Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Celebrating the Traditional Skills of the Humber Valley

A woman standing in a field gathering wild flowers
photo courtesy Lauralee Ledrew, Cormack



Heritage NL has been working with the Department of Folklore and the Harris centre at Memorial University on a traditional skills inventory for the Humber Valley.  The following communities are included in the study: Steady Brook, Little Rapids, Humber Village, Humber Valley Resort, Pasadena, Pynn’s Brook, Little Harbour, St. Judes, Deer Lake, Reidville, Cormack, and Howley. 

The study is now finished, and is presented in two parts. First is the Humber Valley Skills Inventory (2024) which showcases individual makers, crafters, and artists in the region. The second is a report entitled Needs and Gaps Related to Traditional Knowledge Transfer in the Humber Valley, NL (2024), which explores challenges related to traditional skills.

And as a followup to a recent Thriving Regions workshop in Deer Lake, we have set up a new facebook group, Humber Valley Traditional Skills, for those people wishing to discuss or share opportunities for knowledge transfer:


Thanks to Harris Centre for their support and to the work of our researchers: Denise McKeown, research assistant & writer; Felicia Omodunke Somolu, graphic designer; Emlyn Tuck, needs and gaps researcher; Rose Baruh and Era Mahmuda, archival research. Thanks also to Heritage NL staff Andrea O’Brien and Terra Barrett, for fieldwork assistance and editing.

There are also collections of material related to both the Humber Valley generally and Deer Lake specifically on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative:

https://dai.mun.ca/digital/ich_wn/

Monday, February 12, 2024

Talking about Wool - From Sheep to Socks

A sheep standing in front of a microphone


Do you produce, have, use, or love wool? 

Memorial folklore students are looking for wool enthusiasts in Newfoundland and Labrador to interview, photograph, or maybe visit, with the aim of developing a series of student papers and podcasts about the wool industry. 

Heritage NL is working with the students of Folk6400, a Graduate Seminar in Material Culture at Memorial University, to study the linkages between local raw wool and the crafting of products from that material. Are you a sheep farmer with underutilized wool? Are you a felter looking for a source of wool for your next project? Are you a new or experienced entrepreneur who has thoughts or questions about making or marketing wool-based craft in NL? If yes, our students want to talk to you! 

https://forms.gle/bzYcNGk5HB5eMVkN9 

Friday, February 2, 2024

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Heritage NL Designates Three New Registered Heritage Structures



Photos of new Registered Heritage Structures. From Left to Right: Indian Cove School, Labrador; Cable Superintendent’s House in Heart's Content; and the Ross Property in Burin (photo courtesy of Russell Lynch).


Three historic properties in Burin, Indian Cove, and Heart’s Content have been awarded a heritage designation by Heritage NL. The designations include a one-room school, Anglo-American Telegraph Company housing, and a family home. 


The Indian Cove One Room School, constructed around 1940, provided a space for education for Indigenous and settler children until the community was resettled to nearby Mary’s Harbour in the late 1950s. Located by the waterfront in the center of the fishing village of Indian Cove, this one-story school building has remained primarily unchanged since construction. The school includes several pieces of original furniture, including wooden pews, chairs and desks, and a slate chalkboard. In recent years, the Indian Cove One Room School has become a community space again, hosting weddings and celebrations of life, and is located along a Battle Harbour Trust walking trail. Learn more from our website: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/indian-cove-school-registered-heritage-structure/


The Cable Superintendent’s House is located on Parish Hall Hill in the Heart’s Content designated Heritage District. Constructed between 1881 and 1883 as housing for the Anglo-American Telegraph Company Superintendents, the house was designed by J.T. Southcott in the Second Empire style with a mansard roof and dormer windows. The Cable Superintendent’s House is part of the transatlantic cable history of Heart’s Content, including the Heart’s Content Cable Station Provincial Historic Site, which is currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Status. Learn more here: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/cable-superintendents-house-registered-heritage-structure/



The Ross Property in Burin, also known as the “Red House,” is located off Little Burin Harbour and includes a family home, a small stage, and two outbuildings. Built circa 1888, the Ross house was constructed for George Ross and his wife, Charlotte Foote Ross, by her father, William Foote. George Ross was a blacksmith who operated a forge on the property from the mid-1890s to 1919, after which his son Charles took over following George Ross’s death. The Ross House is a 2.5-storey saltbox structure with a steep gable roof and central chimney. More information is available on our website: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/ross-property-registered-heritage-structure/


“These properties reflect the varied history of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador as seen through built heritage,” says Dr. Lisa Daly, chair of Heritage NL. “Compared to the island, there are very few designated properties in Labrador, so we are pleased to designate the Indian Cove One Room School House as a built heritage that represents some of the complicated history of Indigenous and settler education in the province, and see its use as a community space. The Cable Superintendent’s House was built for Newfoundland’s role in transatlantic communications, keeping North America better connected to Europe. And the Ross Property was a blacksmith, a trade that was needed in every region to support fishing, farming, construction, and more. We are pleased to continue to work with the owners of heritage properties to continue to preserve the built heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador.”


Heritage NL was established in 1984 to preserve one of the most visible dimensions of Newfoundland and Labrador culture - its architectural heritage. Heritage NL designates buildings and other structures as Registered Heritage Structures and may provide grants for the purpose of preservation and restoration of such structures.


Friday, January 19, 2024

Heritage Update January 2024: Presentations, plaques, photographs, and a ribbon cutting!


In the first edition of the Heritage Update for 2024:

  • Heritage NL is the recipient of the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming for its Craft at Risk project; 
  • updating property plaques for Registered Heritage Structures to include the stories of the women who lived there, with a note on Lambert and Johanna Greene House and Outbuildings, Tilting, Fogo Island; 
  • Heritage NL visits the Eastport Peninsula to host scanning parties in Salvage and Eastport, to document, preserve and share old photographs for the communities; 
  • looking back at Heritage NL’s Skills Training and Mentor-Apprentice Program, with a peek inside the heritage window workshop of Neil Hammond; 
  • and the City of St. John's and Heritage NL cut the ribbon on the official reopening of the Bowring Park Cantilever Bridge. 

download the pdf here

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Made in Canada: Sustainable Fibre Arts Conference 2024

 


The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the provincial Year of the Arts initiative, has the pleasure to announce the Made in Canada: Sustainable Fibre Arts Conference 2024. The Conference is taking place from September 19 to 23, 2024, in Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you would like additional information, please find the Conference’s website through the embedded link. 


Organizations can contact the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador directly if interested in becoming sponsors.


Wednesday, January 17, 2024

You are invited to the Humber Valley Thriving Regions workshop Jan 31


Heritage NL will be in Deer Lake on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM as part of the Harris Centre research project from Memorial, presenting on the Humber Valley Traditional Skills inventory. 

If you'd like to attend, it is free, with lunch provided, but you need to register in advance


Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Supporting Crafts at Risk during the Holiday Season.

 A great way to support Crafts at Risk this holiday season is to buy local! When it’s possible for you, consider heritage crafts for your next purchase or gift. 


Mile-a-minute quilt by Mary Elliott of Main Brook.



Many of our Mentors and Apprentices sell their work at a variety of locations both in person and online! Follow them on social media or reach out to inquire about purchasing a piece:


Websites:

Susan Furneaux - https://www.susanfurneaux.com/

Lori McCarthy - https://www.lorimccarthy.ca/

Sylvie Mitford - https://www.artemiswoven.com/

Charlotte Reid - https://yaycharlottestreet.wixsite.com/charst

Jennifer Morgan - https://jenniferleemorgan.ca/about/contact-me-and-links/

Ian Gillies - https://iangillies.ca/

Marnie Parsons - https://runningthegoat.com/marnie-parsons/

Abby Hann - https://www.puritysyruppress.com/shop


Instagram:

Megan Samms - @livetextiles

Jane Walker - @janevwalker

Stephanie Stoker- @sheaoli

Jessica McDonald - @my_wovenwords

Christian Dauble - @wovenlore

Morgaine Parnham - @treelinefinecraft

Dennis Flood - @artist_blacksmith

Sandi Yates - @sandiyates709

Neil Hammond - @hammondwoodwork


Facebook:

Chantelle Evans - Tautulle by Chantelle Evans

Nicole Travers - Blomidon Beadwork

Guy Barnable - Drangan Landscaping

Sarah MacAulay - Sarah MacAulay Art

Eileen Murphy - Baskets by Eileen

Tina White - NatureMinded


Etsy:

Erica Dawe - https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/EricaJaneDesign

Duncan and Katie Major - https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/walpurgispress


Work by mentors and apprentices can also be found at Great Caribou Studio & Cafe in Mary’s Harbour, Glen John Craft Shop in Conne River, or King’s Point Pottery in King’s Point. The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quidi Vidi Artist Studios are also excellent locations to buy local craft. There are also many local craft fairs in the lead up to the holiday season.

Let us know your favourite place to shop for local craft!

Monday, November 20, 2023

You are invited to An Old Picture Night!

 


Thursday, November 23rd, 7:30 PM
Beaches Arts and Heritage Annex, Eastport


Are you interested in old pictures of Salvage and Eastport? Heritage NL is hosting an Old Picture Sharing Night on Thursday, November 23rd at the Beaches Arts and Heritage Annex in Eastport. Come see some old pictures from the Eastport Peninsula, followed by a brief presentation by the MUN Folklore department about their research in the area.


This event is free but does require attendees to pre-register. Follow the link here to pre-register: https://forms.gle/VyBZNtK1SfJn2hVP9



Organized in partnership with the

  Eastport Peninsula Arts and Heritage Society

 and Salvage Fishermans Museum