbert

www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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homefront Downhome tours...

Portugal

National Palace of Pena Bernice Vey and David Wilkinson pose at the National Palace of Pena while on vacation in June of 2024.

Perched atop the Sintra Mountains in Portugal, the National Palace of Pena looks like a fairytale castle come to life. Originally the site of a monastery for hermit monks, in 1838 King Ferdinand II set out to transform it into a palace that would serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. His vision transformed the castle into a vibrant and eclectic palace that embodies the Romantic ideals of the 19th century. 16

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National Palace of Pena It was a long hike to the top of the mountain for Florence Strang and Steve Robertson, but well worth the effort to see this unique castle!

The striking design of Pena Palace is highlighted by its colours: the red sections feature a blend of Moorish, Gothic, and Manueline architectural styles, while the yellow sections are inspired by the dramatic Schinkel castles of central Europe. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, the palace is a major tourist attraction with up to 800,000 visitors a year.

Lamego Philip Felix (formerly of Felix Cove, NL) stands at the Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies in this photo submitted by Cindy Philp.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies in Lamego is a popular pilgrimage spot dedicated to the Virgin Mary. You can reach the beautiful Baroque sanctuary by climbing its impressive staircase, which has 691 steps spread across nine levels, decorated with azulejos, fountains, and statues. Every September, thousands of pilgrims gather for the annual festival. www.downhomelife.com

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homefront

Then&There

Downhome catches readers up on major recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and acknowledgements across Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.

Torbay’s Got Pride

The Town of Torbay is the first municipality in the province to become Rainbow Reigstered, one of just a handful of locations across Atlantic Canada to earn the distinction. Torbay has met a set of standards by Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), to ensure the 2SLGBTQI+ community feels safe, welcomed and accepted. The CGLCC and Tourism HR Canada have collaborated to launch the national Rainbow Registered Accreditation Program for 2SLGBTQI+-friendly businesses and organizations. Torbay’s mayor Craig Scott shares that the designation “aligns with our core values of diversity and inclusion.”

Music & Friends

Luminaries of Newfoundland and Labrador’s music scene were honoured by MusicNL during their annual festivities this past September. Among the big winners, Rum Ragged took home three awards including Album of the Year, Jason Benoit was named Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year, Kellie Loder earned Folk/Roots Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year and With Violent took home Alternative Artist of the Year and Group of the Year. Elsewhere, local trad mainstays Shanneyganock, celebrating their 30th anniversary in the business, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award. 18

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Decades-Old Bus Rule Hits the Skids

Hann’s Epic Win

Newfoundland’s own Krista Hann can add Emmy winner to their list of accolades. Krista was part of the team on the FX epic adventure series Shogun, which took home the Outstanding Period Or Fantasy/SciFi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) award. The adaptation of James Clavell’s novel led all productions with 25 nominations in 2024.

www.downhomelife.com

The provincial government has axed a decades-old bussing rule that prevented students who lived 1.6 km or closer to their school from availing of a seat on the school bus. The ruling, which has been in the works from the Furey government for over a year, went into effect for the 2024-25 school year. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Fred Hutton spoke of the move, stating, “All of our investments are investments in the success of our province’s students.”

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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne

What does it mean to give someone the “cold shoulder” and where does this saying come from? During this time of year, you might notice a chill in the air as the days get shorter and the temperatures take a dip as we fall deeper into the autumn season. Well, hopefully, that cool feeling is due to natural causes, and not someone giving you the cold shoulder. If you’ve ever been on the receiving (or giving) end, you already know that giving someone the cold shoulder means snubbing them, or, as Martin Manser writes in the Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, “you behave in an unfriendly way towards him or her.” As for the origins of this familiar phrase, Manser explains that it’s “said to derive from the dish of a cold shoulder of mutton served to a guest who had outstayed a welcome or to an ordinary traveller whose presence was not warmly received.” This stands in stark contrast, he adds, to the warm welcome and tasty hot meal that a wanted or important guest would’ve gotten. It’s an explanation that’s been embraced by others who’ve studied popular English words and phrases, including Linda and Roger Flavell 20

November 2024

who, in their Dictionary of Idioms and Their Origins, say that the phrase goes all the way back to “medieval times,” noting that the cold mutton was “probably the leftovers from dinner the night before.” The phrase, Manser writes, can be used a couple of different ways, noting “The compound verb cold-shoulder has the same meaning as give the cold shoulder.” The Flavells serve up a good example of the saying used in this way, from the August 25, 1991 edition of the Observer newspaper: “The performance has placed Yeltsin at the pinnacle of popularity at home and won him admiration in the West, where he has until recently been coldshouldered, even insulted, as a dangerous populist and troublemaker...” But before you start thinking of tossing a slab of cold meat at an 1-888-588-6353

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unwanted visitor so they’ll take the hint, you’ll be keen to know there are some who think this particular origin story is complete bunk. One of them is the late Evan Morris of the wonderful website “The Word Detective” (an online version of the newspaper column of the same name that ran in papers in the United States, Mexico and Japan). In a 2009 entry, Morris writes that the phrase “has nothing to do with cold and inferior cuts of meat being used to rid the house of tiresome guests.” Rather, he says, it refers to the sentiment behind the physical action, and first popped up in print in 1816 in The Antiquary, a novel by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. Morris cites two specific examples of Scott using the phrase: “The Countess’s dislike didna gang (didn’t go) farther at first than just showing o’ the cauld shouther” and “I must tip him the cold shoulder, or he will be pestering me eternally.” “Both instances clearly refer to snubbing someone by turning one’s

back, showing them your shoulder as you turn away in a display of emotional ‘coldness,’” Morris explains. It only took a few years for the phrase to take off, Morris adds, thanks to people like William Makepeace Thackeray and Charles Dickens, two of the most famous Victorian writers of their time, who used the idiom in their own works. “The fact that ‘shoulder of mutton’ was a real dish led to numerous literary puns tying the meat to the gesture,” Morris adds, giving an example from the London Illustrated News in 1884: “The cold shoulder is not a palatable dish.” Just as revenge is a dish best-served cold (that’s one for another day), so is snubbing someone by saucily showing them some shoulder as you quietly walk away. And while you might think of serving up some cold, tough meat to get an unwanted houseguest to vamoose, considering the cost of groceries these days, perhaps rolling out the unwelcome mat would be a more economical option!

Do you have a burning life question for Linda to investigate?

Turn to page 9 for ways to contact us. www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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homefront life’s funny

Tractor Tales Joke told to me by my father-in-law, who was born in Markland in a farming family: A farmer from Newfoundland meets a farmer from Texas at a farming convention. The Texan boasts, “Yep, when Ah git in ma tractor and start drivin’, it takes all day to get from one end of ma property t’other.” The Newfoundland farmer replies, “Oh, I once had a tractor like that me’self!” Mark Samuels 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.

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rdo “Meet Leonajust da Pinci, I from up picked him cean!” the busta n – Caroline

Beato

Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Deanne Hussey) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what the dog might be saying. Caroline Beaton’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up: Care to join me for dinner? Crab’s on the menu. - Bernice Goudie For crabs sake! What is on my head?! - Yolanda Luesink Back off! I’m crabby! - Angela Troke

Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat

www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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homefront lil charmers

Pop’s Lil Helper Kaitlyn helps her Pop Connock bait lobster pots in Seal Cove. Jenny Connock Seal Cove, NL

Beach Babes Beginner’s Luck Cutie Charlotte is wishin’ she was fishin’ in Harbour Mille. Chelsea Pike Paradise, NL

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Gone Fishin’

Logan reels in the catch of the day! Chris Heard via Downhomelife.com

Vitamin Sea Six-month-old Max is sweet by the sea in Gooseberry Cove. Kaitlyn Fitzgerald Adeytown, NL

www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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homefront pets of the month

On the Trail

These pretty puppers took a trot to the Spout. Wade Murphy via Downhomelife.com

Call of the Wild Cuteness Unleashed Little Billy does his best impression of a wolf. Eric Carter Clarenville, NL

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Happy Place Cooper celebrates his 4th birthday with a boil up. Dwayne White Gallants, NL

Social Climber Milo climbs with cattitude. Stephanie Skiffington via Downhomelife.com

www.downhomelife.com

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homefront

reviewed by Denise Flint

Called By Mother Earth Greg Naterer

$24.95 Breakwater Books

In the autumn of 2020, Jordan Naterer set out to hike on Frosty Mountain in British Columbia. When he failed to return a massive hunt for him ensued. A graduate of the Memorial Faculty of Engineering, his disappearance was covered extensively in local media, especially when his father, Greg Naterer, who was the dean of Engineering at MUN, left to take up the search and vowed to find Jordan no matter what it took. It took a lot. Jordan’s remains weren’t discovered until the following July after months of searching. Now Greg has written an account of his quest to bring Jordan home. Called By Mother Earth recounts the gruelling days, weeks and months Greg spent looking for his son in the inhospitable terrain long after the official search was called off. The book details the search: the weather, the terrain, the people involved and the almost overwhelming logistics of the hunt. It also chronicles Greg’s spiritual journey as he traversed the mountain both on and off the trails and his discovery of the power of Tmxwulaxw, the Indigenous name for Mother Earth. Ultimately it’s a book about a father and his son. Proceeds from the book’s sales will go towards the Jordan Naterer Scholarship at MUN (Engineering). The Canadian Canine Search Corps provided valuable assistance in the hunt for Jordan. Based in Calgary they do search and rescue work looking for persons and human remains with specially trained dogs. Greg asks people to please consider donating to the not-for-profit organization. Called By Mother Earth is available now at shopdownhome.com 28

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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: Why did you write this book? Greg Naterer: I felt it would be a

DF: Did your time in the woods change you? GN: Oh yes, very much. I would

lasting legacy for Jordan to basically recount our story of love for him and a special way to keep Jordan in our hearts. My sisters-in-law and wife convinced me. It became a valuable keepsake for our family that we will cherish for years to come. There was a lot of information about what was going on and this was very important that I wrote down the facts and got the record straight. And I hoped our strategy would be helpful to others: our journey together would serve as an inspiration for others.

say I’ve grown to develop a much deeper understanding of Indigenous teaching and traditions. I talk about how I developed a relationship with Mother Earth; often I would meditate in the forest and I came to believe in the nature spirit; it has varied moods. Each mountain and draining had its own character. Some were helpful, others were unfriendly. I became more connected to nature: it was becoming a part of me and I was a part of nature. I was thinking less and it became more about experiencing the forest. All this would guide me toward Jordan.

DF: How did you find the process of writing this book? Was it more or less difficult than you expected? You must have taken extensive notes at the time. GN: Surprisingly I took no notes. There’s a saying a pic is worth 1000 words and I had many photos. All I needed to do was to look through my collection and I could recall all the details right down to the wind, the weather, the animals, the sounds, the smell. I think initially it was very difficult to write. It was a compelling story that was worth sharing. It gave me a sense of closeness and harmony with Jordan; even now when I pick up the book I feel a strong sense of his presence.

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DF: Given the good and the bad people you encountered during your search, has your opinion of the human race become more or less positive? GN: I think much more positive than negative. Many remarkable volunteers helped out. I call the core group the salt of the earth. The best elements of society. There were hundreds of individuals who contributed in other ways, looking on the ground, and examining drone imagery. I found it shocking that there are people out there looking to take advantage of the most vulnerable. One individual was deleting our files that were critical to our search and another was lying about their whereabouts. But the vast majority, if there was anything positive that came out of it, was how many wonderful people there were. November 2024

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homefront what odds

here we gull again By Paul Warford

Shooing a gull I was recently hired as a Personal Assis(“PA”) on a new show for Bell. Now, you is like threading tant might be asking: “What does a PA do?” Great a needle with a question. I’m not really sure. On the “big” propiece of licorice. ductions, like Son Of A Critch or Hudson & Rex, PAs operate as human information kiosks; “I’m a background performer, where should I go?” “Am I allowed to park here?” “What time is lunch?” They’re guide posts, but they’re also runners akin to the errant messengers of medieval royalty, locating that one person in a sea of over one hundred, to tell them whatever needs to be passed along. They’re surrogate mobilization that a director can’t offer because the director(s) are too busy. On “smaller” productions, PAs tend to do coffee and smoke runs. But…wait now, I’m getting off-track already; the plan was to talk about gulls. The shoot took place in a hair salon, and as we set up on the first day, I found myself grabbing coffee at Tim’s alongside some needed props from Dollarama. As the morning moved along and actual filming got underway, I couldn’t help but notice the gull. The salon’s back wall had a window that looked out onto a small square patch of roof that was part of the building – perhaps a rental apartment below us or something, I dunno. The point is, this lone gull was standing out there, padding around with its giant yellow feet, eyeing us with sharp, quizzical turns of its head. I disregarded it with an uttered curse, which is how I usually respond to a gull when I see one. In time, I couldn’t help but notice that, during takes, this gull was screeching and cawing through the open window. As you’d expect, this gull was not subtle, and I began to wonder if the calling cries were interrupting the audio. So,

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with a bit of PA initiative, I quietly asked Diego, the sound guy, if he was “picking up that gull.” “Absolutely,” he responded with little concern. When I brought it up to the larger group, I was quickly reminded that this was a Newfoundland show, so gulls in the background wouldn’t be out of place. I couldn’t help but agree, since these damnable birds find their way into our every outing and activity; swooping on us as teens as we steer our parents’ cars through McDonald’s drive-thrus; screeching bloody murder during our outdoor weddings; defecating on our revered statues and monuments. This gull wasn’t ruining our day, but I still didn’t want it around, and as the PA I took it upon myself to “shoo” it away. Shooing a gull is like threading a needle with a piece of licorice. I vocalized some threats and tried to squirt it with water, but I obviously needed a lot more than that to succeed. Birds were once dinosaurs, or so the paleontologists would have us believe, and when I meet the beady chartreuse gaze of a seagull I can see that these birds haven’t forgotten this in the millions of years since passed. Their countenance seems to say, “I’d feast on your innards if I only had the teeth,” but maybe that’s just me. The next day of the shoot, the gull had brought a buddy. Two sets of saucy-gold eyes fixated on our movements as we set up. As I (again) cursed at the sight of them, Diego offered that the seagull was his favourite bird. www.downhomelife.com

“Huh,” I couldn’t help but reply, and I found myself wondering who in their right mind could love a gull when there are so many better bird options; penguins are very cute and marketable; parrots are clever and live as long as humans; even crows are far more charming with their jetblack, distinguished aesthetic. I mean, crows do most of the same stuff that gulls do, so why do I have this hateful fervour towards one over the other? Of course, I don’t spend much time on the water. Most recently, I was on a speedboat with some friends as we ripped around Trinity Bay, and between the sun, the beers and the laughs, we couldn’t have had a much better day. As we steamed towards shore to find a restaurant for supper, I spotted a lone seagull keeping pace with us, just slightly off our right flank, one hundred feet above. It glided without any dips or deviations, its gaze fixed straight ahead, as if to scout or guide us in. At that moment, I purposely tried to appreciate the animal, and I couldn’t help but admit that, here, in its natural environment, it did look sort of beautiful. That said, once we got to dry land, I was content with us and the seagull going our separate ways. Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada. Follow him on X @paulwarford November 2024

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fresh tracks

new music talk with Wendy Rose

Perseids

Jenina MacGillivray JENINA MACGILLIVRAY’S sophomore record made its highly anticipated debut in September, coming almost six years after her album, Marion. The East Mag described Jenina’s 2018 solo debut as “storytelling at its finest, handily wrapped in melodies that were made for falling in love with,” and that sentiment can certainly be echoed for Perseids, a beautiful record from front to back. The album features several prominent musicians, with musician and producer extraordinaire Jake Nicoll of Studio J playing acoustic & electric guitar, bass, percussion, flute, and wurli (a Wurlitzer piano). Darren Browne of Kubasonics, Sherry Ryan Band, Forgotten Bouzouki (and many more) lends his talent on mandolin and additional electric guitar, while Jake, Ariel Sharatt and Mathias Kom of The Burning Hell, and longtime friend Sadie Hassell provide backing vocals throughout the record. There’s a synchronicity amongst these musicians achieved through friendship, and that deep connection is wonderfully audible throughout. The record opens with Jenina counting the band in, making it feel like you’re listening to “Highway Dreamer” at a live show. Her smooth 32

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voice perfectly complements the soft acoustic guitar, as she dedicates the song to a long list of people – “the ones with ink on their hands, the ones in seven bands, the ones in broken down vans…” The list bleeds into the chorus, shouting out the “highway dreamer, poet schemer just passing through,” evoking a mental image of a musician on the road – maybe en route to open for Jenina at beloved folk haunt The Ship Pub. The album’s title track “Perseids” is next. This soft pop song opens with an ethereal soundscape – a musical saw, the liner notes explain. Pulsing bass chugs us along, while the short verses tell a love story in between name-dropping stars and other meteorological phenomena. “Fireweed Jam” opens up with a bluesy riff, with this uptempo bop 1-888-588-6353

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immediately making the listener start to boogie along – I unknowingly found myself swaying at my desk while writing that sentence. This song draws on Jenina’s love of two islands, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and with its gorgeous harmonies and cool pop feel, it’ll draw you in too. On “Smaller Airport,” Jenina turns a piece by Michael Winter into a captivating song, finding intense beauty in the mundane world of air travel. “But now you can see through my empty heart at the x-ray machine,” she sings, with the final lyrics giving a slight nod to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (who has a surprising Newfoundland connection, if you didn’t know!) “Bye Bye Baby” has a jazz-y feel with its unique percussion. Jenina employs French, Japanese, and Italian to express her sentiments – “so bye bye baby, au revoir mon amour, don’t mean maybe, sayōnara baby, arrivederci,” with other choruses adding salutations in Spanish, Portuguese, German, and more. We get a slight history lesson on “CLB Armoury,” an homage to a now multi-purpose St. John’s building. Jenina unlocked a semi-forgotten memory of flea markets of yesteryear, describing the wonders and wares one could find at the Armoury’s weekend market. “Elephant” again showcases Jenina’s impressive ability to tell detailed stories through song, with this selection taking us on a vacation through Mexico. The title is a reference to the scientific fact that elephants have great memories – “Why do I remember it all like an elephant, when I want to let it go, let it go,” she sings as www.downhomelife.com

the song closes. “Sadie” is dedicated to Sadie Hassell, who contributes vocals on this record. The song tells the story of the beginnings of Sadie and Jenina’s long-distance yet close friendship, dating back to when the Briton and Canadian met in 2000 in Prague. “And if you can leave today, I will meet you at an airport halfway,” the lyrics repeat, hitting hard for anyone who has left a part of their heart with a pal elsewhere, hoping to reunite somewhere, sometime.

For “Little Bird,” the artist employs a feathered friend to showcase love, learning, and learning to love. While this is the shortest track on the album at just under two and a half minutes, this short-lived song still grabs your attention and has a deep impact. On “Mary,” this simplistic love song uses plain language to build its character. As the songwriter describes this spectacular individual, Mary becomes the dream girl of the listener as well. The astronomical theme continues, with metaphors employing constellations like Orion and Cassiopeia and even Star Trek: Voyager November 2024

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to complete this out-of-this-world character. The record wraps up with “Nature is Returning,” with this track captivating the essence of spring, complete with ambient nature sounds. The lyrics of this beautiful song could stand on their own as pure poetry,

but plinky piano and soft strumming guitar add depth. As we head into fall, spring seems so very far away, but if you put on Perseids by Jenina MacGillivray and look up at the stars, you’ll have the perfect soundtrack to accompany your stargazing, no matter what season.

Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: You’re a true East Coast woman with some complex roots. Can you tell our readers a little about your Atlantic upbringing and settling into the unique St. John’s music scene? Jenina MacGillivray: I was born in

Sydney, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, where my mother, Marion, is from. I was the only one of my four siblings born in Cape Breton … so Cape Breton is a very special place for me. Before I moved to PEI for junior high and high school we bounced back and forth a lot between Charlottetown and Cape Breton. I was always the new girl. I read a lot. But one thing that was consistent was music. My dad was always learning a new instrument in the basement. My Mom sang us the Gaelic songs she learned from her father. Music kept me grounded and it was something that came from both sides of my family. I moved to Newfoundland when I was 22 and could tell right away it had a good music scene. Live music coming out of every bar. Open mics. It took me a long time to get the confidence to release my own music – I was also busy raising two kids, doing a degree in Philosophy, getting divorced and working at what seemed like every bar and restaurant 34

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in St. John’s. I went to an open mic one night in my early thirties and finally sang one of my own songs. It was still many years before I released an album, but Newfoundland was very welcoming ... I am proud to call Newfoundland my home and I love the community here.

WR: Your latest record, Perseids, comes six years after the release of Marion in 2018. Has this new album been in the works the whole time? We would love to hear about the creative process for this sophomore release! JM: My album Marion, named for my

Mom, came out late in 2018, yes. A lot happened in and around that time in my life, between albums – in everyone’s lives. I can say it has been in the works the whole time in that I was living the stories that appear in the album – they were part of me and are part of this album … It takes a while for me to write songs. Maybe I’m getting faster at it, I’m trying. Perseids, the title track of this album, was the last song I wrote. I wrote it quickly and felt less inhibited somehow because I thought well, I have an album now so I am free to do what I want, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work. It became my favourite song on the album, and it informed 1-888-588-6353

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the album art, shot by local photographer Ethan Murphy in the Geo Centre here in St. John’s. There are also other references to the stars and constellations in the album so it seemed fitting.

WR: Two singles have been released (as of press time) – “Highway Dreamer” in May and “Fireweed Jam” in August. Tell us a little about these two songs. JM: “Highway Dreamer” is largely

based on my Dad, who played in bands a lot when we were kids and was often on the road. It is also an ode to touring bands and going to see live music, the trials and joys of that and to the people who do it because they love it and they can’t help it. I released these tracks in the summer and I think they’re good summer tracks for driving to the beach and down highways and byways and thinking of summers gone by. [“Fireweed Jam”] started off as kind of an apocalyptic song, after Hurricane Fiona destroyed a bunch of sand dunes on PEI when I was living there for a short spell a few years ago, but it ended up just being a fun summer song, with only a few hints of apocalypse! www.downhomelife.com

WR: I’ve only seen you perform as a solo artist, but you’ll be backed by a full band for your album release show. Will you be touring with a full band as well? JM: The band is made up of my friend

and producer Jake Nicoll, who is a beautiful musician and songwriter, my long-time friend Darren Browne and amazing guitar, bass and mando player and a new buddy Lucas Rose. I feel really honoured to play with such a great crew. I’m lucky that I have good music friends all over … My Maritime band features Mathias Kom and Ariel Sharrat of The Burning Hell, who are based on PEI, and Maria Peddle, an amazing player based here in Newfoundland. I feel very lucky to be able to collaborate with such great people, to make music with people that I love. I will be heading out to tour around the Maritimes, including PEI, and parts East (Quebec and Ontario), and I am busy setting up some Newfoundland shows now for later in the fall/winter. Hope to see you out at a show!

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adventures outdoors

Kathy Marche photo

Early Season Duck Hunt By Gord Follett

It was just after 5 o’clock on a misty October morning when I bucked my standard shift Honda Civic out of my driveway and headed for a familiar gully off Bauline Line in Torbay. I was just learning to drive “the stick” in the early ‘80s and never considered taking the car mid-day around St. John’s for fear of stalling and holding up traffic. But back then Torbay was a relatively small and quiet town, nowhere near the growing, busy community it is today. Besides, there would be no traffic heading north out of St. John’s that hour in the morning, and I planned to be back home and off the road by 8 a.m., hopefully with a freshwater duck or two in the bag. By 5:40 I was turning off the main road and stalled twice going over a bumpy, grassy trail. With the gully less than 100 metres away, I wondered whether re-starting the car with its loud muffler during this very quiet 36

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time would spook the wary ducks that I knew were there regularly before the season opened. I wasn’t familiar enough at the time to determine whether they were Black ducks or Mallards, but I knew both were legal to shoot. Sure enough, as I was opening my door to get out, five of them flew off to my left, so I remained motionless as I watched them turn and circle back twice before exiting the area altogether. Disappointed but not defeated, I grabbed my 12-gauge pump-action, shell belt and backpack, then slowly made my way to a small clump of trees 20-30 metres from the water, where I pushed into them as much as I possibly could. I didn’t have a duck caller – primarily because I was not very good with it – so I waited patiently for those five ducks, or even one or two others, to land within shooting range. The far side of the gully was about 100 metres away, while trees to my left were 60-70 metres and to my right, just 40 or so.

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A while later I pinched the bottom of my camo jacket sleeve and pulled back slightly to check the time... 6:40. Legal shooting light. “Come on, me duckies,” I whispered to myself while trying to move into a comfortable position as I gingerly went from knees to feet every couple of minutes. I heard several shots in the distance, no doubt from other duck hunters, and hoped that if they didn’t get them, the birds would seek refuge in “my” gully. Just 30-40 seconds later I spotted a pair of ducks flying to my right, then turning back in my general direction. I chambered a No. 4 shell and watched as they circled twice, then cupped their wings for a landing about 80 metres straight out. My heart began to race as I peered through the branches and waited to see if they were going to gradually paddle their way towards me. At first, they turned away and headed for the far side, before making an abrupt turn and facing me.

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“They’re coming, they’re coming... Pretty sure they’re Blacks. C’mon, c’mon...” 70 metres... 60... I don’t even remember taking a breath during the last minute or so until they were 40 metres out. I jumped up: “Boom!” The lead bird flickered wildly on the water. “Boom!” Not a feather touched the other one as it lifted off. “Boom!” The big male wasn’t so lucky on the third shot and splashed down from 10 feet in the air. “Nice shot, Gordie b’y,” I bragged to myself. “But what now? How do I retrieve them?” I had forgotten to take my spinning rod and treble hook, so I either had to wait for them to wash ashore or wade out and get them, like a good Labrador retriever. There was little doubt I would sink into the soft, muddy bottom, but how deep? I was prepared to go to my knees, but if I went past that, I could be stuck there for quite a while (No cell phones back then). After several minutes of consideration, I decided to wait until they were 10 metres or so from shore and then try to get ‘em. The light breeze made my wait longer than expected, but eventually, I did make my way out ever so slowly. After sinking to just below my knees on the first half dozen steps, I was

Avid waterfowlers Pete Emberley Sr. and Jr. after a successful morning on the Southern Shore Peter Emberley photo

relieved that I didn’t go any deeper the rest of the way. I first got to the bird that I dropped on the wing, then picked up the other and made my way back in. Two birds in the bag was all I was hoping for and two birds in the bag is what I had. Nothing to get overly excited about, mind you, but I was quite satisfied. As a bonus later that day, my first attempt at “Duck a l’Orange” was a smashing success.

Gord Follett was editor of the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine for more than 30 years and co-hosted the Newfoundland Sportsman TV show for 15 years. Email gordfollett@gordfollettoutdoors.com.

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the Labrador Current

Coffee, Kindness and Other Such Blessings By Nathan Freake

All photos by Brad Dillon Photography.

There are few feelings like entering The Well-Bean Café on a cold November morning. The first snows of winter begin to linger and the wind bites a little harder through our clothes, but as you pass through the doors there’s an instant warmth that’s not only bred from the freshly baked goods and the coffee but from the people who’ve made the place a hub for Labrador West. This past October, The Well-Bean Café celebrated its third anniversary. Since that time, both the community and tourists alike have sung its praises. From coffee-boosted morning commutes to the now-solved question of “What’s for lunch?”, the town itself has become a little sweeter than it once was. In case you have not heard of “The Bean” (as I like to call it), it’s a small café that values great coffee, inventive food, and a sense of true community. Stamped onto each sleeve are the words “Coffee and Kindness; Fill Your Cup with Both”. Every time I sip a fresh Americano at The Bean I leave replenished from both coffee and kindness. And let me tell you, if you take it in as much time 40

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as I have then your cup will runneth over. Puns aside, I’m not here to shed light on The Well-Bean Café as a business, nor vouch for the irresistible taste of perfectly crafted coffee. What I am here to do is share the story of the spirit of “The Bean”, one that began years before it opened. Long before they were owners and co-managers at The Bean, Tina and Dave Harris were like my second parents. I spent countless hours in their home with their son (my best friend), sleeping over nearly every weekend. Perhaps too many hours were spent in the wee hours watching movies, playing video games, listening to music, and stifling our 1-888-588-6353

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laughter. On Saturday mornings, the smell of fresh coffee would waft down the stairs and wake us from our sleep-deprived slumber in the basement. We’d rise from our couches and drag our zombied legs up the staircase to answer the call of hot coffee in its purest form. Even in those days, Dave’s coffee was irresistible. Hosting guests and spreading kindness is not something that started with The Bean, but began long ago in the Harris home, where it continues to brew today. (How’d you like that pun, Dave?). It had long been their dream to someday open a café and watching it unfold has been unforgettable. I remember one evening with my parents at the Harris residence, pouring over the initial floor plans for The Bean. I tried to picture what it might look like as Tina and Dave enthusiastically shared their hope for the café’s future. You couldn’t silence the joy in their voices if you tried. Their dream felt attainable, the excitement palpable, and the longing within them profound. After a few years of sold-out pop-up shops, the first signs of life for the Well-Bean were not only promising but seemed like a necessity for the town. Now, with the shop celebrating its third anniversary, I find myself reflecting on those early days more and more. The truth, I’ve found, is that the heart of The Bean didn’t just start when it opened its doors to customers—it has always been. Each time I passed through the doors of the Harris home I stepped into a www.downhomelife.com

place where coffee and kindness were valued deeply, where friendship, love, and family were present. Today, walking into The Bean doesn’t just feel like coming home, it is home. To those who have not yet “Bean”, (last pun, I promise) please do yourself a favour and visit. And to Tina, Dave, and the rest of the staff at The Well-Bean Café: congratulations on another successful year of the dream come true. I look forward to the next cup!

Well-Bean Café owners Dave and Tina Harris

Nathan Freake is a writer and educator from Labrador City. For any inquiries, you can reach Nathan at thelabcurrent@gmail.com November 2024

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homefront

And the Winners are... The entries in this year’s Calendar Contest were nothing short of breathtaking. Out of hundreds of vibrant, captivating images submitted by talented photographers like you, only 13 could claim a coveted spot in our 2025 Photo Calendar. Congratulations to this year’s winners! Each of them will receive ten complimentary copies of the calendar and a one-year subscription to Downhome. Thank you to everyone who shared their beautiful work!

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Sunrise at Cable John Cove Sheldon Hicks

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January Winner Winter Sunset in Bonavista Barry Langdon

February Winner Frosty Morning in Corner Brook Gail Rideout 44

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March Winner Fox Yoga Nicole Bishop

April Winner Evening in Port au Choix Trinda Hamlyn www.downhomelife.com

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May Winner Historic Homes of Salvage Alan E. Mason

June Winner Humpback Whale in Trinity Bay Megan Wiggins 46

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July Winner Atlantic Puffins in Elliston Lisa Murphy

August Winner Cruise Ship in the Harbour Jason Jones www.downhomelife.com

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September Winner Colourful Stages in Champney’s West Marilyn Melay

October Winner Into the Tablelands Richard MacKinnon 48

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November Winner Serene Beauty of Greenspond Waqas Ali

December Winner Aurora show in Labrador West Keith Fitzpatrick www.downhomelife.com

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We’re wasting no time preparing for the next Downhome Calendar, . . . and neither should you! Submit your favourite photos of scenery, activities and icons that best illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, animals, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views, and so much more – and photos from all four seasons.

And you could win right away! Downhome staff will select four 2026 Calendar Contest entries submitted November 1-30, 2024, to be put to a public vote at Downhomelife.com. The photo that receives the most votes will be turned into a postcard. The lucky photographer will receive 10 postcards and $50 Downhome Dollars, gift certificates that can be used like cash to purchase products from Downhome Shoppe locations and online at ShopDownhome.com.

What are you waiting for? Submit today, using one of these ways:

by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 online: www.downhomelife.com/calendar Must be original photos or high quality copies. Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, file sizes of about 1MB. 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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features

BY LESTER GREEN

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July 1, 2024, was a grey, overcast morning,

with a forecast of rain over Conception Bay. Fellow Canadians have always referred to July 1 as Canada Day, but to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, the day has two meanings: Canada Day and Memorial Day. The day will always be remembered as Memorial Day to those born before 1949 and their descendants. It’s a day to honour the fallen of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at the infamous Battle of Beaumont-Hamel. Soldiers from the Regiment suffered massive losses during one of the bloodiest days of the entire war.

Photo Facebook@AndrewFurey.ca/ Maurice Fitzgerald

www.downhomelife.com

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GovNL 2024 Photo

Premier Andrew Furey attends the interment of the Unknown Soldier during the July 1, 2024 Memorial Day ceremony. I felt pride driving along the highway, appropriately named Peacekeepers Way, from Upper Gullies to the Trans Canada Highway to attend the memorial service for the Unknown Soldier about to be placed at the Newfoundland and Labrador National War Memorial between Water Street and Duckworth Street. However, I was saddened by thoughts that the Unknown Soldier represented 820 men who served from Newfoundland and Labrador during World War I and have no known graves. I do not recall attending many Memorial Day services growing up in the small fishing village of Little Heart’s Ease, Trinity Bay. Was this because our educational system did an incomplete job of educating the students about those who served from the several communities that 54

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were washed by the waters of the Southwest Arm? Was it because Memorial Day was held in the summer when the schools were on summer break, and we were too busy swimming in the local water holes? Maybe it was a reflection that the area of Southwest Arm did not have one cenotaph dedicated to the memories of all who served, but had several scattered in the communities to remember those who did not come home. My retirement years have allowed me to research and reflect on the services and sacrifices of those who served during both wars. Over the past several years, crowds have gathered at the newly constructed Southwest Arm War Memorial, Hodge’s Cove, to pay their respects to all who served in the area. As the service for the Unknown 1-888-588-6353

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who lost their lives could visit the Soldier progressed, my thoughts tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The were redirected to soldiers from the families could reminisce, reflect and Southwest Arm area who made the tell stories they heard about relatives supreme sacrifice and now lie who did not return, passing the beneath foreign soil, some in family military history to the next unmarked graves. generation. I thought of the sailors, gasping for I listened closely to the words being their last breath as they slipped spoken by Prime Minister Justin below the surface, lost forever to the Trudeau: “Whoever he was, he seas after a U-boat torpedoed their fought for our freedom so that we can ship. The families must have spent enjoy the simplest things of life that their remaining years suffering from bring us happiness. Today, we the trauma and the endless brought him home.” mourning of the loss of their sons. These words stirred a sense of Thoughts of the men who died in respect for those who enlisted and hospitals from battle wounds and served from the Southwest Arm area. those who died from various diseases I was grieved by the thought of crept into my mind. Yes, they had families who did not get the chance marked graves. However, it was cold to welcome their sons home after comfort for the family to know where they answered the call to defend their sons were buried and receive the Memorial Plaque, the Memorial Scroll, and the letter from the King. Many families called the Memorial Plaque the “dead man’s penny,” because a family could only receive the Memorial Plaque when a loved one lost their life. As the Unknown Soldier’s remains were lowered into the tomb today, I was reminded of the men from World War I who did not return home. I awakened from my thoughts by Premier Andrew Furey’s resonating words: “This son, our son, these sons of ours have come home.” It reminded me of the many Newfoundland and Labrador A Memorial Plaque was given to the families who lost their sons families of those lost during the during World War I and World First World War in service to the War II. I felt satisfaction in British Empire. They became knowing that in the future, known as the “dead man’s penny.” families of soldiers and sailors www.downhomelife.com

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freedom by serving the King and Country. As I stood there, the raindrops fell again while the Ennis Sisters performed their well-known song, “I Will Sing You Home.” As I listened, the words reminded me of the proverb, “Happy is the corpse that the rain rains on.” Closing my eyes, I imagined the tears of the countless mothers, fathers, and families of those who did not return home collectively falling from the heavens as they mourned the return home of their sons. Overcome with emotion, my decision to attend this historical day, 100 years after Field Marshal Haig

unveiled the monument, was correct. I had witnessed the addition of an unknown soldier to the National War Memorial of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Unknown Soldier entombed at the Newfoundland and Labrador National War Memorial will have various meanings to those visiting. It will cause individuals to reflect differently based on their knowledge of the First and Second World Wars, or conflicts that have occurred. Thanks to all who made the return possible and helped place the Unknown Soldier in future history books of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Whoever he was, he fought for our freedom so that we can enjoy the simplest things of life that bring us happiness. Today, we brought him home.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pays his respects during the July 1, 2024 Memorial Day ceremony. 56

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Tell us,

when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the age Matthew 24:3

This question was put to Jesus a few days before his crucifixion. The following includes some of the answers to that question as given by Jesus.

1. Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and pestilences (plagues) and earthquakes in diverse places. Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:10-11 2. And this gospel (good news) of the kingdom shall be preached in all the word for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10 3. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Luke 21:20 4. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. Matthew 24:21-22, Mark 13:19, Luke 21:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 5. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. Matthew 24:29-30, Mark 13:24, Luke 21:25-27 6. Behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel: 7:13-14 7. And GOD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4, 1 Timothy 6:13-16 This page is sponsored by an anonymous reader

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features

Labrador man outlasts the competition in gruelling survival series Alone BY DILLON COLLINS

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THE PHRASE TOUGH AS A TWO-DOLLAR STEAK comes to mind when referring to commercial fisherman turned survivalist and television star William Larkham Jr. The William’s Harbour native outlasted the field of ten competitors to walk away the sole survivor of the popular reality series Alone, which dropped applicants north of the Arctic Circle to battle the elements and isolation in a race to capture the pride, glory and cool $500,000 prize.

After 84 days, William was deemed the season 11 winner, combating the internal and external pressures of grizzly country and frigid temperatures in the Mackenzie River Delta. But to ask the proud Labradorian, he was only beginning to scratch the surface of what his mind and body would tolerate. “It was 84 days, but I was good for 105,” William says with a chuckle during a sit-down at Downhome’s headquarters in St. John’s. “I was doing ten-day cycles. I’d done a lot of hunting and trapping throughout my life. I knew if I had enough food for ten days, I’m pretty certain I’d be able to catch something within those ten days to get me towards the next ten.” www.downhomelife.com

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William (third from right) and fellow participants from season 11 of the reality TV series Alone. Each competitor was allowed ten items to help in their quest for food, warmth and shelter. William went the practical route, drawing on his vast experience hunting, fishing and trapping, selecting a sleeping bag, axe, saw, knife, two-quart pot, Ferro rod, snare wire, fishing line and hooks, paracord and fishing net. “I’m rough and I think a multitool would probably break apart on me after a while just because of my nature,” he jokes. “I needed something to stand up to my roughness.” Forgoing the desire to hunt big game for more surefire methods of cultivating a food source, William thrived when many of his contemporaries struggled, though he 60

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did still suffer from the expected effects of hunger tailored to a restricted diet. “At the end, they said I lost 75 pounds throughout the show,” he admits, sharing that he came to embrace the idea of eating every morsel of his catch of the day. “When you go on the show first, obviously you put on a little bit of weight and you’re eating good leading up to going. And so when you catch a pike it don’t look too appetizing. You eat it, but you’re picking through it, but then as time goes on and you get hungrier and hungrier at the end of it, you stick a pike in front of me, and I eat everything. I eat all the flesh, all the skin, sucked every bone clean, the 1-888-588-6353

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vertebrae is broken apart, eat all the collagen between the bones, every soft bone I ate. When I finished with a pike at the end of it, the little pile of bones that was left was pretty small.” And while the pursuit of food and shelter are key intangibles to the willtesting game, the isolation factor often breaks even the most hardened individual.

to me. I absolutely enjoyed every day out there. I thought I might be a wee bit nervous. I almost felt I should have been, but I slept like a little baby every night. I enjoyed it,” he admits, adding that keeping a positive mindset was key to running the table. “To win it is very difficult. So I wanted to come out with a good

Competitors being dropped off into the wilderness. “That’s one thing I’d never done was solo expeditions unless it was up to my cabin by myself and stuff like that. Going off on these remote hunting trips was always done in groups and that’s the way we operated. And so that was kind of an unknown for me, how I would adjust to being just completely alone in grizzly country as well for the first time. What surprised me through it all was that the loneliness never got www.downhomelife.com

experience, win or lose. And so I just took this and made sure that I was going to get a good experience regardless of what happened.” Of course, William’s predisposition towards the rough and rugged can be traced back to his roots in William’s Harbour, pre-dating modern conveniences like roads, electricity or running water. “When I grew up in William’s Harbour at a young age, there were November 2024

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no roads. There was no running water. There was no electricity for the first few years. Just a one-room school with an outhouse for the bathroom and things like that. All of the island was just footpaths and the summer communities were like five kilometres away. And we used to walk down there just to go buy a bag of Hawkins cheezies. Even as kids we’d be hunting, walk up to the ponds and stuff because there’s nothing else in the community to do. So that was just our lifestyle. And really that kind of lifestyle was handed down and just continued right on through.” Described by viewers as having a no-nonsense approach to the competition and a quiet strength, William utilized all the tools in his proverbial toolbox. “I’ve been hunting and fishing off-land, I have an Indigenous background. My great great grandmother was Inuit and my wife is Inuit. And so all the knowledge that I learned, the different ways and everything else, I guess it was almost like grassroots,” he explains. “I never went to an all bushcraft school and no courses and stuff. Everything was just learned and handed down that way. And so to get out and compete in what a lot of people refer to as the Olympics of the survival bushcraft world, to be able to take those skills and prove that they worked here on the stage, yeah, that 62

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“I’ve been hunting and fishing off-land, I have an Indigenous background. My great great grandmother was Inuit and my wife is Inuit. And so all the knowledge that I learned, the different ways and everything else I guess it was almost like grassroots.”

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was a super major accomplishment for me. I was over the moon about that.” Now distanced from the trying ordeal, William Larkham Jr., $500,000 richer and enlivened by a once-in-a-lifetime experience of selfpreservation, can be proud of his success. “I was never going to quit. That was my thing. If I lost too much weight or froze my toes or something or they pulled you, well I would have been okay with that, but I was just going to go and do my absolute best and I wasn’t going to tap for no reason,” he reiterates with no shortage of conviction. “I represented myself. I wanted to do good for my family and community, for Labrador, for the

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province of Newfoundland and Labrador. I wanted to do good for the Maritimes and Canada. And so I want to encourage or hopefully we see some more people from the province try it. “When you go out there bring along that same mindset and I’m sure you’ll do well. A lot of people say the mental is more important than the physical. You’ve got to have the skills to do certain things. But to go long term, you really got to have the mental too. So I’d really love to see someone else in the province out there.” For more on ‘Alone’ winner William Larkham Jr. follow his official social media and YouTube channel Biglandtrapper

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) )81'5$,6,1* 81'5 $,6,1* 5$ ě ěȃƃȶȟɰ ɽɁ ʰɁʍɨ ȈȶƺɨǉǁȈƹȢǉ ɰʍɥɥɁɨɽ‫ج‬ ȃƃȶȟɰ ɽɁ ʰɁʍɨ ȈȶƺɨǉǁȈƹȢǉ ɰʍɥɥɁɨɽ‫ج‬ ʥ ʥǉ٧ʤǉ ȶɁʥ ɨƃȈɰǉǁ Ɂʤǉɨ ‫ذ֛֛֛جֳ֛֛ڎ‬ ǉ٧ʤǉ ȶɁʥ ɨƃȈɰǉǁ Ɂʤǉɨ ‫ذ֛֛֛جֳ֛֛ڎ‬ 9 9ʍɽ ʥǉ٧ɨǉ ȶɁɽ ɰɽɁɥɥȈȶǼ ȃǉɨǉْɰɽƃʰ ʍɽ ʥǉ٧ɨǉ ȶɁɽ ɰɽɁɥɥȈȶǼ ȃǉɨǉْɰɽƃʰ ɽɽʍȶǉǁ ǹɁɨ Ɂʍɨ ʍɥƺɁȴȈȶǼ ʍȶǉǁ ǹɁɨ Ɂʍɨ ʍɥƺɁȴȈȶǼ ǹǹʍȶǁɨƃȈɰǉɨɰ‫ ث‬ ʍȶǁɨƃȈɰǉɨɰ‫ ث‬ ě ěȃƃȶȟ ʰɁʍ ǹɁɨ ȃǉȢɥȈȶǼ ʍɰ ȴƃȟǉ ƃ ȃƃȶȟ ʰɁʍ ǹɁɨ ȃǉȢɥȈȶǼ ʍɰ ȴƃȟǉ ƃ ǁ ǁȈǹǹǉɨǉȶƺǉْɽɁǼǉɽȃǉɨ‫ ج‬ʥǉٝɨǉ ȴƃȟȈȶǼ ȈǹǹǉɨǉȶƺǉْɽɁǼǉɽȃǉɨ‫ ج‬ʥǉٝɨǉ ȴƃȟȈȶǼ ɰɰɽɨȈǁǉɰ ɽɁʥƃɨǁɰ ɨǉɰǉƃɨƺȃ ƃȶǁ ɽɨȈǁǉɰ ɽɁʥƃɨǁɰ ɨǉɰǉƃɨƺȃ ƃȶǁ ǉ ǉǁʍƺƃɽȈɁȶ‫ث‬ ǁʍƺƃɽȈɁȶ‫ث‬

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ĄȈǼȃɽ ȶɁʥ‫ ج‬ʥǉ٧ɨǉ ǉʯƺȈɽǉǁ ɽɁ Ą ȈǼȃɽ ȶɁʥ‫ ج‬ʥǉ٧ɨǉ ǉʯƺȈɽǉǁ ɽɁ ƃȶȶɁʍȶƺǉ Ɂʍɨ ƃȶȶʍƃȢ ɧʍȈȢɽ ƃ ȶȶɁʍȶƺǉ Ɂʍɨ ƃȶȶʍƃȢ ɧʍȈȢɽ ǹǹʍȶǁɨƃȈɰǉɨ‫ ج‬ʥȈɽȃ ƃ ƹǉƃʍɽȈǹʍȢ ɧʍȈȢɽ ʍȶǁɨƃȈɰǉɨ‫ ج‬ʥȈɽȃ ƃ ƹǉƃʍɽȈǹʍȢ ɧʍȈȢɽ ǼǉȶǉɨɁʍɰȢʰ ɥɨɁʤȈǁǉǁ ƹʰ 9ɁȶȶȈǉٝɰ Ǽ ǉȶǉɨɁʍɰȢʰ ɥɨɁʤȈǁǉǁ ƹʰ 9ɁȶȶȈǉٝɰ 9ʍǁǁȈǉɰ‫ ث‬ěȃǉ ǁɨƃʥ ʥȈȢȢ ɽƃȟǉ ɥȢƃƺǉ 9 ʍǁǁȈǉɰ‫ ث‬ěȃǉ ǁɨƃʥ ʥȈȢȢ ɽƃȟǉ ɥȢƃƺǉ ȚȚʍɰɽ Ȉȶ ɽȈȴǉ ǹɁɨ :ȃɨȈɰɽȴƃɰ‫ ج‬ɰɁ ǁɁȶٝɽ ʍɰɽ Ȉȶ ɽȈȴǉ ǹɁɨ :ȃɨȈɰɽȴƃɰ‫ ج‬ɰɁ ǁɁȶٝɽ ȴȈɰɰ ʰɁʍɨ ƺȃƃȶƺǉ ɽɁ ʥȈȶ‫ ذ‬ěȈƺȟǉɽɰ ȴ Ȉɰɰ ʰɁʍɨ ƺȃƃȶƺǉ ɽɁ ʥȈȶ‫ ذ‬ěȈƺȟǉɽɰ ʥȈȢȢ ǼɁ Ɂȶ ɰƃȢǉ Ȉȶ ÝƺɽɁƹǉɨ‫ث‬ ʥ ȈȢȢ ǼɁ Ɂȶ ɰƃȢǉ Ȉȶ ÝƺɽɁƹǉɨ‫ث‬ yɁɨ ɧʍȈȢɽ ɽȈƺȟǉɽɰ ɥȢǉƃɰǉ ǉȴƃȈȢ‫ح‬ y Ɂɨ ɧʍȈȢɽ ɽȈƺȟǉɽɰ ɥȢǉƃɰǉ ǉȴƃȈȢ‫ح‬ ƹǉȢȢǉɰʥȈɽȃƹƃȢȢɰȶȢۘǼȴƃȈȢ‫ث‬ƺɁȴ ƹ ǉȢȢǉɰʥȈɽȃƹƃȢȢɰȶȢۘǼȴƃȈȢ‫ث‬ƺɁȴ

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ƹǉȢȢǉɰʥȈɽȃƹƃȢȢɰȶȢ‫ث‬ƺɁȴ ƹǉȢȢǉɰʥȈɽȃƹƃȢȢɰȶȢ‫ث‬ƺɁȴ

9ǉȢȢǉɰ ʥȈɽȃ 9ƃȢȢɰ Ç¸ 9ǉȢȢǉɰ ʥȈɽȃ 9ƃȢȢɰ Ç¸

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features

to its leaps inses that n w o n e tea s Unk enture st Donny Love yet to come v d A s A , ho s ar season enture fourth f his best adv some o

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have long shared a passion for Newfoundland and Labrador, one that has only deepened since filming their popular television show, Adventures Unknown. “You would think that we would have to move on from Newfoundland because we’ve done so much here, but we found that there are endless things to do, and we can be filming this show here at home for the next 15 years or more. There’s always some sort of adventure to tackle,” Donny explains.

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Reflecting on the humble beginnings of the series, which started as a spark of an idea with Kent in Donny’s basement, the series star and creator marvels at the program’s reach today through parent network NTV. “The market penetration of this show is huge and that’s not because of me, but because the show is about Newfoundland and everyone loves to see different parts of Newfoundland

November 2024

and Labrador and people are so proud of Newfoundland that they love to show off their area of this province. It’s not hard to find somewhere to go and tape an episode.” When asked about the danger of some of his adventures, Donny pauses. “There’s some aspects that are dangerous but I’m with professionals. But anything can happen.

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“I was like, ‘This is pretty crazy.’ I was 250ft up overlooking the North Atlantic on a sheet of ice and I had that feeling of almost panicking and I thought I was in trouble.” Like the ice wall piece. I was like, ‘This is pretty crazy.’ I was 250ft up overlooking the North Atlantic on a sheet of ice and I had that feeling of almost panicking and I thought I was in trouble. That was scary,” he admits, adding that other adventures are more relaxing by comparison. The premise of the show, he continues, is to get him out of his comfort zone, but it’s also about getting out and enjoying Newfoundland and Labrador. “In every community, there’s so much activity going on, especially in the summer. It’s amazing because you are learning a lot about the island and sharing it with others. I remember one of the shows, I think it was in Smuggler’s Cove, and learning

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about the history of the pirates in the Burin area. Yes, we’re going to see some beautiful scenery, but there’s also history there as well,” he explains, adding that he’s gained an appreciation for rural parts of the province since taping Adventures Unknown. “People live their best life on the water. Taking their family and friends and getting out and just doing things in nature. The show is beautifully filmed. It’s stunning to look at thanks to Kent, and we truly film the scenery like it’s a fashion show. As you know, the thing about Newfoundland is that everywhere

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you go there’s coastline and nature and beauty. We love spending time shooting communities and documenting them,” he says. Teasing that he’s ready to ‘jump right into season five’, Donny says what fans can expect as the seasons keep stacking up will remain ‘unknown’. “The fun of this show is that no one knows where we will be or what we will do, but I can promise that what we are planning as we forge ahead is some amazing adventures with some incredible people in some beautiful areas of the province,” he shares, tipping his hat to the folks behind the scenes who he calls the real stars of the show during over two decades in the entertainment business. “Kent and I learned so much stuff by doing it and now 20 years later, here we are and we have a team of people who help us out on editing and that type of thing, and honestly, they are so valuable to what we create,” he said. The life Donny has chosen isn’t easy, as portrayed in his other project and show Reno My Life, which also

November 2024

aired on NTV. “I’ve been up and I’ve been down and I just keep going. The best advice I can offer is this: Just don’t let people stop you because most people will say you can’t do that or you can’t do this, but if you know in your heart you can, then go with your heart.” The trick, he says, is to live a life of no regret. “Don’t look back and say you should have. Build a great team around you as you can’t do things alone. I get emotional when I think back on my journey. It wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always fun,” he admits. “When someone says they watch the show with their family, that’s all I need to stay motivated. And I don’t mind sharing what I have learned with others. Support other people and other people’s ideas and share the knowledge you have. Life isn’t a competition. The more people doing good things and the more people out there creating, the better and richer and sweeter life will be.” Catch ‘Adventures Unknown’ this fall Sundays on NTV and on the NTV+ app

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explore

BY NICOLA RYAN

Dotting the now-peaceful landscape of France, Belgium and Turkey stand six bronze caribou. Emblematic of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, these enduring memorials look over fields on which hundreds of Newfoundlanders distinguished themselves in pivotal battles of the First World War. Each has a story to tell.

GALLIPOLI ‰ On September 20, 1915, the first 1,076 members of the Newfoundland Regiment landed at Kangaroo Beach, Suvla Bay, on Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula where the British Army Corps had been attempting to seize control of the Dardanelles Strait. Gallipoli was the first of many battles that would earn the Newfoundland Regiment an impressive reputation during the First World War. On the night of November 4, 1915, Lieutenant James Donnelly led seven men to a ridge held by Turkish snipers. They fought off three snipers and held the area – dubbed Caribou Hill by the Newfoundlanders – until reinforcements arrived the following morning. For his part in the action, Captain Donnelly was awarded the Military Cross. 72

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BEAUMONT-HAMEL Of all the battles that the Newfoundland Regiment fought during the War, none was as devastating or as defining as the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The tragic advance at Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916 has become an enduring symbol of the Regiment’s valour and the country’s terrible wartime sacrifice. Of the approximately 800 soldiers who went over the top that day, only 68 were able to answer roll call the next morning. After the war, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nangle (right) was the major driving force in the construction of the memorial at Beaumont-Hamel. He contracted both the sculptor of the caribou, Captain Basil Gotto, and famous landscape architect Rudolph Cochius. The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial was officially dedicated on June 7, 1925 by Field-Marshal Earl Douglas Haig.

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GUEUDECOURT The memorial in Gueudecourt marks the spot where the Newfoundlanders played a decisive role in the capture of a German strong-point near the village of Le Transloy. On October 12, 1916 they’d managed to oust the Germans from their position at Hilt Trench even after their buddies from the 1st Essex Regiment were ordered to withdraw. Despite the fierce counter-attack, the Newfoundlanders hung on to the trench with grim determination and even managed to bomb their way further up. During 55 gruelling hours, the Regiment suffered 239 casualties, of whom 120 had been killed or would die of wounds. But this site, where the memorial now stands, marks the farthest point of advance of all British units during the Battle of the Somme.

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MONCHY-LE-PREUX In early 1917, after the Canadian Expeditionary Force had secured Vimy Ridge, the Newfoundland Regiment, led by Lt.-Col. James ForbesRobertson, was set to attack Infantry Hill. On April 14, they teamed up with the 1st Essex and moved east from Monchy-le-Preux but soon faced heavy fire from German machine guns. When reports warned that the Germans were close to retaking the village, Lt.-Col. ForbesRobertson quickly gathered his HQ staff and rushed under heavy artillery fire to defend their position. Ten men—nine from Newfoundland and one from Essex—armed only with rifles, held off the German forces for over eleven hours. This stand is now seen as the Regiment’s greatest victory, saving the British line near Arras from a complete collapse.

MASNIÈRES November 20, 1917, the NL Regiment took part in the launch of a massive attack on the city of Cambrai. In the initial attack, 300 tanks were deployed alongside the infantry to break the Hindenberg Line. The Newfoundlanders pushed ahead to advance to the St. Quentin Canal west of Masnières, reaching the edge of the village by sunset. When a German breakthrough threatened to encircle them, a determined counter-attack by all four battalions of the 88th Brigade pushed the enemy back. Thanks to their 24-hour struggle to seize and hold the bridgehead at Masnières, the Newfoundland Regiment earned special recognition. King George V later granted them the designation of “Royal” — the only regiment to earn that honour during the First World War.

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COURTRAI The Courtrai Newfoundland Memorial is the only caribou memorial in Belgium. It marks the Regiment’s success in the battle for Courtrai, a key position and a vital part of the Hundred Days Offensive. It was here, under heavy machine gun fire, that 17-year old Thomas (Tommy) Ricketts (right) doubled back 100 metres to retrieve ammunition and returned with it to his Lewis gun, forcing the Germans to retreat for cover. The capture of eight prisoners, four machine-guns and four field guns led to Ricketts becoming the youngest ever British Army combatant to earn the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for bravery among troops of the British Empire. www.downhomelife.com

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explore

Parsons By Fred

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Like other ponds within the Robert’s Arm area, Fifield’s Pond played a major role in the Bowater’s pulpwood operation during the 1940s and 1950s. This deep-water body, equipped with a dam on Long Pond Brook, served as a link in the network of ponds, lakes, and brooks, all interconnected to float pulpwood from remote areas west of Long and Crescent Lakes. After emptying into Long Lake, the pulpwood would be floated down the lake to continue its journey into Lake Crescent. The drive would then continue downstream on the Tommy’s Arm River until the pulpwood was boomed, debarked, and loaded aboard ships. Thousands of cords of pulpwood were harvested there to be shipped overseas for the newsprint industry from the port at Tommy’s Arm. Following my retirement in June 1992, we embarked on a cabinbuilding project at Fifield’s Pond. The location was just a short distance southwest of Crescent Lake, Robert’s Arm. Our friends, Bill and Linda, had already acquired a permit to occupy a cabin site at the southeast end of Fifield’s. After some exploration and deliberation, Betty and I settled on a spot at the very end of the pond about 300 yards below theirs. The site was selected for many obvious reasons: it was close to the snowmobile trail emanating from Long Pond, it was located in the direct path of the prevailing westerlies (especially for summer and fall occupancy), the site was on a raised dry bank the exact distance (30 meters) from the water, and the natural environment offered us the raw materials necessary for our construction projects. An application was made for a permit to occupy, permission was granted, and construction commenced early in the fall. Before the start of construction, a permit to cut logs was secured and Bill and I harvested them together. Not only did we cut a sufficient number of logs for the basic framing, sheathing, and siding of both structures, but we also sawed a high percentage of these logs ourselves with the proper chainsaw attachment. This lumber

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included the 2x6 for the floor joists, the roof trusts, and a good quantity of 2x4 for the wall studs. It was amazing to work with the quality product that this simple attachment enabled us to produce and to see the fruits of our labour when both structures were completed. The panelling for interior work was purchased from Rideout’s Wood Products in Robert’s Arm. Some of this finished wood panelling was delivered to the cabin on foot during the cooler fall days; while others were delivered in winter by snowmobile. When the interior was completed, each of our cabins displayed at least eight kinds of local wood, including spruce hardwood t-and-g flooring. Periodic upgrades kept the cabin in good shape for the time we owned it. We were firm believers in using ban-sawed exterior wooden siding, and completely avoided vinyl covering since it just didn’t blend well with the natural wooded environment! Our summer and fall trips to Fifield’s were a little difficult at first. We’d park our truck, loaded with supplies, adjacent to Twin Ponds, and either walk to the cabin or take our small pond boat, after reaching Fifield’s, and row down the pond to the site. Either way, it was a win-win situation. The air was fresh, the sights and sounds of nature were intriguing, the exercise was a bonus, and the appetite we developed from our physical endeavour fully prepared us for a good scoff later in the day! These summer and autumn treks became much easier when we acquired ATV machines. Upgrades on our trail from our parking lot at Twins to the cabins allowed us to use our trolleys to transport our supplies 80

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much easier and faster. After the newly constructed TAR (Tommy’s Arm River) Bridge was opened, in 2016, the 4 km ATV trail was rerouted and upgraded to allow easy access right to the Sopp’s Lake section of the Kippen’s Ridge road. Winter trips to the cabin were more frequent. There were occasions when our winter sojourn to the cabin lasted a full two weeks! Our children and grandchildren never tired from their genuine experiences there, and they continue to recall the impressions that these unique experiences left on their hearts and souls!

winter months. Every experience was unique and memorable. Although there were always preliminary preparations to be made to get our cabin ready for our stay, we were never overburdened with them. Summer and fall chores ranged from collecting water for washing, cooking, and flushing to gathering firewood (especially for cooler autumn days) and gassing up the Honda generator. Winter preparations included clearing snow around the cabin and sometimes the roof, packing a supply of firewood in our woodbox, and chopping a hole

There’s an old adage which says “Everything is better at the cabin!” We fully got to understand its genuine meaning. The meals were tastier, the music more meaningful and soothing, and reading a book took on a whole new level. The air was fresher for breathing, the stress level was practically nil, the card games were more enjoyable and shared friendships were heartwarming. The sleeps were more sound and relaxing, and the outside activities we engaged in were very rewarding and almost limitless! We enjoyed life at the cabin for about 20 years. Outdoor activities included canoeing, pedal boating, swimming, trouting, rabbit catching, duck and grouse hunting, moose hunting, berry picking, firewood cutting and gathering in late fall and early winter, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and boil-ups throughout the

for a water from the frozen pond. Again, each activity had both recreational and physical merits. It’s not uncommon today for people to live off the grid. Little Bay Islands has two permanent residents year-round. Fifield’s Pond has four permanent year-round residents. Living on a remote island or in a remote cabin area offers its challenges, but those who choose to live there strongly feel that the positives far outweigh the negatives. Access by water or trail is much easier with high-speed water crafts or a variety of ATVs. Both the islanders and remote cabin dwellers enjoy and appreciate the peace and tranquillity that their choice of residence offers. They experience no pollution, very little stress, just simply down-to-earth living just as we did during our years of cabin life at Fifield’s.

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HOME and Cabin

stuff we love by Nicola Ryan

Simplify Your Life

ON THE AGENDA Get yourself squared away and ready for the day with this sweet 2025 agenda, featuring artwork by Newfoundland’s own Ed Roche. Whether it’s scheduling appointments, scrawling reminders, or keeping track of birthdays, there’s plenty of room for it all. It’ll help you keep your life in order, and with such a beautiful design, you’ll feel inspired to stay on top of things. ShopDownhome.com

LET’S DO LUNCH Level up your lunch game with a Bentgo MicroSteel Lunch Box. Crafted from microwave-safe stainless steel, it’s sleek, leak-proof, and plastic-free — ready to handle everything from fresh sandwiches to warming up last night’s leftovers. With a handy removable divider, you can keep your foods separate and organized, making it perfect for meal prep or packing on the go. Durable, stylish, and eco-friendly – this bento box is ready for a scoff. Walmart.ca

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SPIN DOCTOR Meet your laundry’s new best friend! These dryer balls are here to reduce drying time without any harsh chemicals. Made from 100% natural wool, these handy spheres reduce static and wrinkles while keeping your clothes fresh and lint-free. Plus, they’re reusable for hundreds of loads, making them an eco-friendly, budgetfriendly alternative to dryer sheets. Toss them in with your next load – your laundry, the planet, and your wallet will thank you. Canadiantire.ca

NOTE IT The Petite Journal is the perfect pocketsized companion for jotting down notes, doodles, or big ideas while you’re out and about. The soft, dreamy paper feels lovely to write on, and the handy perforated pages make it super easy to share your notes or ideas with a friend. Artcansel.ca

FUR REAL The No Bones About It sponge is specially designed to tackle stubborn pet hair on clothes and upholstery. Shaped like a cute doggie bone, this sponge effortlessly sweeps away fur, dander, and lint without the need for water or sprays. It’s durable, reusable, and works like a charm to keep your space fur-free, even with the fluffiest of pets. Say goodbye to lint rollers and hello to a simple way to clean up after your furry friends! Amazon.ca www.downhomelife.com

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HOME and Cabin

Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions

Q. I’m wondering if you have any suggestions for window treatments. I don’t have a lot of space for draperies on either side of my living room/dining room windows and the faux wood blinds I have are past their prime. What’s the newest look?

Great question. This time of year is when we’re heading into winter and thinking of keeping the precious heat in and the bitter cold out. It’s the perfect time to make every effort to minimize heat loss. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. I recommend assessing your windows, focusing on the largest ones that create the most heat loss and tackling those first. Usually, it’s the patio doors and the large picture windows of a living room or dining room that will be the culprits. 84

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A pleated blind, more specifically an accordion-pleated, cellular, honeycomb-style blind, usually fits neatly inside the window frame giving a tidy, energy-efficient, clean, modern window treatment. As the name suggests, the accordion pleats, double or triple-layered with honeycomb spaces between, provide one of the most energy-efficient window coverings available. The widest pleater blind available is around 72" or 182 cm. A window wider than that would require two blinds, one available on one headrail. When deciding on blinds, choice of colour, fabric, pattern, texture, and of course, the size of the pleat and honeycomb opening are to be considered. I’ve read conflicting information on whether the large or small pleats are the most efficient, but my conclusion is the larger pleats look and work better on larger windows and conversely the smaller pleats/honeycombs look better on smaller windows. In terms of colour, I’d advise a neutral shade to blend with your window trims. For texture, a plain or smooth fabric creates a more modern style whereas a coarse or heavy texture will lend itself to a natural or rustic look. The other choice you have is light filtering or room darkening. The most energy-efficient choice is room darkening. Not only does it keep out the light of the early morning summer sun, but because of the lightblocking fabric it also offers an extra layer of protection from the winter chill. If you haven’t shopped for blinds lately, you will soon learn that all blinds, custom-made or off-the-shelf www.downhomelife.com

An accordion-pleated, cellular, honeycomb-style blind that usually fits neatly inside the window frame gives a tidy, energy-efficient, clean, modern window treatment.

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are cordless. To avoid the risk of strangulation to children and pets, this became a safety regulation in Canada in May 2022. There are some exceptions here regarding large commercial applications, but for residential use, this is the law.

“My personal favourite is velvet or faux suede… in winter those large glass panes are dressed in velvet panels with a separate blackout liner, for toasty warmth in my bistro-sized dining area.”

The good news is cordless blinds are great and there’s a motorized opening option for large windows. There are numerous choices for various types of blinds aside from the cellular ones. Each offers its solution for the challenge of the window in question. A quick Google search will give you more options than you need. If you’d like a more personal info session, visit any of the local stores

that supply ready-made or customordered blinds. The staff are usually well versed and more than willing to guide you to the best product for your situation. I wouldn’t stop there. Blinds are great and do their job but the next level would be to add drapery panels. They not only give an extra layer of heat efficiency but they dress your window in style. If it’s just aesthetics you want, side panels will fit the bill, but to add the extra warmth, draperies wide enough to cover the window at night are key. Here again, the weight and texture of the fabric will raise the bar on keeping out the cold. My personal favourite is velvet or faux suede. I’m reminded of my childhood when my mother would change out the window coverings seasonally. I do the same. In spring and summer, the patio door sports a lovely semi-sheer for light filtration and a little privacy. But in winter those large glass panes are dressed in velvet panels with a separate blackout liner, for toasty warmth in my bistrosized dining area. As the memories of summer and fall fade and the reality of winter sets in, the best way to enjoy our longest season is to embrace it. By adding layers to your windows, you’re not only reducing your heat bill but you’re creating a cosy, comfortable place to entertain, have a great meal, read a good book and connect with family and friends. You’re also adding one more way to love your space!

Ask Marie Anything! Got a design question for Marie? Email editorial@downhomelife.com. 86

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HOME and Cabin

Todd’s table

Barbecue Ribs

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Todd’s Table By Todd Goodyear

When he’s not dreaming up or cooking up great food, Todd Goodyear is president and associate publisher of Downhome. todd@downhomelife.com

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I can’t remember a recipe that was more satisfying than this one. I have tried ribs in so many ways over the years and this proved to be the best! It’s not an all-day cook like some rib marathons, and in my opinion, it’s very simple. Anyone can do it. I used two racks of baby back pork ribs that I bought on sale months ago that I stumbled upon one day in the freezer as I was struggling with what to cook for the weekend. I cook several times during the week but on weekends I get excited to get in the shed and try something really delicious. These ribs did not disappoint. Prep time and cooking time are approximately four hours, which includes one hour of marinating the ribs. The recipe serves four normal people or two hungry people depending on how many sides you make. There are only two people in my home and we love leftovers.

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Barbecue Ribs 2 racks of baby back pork ribs. I always look for them when they go on sale and pop them in the freezer. They keep really well. For the sauce: 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup chili sauce 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup of dark rum 3 cloves of fresh crushed garlic 2 tbsp of mustard Fresh ground pepper, as much as you desire

Todd’s Tips

Let’s start by removing the skin on Make sure you remove the the back of the ribs. Here’s a very skin on the ribs. simple trick: take a paring knife and lift an edge of the skin at the small Adjust the sauce with ingredients end of the rack and then with a paper you love, you won’t go wrong. towel in your fingers, grab the skin NEVER boil the ribs in water and peel it right off. It works well. before cooking. NEVER pre-boil ribs in water before you cook them! I hear of Always cook with confidence. people doing this all the time with ribs and chicken wings. Their excuse is “to make them tender”, but what you’re essentially doing is boiling away all the flavour. These ribs cooked this way will be tender, juicy and very tasty. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cut your ribs between the bones to make individual spare rib pieces. Arrange them, by each rack, in heavy aluminum foil or double foil and wrap them tightly. Lay each foil pouch on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for two hours. Unwrap the pouches and place the ribs in a large roasting pan or glass baking dish. Mix together all the sauce ingredients and coat the ribs with about 2/3 of the sauce and let marinate at room temperature for one hour. Preheat a BBQ grill to medium heat and place the ribs on the grate. Baste the ribs with the sauce from the roasting pan and the remaining sauce that you saved. Continue turning the ribs on all sides and constantly baste with the sauce. Do this for 30 minutes, remove and serve. Let me know how they turn out. I would love to hear from you with your favorite recipe and I will happily cook it and feature it in a future issue of Downhome. 90

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life is better The Humber River in full fall splendour. Waqas Ali, Corner Brook, NL

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HOME and Cabin

downhome recipes

Make Ahead Meals It’s that time of the year, the weighty crush between the rat race of school and work commitments and the looming spectre of holiday cheer. There never seems to be enough time in the day to accomplish the most menial tasks, much less cook up a feast for you and your loved ones. But fear not, there are ready-made, delicious solutions to manage even the most demanding weekly schedules. Here are some fast and fantastic make ahead recipes to help you conquer meal prep every time.

Baked Salmon and Rice 1 cup brown rice 2 1/2 cups water 1 pound salmon fillet 1/4 cup orange juice 1 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp lemon pepper

In a saucepan bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large pan, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Place salmon in the pan, pink side up, and arrange cooked rice around the outside of the salmon. Drizzle orange juice over salmon and rice. In a small bowl, combine dill weed, rosemary, basil, mustard, and lemon pepper and sprinkle over salmon and rice. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the salmon is tender and flaky. Yields four servings.

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Slow Cooker Butter Chicken 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 1 tbsp curry paste

2 tsp curry powder 2 tsp tandoori masala 1 tsp garam masala 15 green cardamom pods 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt salt to taste

Gather all ingredients. Heat butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, curry paste, curry powder, tandoori masala, and garam masala until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Pour mixture into a slow cooker; stir in cardamom pods, coconut milk, and yogurt. Season with salt. Cook on high for four to six hours (or on low for six to eight hours) until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to the desired consistency. Remove and discard cardamom pods before serving. Yields six servings.

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Chicken Stew 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 (32 fluid oz) container vegetable broth 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 2 sweet potatoes, diced

1 cup uncooked quinoa 1 tsp ground black pepper 5 mushrooms, chopped 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp curry powder 5 green onions, chopped 1 bay leaf

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion and garlic have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker; add onion, garlic, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, green onions, mushrooms, curry powder, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf and mix well. Cook on Low until chicken is tender, seven to eight hours. Discard bay leaf. Remove chicken; shred using two forks and place back into the stew, mixing well before serving. Yields eight servings.

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Eggs in Purgatory (Shakshuka) 3 tbs olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 red bell pepper diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp ground cumin 1/8 tsp hot sauce

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 6 large eggs 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, in hot oil, cook onion, red pepper and garlic for about five minutes until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin and hot sauce; cook for one minute. Add crushed tomatoes, green chiles, salt and pepper. Over high heat, heat to boiling; simmer for six to eight minutes until the mixture has thickened and flavours are blended. Make six indentations in tomato sauce. Gently crack eggs into indentations. Place skillet in oven and bake for five to 10 minutes, just until eggs are just set. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Yields four servings. 1-888-588-6353

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Turkey and Wild Rice Soup 6 tbsp butter 1/4 cup diced onion 1/4 cup diced celery 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups turkey broth 1/3 cup shredded carrots 2 cups chopped leftover roasted turkey

2 cups cooked wild rice 1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste 1/2 tsp lemon juice 3/4 cup half-and-half

Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until translucent, about five minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until it turns a pale, yellowish-brown colour, three to five minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock until no lumps of flour remain. Stir in carrot and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, whisking constantly until stock is thick and smooth and carrots are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in turkey, wild rice, almonds, salt, and pepper; simmer until heated through, about five minutes. Stir in lemon juice and half-and-half; bring soup almost to a boil. Serve immediately. Yields eight servings.

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Savoury Beef Stir Fry 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch strips 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks 2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 green onion, chopped 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Gather all ingredients. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir beef until browned at three to four minutes. Move beef to the side of the wok and add broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, green onion, and garlic to the centre of the wok. Cook and stir vegetables for two minutes. Stir beef into vegetables and season with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about two more minutes. Serve hot and enjoy! Yields four servings.

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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Cooking spray 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 1/2 pounds red potatoes

3 tbsp butter 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Coat an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix Parmesan cheese, rosemary, and garlic together in a bowl. Slice three or four potatoes using a mandolin on the thinnest setting. Slice the remaining potatoes using a slightly thicker setting on the mandolin. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with thin potato slices, overlapping them to create a layer that is two to three slices deep. Stand remaining thin slices along the sides of the baking dish so that half an inch sticks over the rim, overlapping them to create a layer that is four slices deep. Spread 1/3 of the thicker potato slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese mixture on top. Repeat once more. Arrange the remaining potato slices in the baking dish. Reserve 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese mixture. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Pour in milk; cook, occasionally stirring, until sauce thickens, five to six minutes. Stir in salt. Shift potato slices in a few places with a knife to create wells for the sauce to flow through. Pour sauce evenly over potato slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese mixture on top. Brush the potato edges sticking out of the baking dish with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are soft and edges are crusted, one hour to one hour and 15 minutes. Yields six servings.

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Bourbon Pecan Pie 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 large eggs, beaten 2 tbsp bourbon 2 cups pecan halves 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix white sugar, brown sugar, and butter together in a bowl. Stir in corn syrup, eggs, and bourbon, then fold in pecans. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue to bake until the pie is set, 25 to 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before serving. Yields one nine-inch pie.

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reminiscing flashbacks

Sailing In A fleet of NATO ships enters St. John’s harbour in this photo taken with a Pentax Spotmatic camera in 1970. Edward Fitzpatrick St. John’s, NL

Sunday Service The very first church service at St. Matthews United Church in Lewisporte in 1964. Patsy Day Corner Brook, NL 100

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Thrifted Treasures

Fifteen old tintypes were recently found in a box at the Salvation Army thrift store and donated to the Carbonear Heritage Society. Do you recognize any of these folks? Carbonear Heritage Society Carbonear, NL

This Month in History

Maritime History Archive

The first American troops arrived in St. John’s harbour on January 29, 1941, aboard the Edmund B. Alexander, the biggest ship to ever visit the area, carrying nearly 1,000 soldiers. This came after the U.S. made a deal with the U.K. in 1940 to build military bases in Newfoundland. They chose a spot near Pleasantville, on the north shore of Quidi Vidi Lake, to build what would become Fort Pepperrell. While waiting for the base to be finished, the troops stayed in temporary tents at Camp Alexander. Construction of Fort Pepperrell kicked into high gear in May 1941, bringing a much-needed economic boost to the city, with over 5,000 locals employed at the site. By November 24, 1941, the troops began moving from their temporary quarters into the newly completed base. The American presence at Fort Pepperrell is credited with having helped keep the War largely confined to Europe.

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reminiscing visions & vignettes

Gnat, do you mind…

Moose Apples By Harold N. Walters

“This year I’m going to nail that frigger Clyde.” Wince Cody thumped the counter in Uncle Pell’s shop. He was determined to knock down Clyde, the elusive moose, during the Fall hunting season. Ah, Clyde, the bane of Brookwater hunters for ages. Old Man Farley said nothing. A smidgeon of a smile formed around his pipe stem. From his seat on a Carnation Milk case, Harry eyed Old Man Farley’s smile. Although the smile seemed to agree with Wince’s vow, Harry had a notion it meant the opposite. “He don’t think Wince’ll get Clyde.” Harry nudged Gnat and jitted his head towards Old Man Farley. 102

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Wince raved on, explaining to anyone listening how he would track Clyde and bring about his demise. Old Man Farley knocked out the bowl of his pipe on the pot-belly stove’s grate then shuffed it into the pocket of his dungarees. He sauntered across the store and tossed coins on the counter. “Give me a box of cat’ridges, Uncle Pell.” Purchase in hand, Old Man Farley dodged out the door. 1-888-588-6353

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“Let’s follow him,” said Harry. Gnat slid off his butter-box and trailed Harry outside. After all, following a man carrying a box of bullets might be more entertaining than Wince Cody’s boasting. Like a couple of pups, Harry and Gnat stayed behind Old Man Farley as he walked up his lane and entered his house. They waited outside briefly before opening the porch door, marling into Old Man Farley’s kitchen and planking their arses down on the daybed. Old Man Farley sat in a rocking chair at the end of the table, the box of cartridges lodged on the oilclothcovered table. His 12 gauge lay across his knees. “B’ys,” he said, acknowledging Harry and Gnat. Old Man Farley broke open his shotgun and, using a ramrod, commenced reeving a wad of oily tow through its barrel. “Cleaning ‘er out.” Harry stated the obvious. Old Man Farley rammed the wadding through the barrel a second time. “Think Wince’ll shoot Clyde?” Harry asked. Old Man Farley paused. “No b’y, he won’t, ‘cause I’m going to beat him to it.” “How?” Gnat leaned forward to hear his question answered. “Clyde is hard to kill.” “I got a trick up me sleeve.” Old Man Farley rocked a little, in reverie, as if imagining how he’d deprive Wince of the trophy. “What trick? Harry asked. “I can’t tell you that.” Old Man Farley snapped closed his shotgun. “But 1-888-588-6353

I’ll tell you this. Wince, or no one else hunting Clyde, won’t have my advantage in a hundred years.” In Brookwater’s hinterland, Mother Nature chose her crayons and coloured birches and pin cherries with autumn hues. Meanwhile, Wince Cody continued to crow about how he’d lay Clyde low. Old Man Farley remained silent on the subject. But he kept his shotgun oiled, and he kept his cartridges handy. Somedays, after glancing left and right and behind to ensure he wasn’t being followed, Old Man Farley slipped into the forest and headed towards the Bald Knap to scout Clyde’s favorite stomping ground. One Saturday, Harry and Gnat trailed him. Quietly, as if stalking in skin boots, they followed Old Man Farley past Wester Bay Pond. Camouflaged inside the autumn foliage, they tracked him down the Kettle Path. Believing they were invisible, they trotted to keep up when Old Man Farley veered off the beaten path to the Bald Knap. Harry and Gnat bumped into each other when they hurried around a sharp turn in the path. They skidded to a halt to keep from stumbling over Old Man Farley. Sitting on a stump, Old Man Farley puffed on his pipe and scowled. “You young devilskins is following me.” The sheepish looks on the laddioes’s chops were sufficient confession. Old Man Farley stood and swept spilled ash off his pants. “Come on, I’ll show you something I discovered. November 2024

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But if you opens your mouths about it, I’ll gut you.” Harry and Gnat had faced worse fates than threatened gutting. They grinned and stuck to Old Man Farley as he left the path and squeezed into a narrow lead that ran down over a short scrape. At the bottom of the scrape they jumped across a rocky brook, ducked through a tangle of alders, and broke out into an opening that might once have been a campground. Their eyes the size of Granny’s china platter, Harry and Gnat stared at the loaded-down apple tree in the middle of the clearing. “Someone had a cabin here once,” said Old Man Farley. “Whoever ‘twas likely planted that tree or perhaps just hove out an apple shuck.” “Them apples is the reddest I’ve ever seen.” Harry approached the tree, marveling at the bushels of apples bending its branches. “The tree is pretty gnarly,” said Gnat. “Gnarly tree or not, they’m tasty apples.” Old Man Farley plucked three and shared with the boys. Apple skins snapped, and apple juice squirted when three sets of choppers bit into crisp fruit. Back-handing juice off his whiskers, Old Man Farley pointed his bitten apple at the ground. “See them old tracks in the grass?” Cheeks stogged like the chipmunks pictured in The Great Big Book of Small Forest Animals, Harry and Gnat peered at the ground. “They’m moose tracks,” said Old Man Farley. Before Harry and Gnat could glutch down their chunks of apples, 104

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Old Man Farley continued. “They’m Clyde’s tracks. I seen him here earlier. I’m betting he’s still around.” Gobsmacked, Harry and Gnat looked from tracks to tree to Old Man Farley. “Them apples is going to help me beat Wince Cody. They’m irresistible bait for Clyde.” Admiring Old Man Farley’s plan, Harry and Gnat wrenched double wedges from their apples. “And you knows what will happen if you breathes a word to Wince.” Old Man Farley drew a finger across his throat. The first morning of moose hunting season crackled with frost. Frost iced rooftops. Frost crunched underfoot. Jackie Frost nipped hunters’ noses. The sun’s eyebrows arched above the Crow Cliffs when Wince Cody took to the Kettle Path and headed for the Bald Knap. Old Sol’s dimpled chin had cleared rimrock by the time Old Man Farley reached the hidden glen. Frost had pinched the apples and added deeper shades to their ruby-red cheeks. Stuck to the heels of Old Man Farley’s shadow, Harry and Gnat slunk into the glen. “I sees you.” Old Man Farley glared at me buck-oes. “Get behind me and don’t make a sound.” “Clyde here?” Harry risked asking. Old Man Farley spat ‘baccy juice and hid among the trees. He lodged the barrel of his shotgun across a branch and pointed its sight at the apple tree. “He’ll be here the once.” “For sure?” asked Gnat. “Hush up b’y,” said Old Man Farley without doing so himself. “He was here for a feed two days ago. I 1-888-588-6353

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watched him gobbling down apples until he was drunk on the juice.” “Yes, I ‘low,” said Gnat sensing exaggeration. Not long after the sun finished breakfast, and while Wince Cody grumbled over week-old moose tracks behind the Bald Knap, Clyde moseyed into the grove. Weaving, and tossing his head as if dodging flies, Clyde crossed the clearing. “I think he’s still drunk.” Harry and Gnat swapped grins.

Reaching the tree, Clyde shuffed his head — Harry fancied it looked like a giant’s discarded logan — among the branches. Craning his neck, he snapped at apples like a gutfoundered sculpin gobbing down capelin. Old Man Farley glared at Harry and Gnat, warning them to bide still and keep quiet. He cocked his shotgun, smothering its click with his palm. He gnawed his tongue as he drew a bead on Clyde’s fore shoulder. 1-888-588-6353

Front legs spread for balance, Clyde yomped and glutched, yomped and glutched. Splatters and smatters of apple juice and chawed pulp littered the ground under his chin. Clyde’s eyes rolled like spinning tops as he feasted in ecstasy. Old Man Farley snugged his trigger finger against … well, against the trigger. Behind the Bald Knap, Wince Cody stomped on Clyde’s faded tracks and booted a pile of Clyde’s dried out whoopsie to smithereens. Poisoned, Wince jammed his shotgun against his shoulder and blasted a bushy treetop into oblivion. At that exact moment, Old Man Farley squeezed the trigger. Bang! Still in that exact moment, despite his slobbery dining, Clyde heard Wince’s gunshot and crow-hopped sideways. Old Man Farley’s shot blew past Clyde’s ears and pulverized enough apples to stuff a pie crust. Mind that moose hunt, Gnat? Neither Wince nor Old Man Farley got their moose that year. Clyde? Grizzled and grey, Clyde still browses in Brookwater’s forest. So say some. Harold Walters lives in Dunville, NL, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com November 2024

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For over 35 years, Downhome Magazine has been at the heart of all things Newfoundland and Labrador. A comforting, familiar and constant presence in our province’s media climate, Downhome has been a name synonymous with ‘home’ for over three decades and counting. In this Month in Downhome History, we dive through our archives to give readers snippets of days gone by, highlighting major events, unique facts and the stories that matter to our readers.

November 1989 Volume 2 • Number 6

NL to Spend $13.5 billion on Churchill Hydro Minister Rex Gibbons says the province will present a $13.5 billion plan for development of the Churchill River to Quebec and Ontario at upcoming meetings on hydroelectric power in Labrador. Dr. Gibbons says power would start to be produced by 1998. The proposal would add a total of 4,300 megawatts to the Upper Churchill, Gulf Island and Muskrat Falls, according to Gibbons. Two transmission lines are included in the proposal, one to Newfoundland and one running west to Quebec, with the Newfoundland line handling 800 megawatts of power. This would allow the Holyrood stations, which are run by oil, to shut down.

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Dobbin Owns Second Largest Helicopter Fleet in the World St. John’s businessman Craig Dobbin has closed a $31 million deal which allowed him to take over a Quebec firm giving him a fleet of 275 helicopters. This makes Dobbin’s company number two in the world. The number one company owns 325 helicopters. Dobbin’s closest Canadian competition owns only 38 helicopters. Dobbin is looking for one more corporate takeover so he can be number one.

November 1994 Volume 7 • Number 6

Hooked on Mats St. Anthony – An exhibit of hooked mats from another era has been hailed as a tremendous success. More than 1,100 people visited the exhibit at the lecture room of Curtis Memorial Hospital in St. Anthony during a five-week period, which ended in mid-September. Entitled ‘Northern Sciences: Hooked Art of the Grenfell Mission’, the exhibit was the work of the Museum of American Folk Art in New York. The exhibit was coordinated locally by Annie Hornett and Gill Hillyard, who had help from several groups and individuals. Mrs. Hornett says she was overwhelmed by the response from the general public, which included both local people and visitors to the area.

Poachers Fined $15,000 each Corner Brook – An illegal fishing trip to Canadian waters in January 1993 netted six men from StPierre-Miquelon fines of $15,000 each. They made the trip to protest reduced groundfish quotas for French vessels in Canadian waters. The men – four fishermen and two politicians – were among 50 arrested and charged after Canadian patrol vessels seized two French trawlers off Newfoundland’s south coast.

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November 1999 Volume 12 • Number 6

‘Divine’ Wins for NL Picture Halifax – The Divine Ryans, a movie based in St. John’s, did extremely well at the 19th Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax. Jordan Harvey, 12, was named winner of the best-acting award for his portrayal of Draper Doyle. The film earned a best-writing award for Wayne Johnston, author of the book upon which the film was based. Published in 1990, the book won the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize. The $4 million movie overflows with Newfoundland actors. Included in its cast are Mary Walsh, Robert Joy, Andy Jones, Rick Boland and Michael Chaisson.

Gone to the Dogs In July, a 48-year-old woman filed a lawsuit against Gold Coast Hospital in South Port, Australia, for about $450,000 U.S. because the hospital apparently misplaced part of her brain after aneurysm surgery in 1996. According to the lawsuit, doctors were to temporarily remove her right frontal lobe and replace it when the swelling subsided, but then, when they went to insert the lobe, they couldn’t find it. She has a temporary titanium plate but claims various symptoms including ‘irritability’ and a ‘perception’ that the lobe might have been fed to dogs.

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November 2004 Volume 17 • Number 6

Taking Another Shot Basketball star Carl English, of Patrick’s Cove, has signed a free agent contract with the NBA Seattle SuperSonics and attended another NBA training camp. The 6'5" guard is a former member of the University of Hawaii’s basketball team and the Canadian Men’s National Team. Last year, the NBA hopeful was cut from the Indiana Pacers draft and spent the season playing in the U.S. with the Charleston Lowgators of the NBDL. During that time he averaged 2.0 rebounds and 8.4 points per game.

The Price of Stamps A collection of Newfoundland stamps, valued at more than $600,000, are going on sale at H.R. Harmer auction house in New York. The stamps are owned by American businessman Ed Gilbert, whose entire collection is valued at more than $25 million. The mint condition and post-marked stamps span Newfoundland’s postal history from 1857 to 1947.

Heroes Remembered

A new monument to honour Newfoundland and Labrador police and peace officers who died in the line of duty was recently unveiled near the Confederation Building in St. John’s. The memorial was designed by Professor Don Foulds of the Visual Arts Department at Grenfell College in Corner Brook.

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Remembering Albert By Doug Wells

Albert Edward Francis was the son of Philip and Susan Francis of Hermitage, Hermitage Bay. Albert was 20 years of age and presented himself for medical examination at the Church Lads Brigade Armoury in St. John’s on June 30, 1916. He signed with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment on the same day, for the duration of the war. Albert was a recruit of the 10th Draft. He had allotted 50 cents of his daily pay of $1.10 to his father at Hermitage, commencing on September 1, 1916. Albert was a small boy, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 127 lbs. and was “fit for foreign service.” On August 28 Private Francis left St. John’s for the UK aboard the transport ship, Sicilian. Albert was a soldier of C-Company and one of 242 personnel from Newfoundland. After arriving in Devonport, the Newfoundland soldiers were soon on their way to the Regimental Depot at Ayr, Scotland. 110

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On November 30, 1916, Private Francis passed through the south coast post of Southampton, England, enroute to the British Expeditionary Force Depot at Rouen, France. He arrived at Rouen on December 1, and did further training there before joining the 1st Battalion in the field, on December 12. Private Francis soon found himself well behind the lines, near the city of Amiens, for an extended Christmas respite period. By late January 1917, the 1st Battalion was back in the trenches and had suffered their first casualties of the New Year. Private Francis and the 1st Battalion took part in the fighting at SaillySaillisel during the month of February and early March. Much of March was spent behind the lines, as Newfoundland soldiers spent time training and preparing for an upcoming event at Arras and at Monchy-lePreux. The Battle of Arras proved disastrous for the British army. However, the Canadian soldiers were successful in taking Vimy Ridge, in a sleet storm on Easter Monday. On April 14, the first day of the Battle of Monchy-le-Preux, proved to be disastrous for the Newfoundland soldiers, with 487 casualties on the first day of the battle. Private Francis was reported “missing in action” on that day, while serving with C-Company. It would be 30 weeks later before he would be officially “presumed dead.” Private Francis was 21 years of age and had served for 289 days with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Except for a minor offence while training at Ayr, Scotland (21/9/16), he had a good record. A grieving fam1-888-588-6353

Albert Francis was 20 years old when he enlisted ily at Hermitage was eventually notified that their dear son was dead and that his body was never found. Private Albert E. Francis (#2918) has no known last resting place, but is commemorated beneath the Caribou in Beaumont-Hamel Memorial Park, Somme, France. He is also commemorated on Page 44 of the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance in Ottawa. Private Francis’ mother had died eight years before he signed up for war. His older siblings included, John, Jonas, Elizabeth, and possibly others. His father married again, to Rosanna House, and had a second family. Private Francis was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His father received his son’s Memorial Scroll in February, 1920, and received his war medals on September 10, 1921. Lest We Forget. November 2024

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Remembering Pilot Officer Harry Maxwell Gill BY ENA (GILL) PRINGLE 112

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HARRY MAXWELL GILL, was born January 9, 1922, in Millertown, NL, on the shore of beautiful Red Indian Lake to parents Job and Alfreda Gill. Max had two older brothers, one older sister and one younger sister. He attended school at the old schoolhouse by the water. He was a handsome young man and well-liked by everyone he met. Max enlisted in the RAF on March 3, 1941, and was deployed to Edinburgh, Number 2 Recruits Centre Padgate. He was recommended at this time for service as an air craftsman/pilot/wireless operator or air gunner. Max was deployed to different air bases during his training. He became an AC2 – air craftsman second class. On May 7, 1941, he became LAC – leading air craftsman, then on June 8, 1942, Max became a temporary sergeant pilot and from there became a temporary flight sergeant. Max was the pilot of a mosquito MM441 which took off from its base at Alghero, Sardinia at 20:10 hours on July 16, 1944, for an intruder patrol over the Toulouse-Narbonne areas off southern France with Kenneth Spencer as his navigator. Nothing further was heard from this aircraft after takeoff and it is therefore presumed that the aircraft crashed into the sea with the loss of both crew on board. On July 22nd, this letter arrived to my grandparents from the Government House in St. John’s: Dear Madam, I send you my deepest sympathy in your anxiety for your son who is reported missing in war service. I only trust you may hear that he is safe. 1-888-588-6353

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A letter written on July 28, 1944, from the Air Ministry casualty branch in London: Dear Madam: I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that your son, flight sergeant Harry Maxwell Gill, Royal Air Force Squadron 108 is missing as the result of air operations on the night of 16th/17th July, 1944. This does not necessarily mean that he is killed or wounded, and if he is a prisoner of war, he should be able to communicate with you in due course. Meanwhile, inquiries are being made through the International Red Cross Committee, and as soon as any definite news is received you will be at once informed. If any information regarding your son is received by you from any source, you are requested to be kind enough to communicate it immediately to the Air Ministry. The Air Council desires me to convey to you their sympathy in your present anxiety. Your obedient servant, J. Smith Another letter to my grandparents from his commanding officer dated July 31st, 1944, from Malta quotes: “There is very little that I can tell you about the circumstances of his loss except that he was operating over the sea in the proximity of the enemy with whom it is highly probable he came in contact. It is quite possible that his aircraft may have been damaged and he and his observer were forced to bail out. An air-sea rescue search was organized in the area in which they were known to have been operating but, I am afraid, without any success. There is however still the chance that they may be safe though possibly in enemy hands, in which case we must expect a long delay in getting news. I have always held Max in the highest esteem as a man as well as a first-class pilot and I know that this is the opinion of both previous commanding officers, and this is born out by their putting him up for a commission which has been approved. Unfortunately too late for him to reap the benefits of it. As soon as Max was given a chance to get at the Hun our confidence in him was fully justified, as he had one destroyed and two damaged to his credit and his unfailing spirit and keenness gave promise of even better still. Even though Max was missing in action he was awarded the rank of Officer Pilot. We all join you in hoping and praying that he is safe.”

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Max Gill’s sacrifice is honoured on the Malta Memorial, a tribute to fallen members of the RAF who lost their lives in the Mediterranean.

Max and Kenneth are both commemorated on the Malta Memorial. This memorial takes the form of a column 15m high of Travertine marble from Trivoli in the Sabine Hills near Rome. It is carved with a light netted pattern and surmounted by a gilded eagle 2.4m high. The column stands on a circular base around which the names are inscribed. The memorial is situated in the area of Florina and is easily identified by

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the golden eagle that surmounts the column. It stands outside the King’s Gate, the main entrance to Valetta. The War Records Office sent four other medals that Max was awarded and had not received. Left to mourn Max were his parents, Job and Alfreda Gill, siblings, nieces and nephews, numerous other family members, a large circle of friends and a fiancée, Helen, in England. We will remember him always.

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reminiscing

A three-part series reflecting on a simpler time in Newfoundland and Labrador

By Albert Butt

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Part Three On the Water

My last summer

going to Square Islands was in 1954, some 70 years ago. During our summer months there it was mostly long hours of work for all, even children as soon as we were old enough to work. During the summer fish had to be cleaned, back-bone removed, salted, washed and then put on fish flakes to dry after which the fish had to be stored in the stage until sold in the fall. In the fall, you had to be careful because fish buyers usually graded the fish as poor, medium or good quality and in some cases, buyers could say it was poor quality when in fact it was good quality, which meant more money for them. My family always had number one-grade fish. Getting back to the fish flake, it’s one of the most recognized structures on our coast and when there were too many fish for the flakes they were put on rocks. As children, we never played with jellyfish, but I remember helping take jellyfish out of our fishing nets. I had no idea there were so many kinds that could cause sickness, stings, pain or death. Only my brother Fred knows, but once when I was trying to get some ice that drifted toward the shore, I slipped into the cold water and Fred was able to pull me to shore.

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My dad spreading fish on the rocks to dry Shortly after arriving at Square Islands, one of the first things we did was to check the motorboat for possible damage. If need be, it was then painted and put in the water. Shortly after, usually the next day, we had fresh fish. On some Saturdays, we would hunt for duck eggs along the shoreline and go up to St. Michael’s Bay to hunt birds, mostly black ducks and shell birds. The feathers were used for our pillows. Being the son of a fishing family and having spent my younger years ‘on the water,’ I now realize how dangerous it was fishing miles from shore in an open motorboat with only a 5-horsepower (inboard) Acadia motor. In those days we had no life jackets, flares or flashlights, only one sculling oar and no communications of any kind. In addition, we never had a raft or a small boat (often called a punt), which is normally tied to the larger boat in case of emergencies. We had no water pump in the boat, but used the bottom of a plastic bucket or an aluminum saucepan for what we called a ‘bailer’. We did, however, have kerosene oil lamps and Eddy’s matches. We did have a radio, but because of the cost of the battery, we had to use it sparingly. Once in a while on a Saturday night, we’d listen to Foster Hewitt saying “Hello Canada and hockey fans in the United States and Newfoundland.” 118

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I remember my dad having to rely on his knowledge regarding tides, the moon, clouds, sunrises and sunsets to determine whether it was safe to leave for the fishing grounds. I remember when jigging for cod fish during my last trip to Square Islands, I cut off a piece of the tail to identify the ones I got. I believe I had one quintal, or about 112 pounds, which was sold for four cents a pound, for a total of $44.80. I was always a little nervous when we filled the boat with codfish, and at times I’m sure the gunwales were only a few inches above the water. We had no choice because we never knew if there would be any more fish or what the weather would be like. My Dad always said, “You must make hay while the sun shines.” In all my travels over the years, one 1-888-588-6353

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St. Anthony from the SS Cabot Strait

of the most beautiful areas I ever saw was St. Michael’s Bay, close to Square Islands. After the fishing season was over, permanent residents usually spent the winters in St. Michael’s Bay, mainly in Charlottetown. As you can appreciate, there were no funeral services of any kind. I can remember when an elderly gentleman died, my brother Hayward and his friends built a wooden coffin and my mother and

the other ladies lined it with white cloth from flour bags. I can also remember seeing the funeral procession of motorboats going up to St. Michael’s Bay for the burial. One of the first things we did after arriving at Square Islands, weather permitting, my dad and brother Reg set the cod traps and salmon nets at locations that, in general, were the same as in previous years. Spare parts for the engine were not obtained locally, but generally my

Loading freight at Battle Harbour

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Sporting a sweater knit by his sister Elizabeth, Al jigs for a cod while the SS Cabot Strait was stopped at Spotted Islands. brother Reg had enough spare parts lie points, carburetor kit, grease, etc., to last for the summer. What was most dangerous was Reg jumping from the slippery stern of the motorboat to the rocks on the shoreline with hip rubber boots on to drive a wooden peg into the rocks to which he attached a rope to hold the fishing net in place. After that, we started the engine and pulled the trap/net out from the shoreline and tied it to an anchor. We had no metal anchors but what we called a wooden kellick. This kellick was made by drilling holes in an x-shaped wooden frame with a small tree or alder branches in each hole with a large rock inside and the branches tied at the top to keep the rock in place. To preserve any birds or seal meat that my brother shot, we would get small pieces of ice that drifted on 120

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shore, and with sawdust, buried the meat in a hole in the ground. We picked plenty of blackberries and bakeapples and often took enough home in the fall so that we would have jam all winter. Sunday was usually a day of rest unless there was any danger of having the nets destroyed by ice, winds, or tides. I left St. John’s in August 1963, on the SS Cabot Strait. It was a beautiful day typical of that kind of weather for that time of year. This trip was approximately three weeks in duration and very often depended on the weather. The arrival of the coastal boat was a significant event for outport communities and often attracted most of the settlers to the public wharf or to the Cabot Strait if no wharf was available. After leaving St. John’s, the Cabot Strait stopped at numerous costal outports. 1-888-588-6353

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puzzles

The Beaten Path

Gail Rideout 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, when unscrambled, will spell out the name of the above community.

O R H

T p

S S

J A M

K M U x Q L J R A S A T

T S Q J L S R L V P T K T O K x p S S U Q S x M H R H S S x T K M p I S U I I A Q L E T N R

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Sudoku

from websudoku.com

Last month’s answers

Need Help

Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles

www.downhomelife.com

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Glen Pye photo

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Downhomer Detective Needs You After 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: • Dr. Wilfred Grenfell was stationed here • Visited by icebergs and polar bears • Hub of the Great Northern Peninsula • Home of a former US military base • Has a cameo in an Assassin’s Creed videogame

Last Month’s Answer: Botwood

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Chapel Arm 126

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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.

Last Month’s Clue: No other moment akin to the current time In Other Words: No time like the present

This Month’s Clue: Utter gently and wield a massive branch In Other Words: _____ ______ ___ _____ _ ___ _____

A Way With Words

LOOK YOU

Last Month’s Answer: Look behind you

Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young

1. A robin’s chirp is a ____ ____ 2. Nacho cheese is a ____ ___

This Month’s Clue

mind MATTER

3. A calm dude is a _____ ______ Last Month’s Answers 1. nightmare scare, 2. witch twitch, 3. vampire sire

Answer: ____ ____ ______

Scrambled Sayings 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. ?

F E A D H A A I F E I N A N D F F I A E I I A D A M H H A I S T H I H K N O G Y M N O O R K O L G M D N I I F M W T N O U S H Y O W T V S S N O N O T S Y W N T W S O

Last month’s answer: Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership; it underscores the need for leadership. www.downhomelife.com

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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. seasick

____________

2. simple

____________

3. shady

____________

4. corny

____________

5. windy

____________

STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles

Last Month’s Answers: 1. crazy, 2. hazy, 3. daisy, 4. lazy, 5. Maisie

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.

1. LASE VCOE

For best results sound the clue words out loud!

2. AMBLELORE

Ices Pecks Hoe _ _______ __

3. MEGATHEIR

Ache Rhymes Us Pecked _ _____ _______

5. CALLMACMU

Last Month’s 1st Clue: Thigh Sing Gone Thick Ache. Answer: The icing on the cake. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Nod Itch Ants. Answer: Not a chance.

4. AILGUSTO

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Marystown, 2. Burin, 3. Fortune, 4. Lamaline, 5. Grand Bank

A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. BIO FERN ~ Clue: it lights up the November night 2. RAGE THING ~ Clue: it brings people together 3. RICE EXES ~ Clue: people jump up and down for it 4. HAM ON TAR ~ Clue: you’re in this for the long run 5. SHAPE SPIN ~ Clue: money can’t buy it, but it sometimes has a cost Last Month’s Answers: 1. skeleton, 2. pumpkins, 3. costume, 4. witches, 5. zombies 128

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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. 1-5: happening 1-10: sooner or later 2-5: air duct 1-91: deport 7-10: supporter 7-47: danger warning 12-32: pixie 13-11: anger 13-33: animal doctor 14-17: bannister 18-20: lubricant 21-26: delight 22-26: rent 23-3: first woman 25-28: chair 30-28: allow 31-33: astern 33-73: tease 37-34: garden tool 37-39: crimson 41-21: faucet 42-44: negative vote 43-73: mother’s sister 44-4: long for 46-44: lad 46-96: hobo 49-46: young sheep 50-20: to the brim 50-41: showy 54-56: enemy 54-84: thwart 58-60: fish eggs 58-88: pipsqueak 59-39: aged 62-82: topnotch 65-35: see 65-45: bathroom 67-97: appendage 69-66: internal organ 69-89: limb www.downhomelife.com

100

70-66: held on to 71-51: broadcast 71-76: performing 71-91: devoured 72-42: Abel’s brother 73-75: alloy 74-94: sick 76-79: departed 77-79: sole 81-84: narrate 87-57: lullaby 87-84: canvas 94-92: actress Taylor 95-97: exist 96-76: tabloid 100-10: tactfully 100-60: blessing

100-91: extrapolate 100-94: army leader 100-97: DNA segment Last Month’s Answer

D I S A L L OWE D E R A E R EMO T E L EG NAHA B I T E F ARAC T S E A GL A I R THORN A I D B RA TOO I T P I R C S U N AM I A NG E R R AMR ON I ONOT I C E N I GHT S H I R T November 2024

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The Bayman’s

Crossword Puzzle 1

by Ron Young 3

31 34

45 130

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ACROSS 1 Friday’s ___, NWI 2. Wink and a __ – NL greeting 5. “___ whiz!” 6. Ma’s partner 8. __ John’s 10. bearded seal 17. colour 18. entry 20. noise 21. Downhome columnist Kim Thistle 24. Great Harbour ___ 25. head covering 26. Japanese sash 28. limited (abbrev) 29. “__ ye a Screecher?” 30. spoiled child 31. “How’s ye gettin’ __?” 32. commonly hunted seal 33. Harbour __ Cou 34. young seal 37. Former MHA and Harbour Grace mayor Moores, to his friends 39. fired 40. medical doctor (abbrev) 41. Tibb’s ____ 42. elevated railway (abbrev) 44. Tetley 45. seal stage between whitecoat and bedlamer DOWN 1. ____ __ job – task well done (2 words) 2. a singsong call 4. Old English (abbrev) 7. “__ _____ as a mouse” (2 words) 9. twisted 10. mature harp seal (2 words) www.downhomelife.com

11. battery size 12. Eastern Provincial Airways (abbrev) 13. prefix meaning “idea” 14. Western Brook ____ 15. Edgar Allen ___ 16. mistake 19. baby harp seal (2 words) 22. Round Harbour (abbrev) 23. three-year-old bay seal 27. hay bundle 29. “He can put an arse __ _ cat” (2 words) 31. ___ Perlican 32. shorten (pants) 35. former 36. moose’s cousin 37. “with” in St. Pierre 38. drip 41. Estimated time of arrival (abbrev) 42. for example (abbrev) 43. large (abbrev)

T A R R I B A D W O L L T A D U H B L A S T Y B O U G H S C G O B U F A M A I S G B O L O G N A L N K C R Y S G A F F T I C K L E S H A M H I W P O R E S E A R L I G L O O G U T F I E L D S I D O G A A A I T O E E K G T O L E P I N S D O D G E

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

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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. __ 43

_ ______ 6 684464

__ 47

___ _ ______ 467 6 774253 ________ 76774253 __ 86

_ __ 3 67

__ 23

__ 47 __ 48

_ _ _ _ _____ 7 6 6 3 84464

___ _ ______ 467 6 774253

CRACK THE CODE C

Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =F Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.

_ _

_ _ _ _ _

7k m QX

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

XR7b 3 7 m _ _

_ _ _

b7 z b7 m

_ _

3h _ F

_ F

7C _ _ _ _ _

LkzO

F _ _ _ _

C zQbh

Last Month’s Answer: We dissect failure a lot more than we dissect success. 132

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Food For Thought

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.”

fine art = _

embrace = _ _ _ ]`K

somersault = _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

toaIsaIK _ _ _

_ _

_ _ _ _

smoothest = fow wY es mwat

cash = _

_ _ _ _

jailer = _

_ _ _

s]Y

_ _ _ _

[l pwn

_ _ _ _ _ _

owwles _ _ _ _

tplKpY ee

`tlI

_ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

s]Y

_ _ _

[o pn Y I

w lI Y z

_ _

_ _ _

nYtY In e

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Y IsapY w z _ _

_ _

_ _ _

Yn` fosal I

Last Month’s Answer: Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same. www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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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 PREPARE TOUTONS FOR FRIENDS

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Jacket, 2. Oil Drum, 3. Leg; 4. Rope, 5. Cap, 6. Boat Number, 7. Outboard motor, 8. Tawt, 9. Strouter, 10. Door, 11. Man, 12. Window “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, 212 Pine St., Collingwood, ON, L9Y 2P2

134

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HIDE & SEEK CRAFTS

The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.

BEADING BOOKBINDING CALLIGRAPHY CROCHET DECOUPAGE

EMBROIDERY KNITTING LEATHERWORK MACRAME MINIATURES

ORIGAMI PAINTING POTTERY WEAVING WOODWORK

I J F V C X X G U W G V E V N Y H O V U P H V K F B C N I Y M H V I V R H B L F Y X G P N P N G R S P R G A R R G O A Y X P T P K B N E P Y U N P O L V O G H E Y L J R E G U C W M I M O L I I S F W U B C B Q D C G G M K M L C U D A A S R T S R G D H T H J P I A K Y M F C D P N R Y E N N Q J S E O V J E F G O L N R Y O J U I C S R I I C O Q J I O O Q T G S R L I K Z P M B A G U G A Y B M K S X W O L S G Z B I T O R G K M R T O P Z N Z U E W W D F H G D H M G T P V O N A A X Q A X Q P H A S T I B V Y E O E R I O O A W I O T H P G Z M G E H H K R P H C V S A N B C O N R D L G Q P O T T E R Y N E S K O P Q P G Q R I T P E A C Q J M Z U I R H E T K B U V R H N I M C L V S H E P V S C G F Q W P Q O G P V M Y G J F G M B V L T B W C Q V H Z X K B V Z A L M A S S M B C Y E X M A W I Q Y P C N W U I Z G K M Y T J Y U R Z D I N M E F B R I J K E V E E E I G U R D O W E A V I N G O L D N B K W E W

Last Month’s Answers

P O E K P R E S E R V E S N F Y X W V A P P L E S A X J J O J L S K V V S X Y O N X J S C T M I I J F R V S N Q K Q O C R G T A G Y B K G Y S S D X A W E T H A N K S G I V I N G P C B V M S L G M F Z F A N U Q A S S P D I G L U Z N O T Y M O S F H O L U X Z B Y I U E X C H Y J N O A H I G W H X M Y P G W V W B M Q Y V A P N T D S P B A J R O Y Y R W S J K F P V M Y R A Q G G L A S U R Q P T H K E U W G J K C N P V J T E J B R E L A I E H D S F T W C P I L U U E O N A P L G M S K B F C D B D K A V O N A J Q S V E D E F O X G E Q O B A D I Y P E G T J U S T L M Z W I T C S F L I R W A E V C L W R A E D P R V A R K O C Q W Z D D L Y T S J U P S Y C D N M E U S J H T L P U N A E L C R J T I Z S Q Z D B Y W M Q P T W I L R I C I R N O S V N O Q S X W T L B F X R R O V L A I G M W G E C R T B Z F J U A T T F J K L N Z W P H O M N L J F Q G L A W B A W K Q T W B J B Z S T B Q B S R N U V P Q O

www.downhomelife.com

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Colourful Culture

The drawing on the opposite page

is the work of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq artist Marcus Gosse, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. His grandmother, Alice Maude Gosse (nee Benoit) is a Mi’kmaq Elder from Red Brook (Welbooktoojech) on the Port au Port Peninsula. Marcus’ work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, NL; and the Canada 150 Art Show at the Macaya Gallery in Miami, FL; and his work is in private collections around the world. He has generously offered a series of colouring pages that run monthly in Downhome. Each image depicts a NL nature scene and teaches us a little about Mi’kmaq culture and language. Each colouring page includes the Mi’kmaq word for the subject, the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the English translation. And you’ll notice a design that Marcus incorporates into most of his pieces – the eight-point Mi’kmaq Star. This symbol dates back hundreds of years and is very important in Mi’kmaq culture. Marcus’ Mi’kmaq Stars are often seen painted with four colours: red, black, white and yellow, which together represent unity and harmony between all peoples. Many Mi’kmaq artists use the star, and various Mi’kmaq double curve designs, to decorate their blankets, baskets, drums, clothing and paintings. To download and print this colouring page at home, visit DownhomeLife.com. To learn more about Marcus and find more of his colouring pages, look him up on Facebook at “Mi’kmaq Art by Marcus Gosse.” 136

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www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract

" ' ! ' " ' ! ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353 advertising@downhomelife.com

Book your ad in Marketplace ' '" ' '" + ) )

,+*)('&%$#)$""" ,+*)('&%$#)$""" !

Marketplace rates start at $50 for a 1 column x 1 inch colour ad. This size fits approximately 20 words. 709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353

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Marketplace

Book your ad in Marketplace 709-726-5113 • 1-888-588-6353

advertising@downhomelife.com

Book Today 709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353 advertising@downhomelife.com

Movers & Shippers Ontario to Newfoundland and All Points in Between

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35 Years in the Moving Industry All Vehicles Transported

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A Family Moving Families Professionally and economically Coast to Coast in Canada Fully Insured Newfoundland Owned & Operated

Contact: Gary or Sharon King

Toll Free: 1-866-586-2341 www.downhomemovers.com

Movers & Shippers Rates start at $175 for a 1 col. x 2" ad. Call Today! 709-726-5113 Toll Free 1-888-588-6353 Email advertising@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com

November 2024

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

Taking a Chance: An Urban to Rural Journey - 80+ Inn Recipes - Fisher and Pickavance

The Last Tree - Michelle Churchill & Ariel Marsh #89665 | $19.99

Next to Die: A Sunny and Roscoe Thriller - Natalie Carter-Giles

#89663 | $26.00

#89695 | $59.95

- Carolyn Morgan

- 10th Anniversary Edition

#89664 | $24.00

#89666 | $16.95

Off Panel: A History of NL Comix - Elizabeth Whitten

A Queer History of Newfoundland

Dictionary of Newfoundland and Labrador - Written by Ron

- Traditional Recipes of NL

- Rhea Rollmann

Young & Illustrated by Mel D'Souza

Secrets Between an Ocean and a Sea

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Doyle’s 2025 Almanac of NL

#89646 | $24.99

Cooking up a Scoff #79297 | $14.95

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Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.

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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com

A Friend for Christmas Mike Martin

The Christmas Beaver - Mike Martin

#87450 | $14.99

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A Puffin Playing by the Sea: 12 Days of Christmas in NL - Gina Noordhof

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Sale! A Moose Goes A-Mummering

Santa is Coming to Newfoundland

- Lisa Dalrymple

- Steve Smallman - Hard Cover

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Sale! The Best Christmas Ever - Joannie Coffin and Brent Coffin

Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories

- Hard Cover

and Mysteries - Mike Martin

and Mysteries Vol 2 - Mike Martin

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

Stocking Stuffers

Hawkins Cheezies 45g

Purity Jam Jams Two-Pack

Moose Kitchen Scrubber

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16" NL Flag Beach Ball

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Puffin Mini Building Blocks Set

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NL Rowhouses Throw Blanket

Boats in the Bay Throw Blanket

L’Anse aux Meadows Mummers Throw Blanket

Mummering on Change Islands Throw Blanket

Mummering Mobile Throw Blanket

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Loves Me Grub Throw Blanket

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2411_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 9/25/24 1:10 PM Page 144

photo finish

We Remember

Poppies blow in Flanders Fields Terry Gullage Corner Brook, NL

Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 144

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