Downhome August 2018

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Fish Tacos!

Recipe on p.102

Vol 31 • No 03

$4.99

August 2018

NL’s First Dark Sky Preserve

Interview with Kevin Major The Gory Story of Barber Poles

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SHERWOOD PARK, AB Festival Place October 10 - 13

LLOYDMINSTER, AB / SK Vic Juba Community Theatre October 14

FORT MCMURRAY, AB Keyano College Theatre October 18 - 21

PICTOU, NS Decoste Centre of the Arts November 6

SYDNEY, NS Highland Arts Theatre November 7

HALIFAX, NS, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium November 9 - 10

SAINT JOHN, NB Imperial Theatre

SUMMERSIDE, PEI Harbourfront Theatre November 14

RIVERVIEW, NB Riverview Arts Centre November 15

FREDERICTON, NB Frederiction Playhouse November 16

November 13

www.buddywasisname.com/tour-dates

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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Janice Stuckless Associate Editor Ashley Miller Assistant Editor Elizabeth Whitten Special Publications Editor Tobias Romaniuk Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Graphic and Web Designer Cory Way Graphic Designer Jeff Cave Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Senior Account Manager Robert Saunders Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Tiffany Boone Finance and Administration Senior Accountant Karen Critch Junior Accountant Marlena Grant Operations Manager Alicia Brennan Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney

Warehouse Operations Warehouse Operator Josephine Leyte Distribution Sales & Merchandising Joseph Reddy Sr. Customer Service Associate Sharon Muise Inventory Control Clerk Heather Lane Warehouse Associate Anthony Sparrow Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, Water Street Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Carol Howell Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Emma Goodyear, Ciara Hodge, Lauren Courage, Jonathon Organ, Megan Thomey, Nicole French, Elizabeth Gleason, Janet Watkins, Melissa Wheeler, Drew Ennis, Rebecca Ford, Darlene Burton, Natalie Engram

Subscriptions Sr. Administrative Assistant Amanda Ricks Customer Service Associate Michelle O’Toole Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer / Publisher Grant Young President Todd Goodyear Chief Financial Officer Tina Bromley

To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above.

Subscriptions total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL $39; AB, BC, MB, NU, NT, QC, SK, YT $40.95; ON $44.07; NB, NS, PE $44.85. US and International mailing price for a 1-year term is $49.00.

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of

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paint the town

Contents

AUGUST 2018

52 A World of Good An interview with General Brian Peddle, Norman’s Cove native and now global leader of The Salvation Army Janice Stuckless

72 The Regatta Boats How they evolved over 200 years to modernize and, at the same time, preserve tradition Tobias Romaniuk

86 State of the Art All eyes will be on Botwood as the Global Mural Conference comes to town.

Ashley Miller

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winning heritage www.downhomelife.com

92 Park in the Dark Why preserving the night sky is important for both astronomers and animals Elizabeth Whitten August 2018

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Contents

AUGUST 2018

homefront 10 I Dare Say A note from the editor 11 Contributors Meet the people behind the magazine

12 Letters From Our Readers Birthday wishes for Downhome, a thankyou to hospital volunteers, and Newfoundland dogs steal the show

12 reading & writing

22 Downhome Tours Explore Thailand with Downhome

24 That’s Amazing Wild news from around the world

26 Life’s Funny Funny Train of Thought Chris Duncan 27 Say What A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth

28 Lil Charmers Farm Friends 30 Pets of the Month Berries &

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trendy tracks

Buddies

32 Blast from the Past Remember Neighbourhood Stores?

34 Why is That? Where did the iconic, striped barber pole come from?

Katherine Hudson 36 Reviewed Denise Flint interviews Kevin Major and reviews his latest book, One for the Rock.

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berry barkers 1-888-588-6353

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40 cool contest

38 What Odds It’s a dog’s life for Paul Warford, but for how long?

40 Iceberg Photo Contest It’s our “coolest” contest of the year!

features 46 It IS Easy Being Green Simple tips for reducing your environmental footprint

48 Powered by Nature An innovative device developed right here is prized by outdoors enthusiasts around the world.

Elizabeth Whitten

58 Catch and Relief Changes to

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outdoor tech www.downhomelife.com

salmon fishing regulations are being applauded by conservationists and derided by anglers. Todd Hollett

64 Sure Shots Featuring photographer Mark Gray August 2018

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Contents

AUGUST 2018

102

pondside snacks

explore 70 What’s on the Go Exciting events happening in Atlantic Canada

82 come on home

80 10 Ways to Celebrate the Royal St. John’s Regatta 82 Come Home to New Perlican Baccalieu Trail town beckons former residents. Elizabeth Whitten

96 Stuff About… What do Gordon Pinsent, Walt Disney and starfish have in common?

98 Hare Bay Adventures A new tour company offers excursions on land and at sea. Ashley Miller

96 star gaze

food and leisure 102 The Everyday Gourmet Regatta Food Andrea Maunder

106 Everyday Recipes 8 pesto dishes 6

August 2018

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130 Earhart excitement

114 Down to Earth Back to Gardening Basics Ross Traverse

reminiscing 118 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places

119 This Month in History A Sanatorium for St. John’s

120 Between the Boulevard and the Bay Downhome Places Ron Young 124 Visions & Vignettes Gnat, do About the cover Twillingate photographer Julian Earle captured this unique perspective of an iceberg that drifted by his hometown a few years ago. See more awe-inspiring iceberg photos on p. 40, plus find out how to enter your own images in our “coolest” contest of the year!

Cover Index Fish Tacos! • 102 200 Years of Regatta Boats • 72 Scotties Chips & Jaw Breakers • 32 Icebergs • 40 NL’s First Dark Sky Preserve • 92 Interview with Kevin Major • 36 The Gory Story of Barber Poles • 34

you mind…Fin Keels?

Harold N. Walters

130 Amelia Earhart in Newfoundland Determined to set a new flying record, Amelia heads to Harbour Grace. Heather Stemp

136 Mail Order 143 Real Estate 144 Marketplace 148 Puzzles 160 Photo Finish

www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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Could starfish hold the key to the fountain of youth?

Details on p. 96.

New! Listen to the Downhome Podcast at www.downhomelife.com.

8 August 2018

Readers remember their favourite neighbourhood shops – on p. 32

Enter to win a free one-year membership to The Rooms July 24Aug. 24 at downhomecontests.com.

1-888-588-6353

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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules Be a Winner!

Every reader whose photo, story, joke or poem appears next to the yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue will be awarded 20 Downhome Dollars.*

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

In January 2019, a panel of Downhome staff will select the top submissions published in 2018, which will be put to a public vote on DownhomeLife.com in early 2019. The submission with the most votes will win an iPad mini and a 3-year subscription to Downhome magazine.

*One prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material. www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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i dare say Nothing like a licky on a hot summer’s day.

Todd Young photo

That’s what we called soft serve ice cream, or custard cones, in Twillingate when I was growing up there.

I’d ride my bike around the harbour to get a licky at R and J Restaurant on the North Side. They made the best ones.

Or if it was a giant Mr. Freeze I wanted, I’d go down the road from the restaurant to Young’s – also the best spot for every kind of candy, from one cent to 10 cents each. I’d spend a week’s worth of allowance on a day’s worth of sweets.

Then there was Bernetta’s in Ragged Point for Fudgsicles, Baggs’ in Bluff Head Cove for Crush soda, and my Uncle Bert’s in Lower Jenkin’s Cove for Wigwag bars. That’s really just to name a few – there were neighbourhood shops in every cove back then.

Of course, every cove had more people in those days, and more kids coming in to buy treats with their piggy bank money.

I don’t know if the owners knew what an imprint their small enterprises made on the memories of their littlest customers. We casually mentioned on Facebook about corner stores in our old neighbourhoods and the place lit up. There were so many fond memories of favourite candies, the treasures to be had for a few cents, the simpler times of brown wrapping paper and hand-written bills. I hope a few of the owners are still around, or their descendants are readers, so they can enjoy the fond memories and happy shout-outs to those shopkeepers from all over the province (and one in Ontario). Check them out on page 32 in our Blast from the Past, and visit our “Downhome Magazine” Facebook page to see all the extra comments we couldn’t fit in this issue.

Thanks for reading,

Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief Janice@downhomelife.com 10 August 2018

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Contributors

Meet the people behind the magazine

Paul Warford

Julian Earle

Admittedly, funnyman Paul Warford began writing his “What Odds” column for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. Four years and more than 50 columns later, it appears he’s succeeded.

“Mom enjoys the column, but she thinks I should write more about drugs and knife fights. That’s a joke,” says Paul, ever the comedian. “My mother hates swearing and off-colour topics while I love them, but none of that material belongs in Downhome, and I think that fact is refreshing for both of us.” This month, Paul shares his thoughts on cats and whether or not he should own one (p. 38).

When he’s not hustling together a last-minute column for Downhome, the Bay Roberts native can be found performing comedy at various open mics, playing video games and (still) finishing his master’s thesis in creative writing. “I’m also trying to find a kind soul to produce my play – a comedy – that I wrote in a class for Robert Chafe,” says Paul.

Paul lives in St. John’s with his wife, Andie, their basset hound, Gabby – and maybe a cat. (Stay tuned.)

Photographer Julian Earle has been sharing his stunning photos of sunsets, aged outbuildings, whales, waves and – his favourite subject – icebergs, with Downhome since 2013. He is the photographer behind this month’s cover image: an iceberg he shot in his hometown of Twillingate a few years ago.

“I’ve always loved the outdoors, nature, the ocean and all it contains. I think my love of photography stems from that,” says Julian. “I’m fortunate to live in a place that offers this, often just outside my door.”

Julian shoots with a Nikon D7100 DSLR, a Go Pro Hero 5 and, because sometimes you can’t beat a bird’s eye view, a DJI Phantom 4 Drone. But having the right equipment is only half the battle – true success as a photographer comes from sheer talent and passion.

“I’ve often hiked vast distances to capture just the right image, through difficult terrain and in not-so-nice weather.

I also take to the highway and have travelled quite a long way if there is something I just have to shoot,” says Julian. To keep up with his latest work, follow “Julian Earle Photography” on Facebook.

www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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Downhome in Frankenmuth!

Our Newfoundland, Dayton, and I attended The Newfoundland Dog Club of America’s National Specialty Show in Frankenmuth, Michigan. With over 500 Newfoundlands entered, it was a Newf lover’s dream come true! Here is a photo of Dayton and me [holding the May issue], surrounded by a few of our closest friends on the riverbank at the Bavarian Inn. Kerri Miller Calgary, AB

Nothing better than being surrounded by friendly Newfs!

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Happy Birthday, Downhome Dear Downhome and Staff; My congratulations on your 30th birthday. Your first Downhome was the beginning of something very wonderful and exciting.

Every Downhome reminds me of how special the stories are, and the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Veronica Lunn Grand Prairie, AB

Here is a poem Veronica wrote and included with her card, which arrived quite serendipitously on the very day we had a celebratory office BBQ and party.

Veronica’s poem was read aloud, to the delight of everyone there, including company CEO Grant Young and his father, Ron Young, the magazine’s founding editor. Here also is a photo of them surrounded by staff. (Also, shout-out to Coleman’s in Mount Pearl for doing such a fantastic job on the cake!)

It was in June The year 1988 The people of Newfoundland They could hardly wait

Most of the stories Are ever so true It gives us so much treasures And the puzzles to do

To go to a bookstore And see at the stand The book called Downhome Stories of Newfoundland

They tell of the happenings From spring to fall Makes us very proud And stand mighty tall

The stories are exciting And the recipes a perfect dish Then to look for Corky A cute little fish

So keep the Downhome coming This is my say Because of you people It sure makes our day.

www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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find corky sly conner Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.

Can you find him?

Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.

Send your replies to: Corky Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3

Congratulations to Nina Peck of Brownington, VT, who found Corky on page 89 of the June issue.

Happy Anniversary Hi Lila and Ron; We wish to congratulate you on the 30th anniversary of the Downhome magazine. We look forward to it every month, and we read it together cover to cover. Then when we are finished we give it to our neighbour to read.

Mary and Vince Gillis via email

Thanks, Mary and Vince. It’s nice to hear from you.

Chap’s Garage What a great article on Chap’s Garage [“Retro Rewind,” June 2018]. We (me and my fishing party) discovered Chap’s and met Ivan when roaming around seeing the sights on a Saturday

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mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com *No Phone Calls Please One entry per person

Deadline for replies is the end of each month.

while waiting for the Gulf ferry to North Sydney about five or six years ago. And we’ve stopped every year since.

There’s always something new to see, or maybe something missed (or maybe forgotten – we are of that age, after all), and Ivan is always ready to show us around. After our first visit my brother and I sent Ivan a vintage New Hampshire licence plate and a vintage (48 stars) US flag.

We’re heading up that way again – our 38th trip – in a couple of weeks and I expect we’ll be stopping in again.

Jim Staples Via email

Thanks for your letter, Jim. Chap’s Garage is a real find.

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Congratulations on 30 Years Dear Janice and others: “I Dare Say” is the first page I read before reading cover to cover. I have been a subscriber since day one, when it was more like a newspaper and done in Toronto. I have many, many copies of the Downhomer and Downhome. I usually subscribe three years at a time. At the present time I am looking at March 2000, Vol. 12 No. 10, issue with an old house on the cover. Under the house it reads “Burin Plus.” I have read this one recently. As you know, the Downhome now is bigger with many more pages and a lot more photos and jokes etc. I will be 88 years old in August and still look for the Downhome in the mail every month.

Congratulations on your 30th year, and many, many more. Long may your big jib draw.

RECENT TWEETS Musicwithmike @musicwithme Congratulations! Most after 30 years retire! You folks are still going strong! Keep up the great work! I was just looking at a 1999 issue…Dee Murphy’s 50th anniv. about Confederation...5 page article!!!…wow…awesome research! Also my Heritage Tree article! All the best! ~ Mike

William Kirby Burin, NL

Thanks, William. That cover brings back memories. It was one of our bestselling issues at the time. People really loved that yellow house, which in later years was bought by new owners and reset on a level foundation. www.downhomelife.com

Kathleen O’Grady @kathleenogrady Wow -- just heard from a #Newfoundland friend that their @downhomelife magazine has v wide reach. According to site: “Every issue is read by more than 225,000 people, and the magazine has an enviable 90% renewal rate with its subscribers.” Not many magz can say that anymore!

August 2018

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Volunteers, the Lifeblood of Hospitals The first Monday of June 2018, I was awakened by nature’s call at 37 minutes after five in the morning, according to the clock-radio beside our bed.

I would not normally stress the time of day I arise, but the night before I had set our alarm for 5:45 a.m. An ungodly hour for a retired couple on the back side of 70, with nowhere to go and nothing to do except visit the oncology department at the Oshawa General Hospital.

On that cold, foggy day, a rarity in Southern Ontario for this time of year, we had to be in Oshawa before 8:00 a.m. for another of my wife Mary’s Nivolumab (NIVO) therapy treatments, which have now been ongoing for longer than I care to remember.

But I keep hoping, every time that I sit patiently by my wife’s side, that this radical immune therapy will work its magic and help ease the constant pain that I see daily on her face and in her beautiful blue eyes.

But I digress. To help pass the time during our therapy visits we take a portable Scrabble game, Yahtzee dice/score sheets and a novel or two, plus other reading material. On this day Mary took our June 2018 edition of Downhome and was reading it while reclining in the oncology chair with NIVO oozing into her bloodstream at 130 ml per hour.

The Oshawa General Hospital, actually Lakeridge Health Centre, like a majority of hospitals in Ontario has an untold number of volunteers who work tirelessly helping the professional staff in seeing to the needs of the unfortunates who have been stricken with cancer. It takes a special 16 August 2018

Found on Facebook Wendy Allen Berringer I am from Nova Scotia! Have never been to Newfoundland!

Hope to get there someday! I love your Downhome magazine.

It is the best on the market. Just finished reading the article Sealing: Facts vs Farce! Excellent! Everyone should read this!

Keep up the good work! <3

Victoria Neville Pleasant surprise reading about my favorite phycologist in Downhome Magazine during my flight to Goose Bay today. Good job helping Ocean’s Ltd out Robert Hooper! Now I have to spend the rest of my day wondering what Newfoundland seaweed is producing breast-cancer fighting molecules!??

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kind of person to volunteer on the cancer wards, seeing on a constant basis people with resignation and despair etched in their eyes and then having to put on a happy face, smile and say, “Can I get you a drink or something to eat?” Sometimes, but I would venture that these times are few and far between, they see hope in the patient’s eyes and this gives some reason for why they volunteer. I have met a lot of volunteers in my travels across Canada, and in healthier times I was one with organizations such as the Lions Club and St. John Ambulance, but never on the cancer ward of a hospital as I was unable to summon the fortitude so necessary to deal with despair at its zenith. Over the past two years, while accompanying Mary to the many different hospitals she has been directed to in her endless battle against cancer, I have met a countless number of these special volunteers.

On that first Monday of June, while Mary was perusing the Downhomer, a volunteer walked by her chair, then did a quick about-turn and looked directly at Mary as she asked, “Is that the Downhomer you’re reading?”

Mary stopped reading and, with a quizzical look on her face, looked at the cover of the Downhomer and asked the volunteer, “Are you from down home?” “Yes, I am!” was the reply and therein started a three-way conversation between the volunteer, my wife and I that lasted well over a quarter of an hour. Life histories summarized, possible relatives, memories of home, missing Newfoundland and anxious to go home again, and many other things talked about. If the duty nurse hadn’t interrupted us to remove the needle from my wife’s arm we may 18 August 2018

well still be there chatting. This is just one example of how a volunteer can change a dreary therapy session into a memorable 15 minutes. And all because of the “Life is better Downhome” magazine.

Randy Toope Cobourg, ON

Thanks for sharing this story, Randy.

Volunteers are wonderful people with kind hearts. All the best to you and Mary.

Pearl Reading About Pearls This is our daughter Pearl, whose daddy (Scott Downey) comes from Mount Pearl. She was excited to see her name in the Downhome this month and thought the entire magazine must be all about her.

Tania Rice Saskatchewan

Hi, Pearl!

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Then and Now

Townie Fairies

Gladys Hooper from Gander holds her copies of the Downhomer, one from August 1993 and the other from June 2018. Quite a difference!

Regarding the subject of fairies [“The Fairy Month of May,” May 2018 issue], it seems to me that they are mostly associated with rural Newfoundland. However, we have them in the city as well. I feel that I must write the following so that the St. John’s fairies won’t feel that they are being ignored and may be offended.

As children, my friends and I spent much time playing in the area of Signal Hill and were warned by our parents to be home before dark, as the fairies who lived up there might lead us astray. We always carried a bit of bread or a candy in our pockets in case we should encounter the little people.

Now, as an old woman, when I walk the trails around the hill, I sometimes feel that I have company, and I am always home before dark.

Angela Stockley Gander, NL

Joan Fowler St. John’s, NL

Thanks for the photo, Angela. And thanks, Gladys, for being a longtime Downhome reader.

You can never be too careful when it comes to the fairies! Anyone else have a fairy story? Email us at editorial@downhomelife.com, or write to us at Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3. You could be reading your own story in a future issue.

Note to Subscribers Inside Labrador, which is normally delivered with this issue, will be delivered with the September issue this time around.

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photo Margaret Martin

Michael Parsons photo

Debbie Samson photo

Harry Bryan photo

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homefront Downhome Tours...

Thailand

Sights at Sea

Lorraine Durdle and her daughter-in-law, Leanna, tour the waters off Krabi.

More than 150 islands lie off the shores of the province of Krabi, located on the west coast of southern Thailand. Traditional â&#x20AC;&#x153;long-tailed boatsâ&#x20AC;? are a common sight in the area, ferrying tourists around the stunning archipelagos in the Andaman Sea. The islands are popular places for divers, snorkelers and rock climbers.

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Touring Tragedy Laura Vale of Holland Landing, ON, visits the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum in Kanchanaburi.

The Burma Railway, infamously known as the Death Railway, stretched 415 km from Thailand to Burma. Japan ordered its construction during WWII, forcing hundreds of thousands to work in horrific conditions. Notoriously brutal was the section known as Hellfire Pass. Many didn’t survive working on the Death Railway – including some 12,000 Allied PoWs.

Bangkok Bound

Sharon (Butt) Cameron of PEI poses beside an elaborate statue of the Hindu god, Vishnu, in Bangkok Airport.

The capital and most populous city of Thailand, Bangkok is a global tourism hotspot. According to the Global Destination Cities Index, released annually by MasterCard, Bangkok hosted nearly 20 million international overnight visitors in 2016 – more than any other city in the world. London, Paris, Dubai and Singapore rounded out the top five.

www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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homefront

That’s

AMAZING Wild news from around the world

Sweat for Health

A new study from the University of Eastern Finland suggests frequent trips to the sauna are very good for your health. Researchers believe using saunas several times a week is linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Turkish Meatballs?

The Swedish meatball is Sweden’s national dish – or is it? It was recently revealed the meal is actually from Turkey. It’s believed that King Charles XII brought meatballs to Sweden in the early 18th century after living near the Ottoman Empire.

Cat on Track

This summer West Japan Railway Co. Ltd. launched a series of new train schedules, and two trains got a makeover. They are now decorated in a Hello Kitty theme, including a photo booth, café and souvenir shop. It just might be the most purrfect mode of transportation.

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That’s the Way the Cookie Tumbles It might be one of the most delicious misfortunes in recent memory. A truck carrying cookie dough accidentally dumped its sweet wares on a highway in North Carolina. While going through a green light, the truck’s backdoor opened, releasing the cookie dough right onto the street. If only it had been carrying ice cream, too…

#nlboom

In June, a loud bang was heard in and around St. John’s, NL. It was even registered by the Natural Resources Canada seismograph readings. Amid jokes on social media about an alien invasion and a Godzilla attack, the less exciting explanation was revealed: blasting at the Robin Hood Bay landfill combined with low clouds that amplified the sound.

Amelia Earhart’s Remains

In 1940, bones were found on Nikumaroro Island, the area where famous aviator Amelia Earhart vanished in 1937. While those bones disappeared, researchers took notes on their appearance and an anthropologist recently examined those notes.

He published his findings in the Forensic Anthropology journal, arguing the remains were probably Earhart’s.

www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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homefront life’s funny

Funny Train of Thought I was walking home from having picked up my five-year-old stepdaughter Lily at school. As usual, as we cut through the park, she wanted to stop and play on the swings and on the metal train. I agreed to take a train ride with her.

She called “All aboard!” and I boarded the train.

She asked where I would like to go and I very smartly replied, “Timbuktu.”

She made all the appropriate train engine sounds and the trip was beginning to drag on a bit. I needed to get back to work and, trying to speed up the journey somewhat, I asked if we were at Timbuktu yet, to which she very seriously replied, “We are only at Timbukone.” Of course, logically, Timbukone must come before Timbuktu!

Chris Duncan Cambridge, ON

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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“You stand guard, I”ll steal the food.”

– Robin Cuff

Say WHAT?

Downhome recently posted this photo (taken by Annette Tatchell) on our website and Facebook page and asked our members to imagine what the bird might be saying. Robin Cuff’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding Robin 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up: “Is this the only thing on the menu?” – Janette Ryan “This seed is for the birds. Where are the toutons?” – Heather Harding “Don’t poop on da plate!” – Dave Gill

Want to get in on the action?

Go to www.downhomelife.com/saywhat

www.downhomelife.com

“Like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/downhomelife

August 2018

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homefront lil charmers

Farm Friends Moove a Little Closer

The littlest cow whisperer, Annalise, visits her Poppy Gulliverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm in the Goulds.

Mandy Gulliver-Brown St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, NL

Shepherd in Training Young Henry tends to the flock at Sandy Cove on Fogo Island, NL. Mary Willmott Marystown, NL

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My Little Pony Cassie Thorne is tickled pink to meet a new friend in the Codroy Valley, NL. Joyce Meade Port aux Basques, NL

Couple of Kids Paisley Herridge greets a friendly goat in Tides Cove on the Burin Peninsula.

Alisha Power Marystown, NL

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homefront

pets of the month

Dog Tired Abbie is all tuckered out after a day of picking partridgeberries.

Connie Cole Bonavista, NL

Berries & Buddies Fruit Fetcher This cute pooch is hoping to exchange these blueberries for biscuits.

Nancy Osmond Paradise, NL

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Sniffing Out Sweets Birchyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nose always leads straight to the raspberry patch.

Hannah Lane Gander, NL

Blueberry Fields Forever Keani takes it easy while her owner picks berries.

Amanda M. Kelly Fox Harbour, NL

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homefront

Remember Neighbourhood Stores?

Recently we started a conversation on the Downhome Facebook page about our favourite childhood corner store memories. At least one person brought up Scotties Potato Chips. The five-cent foil bags of chips were made in Nova Scotia by Acadia Foods in the 1950s, according to Nova Scotia blogger Ed Coleman. Scotties Potato Chips was eventually bought by General Foods, owner of the Hostess brand, which later became Hostess Frito Lay and now simply Lay’s.

Here are more corner store memories that were posted on Facebook. Any of these sound familiar to you? Do you want to give a shout-out to your favourite childhood store? Add to the Facebook conversation, send us an email at editorial@downhomelife.com, or write a letter to us at Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.

Crams in Green’s Harbour. Always went down with a few quarters and got some one-cent candies! – Megan Banner Wilkinsons store in Flatrock was a favourite hangout for all of us.

– Michele Parsons Madeline Morrissey’s, corner of Long’s Hill & Harvey Street in Hr. Grace. She was always open on the way to school and for 5 cents you would get a bag so full of jawbreakers that you couldn’t fold it over.

They lasted all day – that is, unless you accidentally knocked over the bag, sending them all over the classroom. Then you got something else...and it wasn’t ice cream! – Angela Moriarty Jenkins 32

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When I spent my summers at my grandmother's in Bonds Path, Placentia, we walked up to Millers’. Rita and Walter were the owners, I would get a can of Lime Crush, bag of Scotties chips.

– Joanne Greene Delph My favourite store was Mr. Knots General Store in Belleoram. – Dennis May Mrs. Pyes in Mt. Moriah. She and her father, Mr. Hussey, wonderful people. We would put our money together, which wasn’t much, for Scotties chips and Graham wafer bar and a Coke if it were three of us! Had to share to get a taste; that’s what summer and friends were.

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My favourite corner store was on Brookfield Road. My grandparents owned it, just down from Concrete Products Ltd. We would get 5 cent Adams or Scotties chips, a 5 cent bar and an 8 cent bottle of Coke, plus 3 cent deposit.

– Louise Evans Walter F. Eddy and Son’s in North Harbour, Placentia Bay, was my favourite shop when I was a kid. They sold everything from bologna to rubber boots. It was a treat to get a bar and drink after school. – Teena Crampton Brown’s store in Burin Bay…I remember the block of cheese, the line from the ceiling for tying up your purchase, and the roll of brown paper. Good memories!

– Marje Mitchell Goosneys Store (most of the kids called it Uncle Sidney’s store ’cause that was the man’s name who owned it) in Parsons Pond. A 25-cent piece got ya a bag full of jelly beans – now that wasn’t yesterday. Best memories of growing up in a small town. – Holly Payne Burtons in Harts Cove, Twillingate. Larry, the owner, always had a story to share to bring a smile to your face. His wife Margie was/is sweet and friendly. Loved shopping there and watching them wrap the goods in brown paper and writing out all the items on a bill. They sure knew their math! – Doreen Roberts Kellaway’s on Bell Island. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kellaway were so friendly. On Sunday afternoons, Mom would send us to their back door for a brick of ice cream. Always smiling. – Bernice Costello Henderson

A small store in Pool’s Cove owned and operated by Mrs. Ethel Williams. Went there to buy things for my mom (especially dried apples and apricots for jam).

I remember how she would make cone shaped wrappers from wax paper to wrap our candy in. – Mabel Dicks Bannister’s store in Roddickton. Would go there with my brother & cousin with a dollar & get a bag of chips, pop, bar & gum. Mr. Bannister would give us free gum if we found a yellow one, most were pink. – Shelley Eddison Quilty’s Store on the car path in St. John’s.

Every tip I got from my newspaper route was spent there on Saturday afternoons playing Pac-Man. When we bought the one-cent bubble gum, you’d tear into ‘em right away because if you had a purple one, he’d give you a free one.

– Kim Lecompte Lars in Luke’s Arm, Cottles Island, Notre Dame Bay. Memories of spending 50cent pieces on candy and chips...I think the long walk to and fro was a way of mom getting a few of the 8 kids out of the house! – Glenda L. Darling Bert Bulgin’s, across the street from Durrell Academy, Twillingate. Go in with a little change in my pocket and get some rainbow & Black Bart bubble gum.

Bert always had a smile on his face.

– Rhonda V Rogers McGuire’s. I’m in London, Ontario. There was a gas station, variety, lunch bar. Mrs. McGuire made the BEST hamburgers! If my mom wasn’t going to be home for lunch she’d give me money to go there.

– Dave Morrice

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Expert answers to common life questions.

By Katherine Hudson

Where did the iconic, striped barber pole come from?

It’s one of the most recognizable symbols along the main street of most towns. The red, white and blue barber pole signifies a place for people to get a clean shave with a sharp razor, a warm towel to soothe the skin and a clean-up of straggling hair along the back of the neck.

It’s interesting, then, that the colours of the pole have a more medical, even gory, origin.

The barber pole was initially used in the United Kingdom and was white and red. Mike Taylor, co-founder of the British Barbers’ Association, says in the Middle Ages barbers also did the job of surgeons.

“The barber pole in the UK is white and red, and the reason is because of the blood and bandages when there used to be barber surgeons,” he tells Downhome. “What the barber would

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do, they would do a minor operation – maybe blood letting or a war wound – and after they’d finished, they would wash the bandages and then they would hang them outside on their pole to dry, and that was the signal for anyone to know that they were vacant, they could take another appointment.”

Barber poles would spin in the wind to dry the bandages – white, bloodstained rags. The balls on either end of the pole signified the bowls where leeches were kept for blood letting, says Taylor.

“The barber is the second oldest trade known to man, and the first legal one,” says Taylor.

King Henry VIII merged together the surgeons and barbers in 1540, and King George II separated them in 1745, establishing the London College of Surgeons.

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“Between 1540 and 1745, barbersurgeons not only offered to wash and shave their clients, but also performed medical practices like blood-letting, tooth-drawing, surgery and amputation. The barber’s pole is thus one of the few remaining links signalling the medical and surgical aspects of the pre-modern barber-surgical profession,” says Mark Albert Johnston, associate professor in the department of English at the University of Windsor.

But in Canada and the United States, barber poles also have the colour blue on them.

“It has nothing to do with patriotism,” says Mike Ippoliti, the curator and director of the National Barber Museum, located in Ohio. The museum holds over 2,000 shaving mugs, 3,500 straight razors and much more, says Ippoliti.

“The first poles were just red and white – the white for the bandage, the red for the blood. Later on, they thought, ‘We can also aerate veins,’ so that’s where the blue stripe came in,” says Ippoliti, adding patients would grab a pole as they bled out, and the blood would pool in a bowl at the bottom of the pole.

“Eventually, the barber’s pole, capped on either end with a metal basin, and wrapped in colourful stripes, became emblematic of the barber profession, and so the barbers continued using the emblem as a form of advertising even after their corporate separation from the surgeons and the cessation of the barbers’ surgical services,” says Johnston. “Today, the barber’s pole remains one of very few vestigial reminders of an earlier time, when barbers and surgeons shared a single, hyphenated occupation.”

But not everyone can display a barber pole outside their shop, says Ippoliti.

“In Ohio, you have to be a licensed barber to have a pole out; otherwise, they’ll fine you.”

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

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

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reviewed by Denise Flint

One for the Rock Kevin Major Breakwater Books $19.95 Kevin Major is continuing along his somewhat eclectic writing career path by diving into the mystery genre with his latest book, One for the Rock. After an unfortunate incident that ruined his teaching career and a difficult divorce, Sebastian Synard is trying to put his life back together. He’s working hard to help his son cope with his new reality and has started a tour guide business around St. John’s. He might not be happy, but he’s functioning. And then one of his clients dies on Signal Hill and it might have been no accident. To make matters worse, the cop investigating what’s looking more and more like a murder is Sebastian’s ex-wife’s new boyfriend.

Both the motive and the method are a bit of a stretch, but it’s not like this is the first time a murder mystery has stepped over the line, and the plot is intriguing enough to keep you reading and guessing. It’s harder, however, to forgive Sebastian’s character. He hasn’t convincingly earned the hard-boiled, world-weary outlook on life that he projects, and if it weren’t for his relationship with his son, Nick (and the dog, Gaffer, the real hero of the story), he’d be a lot less tolerable.

However, mystery writers, like their killers, are seldom content to stop at one.

I’m hoping that as he solves a few more mysteries Sebastian will get over his slightly artificial bitterness and develop into a more likeable and deeper character.

And if Gaffer and Nick get to take part, I can hardly see him doing otherwise.

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Q&A

with the Author Denise Flint: I notice that you have a whiskey blog, just like your protagonist. How much else do you have in common?

Kevin Major: I have an interest in history, for sure, and I have undertaken to be a tour guide sometimes. I go on Adventure Canada cruises around Newfoundland and talk about Newfoundland history, and I also do land-based tours around St. John’s.

My wife says I share his sense of humour. I have been a teacher at one time, although I gave it up to write, but I am familiar with the classroom.

On the other side, I’m happily married and have been for the last 36 years.

DF: What made you decide to write a mystery?

KM: It’s a genre I have some interest in. My wife reads more mysteries than I do and occasionally she’ll say, ‘You should read this; you’d enjoy it.’ The type I’m interested in are usually set in places I’ve never been to but have some interest in. I’m not terribly interested in writing or reading a murder mystery set in Ontario – it’s Spain or Portugal or somewhere like that.

That’s what drove me to write this.

For people to enjoy the book but also learn a bit about this place.

DF: Can we expect a sequel?

KM: I have a sequel in mind. In fact, I have about 50 pages, but I’m finishing the third book of the Newfoundwww.downhomelife.com

land trilogy right now. But I think you’ll see Sebastian again. Because he’s a kind of tour guide, he can find himself in different locales around the province.

DF: Your writing career has been pretty eclectic. How did you envision it unfolding when you started out?

KM: Oh, boy! I didn’t really know.

The first novel was published in 1978, so I was basically a teacher, so writing about young people seemed a logical place to start. It was just at that time that the whole young adult genre was emerging and that was a place I felt comfortable starting. I wrote several and then thought I’d written all I wanted, so I turned to adult novels and history books for younger kids. It was hard to break away from what people think about you. Even with this novel people refer to me as a young adult writer, but that was 20 years ago.

DF: Looking back over your career, what would you say you were most proud of?

KM: A few books stand out in my mind. Hold Fast seems to have struck a chord with many people and is still in print. No Man’s Land also became a play and was very successful. On the other end of the spectrum, The House of Wooden Santas was turned down by six publishers and I continuously run into people who say, ‘I love that book.’ I’m proud, too, of the adult novels I’ve done, and I thought I accomplished what I set out to do with the first two books in the trilogy. When the three are put together I think it will be a substantial achievement. And who knows what is to come?

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homefront what odds

whaddaya at, cat?

By Paul Warford

Lots of activity I’ve told you about the dog, haven’t I? Downhome faithfuls know Gabby, our rotund at the park, basset hound. Well, Gabby is tough to walk this lots of dogs… time of year. See, my wife Andie and I live just a stone’s pitch from Bannerman Park, so when the but I never sun breaks the overcast and it’s time for Gabby’s see cats. daily constitutional, the park seems like a great

location through which to stroll.

However, the jaunt is more akin to a GrecoRoman wrestling round because she wants to stop to smell the base of each tree; and then she wants to halt so children frolicking in the water fountains can pet her; and then she wants to sidle onto the various blankets and quilts cast across the sprawling lawn, weighted with mobile music speakers and tall cans of beer brought by the potsmoking twenty-somethings who dot the sighing green grass. Gabby yearns to visit everyone, and a protesting basset hound has all the charm of a stray boulder or rusted anchor; she’ll stop dead in her tracks, and her 60 pounds will wrench my arm behind me. I’ll turn to see her looking up, tongue lolling as she pants in the heat. Of course, she charms everyone she meets – suddenly she’s sneaking potato chips and pizza crusts, getting stroked and complimented by kids between the sun beams. I forgot to mention the other dogs – there are plenty of those – and Gabby will circle them while I’m forced to drop her leash and abandon our tether. She has to sniff their bums so she can figure out if they’re new in town. Lots of activity at the park, lots of dogs…but I never see cats.

Andie disliked cats when I met her – a conception I’ve since helped her leave behind. I used to have the same wariness as a kid because cats seemed unfriendly, intolerant.

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“Well, I used to pick up cats in our neighbourhood, but they’d never let me carry them around,” she would explain, clearly still mystified by this years later. Cat fans know you can’t simply scoop up an unknown neighbourhood feline and carry them against their will until you feel like putting them down again. Andie grew up among sprawling PEI farms, and barn cats would be even more intolerant since they’re about as wild as Texas rattlesnakes. So, I’ve tutored Andie with lessons I had to figure out myself: when to approach, how to pet them properly, that sort of thing.

Now, we both kinda want a cat. We’re not concerned what Gabby thinks.

We did have a starter-cat in Pasadena while we lived there. The animal essentially came with the apartment, an all-black drifter who hung around the property and accepted food when it was offered. Our landlord already had a bag of kibble set aside for her, and he encouraged us to make a dish available when our new friend came around. In time, the black cat started visiting our loft-style home. The stray would follow Gabby around while the dog hunkered back and tried to decide how she felt about the situation. One night, puss got her head stuck in a dog food tin after I’d just dumped its contents into Gabby’s bowl. The cat hopped and flitted trying to get the can off. The spectacle was perfect Internet video fodder, but we were worried she’d hurt herself, so we quickly pried the tin off her head.

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I took a video a few minutes later, when the cat lounged on the couch while Gabby licked the gravy goo the cat’s head had absorbed.

“Wow! Gabby’s really affectionate towards the cat now,” Andie said.

“Yes, it’s amazing how a little thing like covering the cat’s face with dog food can improve a relationship,” I replied.

When we left Pasadena, we left the cat as well, who was taken in by our neighbours. If Deb and Charles are reading this, we’d just like to say once again that you did a great job – when we returned to visit a year later, we didn’t even recognize the cat, now free of brambles and tufted fur.

So, every now and then Andie and I will talk about getting a nice city puss for ourselves. I’m not sure I’d ever be able to take my puss to the park, though. They say a cat on a leash is an inhumane thing, like clipping the wings of a raven. However, I’ve also heard it’s a good idea for kittens when introducing them to the outside world. Andie likes the idea of a new cat because it distracts me from talking about getting a new tarantula.

Now that’s an animal you can’t take to the park.

Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada.

Follow him on Twitter @paulwarford

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ICEBERG PHOTO CONTEST Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to award one photographer $100 worth of canvas printing, plus bragging rights, for the best iceberg photo we see! We are looking for the biggest, most dramatic, wildest shaped, best composed, most impressive iceberg photo in your collection, from this or any iceberg season.

Submit your high-resolution photo and tell us where and when it was taken, and by whom. Only send us photos that you own or have express permission to enter into this contest.

Enter online: www.downhomelife.com/icebergcontest

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Deadline: October 31, 2018

Dennis Bursey photo

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Need a little inspiration?

Here are some of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;coolestâ&#x20AC;? iceberg photos submitted by our readers.

One Berg, Two Views Kylie Goodyear & Julian Earle This iceberg captured the attention of many when it floated into Upper Amherst Cove, NL earlier this summer.

Kylie Goodyear got the shot from the ground (above), while Julian Earle used a drone to snag the view from the sky (below).

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Bell Island Bound, Greg S. Bolger St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, NL Ferry passengers heading to Bell Island, NL get a great view of a massive iceberg.

Paddlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise Daniel Rumbolt Little Bay Islands, NL Sunset falls on an iceberg in Little Bay Islands.

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Chillinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Harold Feiertag Langley, BC A harp seal boards an iceberg in St. Anthony, NL.

Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coldest Waterfall Tracy Toth Acton, ON Water cascades from one iceberg while another looms in the distance. www.downhomelife.com

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www.downhomelife.com

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camping is a chance to disconnect and go into the wilds uninterrupted. But increasingly, modern outdoor enthusiasts are taking their electronic devices, particularly cellphones, with them to enhance the experience.

These days, cellphones are multi-purpose gadgets, no longer just for making calls. “It’s basically like a Swiss army knife now.

It’s not like how cellphones used to be. Now cellphones are your phone but also your map, it’s your flashlight, it’s your field guide, it’s your emergency survival guide. It’s everything,” says Andrew Cook, the co-founder of Seaformatics Systems Inc. Of course, when a cellphone is used in those myriad ways, the battery drains more quickly. And out in the woods, there’s seldom a place to recharge. That’s where the WaterLily comes in.

It’s a small but powerful turbine that generates power to charge electronics. It’s been sold all over the world and Seaformatics, the company behind it, is based right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The WaterLily can be hung from a tree to harness the wind or anchored in water to harness the waves. It can also be handcranked and easily fits into a backpack. It can run for 24 hours a day, including while you sleep or take a break during a hiking trip. “It’s almost as if you were at home: plug your phone in for the night and wake up and it’s charged,” Andrew says.

Factors like how long you’re out on a trip, the number of devices you’re using, as well as temperatures, all impact battery life. “As with any battery, it’s gonna run out of power eventually. So, no matter how big a battery you take, you’re eventually gonna run it dry,” says Andrew.

While solar-powered products are already available, they only work for a few hours on a good day. The WaterLily isn’t limited like that.

All photos courtesy Seaformatics Systems Inc.

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Launched from the Deep

The company formed in 2016, but traces its origin back to 2007 and a Memorial University group called the Seaformatics Project.

“Basically, the idea behind Seaformatics was to create a set of technologies that would enable researchers and other users to gather and collect more information in the ocean,” says Andrew. It was specifically focused on collecting data on the seabed with an application in the oil and gas sector.

Andrew was part of the project from the beginning, along with more than 20 graduate students, several professors from different disciplines, as well as counterparts from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

Sensors placed in the ocean required a way to charge their batteries far from shore. “It’s a really arduous process, very expensive and

when you start to put a lot of sensors and systems out there, they use a lot of power. It just means you’re going out and changing batteries more often, which just makes it cost prohibitive,” he explains.

“Long story short, we did develop a whole bunch of different technologies, but in the end we decided that the one that kind of had the most commercial potential was the powerharvesting technology.” It was a turbine that harvested power from ocean currents to recharge batteries in the field. They named it the SeaLily.

But that’s a tough industry to get into, so the team decided to pivot and look for other applications for their technology. They saw the outdoor adventure market as a viable enterprise. When they looked at the tech that was already out there, the team knew they could do it better. They miniaturized the turbine, turning it

The WaterLily can be charged through wind, water or by hand crank, making it a versatile tool.

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On the market for less than two years, the WaterLily has already had buyers in 42 countries. into a portable device. Named the WaterLily, it was made available for preorder on April 1, 2017.

For a few weeks it was pretty quiet.

Only a few orders came in, Andrew recalls. That changed after they were contacted by the Discovery Channel to demonstrate the WaterLily on an episode of “Daily Planet.” Following that, a number of influential blogs featured their device. Then the orders came flooding in.

For now, Seaformatics is a small team of five people. But they expect to hire another person in September and maybe more in the future.

“Things are rapidly evolving,” says Andrew. They’re all graduates of MUN and Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. While it’s great to work at home, “There’s definitely www.downhomelife.com

challenges to working in Newfoundland. All of our manufacturing is done in Ontario, which means for us to go talk to our manufacturers, it means getting on a plane and flying up.” Distribution also happens in Ontario. “So we actually never really see many WaterLilys here in our offices, they’re all sitting up in Ontario,” says Andrew.

For the most part, Andrew says buyers tend to be people who spend a lot of time outdoors, like campers, hikers, boaters and hunters. So far, the WaterLily has been purchased by people in 42 countries, and is making itself useful on six continents. “The only continent that we don’t have is Antarctica,” says Andrew. “I don’t know if we’ll ever get a sale there, but we almost had one – we were close!”

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This month, a new general will take the reins of The Salvation Army, overseeing operations in 128 countries. And for the second time in its 152-year history, that person is a Newfoundlander.

General Brian Peddle was elected to the post (the only nonappointed position in the Army) by 108 of his peers in a secret ballot earlier this year. Previously he was Chief of the Staff, second in command to the General, at the headquarters in London, England.

That’s where Downhome recently caught up with him. When asked if getting the top job was what he had spent his career working towards, the answer is something akin to “not exactly.”

“When we were commissioned, or ordained, in St. John’s back in the late ’70s, my first appointment was Hant’s Harbour, Trinity Bay – a very small company of people that I served. And quite frankly, for Rosalie and I, who have been officers together now for 40 years, our view was that we would just serve in congregational realities.

We didn’t see beyond that. But seemingly, the Army that I’ve been a part of saw different prospects in myself and my wife,” Peddle says.

When he steps into the role of General, his wife Rosalie becomes World President of Women’s Ministries.

The Peddles have served all over the globe in various leadership capacities, travelling extensively and living for periods of time in New Zealand, England and Canada. But they’ve never lost sight of where they’re from. In fact, Peddle says whenever he’s invited to speak anywhere in the world, he introduces himself as a Canadian (left) General-Elect Brian Peddle, in a ceremony following his election in May 2018 to serve as the 21st General of The Salvation Army. (above) Commissioners Brian and Rosalie Peddle (centre) during a visit to Pakistan All photos courtesy of General Brian Peddle and The Salvation Army www.downhomelife.com

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and, furthermore, a Newfoundlander. “That has gravitas around the world. Anybody who lives in the world and knows anything, knows a little bit about Newfoundland,” he says. “That’s a piece of my identity that I’m both proud of and it provides conversation and links with people when I stand up in some obscure place and say I’m a Canadian but I’m a Newfoundlander as well.

And out of that comes, ‘Oh we know who you are, what kind of person you are; we know why you are the way you are.’ Because I didn’t become who I am just because I suddenly showed up at The Salvation Army.

My upbringing, my culture, my framework of life, was shaped by the province I come from.”

Peddle is from Norman’s Cove; his wife Rosalie is from Carbonear. Peddle says, “I grew up jumping from boat to boat when I wasn’t supposed to, and when that got tired I went and found a pond and I spent the rest of my summer there. So it was a very normal Newfoundland upbringing, if you like, and you made your own stuff happen.”

His earliest years weren’t spent with The Salvation Army, he notes. “I didn’t grow up in the Army. My first connection with The Salvation Army

was when I was still in Norman’s Cove [as a teen]. My mom and dad started tripping off to the Army, and I got pulled along. I got pulled into this fascinating church that had music and vibrant singing. It was different from what I was used to, liturgy and that kind of thing,” he recalls.

This past April he and his wife visited Dildo, NL, to help the Trinity Bay South Corps celebrate its 125th anniversary. While they return to Newfoundland as often as they can to visit family and recharge – he enjoys fishing, hiking and boating – it was the first time he’d been with this corps in about 40 years. He says if he knew it was going to be so much fun he would have returned years ago!

A Worldly View Travel is something the Peddles will be doing even more of now. The General says they’ll be in a different country every other week for the foreseeable future, meeting with Salvation Army leaders.

In his role, he has to keep up on world events, especially the natural disasters, political strife and terrorism that directly affect Salvation Army officers and congregations. It’s not just that the Army is ready to roll in with emergency assistance when

The first Newfoundlander elected to serve as General of The Salvation Army was Clarence Wiseman.

Born in Moreton’s Harbour and raised in Ontario, Wiseman was the 10th General, serving from 1974 to 1977. He wrote two books about his life and the Army, and he was made an officer in the Order of Canada for his work with The Salvation Army at home and abroad. He died in Scarborough, ON, on May 4, 1985, at the age of 77.

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Commissioner Peddle takes a selfie with some young people he met during a trip to Macau, China. tragedy strikes, but their own people are also caught in the crossfire.

“I’m very much aware of the volcano that’s erupting right now in Latin America North. We have people there. I know about what’s going on in Congo-Brazzaville and the longstanding civil war because every second week our people have to move. We have to abandon our corps buildings until things settle down. I know how vulnerable we are in Pakistan whenever a bomb goes off in a Christian church. It’s never happened in an Army building, but we’re part of the one per cent that’s not Muslim,” he says. “When you’re already covering 128 countries, the odds are that in the morning when you check the news, the comments are about somewhere where we have people serving, and at this point, I know many of them. These are my people. I’ve asked them to go there and serve.” www.downhomelife.com

The Peddles were in London when terrorists used vehicles and knives to attack pedestrians on the London Bridge on June 3, 2017. It was very close to home for them. “We walk across London Bridge every morning and every afternoon, so you’re not unaware [of the dangers],” the General says. “This morning, Rosalie and I stopped outside the flower memorial left over from Sunday [marking the first anniversary]. You got to be aware of how vulnerable and how volatile the world is in which we live. That’s in our city. This is our home right now.”

When Downhome first spoke with Peddle, in 2013, he was the Territorial Commander for Canada and Bermuda, and living in Toronto, Ontario. Homelessness, particularly in a wealthy country like Canada, was a problem that he was passionate about tackling. “To do nothing would be to give up, and I don’t think humanity is a lost cause,” he’d said at August 2018

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the time. Now as General over the international Salvation Army, he says homelessness is still a cause that concerns him, but there are many issues troubling humanity that deserve the Army’s attention, including human trafficking, domestic violence and gender equity. The General takes the progressive view that addressing gender equity could positively affect those impacted by human trafficking and domestic violence, and The Salvation Army is well positioned to be leaders in this movement.

“The Salvation Army has ordained its men and women for all of our existence, 152 years. Rosalie is an ordained Salvation Army officer equal to me,” Peddle points out. That said, he clarifies that even within his organization where women hold high positions alongside men, the Army could still do more. “Within The Salvation Army it’s a concern that we have because I think we have the framework, but we don’t have the evidence that we’ve done super well at that.”

And when they go out into the world, in some of the countries where the Army operates, equity is a delicate subject. “I don’t want to name places in the world, but when we go there to visit we see the evidence of the marginalization of women, and certainly the whole issue of male dominance,” Peddle says. In addition, he reminds us that neither the victims nor the perpetrators can be defined by gender. “Domestic violence and human trafficking, though it has a large component of female people affected, I’m reminded every day that domestic violence isn’t just about women any more than 56

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trafficking is just about women, or modern slavery, just about women. I have to be careful not to categorize.

So when I talk about equity and gender, that becomes the umbrella under which you can do a lot of things.”

While there are dark places in the world where The Salvation Army works to bring light, there is also much goodness and reward in the work they do. For the Peddles, the Army has taken them all over the world, and whenever and however they could, they brought their children and grandchildren along with them. “Wherever we’ve been in the world, we’ve managed to get them to us, and they’ve seen where we’ve lived,” he says. That is made much easier these days with the Internet and mobile apps like Facetime, where they can see their families as often as they want, no matter the physical distance between them.

“Our grandkids have on the wall in both their dining rooms a map of the world with a little magnetic airplane,” Peddle says. “The little gaffers know more about geography than the average kid.”

And thanks to The Salvation Army, the Peddles know more about the world firsthand than probably the average Newfoundlander. It transformed their lives, he says.

“We have a world view that’s changed. We have a big heart for a big international Army. We have the capacity to embrace peoples of different cultures. We love being translated into different languages when we move around the world. It’s absolutely incredible. I don’t know how one gets the privilege other than the privilege we’ve been given.”

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features

Changes to salmon fishing regulations in Newfoundland and Labrador this year are being applauded by conservationists and derided by anglers. Wildlife technician Todd Hollett wades into the issue for us.

EVERY SUMMER many Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians head out to our fine scheduled salmon rivers hoping to bring home the king of the game fish, the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). In the past, fishers were permitted to catch and retain six salmon per season, and anglers were permitted to catch and release fish providing they had one valid tag. However that has changed this year, and the changes have created a stir.

Earlier in 2018, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries and Land Resources implemented new regulations designed to conserve and protect declining salmon numbers.

This season, all scheduled rivers in insular Newfoundland are open to angling from

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June 15 to September 7, and Labrador region rivers from June 15 to September 15. Regulations allow the retention of one salmon on all rivers that currently allow retention up until one hour after sunset on July 30, with a midseason review deciding the management approach for the remainder of the summer. There are also limitations placed on catch and release fishing: fishers are limited to three fish per day, and a maximum of 10 fish per licence, for all rivers. In previous years, licenced anglers could retain salmon caught in nonscheduled waters, provided they had a valid retention tag; this year retention is not permitted in these areas.

These new regulations will help ensure that fishing practices are regulated and conducted in a safe, sustainable manner.

Meanwhile, resident licence fees are lower this year. In the past, resiwww.downhomelife.com

dents paid $23 plus HST and a $3 vendors fee per licence; this year residents pay $5 plus HST. Non-residents will continue to pay $80 plus a revised vendor fee of $5.

The provincial minister of Fisheries and Land Resources Gerry Byrne stated in a recent press release, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This salmon season we encourage anglers to get out and enjoy the activity they love while maintaining a strong and vigilant presence on our provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rivers. We remind anglers engaging in catch-and-release activities to use safe and sustainable practices to ensure salmon survival.â&#x20AC;?

DIFFERENT STREAMS OF THOUGHT Many salmon conservation groups are applauding the new management measures. The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has called it an August 2018

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10 Amazing Salmon Facts

Mature female salmon carry 22% of their body weight in eggs.

For every million eggs spawned, one albino fish is produced.

Salmon are one of only 87 species of fish that migrates between salt and fresh water.

Largest Atlantic salmon caught in North America weighed 25 kg (55 lbs).

Salmon will swim up to 4,000 km (2,500 miles) to feeding grounds.

Wild Atlantic salmon lose all their teeth and grow new ones when they return to freshwater from the ocean.

The scales of a salmon can specify its age, and when and how many times it migrated.

Salmon have a really strong sense of smell and use it to guide them near shore as they ascend a river.

No one is certain how salmon navigate at sea, but they may use the earth’s magnetic field.

Large salmon weighing more than 23 kg (50 lbs) can be more than 20 years old.

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effective response to significant population declines.

“DFO has taken a proactive approach to risk management for the 2018 salmon angling season,” said ASF president Bill Taylor in a public statement. “We don’t know what will transpire this year, and by limiting the recreational harvest to a single fish until a mid-season assessment, DFO has made a decision in the interest of conservation.”

Adds Steve Sutton, ASF coordinator of community outreach and engagement, “DFO’s plan strikes a balance between the need to take a cautious approach, the need to keep anglers engaged and the need to support jobs associated with the fishery in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.”

The Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland (SAEN) called it a very difficult, but necessary decision.

There are anglers who feel that the catch-and-release fishery should have been stopped completely. When interviewed, Amos Hollett, an avid fishermen for 20 plus years, stated that he had personally seen dead and dying salmon float down the river after being incorrectly released or “played-out” to exhaustion. Another angler has witnessed eels, a natural predator of fin-fish, kill and eat salmon that were injured or tired from being caught, hauled ashore and released back into the river system.

Still there are anglers who express support for catch-and-release, stating that they believe the salmon can easily handle proper catch-andrelease fishing. Some go so far as to say that catch-and-release is the only 1-888-588-6353

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In addition to lowering the number of salmon that may be retained, there are also limitations on catch and release fishing this year: three salmon per day and a maximum of 10 per licence for all rivers. Todd Hollett photo

hope for the future.

I personally have mixed feelings for catch and release. I agree that the practice does indeed keep anglers on the rivers, which helps prevent poaching; however, I have seen salmon released by anglers that have died in the river due to mishandling, poor catch-and-release practices and salmon being driven to exhaustion because of being caught, not landed quickly enough and released before they are ready.

SALMON BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY The Atlantic salmon is in the family Salmonidae. A native game fish of the northern Atlantic Ocean and rivers that flow into it, Atlantic salmon have been introduced to the north Pacific Ocean. Young salmon www.downhomelife.com

spend one to four years in their natal river before heading out to sea.

They are referred to by many different names, including bay salmon, black salmon, caplin-scull salmon, Sebago salmon, silver salmon, fiddler and outside salmon. At different points in their development they are known as parr, smolt, grilse, grilt, kelt, slink and spring salmon. Individuals that call freshwater systems their permanent home are called landlocked salmon or ouananiche.

They are the largest fish of the genus Salmo, with adults averaging 71-76 cm (28-30 in) in length and 3.6-5.4 kg (7.9-11.9 lbs) in weight.

They can be much larger if they spend four or more winters foraging at sea. The record weight is from an individual netted in Scotland in 1960, weighing 49.44 kg (109 lbs).

The longest on record was caught in August 2018

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Norway in 1925 and measured 160.65 cm (63.25 in).

The colouration of young fish does not match the adults. While living in freshwater systems, they have blue and red spots on a silvery background. When they are large enough (15 cm or 5.9 in) the parr smoltify, changing from stream-adapted camouflage to sea adapted with shiny sides. At maturity, they develop a silver-blue sheen. When reproducing, the males take on a slight green or red colouration. The fins, except the adipose fin, are bordered in black.

Juvenile salmon eat tiny invertebrates including caddisflies, blackflies, mayflies and stoneflies, eating small fish as they mature. Adults are more aggressive feeders, taking Arctic squid, sand eels, amphipods, Arctic shrimp and sometimes herring.

Salmon are anadromous fish: they undergo their greatest feeding and growth in saltwater, but return to spawn in native streams and rivers where the eggs hatch and juveniles grow through distinct developmental stages. Landlocked salmon carry out all life processes in freshwater systems.

The first phase of development is known as alevin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; newly hatched salmon that stay in their breeding ground and use the remaining nutrients in their yolk sacs. The next phase is the fry, where they grow and go out in search of food. The final stage is parr, when they prepare to head downstream to the ocean. During these times they are susceptible to predation, with nearly 40 per cent of the young salmon being eaten by trout alone.

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happens between March and June, when they are faced with a barrage of predators from humans to seals, birds, sharks, skate, cod and halibut.

Dolphins have also been observed playing with dead salmon; however, it is unclear if they consume them.

Once large enough, they change into the grilse phase and prepare to return to the same freshwater tributary they left as smolt.

DECLINE IN RETURNS Geoff Veinott, a DFO research scientist, states, “As scientists, we are deeply concerned. We’ve never seen anything like this. [First] 2016 was a low year [and] we sort of thought maybe that was it, that was the bottom. Then 2017 turned around and it was worse.”

In 2017, 19 salmon rivers were monitored in this province. Eighty per cent of those rivers showed a decline of more than 30 per cent compared to average populations of the last five or six years. Veinott says researchers haven’t seen this steep of a decline since 1992, when a commercial salmon moratorium was introduced. “Declines of this magnitude are highly unusual, especially over such a wide geographic range; and again, this is the second year in a row this has happened.”

It is not completely clear why Atlantic salmon populations have experienced such a drastic decline.

Veinott says that only five out of every 100 smolts return after migrating to the ocean. “That’s where the loss is taking place: the juveniles going out are not returning. So www.downhomelife.com

mortality at sea is where we are losing our fish.” It appears that there are healthy numbers of juvenile salmon leaving the rivers, but fewer are returning each year.

Heavy ice off the coast of the province last year could have possibly played a role in the declines.

“When we have heavy ice, we tend to get later returns,” he says, adding, “When salmon are late, that’s usually not a good sign.”

Open-net pen salmon farming and aquaculture can also pose a risk.

There is evidence that escapees are mating with wild fish in southern Newfoundland and producing offspring. The longterm effects of interbreeding include a loss of genetic diversity, potential for genetically altered native populations, reduced local adaptation and negatively affected population viability and character.

The loss of a large number of smolts to predation when leaving the rivers should also be taken into consideration. Recent reductions in capelin stocks may have significantly increased pressure on young salmon as many predators, including whales, seabirds and seals, may be turning to the smolts as replacement prey.

A spokesperson for the ASF, Neville Crabbe, says that salmon are an indicator species of overall environmental health, and declines tell us a lot about climate change, ocean acidification and changing food webs.

Meanwhile, Veinott warns, “We keep hitting lower and lower bottoms. So we may see a recovery in 2018, but the longterm outlook seems to be in a declining direction.”

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features

sureSHOTS Featuring photographer Mark Gray

The 2018 iceberg season in Newfoundland and Labrador kicked into high gear when a magnificent berg was spotted off the Bonavista Peninsula this spring. Once people began posting their photos of it on social media, the news went viral and people started flocking to Upper Amherst Cove for a firsthand look and their own souvenir photo.

One of the locals to get an iconic shot of it was Mark Gray, a music teacher at Matthew Elementary in Bonavista. His unique capture of a wave splashing through the hole in the iceberg (see photo on page 66), was used by news outlets around the world, including the Toronto Star, Fox News and BBC London, and led to him being interviewed by BBC radio. “It was a great interview, and I was very proud to promote our Bonavista Peninsula area and our province!” Mark says.

Mark, who has mastered many instruments, has only been working with a camera for a few years. His photography hobby has a humble, but common, origin: playing around with a cellphone camera. “I started sharing some of my pics on social media and people really encouraged me to keep snapping,” he says. “The more I went out around Bonavista, Trinity and Elliston taking photos, the more I realized the absolute gorgeous beauty that surrounded us 64

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here on the Bonavista Peninsula!”

Two years ago, his wife surprised him at Christmas with a Canon SX720. “I was tickled!” Mark says, especially when he realized it had built-in Wi-Fi, allowing him to send his photos to his phone and post them to social media right away. He has an audience of followers, topping 10,000 on Instagram, that looks forward to Mark’s posts of Newfoundland and Labrador scenery.

His wife was not too pleased, however, when she saw his posts of some particularly tricky shots. One day Mark decided to go down in the Dungeon, a landmark sea arch in Bonavista. “It’s an amazing geological structure. Most people stand up on top, behind the safety fence, and take their pics,” he says. But to get the shots he wanted, he took a risk that he likely wouldn’t recommend to his students or to anyone else. “I managed to crawl down carefully, but it was a challenge – even more so to get back up. But I was determined!”

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Mark describes the Bonavista Peninsula as a “paradise for photographers.”

He says, “I love taking photos of our rugged landscape, the puffins that return every summer, the icebergs that drift by our coastline, our beautifully restored heritage homes and all the beauty that surrounds Cape Bonavista.”

And if you’re one of his many social media followers, you know the beauty of which he speaks.

Are you an amateur photographer with a great portfolio?

Would you like to be featured in an edition of Sure Shots?

Tell us a bit about yourself and send us a few sample photos by emailing editorial@downhomelife.com (subject: sure shots). www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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August 2018

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explore

what’s on the

Go

St. John’s, NL

St. John’s, NL

August 1

August 3-5

Whether you try your luck on the lake or around the lake, be a part of history as the Royal St. John’s Regatta celebrates its 200th anniversary this year at Quidi Vidi.

Special anniversary events leading up to Regatta Day include a rower’s reunion, public viewings of the Royal St. John’s Regatta Museum and more. (If the holiday is cancelled due to inclement weather, it will be held the very next fine day. Tune in to local morning radio for updates.)

Be mesmerized by jugglers, acrobats, magicians and more awe-inspiring performers during the Downtown St. John’s Busker Festival. Performances take place noon to 10 p.m. daily at three locations: Water Street at Solomon’s Lane, the rear deck of 235 Water Street, and Harbourside Park.

Lewisporte, NL August 8-13 Alan Doyle & The Beautiful Band headlines the 32nd annual Lewisporte Mussel Bed Soiree Concert in the Park (Aug. 11).

Plus, hear from Canadian rock legend Sass Jordan and NL’s own Shanneyganock, Mitchell Hunt and Adam Baxter. Filling out the week are festival favourites including the Story Time Trail, Family Fun Day, Comedy Night, Boat Parade of Lights etc.

St. John’s, NL August 3-5 The 42nd annual Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival is bringing some class acts to Bannerman Park. Performers include: Bud Davidge, The Ennis Sisters, Masterless Men, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, Fred Penner, Anita Best and Sandy Morris, Fortunate Ones, The Once, Colleen Power, The Secrets, Sons of Erin and many, many more.

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Eastport, NL

Woody Point, NL

August 9-12

August 14-19

A full slate of talented writers are set to attend this year’s Winterset in Summer Literary Festival. Hear from a long list of illustrious authors, including Bridget Canning, Joel Thomas Hynes, Robert Chafe, Wayne Johnston, Sharon Bala, Madeleine Thien etc. Beyond the literary, festivalgoers will also have a chance to participate in an instant choir, geological walks and indulge in a delicious fish supper.

Bookworms, rejoice! Lisa Moore, Alan Doyle, David Chariandy, Elizabeth Hay, Sharon Bala, Elisabeth de Mariaffi and many others are slated to appear at this year’s edition of Writers at Woody Point. Plus, hear music from Anita Best and Sandy Morris, Rum Ragged, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Earle and Coffin, The Burning Hell etc.

Various Locations, NL Brigus, NL

August 19-24

August 9-12 The 31st annual Brigus Blueberry Festival offers fun for all. Enjoy a night of music and Screech-Ins (Aug. 9); take in a kitchen party followed by an outdoor dance (Aug. 10); watch – or join – the hilarious “Missed” Blueberry Pageant (male contestants only) and the pie-eating contest (Aug. 11); and enjoy the folk festival, raffles, craft stalls etc. on the festival grounds on Saturday and Sunday.

NL-born singer Tonia Cianciulli pays homage to renowned Twillingate opera singer, Georgina Stirling (aka Marie Toulinguet) during a series of concerts. The free shows take place in historic churches once graced by Georgina herself: Gower Street United Church, St. John’s (Aug. 19); St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Trinity (Aug. 21); and St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Twillingate (Aug. 24).

Fogo Island, NL

Burlington, NL

August 10-12 Beloved local bands Masterless Men and Rum Ragged (below) will be on Fogo Island to ring in the 35th annual Brimstone Head Folk Festival. The outdoor music celebration takes place at the base of Brimstone Head, considered by the Flat Earth Society to be one of the four corners of the earth.

www.downhomelife.com

August 23-25 There will be plenty of fire, food and music at this year’s edition of The Gathering. Laugh till it hurts during Shaun Majumder & Friends Comedy Night (Aug. 23). Plus enjoy a Jiggs’ dinner supper, Shed Crawl, and Chef Hikes featuring Chef Jonathan Gushue of Fogo Island Inn and chefs Charles Part and Jennifer Warren-Part of Ottawa’s Les Fougeres. This year’s stellar musical line-up includes country music great George Canyon, plus The Once, Chris Kirby, Sherman Downey, Rachel Cousins and many others.

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explore

Royal St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regatta Museum

How they evolved over 200 years to modernize and, at the same time, preserve tradition

BY TOBIAS ROMANIUK

Tobias Romaniuk photo

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Feet strapped in,

oars ready, the teams of six rowers plus coxswain wait for the starting gun at the Royal St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regatta. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a scene that, with a few interruptions for war and whatnot, has played out for the past 200 years.

For more than half that time, the race has looked remarkably similar to the way it does today, with sixrower teams in long, narrow boats reserved exclusively for Regatta practice, training and racing. www.downhomelife.com

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Tracing the Evolution of the Regatta Boats 1818-1843

Regatta race boats are the working boats of the day (gigs, jolly rigs, whaleboats etc.)

1830s-1840s Local Sam

Loveys builds boats for the St. John’s Regatta – but organizers are ordering boats from Halifax in an attempt to win the races. Loveys aims to design a boat that will best the Halifax-built boats, including the 36-foot Lucy Long, a model meant purely for racing.

1877

Fishermen from Placentia build a boat in their hometown, then walk to St. John’s with it on their shoulders. They win their race and walk back home, leaving the boat behind. (The story has grown to legend since then, and some versions have the men riding a cart or boat part of the way. Regardless of exactly how it went down, it was a remarkable feat.)

1881

Regatta racing boats continue to get bigger. The Dora is built, measuring 40 feet long and weighing 800 pounds.

Royal St. John’s Regatta Museum photo

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The boats used today, handmade from wood and coated in fibreglass and epoxy, are based on a design from the early 1900s. But there was a time before that when the boats looked quite different from the modern shells, and even from each other.

At Work & Play The 19th century was the waning of the golden age of sailing, and shipping was an important part of the St. John’s economy. This was before engines propelled boats – the first transatlantic steamship crossing happened after the first Regatta – so rowing was how sailors got to and from their ships, how they brought in fish, how they caught whales, and how people living in outports travelled their harbours. Rowing was part of daily life for the working sailor. And, like you would, the sailors wanted to know who was the fastest rower. So they raced, using whatever boat they had.

The Regatta grew out of this workrelated competition, explains Regatta board of directors president Chris Neary during a recent chat in the Regatta boathouse office. The boats were the working boats of the day – punts, jolly rigs, gigs, whaleboats and even sailboats.

“They were all working at this day in and day out. Anyone else at the time was like, ‘Who’s the best at it?

Let’s go prove it. Let’s go down to the harbour, let’s go to Quidi Vidi Lake, let’s take these boats that we use every single day and let’s see who’s the best, the fastest at doing it,’” says Chris.

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these work boats. In those days, the race was as much about the boat and its builder as it was the crew – perhaps even more so. The recorded history of the Regatta, available on the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries (NLPL) website, tells of a rivalry between Halifax and Newfoundland builders. It leaves the impression that building a winning Regatta boat was a matter of Newfoundland national pride as much as it was about winning races.

In the 1830s, boatbuilder Samuel Loveys was making boats for the Regatta, but they tended to be working boats. Race organizers at the time were ordering boats from Halifax in an attempt to win races. This didn’t sit well with Loveys, who took it upon himself to build a boat that would best the Halifax boats on the waters of Quidi Vidi Lake. (The Regatta started as a St. John’s harbour race, but by this time it had relocated to Quidi Vidi Lake.)

Loveys based his new racing boat on the whaleboat, a double-ended design that generally held a crew of five rowers and a helmsman. Whaleboats were designed to be fast to keep up with whales. He named his boat the Ripple, and it was indeed a quick rower. But by 1843, the Halifax-built Lalla Rookh – a modified whaleboat design – was proving to be the better boat, with the Ripple placing second in every race against the Lalla Rookh that year.

Loveys again took the challenge to his workshop, where he designed a longer, narrower boat intended purely for racing. He called his 36-footlong craft the Lucy Long. “This changed the style of boats used in our www.downhomelife.com

Royal St. John’s Regatta Museum photo

1895 Locals Bob Sexton (above

left) and H.H. Rendell design and build the 49-foot Glance, based on racing boats in England. It wins 13 of the 14 races it enters. The Regatta Committee requests they not enter the boat again, fearing loss of interest among spectators.

The following year they remake builder Phil Mahoney’s boat, Iris, and again win the majority of races.

1901

Rendell and Sexton design and build the 50-foot Blue Peter.

The boat is used to set a course record of 9:13 that would stand for 80 years.

1944 Sexton dies without

passing on his knowledge to another builder.

1948-1967

The Regatta Committee looks far and wide for the perfect racing shell. But boats ordered from as far away as B.C. and the U.K. don’t live up to Sexton’s Blue Peter.

1991, 1994

The Regatta Committee orders boats from Hudson Boat Works in Ontario.

Built from plans for the 1901 boat Blue Peter, these wooden racing shells are still in use today.

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These Regatta boats in the boathouse at Quidi Vidi Lake are ready to launch on their big day. Tobias Romaniuk photo derby day forever,” states the NLPL’s Regatta history. “By the conclusion of the two-day event, Sam Loveys’ Lucy Long emerged as the fastest boat ever seen on the pond. It became the model which both local and Halifax builders tried to emulate thereafter.”

For the next 50 years, the boats would follow Loveys’ design.

Then everything changed again, thanks to H.H. Rendell, who borrowed the ideas of English racing boats and, partnering with boat builder Bob Sexton, produced the Glance, a 49-foot boat that ushered in the modern era of racing shells in the Regatta. In 1895, it won 13 out of the 14 races it entered, proving its superior design.

Further proof of their boatbuilding mastery, the duo next produced the Blue Peter.

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The Blue Peter changed everything.

Again. It was longer, at 50 feet plus a few inches, and it was faster than any boat yet seen on the lake. In 1901, the Blue Peter was used by the Outer Cove team to set a race record of 9 minutes 13 seconds. For the next 80 years, there was not another boat built, nor another team assembled, that could beat the time.

Building on History While the boats of today look the same as those rowed in 1901, the boats’ evolution continued. After Sexton died in the 1940s, the Regatta Committee looked elsewhere for boats. Although they were all of a similar low, long racing shell design, the boats immediately following Sexton’s were slower. The Regatta Committee ordered boats from various builders through the years whenever 1-888-588-6353

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The Royal St. John’ s Regatta racing shells have fixed seats (unable to slide) – a feature that was new to the Ontario company tasked with building them in the 1990s. Tobias Romaniuk photo they needed to restock their fleet.

In the 1980s, the committee was once again looking to replenish their stock. One of its members, Terry Lindstrom, was a rower at the time and employed by the National Research Council. He was also interested in boats and woodworking.

Now retired, Terry vividly recalls those days.

There was, he recounts over the phone from his current home in Ottawa, a search for someone local to build wooden racing shells, but they couldn’t find anyone. The discussion turned to replicating an existing boat, and they settled on the Blue Peter, believing it to be the best racing shell ever produced. The 1901 boat, it so happened, was hung up in the rafters of the CLB Armoury.

Terry brought it to his lab at work, where he built a jig for it and lifted www.downhomelife.com

the lines off the boat by hand. (Lifting lines involves carefully measuring an existing boat at various points and recording those numbers in preparation for making plans from which another boat can be built.)

With a lines plan of the Blue Peter, the Regatta Committee then searched out a capable builder. Hudson Boat Works of London, Ontario, was eventually chosen. The company was already building winning wooden racing shells for Olympic teams.

Today, they continue to make some of the world’s best racing shells for Olympic competition.

Jack Coughlan, head of research and development at Hudson Boat Works, remembers working on the project, saying, “They wanted a boat that would last.” The Blue Peter, he says, was a good shape. The replicas were made in ’91 and ’94, and August 2018

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although they could have built a lighter boat, the Regatta Committee wanted the new boats to be as close to the original Blue Peter as possible in all aspects, including weight.

Jack hired boat designer and builder Skip Izon, of Shadow River Boats, to oversee the build. The boat, they decided, would be built using thin sheets of wood (veneers) glued together with epoxy and covered in more epoxy and fibreglass fabric. The result looks like plywood, but isn’t.

Skip, speaking on the phone from his workshop in Ontario, explains how the boats were built. First, he built a mould for the boats using the plans that Terry had drawn up. He remembers being impressed by the boat he saw in the plans. It was unlike boats he had seen before, he says, and the only racing shell he had seen with fixed seats.

Using that mould, he laid four layers of mahogany veneer, offsetting the grain direction of each layer to maximize the hull’s strength. The 78

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shell was then sheathed in 10-ounce fibreglass fabric and epoxy. It’s a bit heavier than necessary, but knowing they had to hit a certain weight, Skip figured it made sense to have all the weight contributing to the strength of the boat. In keeping with the Regatta’s focus on tradition, the finished product was the same length, size and weight as the original.

But there is more than just adherence to tradition at work here – the Blue Peter was, as Skip says, an impressive boat. At 50 feet, and made for a six-person rowing crew, it was a near-perfect match of length to potential speed.

The top speed of any displacement hull – sailboats, canoes, punts and racing shells, among others – can be calculated with a formula that includes the waterline of the boat.

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The modern shells that now race on Quidi Vidi Lake are replicas of the boat that was used to set the 9:13 record way back in 1901.

Courtesy stjohnsregatta.ca

right. “Whoever figured it out got it close,” says Skip, complimenting the skills of Sexton and reinforcing the wisdom of selecting the Blue Peter of all the boats to replicate.

Once built, the boats were delivered to St. John’s, where Terry put them in the testing tank to compare the results to similar tests done with the original Blue Peter. They were incredibly close, says Terry.

In testing, where they were towed by a controlled machine in calm water and ideal lab conditions, the replica boats had the same drag as the original Blue Peter, and the committee had verifiable, scientific proof that these boats were similar to each other and the Blue Peter. In theory, each of the boats that Hudson Boat Works built (12 in all) was exactly the same as the original Blue Peter, but there are small differences, given that each boat was made by hand, as opposed to being made by robots and popped out of a mould in a factory.

Out on the water, 20-some years after they were built, each boat has www.downhomelife.com

idiosyncrasies that an experienced rower can identify, says Chris Neary, back in the office of the Regatta boathouse. But, practically speaking, these boats are the same as the ones rowed back in the early 1900s.

From the early work boats to the work of Samuel Loveys to Bob Sexton and H.H. Rendell, to Hudson Boat Works and Skip Izon, Regatta boats evolved to become, first, the ideal shape for racing; then the ideal length for six rowers; and, finally, an evolution in materials that made a classic design into something durable. The result is a combination that allows that original record of 9:13, set in the original Blue Peter, to still mean something today.

“In theory,” says Chris, “you’re rowing in a boat very similar to what your grandfather rowed in or what that 1901 team did. Even today, if a team comes down and breaks that 9:13, it’s still significant because it’s such a milestone. Even 100 years later, it’s still a note of pride and accomplishment to break the 9:13.”

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Support your favourite charity.

Many not-for-profit groups set up booths along the shore for one of their biggest fundraising events of the year.

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Enjoy the dogs.

Lots of pets take in the Regatta with their families, and you’ll get to see (and probably pet!) all kinds of furry friendlies. Or bring your own dog to the lake or nearby dog park to make new friends.

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Happy reunions.

The festivities bring in people from all over town, around the province and beyond, so it’s a great opportunity for a chance encounter with an old friend you haven’t seen in years!

Bouncy castles.

Really, there aren’t many occasions in St. John’s that include so many bouncy castles in one place.

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tta.ca Courtesy stjohnsrega

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Regatta Roulette.

You stay out late, you take your chances. Tuesday night is often the big party night, as townies hope the Regatta holiday goes ahead on Wednesday. Otherwise, they’ll have to suffer through the workday with a hangover (but the fun the night before could make it worth it!).

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The sales!

While the Regatta is a St. John’s municipal holiday, in neighbouring communities it’s business as usual and often there are “Regatta Day sales” for those who would choose to celebrate the day with some shopping.

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Eat your way around the pond.

Just thinking about all the food vendors and concession stands in one place can make the mouth water. From fries to cotton candy to pizza, and international cuisine to gourmet snacks – there’s a treat for every taste.

Be a part of history.

This year especially, as it is the 200th running of the Royal St. John’s Regatta, it would be cool to say you were there. To really steep yourself in the history, visit the Regatta Museum in the boathouse.

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Take advantage of public transit discounts.

On Regatta Day only, Metrobus offers $1 rides to Quidi Vidi Lake from all over the city.

Enjoy the day your way.

If you’re a St. John’s resident with a sunny day off, enjoy it on your patio with a BBQ, some beverages and a few of your buddies.

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the town of New Perlican is welcoming back old friends for its first Come Home Year in more than two decades. The festivities have been two years in the making, explains Eileen Matthews, Chairperson of the Heritage New Perlican Committee and a member of the Come Home Year Committee.

“It’s something that has been mentioned to a lot of us over the past, probably, four or five years. So it was time to do another one, because a lot of people were looking for another one,” Eileen says.

They formed a committee and started making preparations in 2016.

They’ve been busy ever since with fundraising, planning events and activities, and getting the word out to former residents, wherever they may be. Since registration opened in March, more than 300 people from across Canada and the United States have signed up to be home for the festivities.

Sheldon Tuck photo

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“That’s what everybody’s looking forward to, is getting home the same time. I mean many of these people that are registered, maybe half of them, I suppose, come home occasionally,” she says. “But they’re not all home at the same time. So this gives them the opportunity to be reacquainted with each other because they probably haven’t seen each other since high school. We have people coming in their 80s, so they probably haven’t seen each other in a long, long time.”

What’s Happening It all kicks off August 4, with events running until August 12. On day one there’s a Meet and Greet, with wine and cheese being served to welcome visitors. On August 6, folks will get the opportunity to celebrate the town’s proud past; the committee is in the process of acquiring a small building to house a special historic display on that day. (For a town called “New” Perlican, its history goes way back. One of the oldest communities on the island, it’s mentioned in records as far back as the early 1600s.)

Dances taking place on the 4th and 11th will give folks a chance to kick up their heels and let loose. The band Bic and the Ballpoints take the stage on the 11th.

Anyone with a competitive spirit will want to take part in the scavenger hunt and the cod derby, both taking place on the 11th, starting at 8 a.m. At a past cod derby held in the town, Eileen recalls the winning fish weighed an incredible 22 pounds!

Who will catch king cod and win a prize this year?

On Sunday, the grand finale will be a grand sight for all as a flotilla of decorated boats fills the scenic harbour. This spectacular scene has taken place in New Perlican in previous years, and people always love to watch, says Eileen, adding there will be a prize awarded for the best looking vessel. Following this, there will be a closing ceremony – a chance to say heartfelt goodbyes as people prepare to go their separate ways, until they meet again.

Visit “New Perlican Come Home Year 2018” on Facebook for a complete schedule of events.

Sheldon Tuck photo

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Time is running out to get in on our most popular reader contest and try to woo the judges into choosing your photo for the 2019 Downhome Calendar. These calendars are seen by tens of thousands of subscribers and displayed all year long.

Submit today, using one of these ways by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane, St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, NL, A1E 3H3

online:

www.downhomelife.com/calendar Deadline: August 31, 2018 Must be original photos or high quality copies.

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a selfaddressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.

Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, file sizes of about 1MB

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As artists

from around the globe prepare to descend upon Botwood, chaos ensues in the small town. On the shores of a lake, a skirmish arises as a Beothuk woman is violently ripped from the arms of her husband; meanwhile, just down the road, police ready themselves to seize an enemy ship upon the outbreak of war. The shocking scenes are rife with emotion. They appear almost alive, but of course they’re not.

The decimation of the Beothuk people and the Second World War capture of a German freighter in Botwood Harbour are events in the longago past. But thanks to the Botwood Mural Arts Society, these pages from our history – and several others – are presented in living colour all over the

small town. A spotlight will shine on the massive works of art next month as Botwood hosts the 11th Global Mural Conference (September 1215), a biennial event that’s expected to draw artists and art aficionados from as far away as China, Argentina and all over Europe. Sitting on the

The local supermarket occupies the site of Botwood’s former Cottage Hospital, and was a fitting canvas for the town's very first mural. Painted by artist Charlie Johnston of Manitoba, it pays homage to heroes of local medicine. Courtesy Don Wells www.downhomelife.com

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Above: Entitled “Clash of Cultures”, this mural by artist Craig Goudie tells the tragic story of the Beothuk. Right: Craig poses beside one small part of a mural he painted in 2015 in honour of war veterans.

Courtesy Craig Goudie

shores of the Bay of Exploits, the Central Newfoundland town (pop.

2,700) beat out Singapore for the honour of hosting.

“All of these people are looking forward to coming to Botwood, and why not? I mean, the culture here,” boasts Mike Shainline, president of the Botwood Mural Arts Society. Originally from Ontario, Mike moved to Botwood in 2006 and says he was immediately taken with the town and its people, history and culture. He helped start the mural movement in Botwood back in 2010.

“I recognized the diverse history that existed here, and I felt that murals were a good way to, shall we say, reflect that history. You can do it with a museum, and very often that’s the way it’s done – you gather up 88

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historical items from your community and put them into a museum and invite people in to have a look,” says Mike. “But with a mural…it’s there staring you in the face, telling you the history of the community.”

During the conference, delegates will be taken on a tour of the town’s murals – eight in total, with more on the way. Strategically placed, each one pays homage to some aspect of local history or culture. On walls 1-888-588-6353

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flanking the entrance to Botwood’s Memorial Grounds, for instance, two murals honour military history. The post office sports a striking image commemorating the town’s role in the birth of Newfoundland airmail.

And wrapping around the library, a whimsical image celebrates local writers. (To view all the murals and a map of their locations, visit www.botwoodmuralarts.ca.)

of telling some of our province’s most important stories through art. To do them justice, he begins with meticulous research. And while the big picture is always breathtaking, even the minute details hold great meaning.

At first glance, the blue moccasins that appear in Craig’s homage to the Beothuk may appear insignificant.

But they represent the 16 pairs – one for each member of the family group

Artist Craig Goudie puts some finishing touches on his 2015 mural honouring Botwood’s military history. It is located at the entrance to the town’s Memorial Grounds. Courtesy Craig Goudie

The Big Picture Grand Falls-Windsor artist and president of the Central Newfoundland Visual Arts Society, Craig Goudie, is the creative mind behind half of the town’s masterpieces.

“It does look daunting your first day on the job, looking at a great big white wall,” Craig admits with a chuckle. Despite the challenges of painting on such a large scale in the great outdoors (Craig’s spent many a day atop a scaffold working in the wind), he’s treasured the experience www.downhomelife.com

Demasduit was ruthlessly snatched from – that she secretly handcrafted from blue fabric she found while being held captive.

“I’m hoping that people want to dig a little deeper,” says Craig. “If they don’t dig a little deeper, well they get the visual presentation, but when you look deeper you get more of the story – and there’s so much to that story.”

Craig’s often found himself sharing what he’s learned with folks who stop to watch his works in progress: locals who come bearing gifts of food and August 2018

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Gracing the town's post office is a mural, painted by artist Charlie Johnston, which commemmorates Botwood's role in Newfoundland's first airmail Courtesy Don Wells drink (and encouragement), and tourists from around the world who are equally enamoured with the unfolding works of art.

“Other than Antarctica, I can’t find a continent that I didn’t meet people from,” says Craig. “A lot of them would say, ‘Well, I’m going to go across the island…and then I’m going to come back again and see how far you got with this.’”

Craig will be sharing some of these experiences at next month’s conference as one of the scheduled presenters. “One of the things I’m going to be speaking to people about at the conference is…the place of art in communities – in particular, small, rural communities – and the role that it can play, the importance that it can play. Not to be punny about it, but it definitely adds colour to a community,” says Craig.

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And there’s going to be a lot more colour in Botwood very soon. Ahead of the conference, work will begin on at least two more murals. Buildings getting a makeover this summer include the Exploits Hostel and the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, with artists travelling from abroad to complete those works.

Mike hints that yet another work of art – subject to funding – is tentatively slated for the town’s paper shed. If the project comes to fruition, it will be the town’s largest mural at 137 metres long and more than five metres tall. “It might be the largest in Atlantic Canada,” beams Mike.

Besides viewing the impressive works of art, conference-goers are in for a slew of events. In addition to presentations by local and international artists and experts, delegates will be treated to a slice of local 1-888-588-6353

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Called “The 2 Rs”, this mural by artist Craig Goudie celebrates readers and writers. More than 90 local authors are honoured in this piece, which appropriately appears on the town’s library.

Courtesy Craig Goudie

culture, including homegrown entertainment, traditional food and a Newfoundland kitchen party. “We’re going out to Leading Tickles with a bus load of people to show them what an outport really looks like,” says Mike. “That’s what they want; they want an experience.”

Mike says the community is really pulling together to make it all happen, with church groups preparing all the meals for the conference, for instance, and the local Women’s Institute hastily handcrafting more than 70 tote bags for delegates. And it’s all for the love of community and the love of art. “If you go back in history to the caveman era, what would you find on the walls of the cave? It’s been important to mankind since day one,” says Mike. Looking ahead, it seems that as long as there is a blank wall in Botwood, there will be a www.downhomelife.com

mural to bring it to life, another story to be told through art.

“I know they have a long list of potential murals,” says Craig. “So the mural conference coming here, I’m hoping it’s going to be a good thing to support that.” He’s proud of the work he’s done in Botwood so far and would be honoured to illustrate more of the province’s stories there, should the opportunity arise.

While Mike’s pleased that the mural project has taken off, what thrills him most is that Botwood’s found a unique niche in the tourism market.

“I would suggest that other communities in rural Newfoundland find what their community is about and celebrate it. We need each town to identify itself and be proud of itself,” says Mike. “You don’t have to be from a big town to have big ideas.

Small towns can have big ideas.”

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Sandy Pond, Terra Nova National Park Parks Canada/D. Saunders

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HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, people could turn their faces to the night sky and marvel at a clear view of the stars, and pinpoint the constellations in the Milky Way. Today those sights are often obstructed by light pollution from sprawling cities. However, there is a movement to recapture the darkness by creating areas where artificial light is carefully restricted. Dark Sky Preserves have been gaining traction in recent decades, giving people a chance to see what the night sky might have looked like before the advent of electricity.

Milky Way over Malady Head Cook Shelter Parks Canada/D. Saunders

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Night Photography Tips Distance yourself from artificial light Use a tripod to steady your camera Set your camera to Manual Mode Set aperture to lowest setting Slow the shutter speed (start with 10 seconds and adjust accordingly) Increase ISO (start with 1600 and adjust accordingly) Parks Canada/D. Saunders.

And when people go camping, they don’t want to feel like they’re in the middle of the city. Those folks will be excited to learn that Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador officially received its Dark Sky Preserve designation in February 2018 from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Simply put, “It’s an area where we’ve established protective measures or plan to reduce artificial light pollution to increase people’s ability to enjoy the night sky, to try to reduce energy consumption, and to try to create both ecological and experiential benefits for people,” explains Adie Hayes, an interpretation officer working at Terra Nova National Park.

“For Newfoundlanders, I think we can become quite used to having access to open spaces and spaces that are less densely populated, where there’s not as much light pollution,” says Adie. “This kind of program is meant to maintain that and ensure that it’s protected and doesn’t change over time. So whether it’s for campers in the park, or people who 94

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are living in local communities, or anyone in the region, anyone in the province. What we’re hoping to do is encourage them to manage light pollution around their properties and around their communities, in our parks, so that we wind up with a lower [light pollution] level as a whole.”

There are a few locations in the park that have been identified as observation sites, like Sandy Pond and the Blue Hill Lookout. Parts of the park will be accessible throughout the year so people can enjoy the preserve, even in winter.

Coexisting with Nature Dark Sky Preserves aren’t just for humans, though; they’re beneficial to animals as well. As Adie explains, “Nocturnal animals and quite a few plant species, their natural rhythms are very dependent on light. So light triggers certain things that may help them with migration patterns; it may help determine when they feed, when they prey, when they eat, reproductive cycles, all those things. So artificial light can negatively impact those 1-888-588-6353

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cycles for a lot of different species.”

For instance, the park is home to two bat species that are federally listed as endangered. They also happen to be primarily nocturnal animals, so limiting light pollution helps conservation efforts.

Dark Sky Preserves are an important part of coexisting with nature.

We want to go into these parks, but we also don’t want to negatively impact nature when we do so. “A big part of what Parks Canada does, in terms of protection and conservation, is try to find that balance with enjoyment,” she says. “So we’re always trying to maintain the ecological integrity of our parks or trying to make sure things stay as close to their natural state as they can, so we’re not negatively impacting things that are here.”

Terra Nova National Park is the country’s 20th Dark Sky Preserve; more than half of those are found in Canadian national parks. To Adie, it’s a sign that the Dark Sky Preserve program is well aligned with Parks Canada’s mandate, which is focused on conservation and environmental protection, as well as getting people out to enjoy the parks.

Terra Nova National Park’s preserve took several years to get off the ground. The process began in 2014, when the Park reached out to the St. John’s branch of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. The Park drafted a proposal to meet the society’s Dark Sky Preserve program requirements and the St. John’s branch agreed to sponsor them.

Adie expects to see more people visiting the Park for the purpose of enjoying the night sky, especially for events like meteor showers. “I think www.downhomelife.com

Upcoming Astronomical Events July 27 Total Lunar Eclipse July 27 Mars Opposition July 28-29 Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower August 11 Partial Solar Eclipse (can be seen from parts of Labrador) August 12-13 Perseids meteor shower August 17 Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation August 26 Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation September 7 Neptune at Opposition October 8 Draconids Meteor Shower October 21-22 Orionids Meteor Shower November 5-6 Taurids Meteor Shower November 17-18 Leonids Meteor Shower December 13-14 Geminids Meteor Shower December 21-22 Ursids Meteor Shower

it’s going to continue to grow in popularity. I think there’s a lot of interest around the sky, a lot of interest around how to experience it. So we’ve had great engagement so far,” she says.

“Once people come and experience it once and they see how phenomenal the skies are here, and what it’s like to experience it alongside a group like [the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada], who are so knowledgeable about what you’re seeing, they’re coming back the next year and they’re bringing their friends and family with them. So I think it’s going to be an offer that’s going to continue to grow.”

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Stars

The starfishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regenerative ability has caught the attention of the cosmetics industry. At least one fisherman in PEI has found work drawing fluid from live starfish (and then releasing them back into the ocean) for a Quebec company that is using it to make rejuvenating serums.

A 2017 health study suggested the African star apple provides protection against malaria and that in Africa, where the fruit and malaria are both common, pregnant women should add the apple to their diet.

Having malaria during pregnancy can cause anaemia in the mother and low birth weight.

Blue Star beer, made by Labatt specifically for the Newfoundland and Labrador market, has been around since 1954. It has its own facebook page with almost 2,600 followers as of Downhome press time.

The North Star (or Polaris) is actually a multiple star. In this case itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three stars (Polaris A, the biggest and brightest; Polaris Ab and Polaris B, which are dwarf stars) all sharing an orbit.

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The classic Walt Disney song “When You Wish Upon a Star” was composed for a 1940 production of Pinocchio. It’s since become synonymous with the brand. All the ship’s horns on the Disney Cruise Line play the first seven notes of that song.

Canadian icon Gordon Pinsent, born in Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, received his star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto in 2007. He’s also a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Mark Walker (1846-1924) is best known in Newfoundland and Labrador as the songwriting fisherman who wrote “Tickle Cove Pond.”

It’s also been asserted, though not proven, that he wrote “Star of Logy Bay.”

Some fans follow the Star Wars franchise religiously.

They even created Jedism, a philosophy based on the Jedi Order in the movies. And in the 2001 census, 21,000 Canadians listed their religion as Jedi Knight.

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Imagine if you could

make a living doing all the things you loved doing as a child. That’s exactly the plan Duane Collins set in motion this summer. Duane grew up catching fish, rowing wooden boats and telling tales around the campfire in scenic Hare Bay, nestled on the rugged shores of Bonavista Bay. After a dozen years on the mainland, he recently returned home to relive those treasured times with his wife, daughter – and tourists from near and far.

“We wanted our daughter, who is four, to be closer to some of her extended family…but it was more than just the family draw, to be honest. It was missing the lifestyle, missing the culture,” says Duane. “It really got to be a call of home.”

While he might be getting his feet wet with his new business, Hare Bay Adventures, Duane’s no stranger to the tourism industry, having spent the last 12 years developing and delivering interpretive programming with Parks Canada in Churchill, Manitoba. In creating tours for this new venture, he knew one thing for sure: he wanted to offer hands-on experiences that embody authentic Newfoundland and Labrador life. And there was one pivotal item he needed to accomplish that: a traditional wooden boat.

“My grandfather on my mom’s side was a master boat builder…so I grew up around the building of wooden boats. I got this idea in my head that I’d like to have a traditional wooden punt, a rowboat, and take tourists out in that and talk about

All photos courtesy of Hare Bay Adventures

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how these boats are such a big part of the culture and history of Newfoundland,” says Duane.

In May, just ahead of tourism season, the perfect vessel became available. Built by students taking a course led by the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s a 16-foot traditional wooden rowing punt. (Downhome Expo goers got an advance look at it back in April, when it was on display in the Mount Pearl Glacier.) “Up until 40 or so years ago this is what most of the inshore fishermen would have been using…I’m pretty much the last generation of Newfoundlanders that can remember harbourfuls of hand-built wooden fishing boats. I remember as a kid when the first fibreglass boats were getting into widespread use,” says Duane. “So I think it’s important to carry on those stories and pass that information on.”

He’s been doing just that this summer while ferrying guests around the coastline of his beloved hometown.

While his rowboat tours don’t necessarily focus on local wildlife, there is often plenty of it around, from the

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occasional seal to whales, dolphins and a wide variety of birds.

“You see the community from the water, and then we go around the point of the bay and the community falls away and you’re looking at a wild coastline,” says Duane, who offers rowing instructions to interested guests. During the ride, Duane hauls into a small cove for a boil-up with tea, smoked salmon, fresh rolls and blueberry jam. In season, passengers are permitted to catch (and keep) codfish using the traditional hand-line method – just as fishermen did in these parts for centuries.

For Landlubbers Duane’s guests aren’t only catching cod. He also offers land-based excursions for catching (and releasing) conners, that lowly inshore fish considered a pest by most fishermen – but prized by generations of youngsters fishing for fun. “I firmly believe that if you want to have some insight into what it was like to grow up in rural Newfoundland, standing on the edge of a wharf or on the rocks catching conners is as good a place as any to start,” says Duane. He can also arrange

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Hare Bay Adventures’ moderate three-hour hike explores the geology of the Dover Fault while taking adventurers through boreal forest and along a scenic stretch of coastline.

for out-of-province licences for guests hoping to hook freshwater trout.

For hikers with an interest in geology, Duane guides a four-kilometre (return) hike that takes in the Dover Fault – the point where continents collided more than 400 million years ago. “So you can go down to Dover and go to their visitors’ centre and their lookout and see the big picture of the fault, and then you can come with us and get to touch the rocks up close,” suggests Duane.

Looking for a more laid-back excursion? Enjoy snacks and a cuffer with Duane around a crackling campfire on the beach. And rest assured, he’s not short on stories. A direct descendant of the Collins brothers who founded Hare Bay in the 1880s, Duane knows the region and its history inside out – from the forest fire that decimated the local lumbering industry in 1961, to the resettlement program that uprooted his maternal ancestors from nearby Silver Fox Island in the 1950s.

And Duane hopes to spin these interesting yarns for guests all year long, as he has big plans to make Hare Bay Adventures a four-season operation. To that end, Duane plans www.downhomelife.com

to take guests squid jigging in his wooden punt through late October.

And he has a full slate of activities planned for winter enthusiasts, including ice fishing, snowshoeing and half-day sessions teaching winter survival skills (how to build a bough whiffen, start a campfire, set a rabbit snare etc.).

In addition to providing for his own family, Duane hopes Hare Bay Adventures helps propel the tourism industry in the region. “We want people to view coming to Central Newfoundland as a multi-night excursion, not just a stopping point going somewhere else,” says Duane.

“I think Central Newfoundland, and northern Bonavista Bay in particular, because I know it best, it has amazing resources, but it’s undeveloped.

We’re just beginning to scratch the surface of our potential.”

Industry economics aside, he’s pleased as punch knowing that his own daughter will have the same childhood experiences he so fondly remembers. “She will now be, I guess, the sixth or seventh generation of our family here in Hare Bay,” says Duane. “That certainly is a special feeling.”

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food & leisure the everyday gourmet

Regatta Food the everyday gourmet

By Andrea Maunder

Andrea Maunder, locovore, wine expert and pastry chef, is the owner and creative force behind Bacalao, a St. John's restaurant specializing in "nouvelle Newfoundland" cuisine. www.bacalaocuisine.ca

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This will be my third year as a food vendor at the Royal St. John’s Regatta. We hit on a winning menu (Fish Tacos, Beignet-style Doughnuts, Chef Maurice’s Magic Onion Rings, Rhubarb Lemonade and Hot or Iced Coffee) the first year and are sticking with it. The only change we have made each year is to prep more food – because we have sold out every year! As I was planning for our booth this year, I got to thinking about how the food at the Regatta has changed over the years.

I’m recalling the sights, sounds and smells of the Regattas of my childhood as I write. The loud speaker broadcasting race times; cheers from the crowd: “Two tickets holding up the wheel!”; tunes from the bandstand; and the aromas from food vendors – from the glorious lard-filled French fries with malt vinegar and the buttery popcorn, to that heady sweetness of cotton candy and the pièce-deresistance for me: the combination of smoky hotdog and tangy mustard. One year my family brought down a camper trailer. My grandmother, 1-888-588-6353

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great aunt, uncle and cousins joined us and we had a big Jiggs’ dinner boil-up. That year I won a giant moose plush toy. I was nine years old and noticed it at one of the crown and anchor stalls. I persisted until my square came up and I won!

Navigating back to the trailer through the crowd, with a plush toy nearly as big as I was, was a challenge I undertook with glee.

It’s remarkable how dining pondside at North America’s longest-running sporting event has evolved from picnic baskets and parasols to the multicultural smorgasbord it is today! There is everything from toutons and fish cakes, pizza and poutine, to Caribbean, African, Mexican and Indian cuisines! I hope to find a few minutes away from the Bacalao www.downhomelife.com

booth to sample some other delicious goodies and check out what is new this year.

In planning our menu, we kept it simple so that we could make everything fresh to order. We fry the cod for the Fish Tacos on site, add the fresh slaw, lime crema and homemade hot sauce to fresh flour tortillas for every order. Same goes for the onion rings – they are panko-crusted and sooo crispy. The beignet-style doughnuts are fried to order and topped with my rum caramel sauce or cinnamon sugar. If you’re planning to be at the Regatta this year, stop by our booth near the Bandstand and try our fish tacos.

Then you’ll know how they should taste when you try this recipe at home! See you pondside!

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Fish Tacos Batter: 1 cup flour 2 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup beer or club soda Lime Crema: 1 cup full-fat sour cream (14% or “restaurant style”) Grated zest and juice of one lime 1/2 tsp salt Slaw: 2 cups shredded green cabbage 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup shredded carrot 1/4 cup finely sliced red onion, or green onions or chives 4 tbsp chopped cilantro 1-2 tsp chopped fresh jalapeño, to taste 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 3-4 tbsp white wine vinegar (to taste) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 L vegetable oil for frying 2 lbs cod filet – cut into 1"x3" strips Salt and pepper to taste (for seasoning fish) 18 (6") flour tortillas Extra cilantro sprigs and lime wedges for garnish, if you like Hot sauce on the table to add as you like

Preheat oven to 250°F. Wrap flour tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm.

Prepare batter. In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk in beer or soda until combined. Set aside.

Prepare slaw. Toss vegetables together with salt and sugar, and massage with your fingers a couple of minutes (to soften the cabbage a little). Add remaining ingredients, toss together and set aside. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, sugar or vinegar to your taste.

Prepare crema: Whisk together sour cream, zest and juice, and salt.

Refrigerate. If you have a squeeze bottle, transfer to it.

In a tall saucepan or in electric deep fryer, heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Dry cod with paper towels if wet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and coat each piece in batter, then fry in batches until golden brown and floated to the top.

Remove and drain, then place on a parchment-lined tray in the warm oven as you continue to cook the rest of the fish.

To assemble, lay out the warm tortillas, fish, slaw, crema, hot sauce, cilantro and lime wedges. To each tortilla add a couple of pieces of fish, topped with slaw and a drizzle of crema. Add cilantro, hot sauce and lime juice according to taste.

Makes 18 tacos, serves 4-6 people.

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everyday recipes.ca

Pesto is the simplest Italian paste that adds zing to so many dishes, from dips to pastas, chicken to fish, and much more. You’ll want to clip and save this first recipe for a basic pesto. You’ll quickly discover it has so many uses!

Pesto 1 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled 3 pkg fresh basil (all leaves, no stem) 4 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor fitted with an S-blade, until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend once more.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

All of our recipes are brought to you by the fantastic foodies in Academy Canada’s Culinary Arts program, led by instructor Bernie-Ann Ezekiel.

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Pesto Biscuits 3 tbsp pesto 1/2 cup butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups pastry flour 1 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 tbsp dried chives 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 cup cold milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix pesto and butter together and place in the freezer.

Sift all the dry ingredients together. Add chives and cheese. Add the cold pesto butter, cutting it into the dry mixture until it is the size of green peas.

Add milk and mix together until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all just combined and equally wet. This will not be a smooth mixture. Resist the urge to mix further or it will get tough.

Either portion the biscuits with a large scoop or roll it out 3/4" thick and cut into rounds. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined pan and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden/light brown and the middle springs back to the touch.

Yield: 8 large biscuits/12 small biscuits

For printable recipe cards visit

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Pesto Cream Pasta 4 cups penne pasta, cooked 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup shallots, small dice 1 red pepper, julienne

3 tbsp pesto 1/2 cup white wine 1 cup whipping cream

Melt butter over medium high heat in a large frying pan. SautĂŠ shallots until they just start to become golden. Add red pepper and pesto. Once pepper starts to sizzle, deglaze the pan with wine. Add cream and cook until mixture is reduced by about 25%, then toss with pasta and serve immediately.

Yield: 2-4 servings

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Stuffed Chicken Breast 4 chicken breasts 1/3 cup leeks, minced 2 tbsp celery, minced 1 tbsp sundried tomato, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp pesto 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté leeks, celery and sundried tomato in oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until vegetables just start to soften. Remove pan from heat, stir in pesto and mix in Panko.

Cut a pocket in each breast, fill with the mixture and “sew” it together with a toothpick. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (20-30 minutes). Rest the chicken on a cutting board for 5 minutes, remove toothpicks and slice. Yield: 4 servings

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Pesto Mussels 2 lbs mussels, washed 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup shallots, small dice 1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 cup tomatoes, small dice 3 tbsp pesto 2 tbsp lemon juice 3/4 cup white wine

Heat butter in a large saucepan (big enough to hold the mussels) over high heat and sautĂŠ shallots in butter until they just start to change colour.

Add the parsley, tomatoes and pesto. When tomatoes start to sizzle, add the mussels, lemon juice and wine. Cover immediately. Gently shake the pot occasionally and cook until all the mussels have opened (less than 10 minutes). Pour the mussels out into a large serving dish and pour the pot contents over top. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings

For printa recipe ca ble rds visit

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Broiled Tilapia 4 tilapia fillets Extra virgin olive oil/avocado oil 2 tbsp pesto 1 tbsp tomato paste

2 2 1 1

tsp white sugar tbsp lemon juice tbsp chives, minced tsp balsamic vinegar

Mix everything except the fish and oil together, and set aside.

Heat the broiler in your oven with the top rack moved up as close to the burner as possible. Place a sheet pan on the rack so that it, too, heats up.

Brush both sides of the fish with olive/avocado oil. Once oven is heated, place the fish on the hot pan (it should sizzle) and return it to the oven for 5-7 minutes. Flip fish over and put a thin layer of the pesto mixture on the cooked side. Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes. The fish should be cooked through at this point. If not, add five minutes. But, watch it carefully so the sauce doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings

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Pumpernickel Pesto Dip Bread 1 5 6 4

round pumpernickel loaf tbsp pesto tbsp sour cream oz cream cheese (the tub is easier to mix)

1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the top off the loaf of bread and carve out the middle to create a bread bowl. Cut the trimmed bread into 2" pieces and set aside to toast.

Mix rest of ingredients together until they are fully combined. Fill the cavity in the bread with dip, place it on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. (About 10 minutes into the bake time, lay the trimmed bread pieces on the pan to toast for the remaining 10 minutes.) Serve warm with toast points, more bread or crackers. Yield: 6-8 servings For prin table recipe cards visit

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Grilled Corn with Pesto Butter 6 ears of fresh corn 2 tbsp pesto 1 cup butter

1 tbsp parsley, chopped 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp lemon juice

Mix everything except the corn together. Wrap each ear of corn in a piece of foil and place on the BBQ/grill to cook, turning it over about every five minutes, so that it cooks evenly. Once the corn starts to get some colour and char marks, unwrap it and place about a tablespoon of the pesto butter on the ear.

Wrap it back up and place it on the grill for another 5 minutes. Remove it from the foil and serve hot, with more pesto butter if desired. Yield: 6 servings

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food & leisure down to earth

Back to Gardening Basics

By Ross Traverse

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Gardening is something like cooking.

There are basic recipes that are essential for success, but there are also lots of variations to the techniques and materials used. In this column, I’ll outline some of the basic techniques and materials for growing both annual and perennial flowers, as well as vegetables, trees and shrubs.

Soil Preparation for Annuals, Perennials & Vegetables Organic matter (peat moss, well-rotted manure, compost etc.) is the lifeblood of soil. Up to four inches should be spread over new, natural (virgin) topsoil. Use a lesser amount for soil that has had organic matter applied in previous years. Using a digging fork, spade or mechanical rototiller, completely mix organic matter (up to one-third by volume) with the soil at least one foot deep.

Agricultural limestone (powdered or pelletized) should be mixed at the rate of 10 lbs per 100 ft². This can be done at the same time the organic matter is mixed with the soil.

Lime (unlike fertilizer) doesn’t dissolve quickly, so it is best to mix it completely with the soil to quickly neutralize the acidity. (Most cultivated plants will not thrive in acidic soil.)

Plant nutrients are the other essential ingredient for successful plant growth. A general-purpose fertilizer, such as 6-12–12, will supply the major nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It’s best mixed into the soil before planting at the rate of 3 lbs per 100 ft². Other natural sources of nutrients are seaweed (kelp), manure and compost.

To avoid compacting the soil with heavy equipment or foot traffic, consider creating walkways between plantings every three or four feet. For best results, work the soil when it is on the dry side, and, of course, remove all weeds, such as grass and dandelion. www.downhomelife.com

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Caring for Annuals Annual flowers provide colour in the garden all summer, but must be planted every year after the danger of frost. Annual transplants (bedding plants) must be hardened off by gradually adjusting them from the greenhouse to the outside temperature. A plant starter solution, like 10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;52â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10, will give the plant a boost, especially during cold weather. A two-inch layer of peat (not bark) mulch around the plants will help conserve moisture and keep weeds at bay while supplying organic matter for improving the soil next year.

To keep annuals looking their best all summer, mix a soluble fertilizer (20-8-20 or 20-20-20) with water at the rate of one tablespoon per gallon, and apply every two or three weeks, saturating the soil with the solution.

For some annuals, like marigolds, remove faded flowers to keep the plants blooming all summer. During dry weather, do a daily check of annuals in containers, which dry out faster than those in beds. Make sure there are good drainage holes in the

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containers, otherwise become waterlogged.

they

will

Caring for Perennials Perennials are plants that flower every year. Their soil should be improved (as indicated above) to a depth of about three feet, and all perennial weeds removed.

For best colour display, plant perennials in groups of three or more of the same type. Place the tallest ones (like phlox and peonies) at the back of the bed. A classic perennial border must be at least six feet wide.

Plant a variety of perennials that bloom at different times, ensuring an attractive display throughout spring, summer and fall. (Some perennials, like ornamental grass, even have attractive foliage in winter.)

Feed perennials in spring and early summer with a general-purpose fertilizer, like 6-12-12 or soluble 20-2020. (Do not feed perennials in the fall so they harden off for the winter.)

Apply lime at the rate of 10 lbs per 100 ft² to establish perennials in the fall or early spring. Make holes with a

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digging fork to help wash the lime into the root zone. Apply a three-inch layer of mulch around newly planted perennials. Once they are established and occupy all the ground, mulch may no longer be necessary.

Planting Trees and Shrubs One of the biggest killers of newly planted trees and shrubs is waterlogged soil. Digging a hole in hard, compacted material is like digging a well to hold water. Heavy rain will cause the soil around the roots to become waterlogged; during winter, ice will form around the roots and kill them. To avoid this, check the planting hole for drainage. If water doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappear within a few minutes, the drainage must be improved.

Sometimes this can be accomplished by digging a hole two or three times as wide as the root ball, but no deeper than is necessary to bury the roots.

The planting area can also be mounded higher than the surrounding soil. No more than a third (by volume) of organic matter should be mixed with the soil being placed www.downhomelife.com

around the roots. (Too much organic material acts like a sponge and may result in a waterlogged situation.)

Mix agricultural lime with the soil when planting the tree or shrub. Use about 10 lbs of lime for every cubic yard of soil. A very small amount of 6-12-12 fertilizer (no more than 1 lb per cubic yard) can also be mixed with the planting soil. Lime and fertilizer should be mixed completely with the soil before planting trees or shrubs.

Firm the soil around the root ball and water right away, and apply about three inches of mulch. Do not allow grass or weeds to grow within two to three feet of the trunk. Large trees should be staked to prevent any movement by the wind. Apply one or two gallons of water every few days to prevent the root ball from drying out.

Ross Traverse has been a horticultural consultant to gardeners and farmers for more than 40 years. downtoearth @downhomelife.com

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reminiscing flashbacks

Northern Peninsula Road Trip

During a November 1964 drive up the Great Northern Peninsula, Percy George and Nell Tipping, and Alex and Lily Myrden of Corner Brook, NL snapped these photos. Percy George documented the trip on the reverse of each photograph.

Susan Herdman Lincolnton, GA, USA

Woody Point 74 miles from Corner Brook, taken from end of car ferry…Going over to Norris Point it was quite calm but coming back we rocked and rolled and had to head into the eight-foot waves – and then turned and flew into Woody Point with a tail wind.

Eastern Arm Brook 200 miles from Corner Brook – a nice, big

stream and lovely, clear water to mix in our mid-day snort [drink]. Alex Myrden getting together the “doings” for our cold chicken lunch and real good cheese sent to us by Ross Wyllie.

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St. Anthony This picture – taken in dull, dark, cloudy, rainy, foggy weather – is St. Anthony. We drove out to the end of a new government wharf and almost blew off the wharf. St. Anthony is like all the other Newfoundland settlements, spread out for miles along the shore. The large building is a new standard-size artificial ice arena. I thought it stayed cold enough in St. Anthony to freeze the nuts off a steel bridge, but apparently it doesn’t.

This Month in History In the 19th and 20th centuries, tuberculosis (TB) had a deadly impact in Newfoundland and Labrador. There were high-profile public efforts to educate people on hygiene to prevent its spread, as well as the creation of treatment facilities. According to The Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, establishing a sanatorium was proposed around 1911. There, patients from all over the province would receive a regime of fresh air and a healthy diet, balanced with rest and exercise. However, it was difficult to procure funds and with the outbreak of the First World War, plans were delayed. On August 16, 1910, construction of the Sanatorium in St. John’s began. It opened in March 1917 on Topsail Road with a staff of 20.

Eventually, medication became an effective way to treat TB and by the 1970s, it had virtually been eradicated in Newfoundland and Labrador (although in 2018, there is an outbreak being battled in Nain, Labrador, where a teenage boy died from TB in March).

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reminiscing

between the boulevard and the bay

Downhome Places

By Ron Young

If in Lonesome Cove you’re lonesome For your sweetie in Sweet Bay Would you pick her posies in Flowers Cove Or roses in Cape Ray?

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This little rhyme I one time wrote For all the folks who roam Of outports, past and present In the place we call Down Home Do Nipper’s Harbour nippers Lately take a Lushes Bight?

Do they lighten up in Brighton And in Triton, outta sight?

Will you meet a prince in Princeton town And in Fox Roost, feel foxy?

And if you doff your clothes in Mose Ambrose Will they see your buff in Boxey?

If you cut hay all day in Meadows In Sheaves Cove or in Lawn Could you Pacquet up in Haystack Then, on Cow Path, be gone?

If you scale a whale in Whale’s Gulch And in Bird Cove, you take flight Will you shed your shell in Lobster Cove Or in Seal Cove, will Seal Bight?

But if you get goosed in Goose Bay Try not to lose your dander Just give your Herring Neck a stretch At the gooser, take a Gander If you Fogo the charm of Joe Batt’s Arm And Seldom Come By Highlands You might miss a date in Twillingate If at Random, you Change Islands You could point out Point Leamington Point May and Point au Gaul Point of Bay and Point la Haye Point Rosie, Point au Mal For CFAs there’s English Harbour Frenchman’s Cove and Ireland’s Eye 1-888-588-6353

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Spaniard’s Bay and Portugal Cove And Port aux Basques me b’y You can have a snack in Snack Cove Plus there’s tasty fare to please In Bacon Cove and Butter Pot Cape Onion, Bread and Cheese If you lose your hair in Hare Bay And your teeth down in Deep Bight Will you wear spare hair in Bluff Head Cove And will Rose Blanche at the sight?

You may come by chance to Come By Chance Or find Chance Cove in your wanders But to bide awhile in Bide Arm You must Branch off past Port Saunders If in Angels Cove you’re grounded ’Cause your wings are out of joint They mend wings and other things In Cupids and Wing’s Point If in Lonesome Cove you’re lonesome For your sweetie in Sweet Bay Would you pick her posies in Flowers Cove Or roses in Cape Ray? Should you spoon a lass from Loon Bay Whose lover’s from Savage Cove town You might show your face in Harbour Grace But not in Blow Me Down Would you like to dwell in Gargamelle Brigus or Bauline Or in resettled Harbour Deep Piccaire or Merasheen?

Could you be content in Heart’s Content Heart’s Delight, Heart’s Ease Heart’s Desire or Comfort Cove Or places such as these?

If in Paradise you hear a voice Directly from your Maker You still can’t stay in Deadman’s Bay They have no undertaker If you nod off in Noddy Bay And get stuck in Muddy Hole Send the alarm to Chapel Arm 1-888-588-6353

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To have Lord’s Cove save your soul If you get drunk in Gin Cove And rattled in Rattling Brook Don’t wear fur coats in Bear Cove ’Cause you might be mistook If you’re good while you’re in Glenwood While in Deer Lake, you leer Would you be a giver in Grey River And a barb in Carbonear?

If you broke your back in Back Cove And your arm in Durrell’s Arm Would you venture into Burnt Head Without fear of fiery harm?

If you felt “the pits” in Pitts Harbour And got gonged while at Long Point And then got blows at Jerry’s Nose Would YOUR nose be out of joint?

If you mistook Mistaken Point For Chanceport on the ocean Would you Pushthrough for Exploits To keep Swift Current’s Motion?

If you are aground in Harbour Round Or your Keels stuck in Shoal Bay Will you lose your soul down in Hibb’s Hole Or for Salvage, will you pray?

If you Botwood in Birchy Bay Spruce Brook and Aspen Cove In Chimney Cove or Burnside Maybe Glenwood buy a stove If you made soup in Ladle Cove And in Kettle Cove made tea Would you be hearty in Cartyville And gleeful in Englee?

If you’re unsteady in Steady Brook And drunk while in Bar Haven Would you milk a moose at Cow Head Then at Crow Head, shoot a raven?

If you picked plums at Plum Point And berries at Berry Head Would you make preserves in Canning’s Cove As Garnish for your bread?

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In Pope’s Harbour, will you cross yourself?

Will you pray in Parson’s Pond?

Does Holyrood still fit your mood And is Bishop’s Falls “right on!”?

Will you duck into Black Duck Brook While in Black Head you’re abiding?

Will you tack into Black Tickle And slide into Black Duck Siding?

Do you rush to get to Rushoon Laze around in Logy Bay? Do you know the charm of Toogood Arm Down New World Island way?

If in Famish Gut you’re famished And Bloomfield’s gone to seed Would you stay away from Witless Bay And not go near Bareneed?

Would you catch a cod in Codner Or a speckled in Trout River?

Or would you race instead to Riverhead For rainbow on a skivver?

If you rocked in Rocky Harbour And were gross in Gros Morne Park Would you clown around in Clown’s Cove In Lark Harbour, have a lark?

If you robbed a coach in Coachman’s Cove And put your Fortune in Grand Bank And they caught up with you at Path End Would they make you walk the plank?

If you were conceived in Conception Harbour And then your parents moved away And you were born on the Mainland Would you still be from the bay?

If in later years, you should move back And folks, without exception Would stare and say, “There’s a CFA” Would you be a mis-conception?

I’m sorry I missed places That I couldn’t fit this time There were just too many And they mostly didn’t rhyme 1-888-588-6353

Ron Young is a retired policeman, published poet and founding editor of Downhome. ron@downhomelife.com August 2018

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reminiscing visions & vignettes

Gnat, do you mind…

Fin Keels?

Another wild adventure with two young scalawags in an imaginary, yet typical, outport of a bygone era

By Harold N. Walters

A blue sailboat with a toothy yellow shark painted on its hull came around the Big Head and cut across the bow of Uncle Sim’s green punt. Harry hauled hard on the sculling oar, nearly capsizing the punt in his effort to avoid a collision. Gnat grabbed the gunnel to keep from falling off the forward thwart.

“Frigger,” Harry said, shaking a fist at the teenage boy handling the sail.

“Ahoy, bay-boys,” said the sailboat’s captain, laughing and doffing his fancy nautical cap in a mocking salute.

Gnat snatched a gutted tomcod from the bottom of the punt and 124

August 2018

flung it after the sailboat, only to see it fall short in the wake.

“Double damn,” he said.

The sailboat with its two-man crew swooped across the cove, veered hard alee off the head of the Government Wharf, executed a couple of show-off manoeuvres, then sailed out of sight 1-888-588-6353

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beyond Uncle Edgar’s Point.

Next day, the same blue sailboat scudded from behind the Big Head on the afternoon breeze and pointed its bowsprit like a harpoon towards the wharf where Harry, Gnat and Spud Spurvey were connering.

Sleek as a shark’s dorsal fin, the sailboat glided past the wharf, close enough for the conner fishers to see the twin smirks on the sailors’ chops.

“How’s the fishing, bay-boys?”

Again, the sailboat tacked across the cove and sailed from view to the east of Uncle Edgar’s Point.

“Shaggers,” said Spud Spurvey, squeezing the remains of conch guts from his hook, connering done for the day.

Soon, stories about sightings of the blue sailboat with the yellow shark decorating its bow were told in Uncle Pell’s shop.

“They’m a pair of brazen little whipper-snappers,” muttered Wince Cody about the boys – brothers, he’d heard – who taunted every person they encountered as they sailed past Bun Town and Brookwater and Horse Cove.

“Folks in Clarenville says they’m from St. John’s,” said Uncle Pell.

“Their father is in the Yacht Club.

They’m visiting family for the summer and they got their own sailboat.”

“Cove hoppin’ they calls it,” said Old Man Farley. “Dartin’ across the coves like saucy whelps.”

“Them b’ys needs their arses tanned,” said Aunt Hood, pausing from arranging tomato soup tins on the shelf behind the counter. She glowered at Harry and Gnat as if their arses might make suitable substitutes, seeing as the saucy sailors 1-888-588-6353

were not present.

“Tidden a very big boat,” said Wince Cody. “It’s hardly the length of a table.”

“And she got one of them fin keels stickin’ out of ’er,” said Old Man Farley. “Almost scrapes the bottom. I seen it when they skirred alongside Neddy’s Sandbar.”

“Them b’ys needs a comeuppance,” said Uncle Pell, looking out the window across the cove to where Harve Hinker worked in his potato patch.

“Harve is trenchin’ his teddies,” Uncle Pell said, unintentionally changing the subject.

Then one day the inevitable happened. Like smoke curling beneath a door, fog rolled in the Arm and smothered Brookwater in a mist as thick as the pea soup dregs in Granny’s boiler. As suddenly as the pirate ships it once-upon-a-time sheltered, the fog ambushed the blue sailboat as it navigated the Big Head, lured it onshore and drove it aground on Neddy’s Sandbar.

The falling tide allowed the crew to wade ashore through saltwater up to their navels, leaving their sailboat slouched to starboard on its fin keel, its sail drooping like a wet mop on a rail fence.

Soaking wet and shivering, no longer cocky yacht club scions, the boys climbed the Scrapes and scuffed into Uncle Pell’s store – bedraggled and appropriately shamefaced.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” said Wince Cody through a gob of raw baloney.

“Yous look froze,” said Uncle Pell.

Caps soggy, deck shoes squelching, the pair crossed to the stove and held their blue fingertips towards the heat August 2018

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emanating from its potbelly.

“We ran aground,” they announced in chorus.

“Mother,” said Uncle Pell to Aunt Hood, “take ’em into the house and get them a cup of tea.”

Aunt Hood glared at Harry and Gnat who – minding their own business – sat on Coke crates, albeit thoroughly enjoying the sight of their tormentors trembling like wet tomcats. With a parting glance at Harry and Gnat, Aunt Hood nodded at the townie boys to follow her.

Thinking of the blue sailboat’s fin keel jammed like a plowshare in the thick muck of Neddy’s Sandbar, Harry leaned to Gnat and said, “I got an idea.”

“I ’low,” said Gnat.

“First we got to catch Trafalgar,” said Harry.

While the stranded sailors sipped hot tea in the shadow of the scowl Aunt Hood reserved mostly for Harry and Gnat, Harry and Gnat walked out the Shot Hole whistling to attract Trafalgar.

Eventually, they found their equine pal of previous adventures, his head and shoulders looming in the mist, his chest pushed eagerly against Harve Hinker’s wire fence.

“We got a job for you,” said Harry, stroking the white diamond in the middle of Trafalgar’s face.

Trafalgar blew out his lips and strained against the fence.

“Wait ’til we opens the gate,” said Gnat, a hint of excitement in his voice.

As Harry and Gnat led Trafalgar from the garden, Spud Spurvey and Olsen Tetford appeared like wraiths, collars up and caps tugged tight.

“What’s yous up to?” said Spud.

“Yous is right on time to give us a 126

August 2018

hand,” said Gnat.

Boys and horse – a team of sorts – followed the Shot Hole to the beach where dead-low tide had changed Neddy’s Sandbar into a fog-shrouded island with a small blue sailboat tipped forlornly on its starboard side, its spar angled like a pole wedged in the mud.

“She shouldn’t be too hard to move,” said Harry wading in and beckoning the others to follow.

“Come on, Trafalgar, we’m goin’ to hitch you on.”

Trafalgar flowsed into the saltwater with the boys.

Harry had had foresight enough to lift Trafalgar’s reins from Harve’s barn before leading the horse from the garden. Since Trafalgar didn’t need much guidance, Harry used the reins to hitch the horse to the sailboat’s nose.

Along with the reins, the boys used a coil of rope found on the deck to harness Trafalgar. Trusty pocketknives snicker-snacked, slicing the coil into usable lengths.

The tide had turned by the time horse and sailboat were lashed together. With boys positioned fore and aft – stem and stern – their shoulders bunched to heave-ho, Harry clucked to Trafalgar.

“Git-up,” he said.

Trafalgar leaned into the load, straining the ropes bar tight. Slowly, the boys scoating their guts out, the sailboat tipped upright on its deep fin-like keel.

Trafalgar pulled.

The rising tide providing lift, the sailboat moved like an ungainly aquatic plow splitting the muck of Neddy’s Sandbar.

“And ’tis to me jolly poker,” Olsen 1-888-588-6353

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Tetford sang, as he’d learned to do on the occasions of boat launches.

Horse, boys and boat moved like ethereal forms in the fog.

An hour later, washing dishes and looking out the window, Aunt Hood said, “The fog is lifting.”

Warm, bellies filled, the yacht club boys scravelled to peer out – wondering about the fate of their beloved craft, no doubt.

The tide was top high. Neddy’s Sandbar was completely awash.

There was nary a sign of the blue sailboat with the toothy yellow shark painted on its bow.

Or was there?

On shore, a deep gouge in the beach rocks ran like a poorly plowed furrow into the landwash, crossed the high-water mark and zig-zagged along the edge of the Shot Hole to Harve Hinker’s gate.

Ripped sod and the pock marks of horseshoes climbed to the top of the garden where earlier in the week Harve had trenched his spuds.

Considerable damage had been done to the middle of Harve’s potato patch where the blue sailboat had been dragged and propped upright, balanced on the blade of its fin keel, which was buried bottom deep.

Getaway rubber boot tracks trampled the grass leading to Harve’s back fence. Nearby, Trafalgar happily munched grass beneath barren

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lilac branches.

Seen from a distance, from Aunt Hood’s window or Uncle Pell’s shop, the blue sailboat, its tattered sail flapping in a freshening wind, appeared to be sailing on a dark green, potato-stalk sea… …its deck as empty as the Flying Dutchman’s… …on a course to nowhere.

Mind that sailboat’s voyage from sandbar to potato patch, Gnat? Later, six grown men hoisted it onto the flatbed of a big truck that drove it away…back to the yacht club, I suppose.

Harold Walters lives in Dunville, Newfoundland, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After.

Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com

August 2018

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reminiscing reminiscing flashbacks

Determined to set a new flying record, Amelia heads to Harbour Grace.

By Heather Stemp

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August 2018

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This is the third article in my Downhome series, “Amelia Earhart in Newfoundland.” Unlike the first two articles about Amelia in Trepassey, this one has a more personal connection. It began when I decided to write my family history and found Amelia hiding there.

My father, Billy Ross, and my aunt, Ginny Ross, had died, but I still had many questions about my Newfoundland roots. I returned to Harbour Grace and began talking to my extended family and Ginny’s friends.

From their stories and old black-and-white photographs, I discovered that my great uncle, Harry Archibald, was the Harbour Grace airstrip supervisor.

His sister, my great aunt Rose Archibald, owned the Archibald Hotel where all the pilots stayed, or at least rested, before their transatlantic flights.

Uncle Harry and Aunt Rose met Amelia when she arrived on May 20, 1932, to make her solo transatlantic flight. According to Ginny’s friends, she met Amelia, too. (left) Amelia on the steps of the courthouse after filing her flight plan. (above) Bernt Balchen, Ed Gorski, and Uncle Harry (Archibald) refuelling Amelia’s plane.

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August 2018

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Following the Lindbergh Trail Amelia Earhart’s second trip to Newfoundland was four years after her 1928 transatlantic flight from Trepassey. Thanks to her husband George Putnam, whom she married in 1930, she had become a household name. George had joined the Trepassey team because of his skill in planning and then writing about expeditions around the world.

After the Trepassey flight, he continued to keep Amelia’s name in the public eye. In 1928, he published a book with her account of the Friendship flight, titled 20 Hrs. 40 Mins.

Her growing reputation led to many speaking engagements, both nationally and internationally.

Although she’d jumped at the chance to be part of the Friendship flight, there was something about it that always bothered Amelia. “I was only baggage,” she said. Bill Stultz, the pilot, and Slim Gordon, the mechanic, had done all the work but she got all the credit. At times she had to pull them into photos because the press was more interested in her as the female passenger. From that time forward, she’d thought about a solo transatlantic flight to prove her ability as a pilot.

By 1931-32, the field of women hoping to do the same was growing. As with the Trepassey flight, her competitors announced their plans to the press. In the spring of 1931, Ruth Nichols was ready to “follow the Lindbergh Trail,” in a solo transatlantic flight. On her way to Harbour Grace, a crash landing in Saint John, New Brunswick resulted in five broken ver132

August 2018

tebrae and a badly damaged plane. By the spring of 1932, she had recovered and was planning another attempt from Harbour Grace.

Elinor Smith vowed to beat Nichols across the Atlantic. In an interview in April 1932, she announced her plans to fly “from Harbour Grace to Dublin, Ireland in early May.” A third aviatrix, Laura Ingalls, also threw her hat in the ring. She planned to follow “the Lindbergh Trail” from New York to Paris and had worked throughout the winter of 1931 and spring of 1932 to reach her goal.

Amelia knew she had to act soon if she wanted to use a second transatlantic crossing to prove her credibility as a pilot.

Preparations As they had done with her Trepassey flight, George and Amelia worked in secret. She carried on with her usual flights and speaking engagements to hide their transatlantic plans. They didn’t want to put pressure on the competition to take off ahead of her, and it kept pressure from the press away from her. She wanted to focus all her energy and attention on the actual flight.

George and Amelia hired Bernt Balchen – a pilot, navigator and engineer – to prepare a flight plan and modify her Vega for the long distance flight. Ed Gorski became their chief mechanic. Amelia stayed away from the airfield in Teterboro, New Jersey, while the two men prepared and tested her plane.

They added braces that ran from one side of the fuselage to the other, replaced the passenger seats with gas 1-888-588-6353

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Amelia Earhart’s “little red bus” in Harbour Grace tanks and added gas tanks in the wings. The Vega originally had two wing tanks that held 100 gallons of fuel. It now had eight tanks that held 420 gallons – enough for a 5,000kilometre (3,200-mile) flight. For additional power, they added a new 500 horsepower Pratt and Whitney Wasp D engine.

Bernt Balchen had previously been working with Lincoln Ellsworth to prepare for his flight to the South Pole. George and Amelia used this information to make it seem as if the Vega was being prepared for his expedition and not for anything she was planning. They had used the same tactic before her Trepassey flight, when they implied the Friendship was being prepared for Commander Byrd’s Antarctic expedition.

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It had worked then and they hoped it would work again.

Throughout the preparations, George’s talent for publicity came to the fore. He suggested Amelia leave Harbour Grace on May 20, 1932, the same day Lindbergh left New York for Paris five years earlier. Her red and gold Vega carried a registration number but no name. George wanted people to remember Amelia’s name, not the name of the plane. She got in the habit of calling it her “little red bus.”

As the date for the flight drew closer, the weather was the ultimate unknown. According to Doc Kimball at the New York, US Weather Bureau, the forecast leading up to the 20th wasn’t looking good. But on May 19, they got a break. There was clear weather over the Atlantic and August 2018

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the visibility was good as far as Newfoundland. “By tomorrow the Atlantic looks as good as you’re likely to get it for some time,” Kimball informed George.

Amelia hurried home and changed into her flying clothes. At 3:15 p.m., she, Balchen and Gorski took off for Saint John, New Brunswick. Balchen flew the plane while Amelia rested in the back. After spending the night, they left for Harbour Grace and George announced Amelia’s transatlantic crossing.

Amelia’s Arrival It’s at this point that Amelia’s history and my family history intersect. As the airstrip supervisor, Uncle Harry was among the first people to learn that Amelia was on her way. He rushed to the Archibald Hotel to tell Aunt Rose and Ginny.

Amelia landed at 2:01 p.m. and was welcomed by a local crowd. A few reporters and photographers had had time to get there, but not the usual number. Marjorie Davis, a classmate of Ginny’s, remembered writing an exam in the morning and then being dismissed to see Amelia land at the airstrip. Marjorie recalled Aunt Rose standing at the railroad tracks with the bullhorn she used at most Harbour Grace celebrations.

“Hurry up now!” Aunt Rose shouted to them. “Lift those knees and run!

You’re going to miss Amelia’s landing!” Aunt Louise (Archibald) remembered similar details about Amelia’s arrival and added, “The day was overcast and cool.”

Once on the ground, Amelia spoke with Uncle Harry (the airstrip supervisor), Balchen and Gorski about the 134

August 2018

servicing and refuelling of the plane.

The men decided to stay at the airstrip while Amelia left by car to file their flight plan at the customs office.

A photo taken in the doorway at the courthouse is part of the historical record of Amelia’s arrival.

The local crowd at the airport saw Mike Hayes’ taxi arrive. They assumed Amelia was going straight to the Archibald Hotel, as most of the pilots did. Pat Cron, one of Ginny’s friends, claimed that was where Ginny and Aunt Rose met Amelia.

Ironically, Ginny never mentioned the meeting. Whenever she and I got together, we looked at family photographs and talked about her life in Harbour Grace, where she and my father lived with my grandparents and great-grandparents above Joe Ross’s store on Water Street.

We followed lists of questions I had for her, but none of them included Amelia. At that time I knew nothing about early aviation in Harbour Grace. Our visits occurred over a period of about two years and then she died. Given more time, she may have included Amelia in her memories, but my questions kept us focused on our family history.

Even without Ginny’s confirmation, I believed Pat’s story. I knew Ginny was working at the hotel at that time – and I knew Aunt Rose and Uncle Harry. Both were close to Ginny and looked out for her best interests. They wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to introduce her to Amelia.

Tune in next month for the rest of Amelia’s story in Harbour Grace including her history-making solo transatlantic flight.

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FOR SALE

PRIVATE SALE BY OWNER

Town Square, Gander Building, Both Levels 3400 Sq. Ft. Total 709-221-8757 or 709-424-0757

f.tizzard@nl.rogers.com

Business for Sale 38 Main St., Twillingate, NL Turn key operation • Excellent location Building and contents going together Reason for selling - owners retiring

The Prints of Whales Inn

For more info call Woodrow 709-571-2195

Bed and Breakfast

Sandringham, NL On the beautiful Eastport Peninsula

This established, awardwinning B&B, with a bottom line that improves every year, is an ideal investment in a popular NL Tourism destination. 5 bedrooms with full baths and host live-in space. Almost 8 acres of land gives this beautiful property potential to expand.

For price and particulars 709-677-2104 stay@theprintsofwhalesinn.ca

www.downhomelife.com

FOR SALE Kings Point Diner & Pub Springdale, NL

$249,000 Lot: 255 ft. Wide by 224 ft. Deep • 2 Level Building, each 2,900 sq. ft.

Formally known as Budgell’s Motel, this three-room motel is a local icon and part of King’s Point history. Room to grow, well positioned for tourist industry growth.

Improvements and additions made since 2008 include: a new metal roof, complete pex plumbing, completely renovated kitchen, completely renovated Event Area, all new pressure treated decks, completely renovated dining room and more!

Call Corey 587-343-3302

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New Price!

Price reduced to $238,880

FOR SALE $329,990 Formally the Stonewall Inn Spaniards Bay, NL 1 ½ Acres 5 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms Contact: Debbie Hollett 709-687-9700

Beautiful Waterfront Home on Grand Lake 4 bedrooms and 2 full baths.

Completely renovated with large open kitchen, heat pump & woodstove.

Jake Evans 506-260-0206 jevans@exitadvantage.ca

HomeTeamNB.com

Marketplace JOB OPENINGS We are currently looking for: Heavy Equipment Operators Truck Mechanics Heavy Equipment Mechanics AZ Drivers

60th Anniversary On May 24, 2018 we gathered to celebrate the anniversary of William (Bill) and Margaret (Carroll) Hann.

Love from their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grand twins.

We love you Mom and Dad, thank you for the life you have given us and our faith in God.

God Bless You Both!

Ram Iron & Metal Inc. offers competitive wages, benefits, profit sharing, and much more!

Apply today. employment@ramiron.com

My name is Jazlynn Dyke and I’m 18 years old. I go to school at Pearson Academy and I’m almost completed my grade 12 year. My hobbies are spending lots of time with friends, babysitting, going for walks, and playing ball hockey. I’ve been delivering the Downhome for 8 years now in my hometown of Greenspond.

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Movers & Shippers

A&K Moving

Clarenville Movers

Covering all Eastern & Western Provinces and Returning Based from Toronto, Ontario Discount Prices Out of NL, NS & NB Newfoundland Owned & Operated

Local & Long Distance Service Your Newfoundland & Alberta Connection Over 30 years Experience Toll Free: 1-855-545-2582

35 Years in the Moving Industry

Tel:

Andy: 416-247-0639 Out West: 403-471-5313

Cell:

709-545-2582 709-884-9880

clarenvillemover@eastlink.ca www.clarenvillemovers.com

aandkmoving@gmail.com FIVE STAR SERVICE Without The Five Star Price! ★ Local & Long Distance Moves ★ Packing

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

★ Door-to-Door Service Across Canada ★ Replacement Protection Available ★ NL Owned & Operated

Contact: Gary or Sharon King

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

Moving you from Ontario and Newfoundland... or any STOP along the way!

709-248-4089 905-965-4813

Hawke’s Bay, NL (collect calls accepted) downeastconnection@yahoo.ca

MOVING INC. 709-834-0070 866-834-0070 fivestarmoving@outlook.com www.fivestarmoving.ca

Over 25 Years Experience in the Moving Industry

SAMSON’S MOVING Let our Family Move Your Family Home

Newfoundland, Ontario, Alberta and All Points In Between Newfoundland Owned & Operated Fully Insured, Free Estimates Sales Reps. in Ontario and Alberta

DOWNEAST CONNECTION

Voted CBS Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year

Call Jim or Carolyn - Peterview, NL 709-257-4223 709-486-2249 - Cell samsonsmovers@yahoo.ca www.samsonsmovers.ca

Movers & Shippers Rates start at $175 for a 1 col. x 2" ad.

Call Today!

709-726-5113 Toll Free 1-888-588-6353

Downhome Shop www.shopdownhome.com 146

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puzzles The Beaten Path

By Ron Young

Block out all the letters that are like other letters in every way, including shape and size. The letters that are left over will spell out the name of the above place name in letters that get smaller in size.

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Last Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community: Eastport 148

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Sudoku

from websudoku.com

Skill level: Medium

Last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answers

?

Need Help

Visit DownhomeLife.com/puzzles for step-by-step logic for solving this puzzle

www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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Downhomer Detective Needs You

A

fter more than two decades on the Urban City Police Force, Downhomer Detective has come home to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of a new threat – cunning thief Ragged Rick. A real braggart, the slimy criminal sends DD a blurry photo of his surroundings plus clues to his whereabouts just to prove he’s always a step ahead. DD needs your help to identify where in Newfoundland and Labrador Ragged Rick is hiding out this month.

Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now: • SeaFest is their popular beach festival • Known for accordion and literary festivals • Lies on peninsula of the same name • Settled by residents of nearby Salvage • Neighbours Terra Nova National Park

Last Month’s Answer: Quidi Vidi

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Griquet 150

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

Last Month’s Clue: Ancient like the mountains In Other Words: As old as the hills This Month’s Clue: Every crewman to the promenade In Other Words: ___ _____ __ ____

A Way With Words COF-FEE

Last Month’s Answer: Coffee Break

Rhyme Time A rhyming word game

by Ron Young

1. Counterfeit bills are _____ _____

This Month’s Clue

2. To dump a tattletale is to _____ a ______

TURNED

3. To steal from the mafia is to ___ the ___

ANS: ______ ______ ____

1. yellow fellow, 2. red shed, 3. pink drink

Last Month’s Answers

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.

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

Last month’s answer: It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. glide 2. fasten 3. clever 4. bashful 5. weep

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Last Month’s Answers: 1. hammer, 2. stammer, 3. grammar, 4. programmer, 5. slammer

STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot!

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

Tangled Towns

by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young

Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression.

For best results sound the clue words out loud!

Eight Ale Huff Honk All _ _________ ____ Europe Lay Soar Mine ____ _____ __ ____ Last Month’s 1st Clue: Ape Arrow Faces Answer: A pair of aces Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Dawn Buried Hick Yule Less Answer: Don’t be ridiculous

A

nalogical

A

Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.

1. JEANMSTOW 2. BORNYOLK 3. MEONOR 4. LACENORTHS 5. PLANTROD Last Month’s Ans: 1. Rigolet, 2. Cartwright, 3. Makkovik, 4. Forteau, 5. Wabush

nagrams

Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue.

1. AM NAIL – Clue: pig, yes; bacon, no 2. OAT POT – Clue: good sliced, diced and riced 3. MAUL IN UM – Clue: foils but never spoils 4. AXE SHUT ION – Clue: running on fumes 5. SEEP SELLS – Clue: Tom Hanks in Seattle Last Month’s Ans: 1. highway, 2. veteran, 3. memorial, 4. festival, 5. tourist 152

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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s

By Ron Young

Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction.

1-10: adjustment 1-71: car crash 1-91: not on purpose 4-2: bachelor’s apartment 4-34: address God 5-7: knit 5-65: balcony 7-37: work hard 9-39: at one time 11-14: Sonny’s babe 12-14: that girl 12-42: lofty 14-17: Nevada city 14-34: sunbeam 15-35: make mistake 19-16: fluorescent 20-18: sole 21-25: stogie 25-23: tattered cloth 26-23: tow 26-28: use shovel 28-88: blinding 32-34: fellow 37-67: departed 37-97: socialism 38-40: allow 40-35: bank clerk 40-37: narrate 41-61: lair 43-13: big 42-72: learn 46-49: vanquish 46-76: spoiled child 47-49: devour 49-99: lodger 52-72: appendage 54-34: demure 55-35: vehicle 60-40: rodent www.downhomelife.com

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61-70: sickening 62-82: semi-circle 63-65: utilize 64-66: ocean 65-70: having dinner 67-69: alloy 69-49: seine 72-74: hold up bank 74-76: flying mammal 75-71: abandon 80-78: writer Fleming 82-87: hungers 83-86: rant 84-86: hail 87-67: pose 90-70: Russian jet 91-93: limb

91-100: valid 93-43: grump 97-100: spouse 99-97: beret 100-10: changing countries Last Month’s Answer 1

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MA AY L I CL OP NA T E E L NA TA

G A B E A R S K I N

I S TRAT E RP EARGC E RAT I ON DYENDNA R I S E WE R YRC I ROE HA R D AMP S WE E P E M L I ABRAE T AMO U N T

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August 2018

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The Baymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Crossword Puzzle 1

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by Ron Young

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ACROSS 1. April showers bring ___ flowers 4. Lazy __ _ cut dog (2 words) 5. comes after night 7. Joe Batt’s ___ 9. wind direction (abbrev) 10. crossbar behind a horse 14. cold, strong wind from the north 18. “__ a Newfoundlander born and bred” 19. Wabush export 20. __ the knots – laughing hard (colloq) 21. Snowing by the ______ (colloq) 23. church bench 25. coniferous tree 26. “Where old Neptune calls the numbers _____ the broad Atlantic combers” 28. mischievous child (colloq) 29. passage 31. “Kind fortune did favour __ with a sweet and pleasant gale” 33. fisherman’s response to “Arn?” (colloq) 34. “___ Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s” 35. “We got no fish, but we got a ____ of oil” 38. mouth (colloq) 40. his boat was painted green 42. old fish merchant family company in St. John’s (3 words) 45. A fisherman __ one rogue, a merchant is many 46. Robert’s Arm (abbrev) 47. fish stringer 48. aft

11. Lieutenant-________ – Queen’s representative in Newfoundland and Labrador 12. region 13. Crow’s ____ – officer’s club in St. John’s 14. a tiny mouthful 15. single 16. tee-pee shaped dried grass piles (colloq) 17. thin (colloq) 22. harnessable product of wind and waves 24. ocean waves (colloq) 27. colour 30. Toogood Arm (abbrev) 32. stallion 36. “When the wind shifts against the sun, trust it not for back ’twill ___” 37. Path End (abbrev) 39. “Let me __ a man and take it when my dory fails to make it” 41. cuffer 42. inquire 43. What ___ you after doing now?

44. neither (colloq) 45. island (abbrev)

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

DOWN 1. young, unmarried girl (colloq) 2. foolish __ a capelin 3. cunning (colloq) 6. cold and bracing (colloq) 8. short for Margaret 10. hunting birds (colloq) www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2018 Ron Young

Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face. __ 36

___ 968 __ 28

_______ 2354383

__ ___ 34 778

______ 746853

_ 4

_ ____ 7 4448

___ _ 925 5

___ _ 568 3

__ 46

__ 67

’

__ 29

_ _ _ _ _?

2424 6

Last Month’s Answer: Relationships these days start by pressing LIKE on her photo.

©2018 Ron Young

CRACK THE CODE 0

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

_ _ _ _ _ QlC

LL

_ _ _

Cp n

D _ _ D _ 0 n n 0Q

_ _ _ _ _ _

D nLL np

_ _ _ _ _

OpnCL

D _ _ _

0bhn _ _ _ _ LRCh

D _ _ D _ 0 n n 0Q

_ _ _ _ _ _ D

kLChhn0

Last Month’s Answer: You create your opportunities by asking for them.

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Food For Thought

© 2018 Ron Young

Each food symbol represents a letter of the alphabet. Find the meanings to the words then match the letters with the food symbols below to get a little “food for thought.”

cover =

_ _ _

assign =

z hy

begrudge =

ceases =

boxer =

_ _ _ _

px}n

_ _ _ _ _

v` p

_ _ _

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xb v _ _

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hv

hi _ _

vb

ehs`v pd _ _ _ _ _ _

vIz pxv

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Idv

z pI y pd i ` ht xb ’

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

skill =

iv bt i

_ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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be

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hi

_ _ _ _ _ _

i Inhxs

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i Inhxs _ _ _ _

}pdn _ _ _

i In

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.

_ _ _ _

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Last Month’s Answer: Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal. www.downhomelife.com

August 2018

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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 IN FRANCOIS

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Tree; 2. Pedestal; 3. House; 4. Funnel; 5. Plaque; 6. Wingtip; 7. Cockpit; 8. Propeller; 9. Bench; 10. Coal Bin; 11. Trousers; 12. Tail fin.

“Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 21 Brentwood Dr., Brampton, ON, L6T 1P8.

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HIDE & SEEK CURRENCY

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

DINAR DIRHAM DOLLAR DRAM EURO FRANC GOLD GOURDE KRONE KYAT LOONIE

D L I H C D N A R G A V S M M L L P

Last Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Answers

E J W H X R Q R M D O R F Z E T Y W

A I W O A J I A Y M I K E G J O O L

R D N L S O P L J B D N N L V O L X

M A L O P E S C B U N B A D X N O X

RUPEE SHEKEL SHILLING SILVER TOONIE YEN YUAN

MARK NAIRA PESO POUND RAND REAL RUBLE

F O D D O S P W X S D F Z R I I Z A

D M E P N L E G K R N A K M K E V W

E S D W N G B F E F H Y O U O D U H

www.downhomelife.com

T L R U L Z L A V U F U T V L R J Y

V Q U O K L L M K Z A A M A T A J N

O N O W E E I Z A E D N T B E M L V

J G G R W Q A P Z S X Q K W B J P O

U D M T A K U K Y E H V V O U X Y G

N S V S S N M Y E J A S O R U F L H

E Q K C I J T J S N H I K F L Y R U

C N I U B O E F T B P D I Z P D X D

R O F S T F G M O K Z R O T N E M X

K K E L U D I R H A M J L O B D Q T

D M L H T R Y Y E A M K A S H K E Y

U N E L A E F C T S Q E Z L S L X D

G E V O H D C L E K E H S L B D W U

R R E N E R R O R H I L P D C O B H

U E D I I A T C P W A S W N S T B P

F R A N C U N N D O J G O R I L U R

Z M H E R L G J H V D H U O W N E N

A Z N T S F Z U S E E L T Y L E E L

G O L D G Y O U S E S G U J A N O H

E D C Q A Z L U E H T V E Y B I Y K

C Z A K T F N R F D G A B Q R L O L

D Y V L F R X S O P U P G G R T G C

U U R X S N S E I T R L M F F C L T

M L E V Z N K O N G A O R M P G P W

L V G B K L I T Q P E R P Y I O K I

N W G C N D N E T L N V B O O X M Z

N E I C E B I R N A D G J O A O E E

Z J G M G L A D G E P M O B A Q R Q

Q K V Z S T E K U A P L L W U Z R H

K O E D A T V U A G A V S R C N O S

Q D A W V Y S D N A R Q L S N V A W

D H R P H L P A R T N E R D O E R F

N E I G H B O U R J J N K I K P H J

P V G E K S J X B Y E I U W F B M F

F G U J A G D D T P O Y C L Z H T E

R A M F R I A W S K M C C M X E Q G

I B R O L P N P T V E R W K C O G P

D X J R U M Z E D X K V S G F W T Z

R E H T O R B Q A O C U Y L N I U K

W G I V K X D Y P W W N A A V I R G

August 2018

D L H H I E O A I C C M C Q U I K D

P V C E L B U R P O Z L Q C X B X G 159

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photo finish

Friend of Another Feather

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is my golden retriever named Cooper. We were eating our dinner when a bird hit our patio window. Cooper ran right for the bird when I opened the door. I was afraid of what he might do, but to my surprise he laid down next to the little bird and let out the most heartbreaking whine. He stayed next to the bird for half an hour with his nose touching and covering it in drool.

Finally, the bird flew away and Cooper gained a friend.â&#x20AC;?

Blaine Tucker Port Blandford, NL

Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share?

Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit.

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