Basic Folklore and Oral History Interviewing Course

 

Join Heritage NL for this four-week course to learn all you need to know to get started on your oral history projects!

Basic Folklore and Oral History Interviewing Course

This course is offered as a WHAM! partnership and is considered a core course for MANL’s Museum Studies Certificate Program, but you do not need to be enrolled in the program to participate in the workshop.

Calling all budding folklorists and armchair historians! This workshop is open to anyone with an interest in local history, culture and folklore, and who wishes to learn more about safeguarding our cultural heritage through the medium of oral histories.

The course will give a background on conducting research interviews in the field. It will provide an overview of the methodology and explore the practical matters of creating, designing, and executing effective oral history research projects, project planning, interview questions, ethical issues, and recording equipment.

Over the four week course, participants will conduct an interview, prepare archival metadata, and work collaboratively to create a finished oral history project. Participants will need to bring their own laptop/tablet, all other materials provided. If you have your own digital recording device (tablet, iPhone, mp3 recorder, etc) you are encouraged to bring it, but it is not required.

The workshop will be taught by folklorist Terra Barrett, Intangible Cultural Heritage Program Planner for Heritage NL. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Folklore and a Master of Arts in Public Folklore from Memorial University. Terra sits on several boards including the Mummers Festival, and has experience working with Memorial University’s Folklore and Language Archives, Them Days, and The Rooms.

Click here to register!

Monday Nights, 7pm-9pm
February 9th-March 2nd, 2026
Workshop fee: $100 (preregistration required, limited to 8 participants)
Location: Newman Building, 1 Springdale Street, St. John’s
(This is office space which is unfortunately located on the second floor of the building so it is not fully accessible. We will be offering a digital version of the course in the future so stay tuned.)

For more information, contact Terra Barrett at 709-739-1892 x2, or email terra@heritagenl.ca

In which we celebrate our 100th edition of the Heritage Update newsletter!

 In our 100th (happy anniversary to us!) issue, the Heritage Update has stories on:

• Conference Tips and Tricks
• Youth Heritage Forum 2026
• The Torbay Scanning Party coming up on February 7th at the Torbay History House
• the Hant’s Harbour Old Post Office 
• A look back at our 2025 Heritage Plaques
• Commemorating Louise Saunders
• and the return of our popular Basic Folklore and Oral History Interviewing Course!

download the pdf newsletter here

A Note on the Architecture and History of the Nurse Myra Bennet House, Daniel’s Harbour

The home of Nurse Myra Bennet, known as Newfoundland’s Florence Nightingale, is a testament to her and her husband, Angus’, dedication to their community. The house was built by Angus in 1922 and was a two-storey with a low pitched hipped roof, and on the front, had two two-storey bay windows. 

In a submission to Downhome Magazine by Myra and Angus’ daughter Grace, wrote about the house:

He [Angus] had seen a house in Halifax with four bay windows on the front, one for the dining room and one for the living room and two upstairs for the bedrooms. He had to go into the woods, chop down the trees, and saw the lumber in the saw mill and using an ox and sleigh haul it out to the site in which he was doing the building. He had put a verandah on the back, it had four bedrooms, a bathroom, a place for linen, and two clothes closets. There was a space for a bathroom but indoor plumbing wasn’t used in Daniels Harbour, that would come later. Large kitchen and a pantry was built and in the pantry he found a running spring. What a find!!! We had fresh water without going to the well under the hill to bring buckets back to the house. He put a pump in and it served us very well.

Grace’s full letter can be found here: https://downhomelife.com/submission/nurse-myra-bennett-as-told-by-daughter-grace/ 

When Myra first arrived to Newfoundland from England in 1921 through NONIA, she was appointed to the North-West coast as the only medical caretaker in a nearly 320 kilometer region. Even after the two-year contract was complete, she continued her role despite the low–and at times, non-existant–compensation, and when patients could not pay, Angus helped by footing the bill.

As the nearest hospital was in St. Anthony (260 kilometers away), the kitchen of the Bennett home became the medical clinic. This set up continued until 1942 when Angus added a separate clinic space off the kitchen. Sometime in the 1940s, plumbing was installed to the home, but upon being designated by Heritage NL in 1991, the house remained mostly in its original state. 

Over her official career that lasted from the 1921 until 1953, Myra recorded that she delivered  5,000 babies and pulled 3,000 teeth, however these numbers are certainly higher as she continued working at least into the 1970s.

More details about the house and the Bennett Family, you can check out our webpage: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/nurse-myra-bennett-house-registered-heritage-structure/ 

Report Available! Measuring Muntins: The First Steps in Creating a Chronoloy

Since June of 2025, we have been visiting properties around the Avalon to measure and profile muntin bars from historic wooden windows. We did this because wanted to know how the shape and size of the bars varied, and whether we could find patterns in their style.

In total, we recorded 42 muntin bars, and none of it would have been possible without the help and eagerness of the owners and caretakers who welcomed us to their properties. We want to give a BIG thank you to everyone involved who took the time to share the histories of their properties and their passion for preserving heritage.

In case you're wondering, yes, there was a pattern to the style of muntin's found around the Avalon.

You can check out the details here: https://heritagenl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/045-Measuring-Muntins.pdf

Newest fieldnote: An Architectural History of Bleak House, Fogo

We've been talking a lot about Bleak House in Fogo lately, and we've recently published a fieldnote focused on its architectural history! In it, we discuss the purchase of the Fogo Harbour premises, the building of Bleak House, the transfer of ownership, and more!

Check out our newest field note here: Architectural History of Bleak House, Fogo!

Finding Truth in the Archives! An Updated Construction Date on Bleak House, Fogo

 

In doing research at the provincial archives, we have uncovered new information about the Bleak House in Fogo - that its date of construction was between 1826 and 1827, not 1816 as previously believed! 

You might wonder why we thought the house was built in 1816. Although we all wish archival research were as easy as an online search, having to go through historical records is no small feat. Finding the information you need depends on whether those records were saved, and, importantly, whether they're in the place you're looking.

Previous researchers knew that the premises where Bleak House is located was purchased by John and Robert Slade in 1816, and that it was built sometime after this purchase. After decades, this understanding of built after turned into built around and finally into built in 1816. And this is why it's important to do regular research and always be searching for new resources that could clarify our understanding of the past. 

We found this document called the General Description of Premises at Fogo, belonging to and in the occupation of R (Robert), D (David) and J (John) Slade, from 1834 located at the Rooms. 

Below you can see the Dwelling House that was recorded to be built in 1826 - 1827, and below "By DS Esq." (David Slade). 

It describes a Dwelling House that "consists of 3 floors - 1st passage (hallway) and 2 parlours - 2nd chambers - 5 - 3rd Attic, Kitchen Attached."

Its dimensions are also recorded as length x breadth x height to top of roof x height of stud

House: 41 1/2 feet x 31 feet x 23 feet x 16 feet

Kitchen: 20 feet x16 feet x 13 1/2 feet x 8 feet 

Since the construction of Bleak House, there have been a number of renovations and additions, so finding an original description of the house is very exciting! 

Speaker Introduction- Dr. Dean Oliver

 

Dr. Dean Oliver will be speaking at the 2025 Heritage Conference, Friday Oct 17th at 6pm, with his topic "Does Diversity have an Opposite". 

Dean F. Oliver, PhD, has been Director of Museum Services at Know History since September 2023. His former 25 years of executive public service included nine as Senior Director of Research and Chief Curator at the Canadian Museum of History, where he supervised national programs of archaeology, history, musicology, folklore, and Indigenous experience, as well as the museum's library and archives. A military historian by training, he led creative development at the Canadian War Museum for 14 years, including its exhibitions, research, interpretive planning, public programs, and resource centre. He is the co-author of the national award-winning Oxford Companion to Canadian Military History. For eight years, Dr. Oliver was a member of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, and he remains a frequent media and public commentator on issues of history, heritage, conflict, and commemoration. Dr. Oliver was knighted by Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands in 2010 for 'service to society'.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 Heritage Conference to hear other organizations' projects, plans and accomplishments. 

For more information, visit the conference website at: https://museumsnl.ca/2025-heritage-conference/

Meet Joy Barfoot, Greenspond Historical Society

 

Joy Barfoot will be speaking in the Peer Share Panel on Saturday, October 18th at the upcoming heritage conference.

With an Education degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Folklore, from Memorial University, Joy was determined to make her passion her career. Joy has worked more than three decades in the natural history and heritage sector. She has worked both as a classroom teacher and as an outdoor educator. She has developed a number of teacher resource guides on various topics throughout her career and has contributed articles to various magazines and journals, including The Green Teacher Magazine and The Greenspond Letter. For the past 15 years, Joy has worked with the Art Gallery, Museums and Visitor Engagement Department at The Rooms, and today manages the Education and Public Programming unit, a position that brings a lot of fulfillment. Programming, community history and engagement lies at the heart of Joy’s career, and in her spare time she dedicates countless hours preserving and sharing the history of her hometown of Greenspond, Bonavista Bay. She is a member of the Greenspond Historical Society, where her role spans many fields including developing and delivering presentations highlighting the history of Greenspond, spearheading fundraising efforts, coordinating a volunteer program, and assisting with the development of exhibits for the Historic courthouse. No visit to Greenspond is complete without volunteering some time at the courthouse where she loves greeting visitors and sharing stories of home. Joy currently lives in St. John’s with her husband, Peter and their fur-baby, Bailey.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 Heritage Conference to hear other organizations' projects, plans and accomplishments. 

For more information, visit the conference website at: https://museumsnl.ca/2025-heritage-conference/

Meet Chantelle Evans, Nunatsiavut

Chantelle Evans will be speaking at the Amplifying Craft panel and the Coffee and Crafts Break at the upcoming heritage conference.

Chantelle Evans is the Arts Services Manager with the Nunatsiavut Government, where she plays a key role in supporting Inuit artists, preserving traditional art forms, and growing creative opportunities across Nunatsiavut. Based in her home community of Makkovik, Labrador, Chantelle brings a strong connection to Inuit culture, hands-on artistic experience, and a deep commitment to community-led arts development. With a background in Visual Arts and textile, Craft & Apparel Design, Chantelle has worked as both an artist and educator, specializing in contemporary garment design based on traditional wear. Her work has been featured in exhibitions such as SakKijâjuk: Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut, and she was selected to participate in Canada Goose’s Project Atigi, highlighting Indigenous designers. In her role as Arts Services Manager, Chantelle supports artists across the five Nunatsiavut communities working to preserve and grow Inuit artistic practices by fostering intergenerational knowledge sharing, coordinating arts funding, and building partnerships that increase visibility and support for Labrador Inuit artists. Her work is grounded in the belief that the arts are essential to cultural strength, community identity, and self-determination.

Working primarily with traditional materials and patterns, Chantelle blends cultural heritage with contemporary design, creating one-of-a- kind garments that reflect her personal style while honoring Inuit traditions. Her work is vibrant, process-driven, and deeply rooted in both community and craft. She holds a certificate in Textiles: Craft and Apparel Design from the Anna Templeton Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and has recently completed a weaving apprenticeship, further expanding her skills and creative approach. Her continued exploration of textile techniques allows her to design and produce contemporary garments that bridge traditional and modern aesthetics. Chantelle’s work has been featured in several high-profile projects, including commissioned pieces for Inuk Opera Singer Deantha Edmunds-Ramsay, Canada Goose’s Project Atigi, MMIWG initiatives, the Canada 150 Choir, the Ullugiagatsuk Choir, and the Inuktut Speak-Off. She also participated in the nationally touring exhibition SakKijâjuk: Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut and Dynamic Connections: Threads of Living Memory Exhibition. Chantelle continues to develop her practice, staying committed to creative expression that celebrates Inuit culture through evolving forms of textile art and fashion. Her most current works can be found on social media under Tautulle by Chantelle Evans

Register for the 2025 Heritage Conference to hear about the Newfoundland and Labrador craft scene and its part in heritage.

For more information, visit the conference website at: https://museumsnl.ca/2025-heritage-conference/