Our community of Bay Roberts will be participating in Culture Days again on September 30th, October 1st, and October 2nd. Many people and businesses in our area have come together to plan and pay for these events, so that they are completely FREE to people of the region. Tickets and information about all events can be found at the Bay Roberts Visitor Information Centre or by calling 683-6377 or 683-1195  (Hours are Monday-Friday 10-5, closed weekends for Fall.)

Jerry Mercer will be presenting his production of David French’s “Salt-Water Moon” at the Victoria LOL #3 Playhouse on Friday, September 30th and Saturday, October 1st.  The director is Marc Warren. Acacia Puddister is playing the role of Mary Mercer and he role of Jacob Mercer is being played by Bobby Hogan.

Friday night’s show is sponsored by RE/MAX East Coast Realty Ltd. -  786-2310 and Saturday night’s show is sponsored by Pam Norman, Exit Realty on the Rock – 683-8676. In addition, door prizes have been donated by “Inn By The Bay” in Dildo. – One night for two – Room and Dinner at Inn By The Bay Dining Room.(Value $315) and donated By “Klondyke Cottage” in Bay Roberts one night for two. (Value $149  )

Fresh Mussels
Saturday, October 1, 2011, starting at 2:30 PM, a Mussel Boil will be held at the Three Sisters on the Shoreline Heritage Walk with Traditional NL Music by David Fitzpatrick, including Madrock song. The Three Sisters is a beautiful pebble beach surrounded by cliffs, accessed by stairs from the road to MadRock. The beach is a popular site for weddings, picnics, the caplin scull, geocaching, and other family activities.

Sponsored by Ruth Brown of Clarke Real Estate, Bay Roberts  Drawing for one night for two donated by the Bumblebee Bed and Breakfast in Brigus (Value $119.00).

Fergus Geocache
Shoreline Heritage Walk Geocaching Weekend

Participants pick up “Cacheports” and drop them off at Bartlett’s Irving (next door to Shopper’s Drug Mart on the Conception Bay Highway.) Each cacheport contains GPS readings for 3 geocaches in Bay Roberts, one question and one sticker space for each geocache. The participants will find each geochache with an answer to the corresponding question, and place a sticker in the space. A drawing from the completed cacheports will made for the Prizes which will be two $40 gift certificates at the MadRock Cafe, sponsored by Baccalieu Consulting.

Port de Grave is one of the oldest and historically most successful fishing communities in Canada. Although there is evidence it is much older, its recorded history goes back to 1675, when the main planter in the community was Thomas Butler. In 1675, Thomas was living at Port de Grave with his wife and three sons. He employed 20 servants and owned five boats, 50 cattle and 20 sheep. Thomas is believed to be the grandson of Samuel Butler, who was a member of John Guy’s colony in Cupids Cove, which was settled in 1610.

The French from Quebec led by Pierre Le Moyne D’Iberville attacked Port de Grave on January 23, 1697. Abbé Jean Baudoin wrote in his journal that they found 116 men, 14 planters, 20 boats, and 10 000 salt codfish. He commented: “This place is very beautiful.” Visitors to the community make exactly the same comment today! Artists and photographers love Port de Grave!

Port de Grave

Organically growing from the cliffs on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, Port de Grave is one of the most beautiful communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. About 15 minutes from Bay Roberts, it retains its own distinct character and community spirit, while older people in the community still speak with their distinctive Port de Grave accent. People from all over the province come to see Port de Grave Harbour during the Christmas season, when fish harvesters decorate their  longliners with colourful Christmas lights.

Christmas Boat Lighting

For further reading about Port de Grave, see Heritage of a Newfoundland Outport: The Story of Port de Grave written and published by Gerald Andrews. Available through Amazon > >

Aslo see, Our Life on Lear’s Room, Labrador by Greta Hussey, published by Flanker Press. Available through Flanker Press > >
Here is Greta Hussey, 89 years old, reading a selection from her book.

Rough-leaved Aster (Eurybia radula), originally uploaded by eracose.

Each season brings its gift of wildflowers and plants. The fall is especially beautiful. In addition to the changing colours of the leaves, a completely new crop of wildflowers comes into bloom including fireweed, asters, butter-and-eggs, and many others.
Fall is also the time for beautiful red dogberries which can be seen all over town. In local weather lore, a large number of dogberries predict a bad winter. Wild birds eat the dogberries, and residents make dogberry jam, jelly and wine in the fall.

BackRoad Dogberries

Wayne Chaulk of “Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers” described best all that nature offers us. The Gosse Family, performing during the Bay Roberts 60th Anniversary Summer in 2011, remind us of all that our natural environment offers, as well as the incredible musical talent that originates in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Have you ever seen …” performed by The Gosse Family – Lewis, Michele and Sonya.

Margo Cranford of Flanker Press Glenn Littlejohn, PC Candidate in Port de Grave, originally uploaded by eracose.

Roots mean a great deal to people living “around the bay.” When it comes to politics, it means supporting the person you believe will do the best job of promoting the area where you live. In the upcoming provincial election, I am supporting Glenn Littlejohn in our home district of Port de Grave.

Although I am not a conservative, I am supporting Glenn because he will do the best job of representing the district. He is devoted to his own family and works every day with youth of the province. He has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University, and is Recreation and Sport Consultant within the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. Glenn takes an active part in church life and is a member of the Central United Male Choir.

He is, of course, Mayor of Bay Roberts, but he has been involved in many activities on a regional, provincial and national level. He has an extensive background as a volunteer. He sits on the board of the Trinity, Conception, Placentia Health Foundation and is a founding and active member of the Trinity Conception Relay for Life.

He is also a member of the Canada Games Council Sport Committee. He is actively involved in the Bay Roberts Minor Softball program and the Bay Arena Referee’s Association. He is a long time hockey and softball coach and has coached successfully at national, provincial and local levels. Glenn was inducted into the Softball Newfoundland and Labrador Hall of Fame in 2008.

He will make an excellent MHA.

The Klondyke Rush – Running to Keep Fit
Glenn Littlejohn (back right), with wife, Leanne, members of the Bay Roberts Recreation Committee, and his children

Greta Hussey, 89 years old, originally uploaded by eracose.

Greta Hussey of Port de Grave reading from her book “Our Life on Lear’s Room, Labrador” at the Bay Roberts Visitor Information Centre. The book has been relaunched by Garry Cranford of Flanker Press, St. John’s.  The Conception Bay North Region, including Port de Grave, Bay Roberts, Harbour Grace, and Carbonear, has an important history with the Labrador Fishery.

The SS Southern Cross is a model boat designed and constructed by Gus Menchions of Bay Roberts.
The SS Southern Cross was commissioned as the whaler Pollux at Arendal, Norway in 1886. On December 19, 1898 Pollux made its first Antarctic expedition where it made marine history by breaking through the Great Ice barrier to the unexplored Ross Sea.
Pollux was sold to Baine Johnston and renamed SS Southern Cross upon transferring to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1901. Southern Cross participated in every seal hunt from 1901-1914.

1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster

The 1914 sealing fleet included both the SS Southern Cross and the SS Newfoundland (under Captain Westbury Kean). The fleet left St. John’s on March 13, 1914. SS Newfoundland lost 78 sealers from her crew when they were stranded on the ice for two nights. Just as the terrible news of the SS Newfoundland tragedy was reaching St. John’s, the SS Southern Cross fell out of normal communication. The people of Newfoundland remained hopeful that tragedy would not strike twice, as evidenced by the April 3 Evening Telegram newspaper article below:

Nothing has been heard of the Southern Cross since she was reported off Cape Pine on Tuesday last, and the general opinion is that she was driven far off to sea. Various reports were afloat in the city last night, one in particular that she had passed Cape Race yesterday afternoon, but upon making enquiries this and the other reports were unfortunately found to be untrue. At 5:30 yesterday the Anglo [Anglo-American Telegraph Co.] got in touch with Cape Race and learned that she had not passed the Cape neither was she at Trepassey. A message from Captain Connors of the Portia said she was not St. Mary’s Bay. A wireless message was sent by the government to the U.S. Patrol steamer Senaca, which is in the vicinity of Cape Race, asking her to search for the Cross. The S.S. Kyle will also leave tonight to make a diligent search for her and it is hoped that something will soon be heard from the overdue ship, as anxiety for her safety is increasing hourly. If she had been driven off to sea, which is the general opinion expressed by experienced seamen, it would take her some days to make land again. The ship is heavily laden and cannot steam at great speed. Evening Telegram, 3 April 1914

Unlike the tragedy of the Newfoundland’s crew, the disappearance of the Southern Cross remained largely unexplained as no crewmen or record of the voyage survived. While a marine court of enquiry determined that the ship sank in a blizzard on March 31, little evidence exists to verify this. Oral tradition suggests that rotten boards gave out in the heavy sea and allowed the cargo to shift and capsize the steamer. Though the wreck of the SS Southern Cross accounted for the greater human loss of the two shipwrecks, some historians argue that the emotional impact of the SS Newfoundland disaster was more intensely felt because of the horrific stories survivors were able to recount.

These two disasters together constitute what is referred to as the 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster. A total loss of 251 lives from a province with a population of approximately 250,000 devastated families and communities.

Rockwell Kent – Kent’s Cottage – Landfall in Brigus

Artist, writer and adventurer, Rockwell Kent resided in Brigus for a year and a half, during 1914-15, at Kent cottage, so he was living in Brigus at the time of the disaster. He describes the impact of the loss on Brigus, where many of the sealers from the Southern Cross had lived. “It will pretty well clear out this place,” said one resident of the ship’s loss. According to Kent “The dread of the loss of this steamer had passed almost to certainty and the mention of the house, the wife, the children, the hopes and ambitions of any of those on her became a tragedy.” You can visit Rockwell Kent’s home in Brigus today.

Following the Fairies in French’s Cove ? , originally uploaded by eracose.

Newfoundland is one of the places in the English-speaking world which is well-known for its stories of fairies. However, be warned – our fairies are more like Brothers Grimm’s Rumpelstiltskin than Disney’s Tinker Bell.  Although the tradition of believing in these supernatural beings is quickly dying, a number of tales about then still exist in the Baccalieu Trail area. Many people can still describe fairies, as well as tell stories of encounters with them.
In an area with such close ties with the sea, these short tales of the relationship of the people to the land seen strangely out-of-place. Yet, when daily life of the outport is considered, the woods and the barrens are inseparable elements of people’s existence, providing fire wood, building materials, berries, trout, rabbits, partridge, as well as hours of entertainment spent hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping. In these stories the affinity of the people for the outdoors is contrasted with their fears. It is possible to emotionally feel the eerie silence of being lost and alone on the barrens or in the woods.

With these photos on Flickr, I have attached fairly stories collected a number of years ago from students at Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts.

Fairy Light – Glowing Jade Green

Lost Girl from South River

Fairy Touched.

Is the tremendous potential of women to advance society in creative, vital and energetic new ways being tapped for the first time in our history?  Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the few places on earth where women are running all three major political parties.  I would like to see a public event where these three women have an opportunity to speak, explaining  their goals as leaders.

Kathy Dunderdale - Will be 10th Premier

In the past, many women politicians have mirrored the attitudes and policies of their male counterparts to achieve success in “a man’s world.”  They have attacked and crashed the male-dominated political environment of confrontation, harsh competition, and closed male-networks.  The prime example would be Margaret Thatcher

Critical Mass

Yvonne Jones - Opposition Leader

In our province, we have reached a “Critical Mass” of female participation at the highest level of political parties.  Will these   women be able make any significant changes to the conduct of politics?

Traditional Women’s Attributes

Traditional women’s roles require them to have tremendous skills in time-management, in people management, and in developing workable solutions to problems.  Will these women attempt to make politics about issues, valid differences of opinions, seeking the best solution, rather than posturing, following the party line, confrontation, and name-calling?

Lorraine Michael - Leader NDP

Stands on Issues of Concern to Women

What are the stands of these women on issues of great concern to women?  Studies have shown that women place priority on policies related to women’s traditional roles as caregivers in society, including: health care, children and the family, education, environment, housing and the elderly.  Will they bring more focus to those issues, and more importantly, what are their priorities?  Have they examined the economic policy process from a women’s perspective? Will they encourage more women to become entrepreneurs and to assume leadership roles in business and their communities?

Please Ladies – Make a Change!

If these women meet the potential of the moment, they can achieve a great deal.  They can bring civility and cooperation back to our political system.  Disagreeing on the fundamentals of policy, does not mean that people have to be disagreeable.  They can rationally delineate their policies, explaining their political stands on issues.  They can cooperate for the good of the province where possible. And just as importantly, they can become role models to younger women, encouraging the full and equal participation of women in business, political, civil, economic, social, and cultural life.

Please ladies, try.  We are counting on you.

Madrock – Shoreline Heritage Walk – Bay Roberts, Photo: Sandra Roach, originally uploaded by unclemose.

National Geographic Traveler Magazine rated the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador the top rated coastal destination of 99 reviewed in the November – December 2010 issue.  The article quotes one of the reviewers:

Professor Michael Hall, who teaches tourism and marketing at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury. contends that the Avalon Peninsula has struck the right balance, extolling its “stunning natural and cultural integrity.” He goes even further, calling it “one of the best-kept tourism secrets.”

Living and working in the town Bay Roberts, in the Northern Avalon, I am always amazed by the beauty, the fresh air, and the many moods of the Atlantic Ocean.  However, as Professor Michael Hall points out, equally important is the preservation of cultural integrity.

Groups within the city of St. John’s have worked tirelessly to preserve the “stunning natural and cultural integrity” of the city. And in most small towns, like Bay Roberts, people are doing their part.

Withstanding forces that attempt to homogenize North America, so that each place is a cookie cutter version of others, is a difficult path, especially in the tourism industry. Frequently, tourists look for the quaint and unusual, in a Disneyesque environment – where they can observe “the locals,” but retreat to the comfort of accommodations and people similar to those they would experience at home.

What we have, in addition to our magnificent scenery, is a genuine culture and way of life that has developed over hundreds of years. I hope we do not lose sight of that reality to offer “eye candy ” for the tourism industry.

The Late Lloyd C. Rees of CBS

Someone who said that best was the late Lloyd C. Rees of CBS, who passed away recently.   Although we never met in person, we corresponded by email for a several years after I asked permission to use his photos for the Northern Avalon Tourism Association.  He offered his photos free of charge to the Tourism Association, although he expressed reservations about ‘putting our culture on display’ as a product for sale.  His appreciation for the region, especially his home town of Lance Cove, Bell Island, is clear in his photos.

I have included a gallery of a few of the photos, that he gave permission for the Northern Avalon Tourism Association to use, as a tribute to Mr. Rees and his love of the Avalon Peninsula of province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Rest in peace, Lloyd Rees. I hope we will always value and support  our unique heritage and culture, and share with each other, and with visitors who appreciate our way of life.

“Smokeroom on the Kyle” by Ted Russell, originally uploaded by unclemose.

Bay Roberts, like many communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, has always been subject to the whims and whallops of the Atlantic Ocean. We were very fortunate last weekend for two reasons. First – our town (unlike many communities along the eastern coastlines of our province) was spared the worst effects of Hurricane Igor. Second – we enjoyed a wonderful weekend with “Culture Days.”

While we cannot forget our friends and neighbours who have been subjected to such destruction and suffering, we want to acknowledge this weekend which celebrated a way of life which has always been dependent on the Atlantic Ocean.

Gus Menchions [95 years old] cuts Kyle cake with Sandra Roach of the Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation

More photos from Culture Days at the Amalgamated Academy on Flickr > >

Labrador Fishery Television Broadcast at the Amalgamated Academy

The first event was a celebration of the people from the community who participated in the Labrador Fishery. Principal Violet Parsons-Pack, her staff and the student body of the Amalgamated Academy took part in the presentation through their internal television broadcasting system.  David Gill, technology specialist, set up the production in the Resource Centre.  Students operated the cameras and teleprompter.

Program of Labrador Film Festival

• A reading each of the 17 verses of Ted Russell’s  “Smokeroom on the Kyle” by a student representative from each class.
• Showing of 4 Video interviews (approximately 10 minutes each)  with seniors who participated in the Labrador Fishery which were produced in 2009 by the Bay Roberts 50 Plus Club, students of Ascension Collegiate High School, and the Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation with funding by New Horizons Canada. The interviews were with Cecil Greenland of Coley’s Point (104 years old);  Emmie Roach of Coley’s Point (90 years old); Gus Menchions of Bay Robers (95 years old); and Ralph Greenland of Coley’s Point (80 years old.)
• Cutting the SS Kyle Culture Days Cake (prepared by Powell’s Supermarket) by Gus Menchions, special guest for the Film Festival and Sandra Roach, General Manager of the Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation.

Cooperation from Principal Violet Parsons-Pack, staff and students of the Amalgamated Academy was outstanding, especially since the school was closed for two days due to Igor.

Principal Violet Parsons-Pack and Corey Morgan, Performing Arts Teacher

“Salt-Water Moon” by David French

Robyn Brockerville as Mary Snow and Bobby Hogan as Jacob Mercer.

Jerry Mercer, who had produced “Salt-Water Moon” by David French for his summer theatre at the Victoria LOL#3 Museum and Playhouse, happily agreed to produce the show on  Friday and Saturday night for Culture Days.  The feeling at the show was unbelievable!!  “Salt-Water Moon” echos voices from our community’s past – from “charming tooth aches” to warding off “fairies” with  bread crusts to the evils “truck system” to traveling on the SS Kyle. It was as though the audience and actors were “one,” laughing out loud and crying together.

Marc Warren, Director and Jerry Mercer, Producer

More photos from “Saltwater Moon” on Flickr > >

Techniques of the Pigeon Inlet Quilters

“Mayor Glen Littlejohn – Pigeon Inlet Quilt and Community

On Saturday afternoon, the Pigeon Inlet Quilters met with interested members of the general public to discuss techniques of landscape quilting in general, and specifically the the subject matter of the Pigeon Inlet Quilt and how it was made.

Ready for questions about landscape quilting

More photos from the Pigeon Inlet Quilt on Flickr > >