New-found-land

 

  

  

Newly « found » Land

It was a long haul from Western Canada to Western Newfoundland, Canada’s easternmost province. It’s mostly an Island with a small section of the mainland of Canada designated as its assurance of a connection to the rest of the country —that piece of land is called Labrador.

When you add on to the travel time the five time zones, the change in time is somewhat substantial. It was especially difficult to adjust a few days after a long haul return from Europe! I felt like the definition of weary.

Soon after arriving, I plunged onto a fine firm mattress and conked out almost immediately around 9 pm. I  slept through the night until 7:30. 

Feeling sprite and rested, I was energized and ready to explore the immediate surroundings of my temporary domicile. I gobbled down a couple pieces of toasted locally made bread smeared with peanut butter, and drank steamed milk with regular coffee.

My host prepared a comprehensive plan for the day to show me her village and surrounding areas.  We mostly followed the shoreline of Bonne Bay within the Strait of Belle Isle which is a tributary of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence flowing north alongside Labrador, reconnecting to the Atlantic Ocean and on to the Arctic Ocean. 

Catherine showed me the local bakery, Inns, restaurants, churches, museum, craft shops, ice cream parlour, a garage sale, and a fabulous Fish and Chips restaurant where we enjoyed fresh cod and golden brown fries, with gravy! We stopped at an inland hardware store, a gas station, and an auto repair shop to check a leaking tire. 

On another day, after a church service, she took me to the Cat Stop Waterfront Pub for lunch outside, along side the harbour taxi service, and the boat and kayak launch area. It is a popular happening place. The fresh cod tacos and Nova Scotia cider were fantastic.

Every subsequent day I embarked on a three kilometer walk towards the town section of Norris Point. Waving at every driver and person you see is a “thing” I particularly enjoyed. 

There is a local hangout there called The Old Store Café. It became my daily destination. It serves a variety of specialty coffees, locally roasted coffee, fresh baking and freshly made wraps, bagels and sandwiches. This café can seat up to twenty people, and the front patio can sit two sets of pairs. There I enjoyed my first Gull’s Shit muffin (marble cake with white and brown chocolate chips) and fabulous cappuccino. The other days I picked something different from the fresh baking section and, ultimately, bought their roasted coffee beans as a wonderful souvenir. Oh yes, this café has free WiFi. The cozy chair by the bookshelf became known as “my” chair.

Each place we or I went to gave me a sense of the Newfoundland accents or dialect — some very different or difficult to figure out, but it doesn’t take long to catch on. I engaged with everyone, showing genuine interest in their upbringing, their work and their family history. I learned a lot from my host and each person I met.

The bottom line seems to be most younger generation Newfoundlanders yearn to leave the Rock asap, and they do. But apparently 75% of them return, get married, raise a family, develop business interests in a diversity of fields, and stay put for the rest of their lives. Some return home after a lifetime on the main part of Canada, and return home for a happy, healthy, peaceful retirement. Others, like Clyde and Helen, are sure to return for family visits or vacation time.

Another example would be the guy behind the counter at the gas bar confectionary. Rodney is a talker. A fast talker. Often I’d stare at him without a reply. I clearly looked perplexed and he figured out I wasn’t a local. He graciously slowed down his speech and switched to a better version of English. He was born and raised right there in Norris Point. One of six kids. He left after Grade 11 to join a travelling circus. He did that for a few years and realised he missed being home. He returned, married, raised a family and became a local landowner and businessman with his hands in a variety of income generating ventures. Stories like his are plentiful.

The whole Norris Point area is beautiful, calm and quiet. The pride of the people who live there is evident in their brightly coloured homes, clean yards, freshly cut lawns, beautiful gardens, swept driveways, and sturdy, colourful garbage bins are displayed as personalized monuments at the front corners of properties.

Some afternoons I ventured out in the opposite direction to a dead-end called Neddies Harbour — named after local pioneer Neddy Norris. There is a large Inn and restaurant called the Black Spruce. 

Out front, facing the Strait of Belle Isle, are five colourful Adirondack chairs.  I sat there on the green one, with my notebook in hand, and started writing this story. 

The glistening calm water in front of me moved gently with the feel of the wind — much like the gel ink pen writing on my paper. A couple of kayakers were paddling themselves out into the open water. The sun was shining. Sky was blue. Air was warm and the words just kept flowing. 

As I glanced over to my left, I saw the oddest thing. I got up for a closer look. Someone had sliced a large sheet of metamorphic rock and placed it on a solid foundation, creating a table. Around it were various types of individual seats and a bench, made from the same rock. 

I placed my notebook on the black tabletop, sat on the bench and drafted some secondary notes, as gusts of wind suddenly flipped the pages every which way. I had to wait for it to pass. It was a very wild wind storm.  I’m not sure what happened to those kayakers but, the pause made me contemplative and that was exactly what I needed to move the story forward.

Newfoundland and Labrador were built on the backs of a determined people. There is no doubt they struggled but fought through every challenge to create a workable foundation. Out of desperation, when their ties to Great Britain faded, they officially joined Canada in 1949, with tails between legs. This was long after the Canadian Confederation was formed. Going forward alone, despite foreign support, was just not feasible. Times in Great Britain were tough and they simply could not continue to provide guidence, support or assistance as previously promised. Joining with Canada was the best option.

Regardless, to this day, they remain a determined, proud people who work hard, valuing life. land and living. You can hear it in their voices, see it in their hands and feel it in their lifestyles. Theirs is truly a geographic love story of staying true to their roots and working together through the toughest of times — a Canadian love story like no other.

Peace is what my short visit to Norris Point has given me. Feelings of Serenity, Beauty, and Pride are everywhere. My trip was not filled with hustle and bustle nor a whole lot of comings and goings. My time was rooted in one place, a small place with pleasant people, proud people, and a story of what hard work and determination can do to keep a community alive. 

I truly enjoyed a plethora pleasantries: fresh sea air, exercise, good food, heartfelt conversations, a warm welcome, plus sunshine, wind and a bit of sprinkle on a newly found land (location), within the country I love most 🇨🇦 . 

Oh yes, and a lot of waves! 👋 ♥️ 🌊