Chapter by HeritageNL authors in new book - Traditional Food: Sharing Experiences from the Field

The International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region has recently published the book Living Heritage Series – Traditional Food in collaboration with the ICHNGO Forum’s #HeritageAlive. The Living Heritage Series is a serial publication on regional/national transmission and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage elements. It focuses on a different topic each time, discussing the relevant intangible cultural heritage of various regions to raise the visibility of cultural diversity emphasized by the UNESCO.

Living Heritage Series-Traditional Food showcases creative and historical traditional food from around the world through contributions from 16 writers in various countries, including a chapter by Dale Jarvis and Terra Barrett of Heritage NL.

You can download the book as a pdf right here.

Events this week: Christmas Memories, Carols, and Mummers

It is a busy week for intangible cultural heritage in St. John's!

This week:

Mummer Memories Mug Up at Marjorie Mews!

THU, 12 DEC AT 10:00

Marjorie Mews Public Library · St. John's, NL

Cost: Free Event!

Christmas is right around the corner, and that means lots of holiday memories. But is Christmas today exactly what it was years ago? Some of the older traditions are changing, perhaps, and there is always the danger that the stories of yesteryear could vanish.  Don't be a Grinch, and help us save the traditions of Yuletide! We want your memories of mummers, jannies, hobby horses, year-end customs, and how you celebrated the full 12 Days of Christmas. You bring a memory, we'll bring the syrup and jam jams! A free event, sponsored by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, as part of its Memory Mug Up program.

Facebook event listing

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The Heart's Delight - Islington Christmas Carols

THU, 12 DEC AT 2:30 pm

The Rooms

Where: Level 3 Atrium

Cost: Free Event!

If you grew up in Heart's Delight - Islington, your Christmas memories might include waking up late at night to the sound of community men reverently singing two ancient carols, passed down for over a century, in the darkened porch of your home. Other communities in the area, such as Cavendish and Green's Harbour, also once practiced a version of this house-to-house caroling, but today the tradition remains strongest in Heart's Delight-Islington. Join folklorist Dale Jarvis in conversation with the local tradition bearers who are working, and singing, to keep this old Christmas custom shining bright.

The Rooms event listing

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Mummers Parade!

SAT, 14 DEC AT 2PM

The Lantern

35 Barnes Road

Cost: Free Event!

Haul on Mudder's sized 42 bra and get your pillow-stuffed arse down to the Mummers Parade! Let's celebrate our culture and keep our traditions alive. All mummers 'llowed in!

Full details on the Mummers Festival website

Heart’s Delight - Islington Christmas Carols, live at The Rooms this Thursday!

“The Moon Shines Bright, And The Stars Give Light”
The Heart’s Delight - Islington Christmas Carols
The Rooms, St. John's
2:30pm, Thursday, Dec 12th

If you grew up in Heart’s Delight - Islington, your Christmas memories might include waking up late at night to the sound of community men reverently singing two ancient carols, passed down for over a century, in the darkened porch of your home. Other communities in the area, such as Cavendish and Green's Harbour, also once practiced a version of this house-to-house caroling, but today the tradition remains strongest in Heart’s Delight-Islington. Join folklorist Dale Jarvis (and a busload of carolers) in conversation with the local tradition bearers who are working, and singing, to keep this old Christmas custom shining bright.

Cost is free, In partnership with the Mummers Festival

photo courtesy Geraldine Legge.

Heritage Update Newsletter: Good Design, Ruins, Skills, and Christmas Memories

In this edition of the Heritage Update Newsletter: Executive Director Jerry Dick on good design, and the heritage of ruins; Michael Philpott on bringing heritage trades education to NL; our Memory Mug Up returns to Marjorie Mews Library for Christmas; and the Heart's Delight-Islington Christmas carolers will visit The Rooms in St. John's.

Download the newsletter as a pdf here

Living Heritage Podcast Ep163 Clarence Snook, Hant's Harbour Telegrapher and Postmaster

Mr. Clarence Snook was born in Hant’s Harbour on Hallowe'en Day, October 31, 1926.  He was an only child, the son of Alfred and Hazel Snook. As a boy, he was interested in Morse telegraphy, and studied under an ex-school teacher over one winter to learn the skill. The following spring, when postmistress Miss Melina Critch took ill, he was asked if he could fill in. “Well I’ll try to get along with it,” he said, and he did, for 11 years.

In this episode, we talk about his memories of the Hant's Harbour Post Office, his work as a telegrapher, and his time as an RCAF aircraft spotter during the Second World War.



This past summer, intern Patrick Handrigan worked on some drawings and a report for some possible adaptive reuses for the old Hant's Harbour Post Office (see mockup photo below). You can look at Patrick's report here.

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Mummers Festival 2019 is on the way!

The 2019 Mummers Festival runs November 30th to December 18th with events leading up to the Mummers Parade on Saturday, December 14th! Don’t just watch the Parade, be in it! Get yourself dressed up or come to our Rig Up an hour before the Parade to fashion yourself the perfect disguise.

The Parade ends at our Scuff ‘n’ Scoff party with live music, Purity syrup and sweets. The event will feature live music, so expect lots of hard stompin’.

If you really want to spice up your disguise this year, the Festival is hosting several different workshops: make an ugly stick, build a hobby horse, fashion yourself a box, bucket, or pillowcase mask.

There’s 13 events for you to choose from! Get your mummer on!

The Mummers Festival is still looking for volunteers for Parade Day, December 14th, 2019. We’re in need of parade marshals, set up and clean up squads, and more! Volunteers receive a fancy schmancy Festival t-shirt as a thank you. Sign up online by visiting mummersfestival.ca and click on the “Get Involved” link.

For more information and a full listing of events visit mummersfestival.ca

Do you have a memory of Muddy Hole, Shearstown?

Starting in the early 1800s, men from Mercer’s Cove and French's Coves visited the area bordering Bay Roberts and Spaniard’s Bay “chasing the wood” -- collecting winter firewood. As the area was more sheltered than the coast, some families started to overwinter there, returning to Bay Roberts in the spring. Eventually, they settled there permanently.

Some of the earliest family names of the Shearstown pioneers were Holmes, Earle, Hedderson, Badcock, Sparkes, Franey, French, Saunders, and Mercer.  Some settlers like Augustus Mercer worked in the fishery, while John and George Tetford set up a cooperage. The area was originally known as Ryan's Brook or The Gut, but in 1905, the name was changed to Shearstown in honour of the Reverend W.C. Shears.

During its early years, the most prosperous part of Shearstown was the section of the community known as Muddy Hole, which lies near the mouth of the Shearstown River. This was once a bustling trading place where people from Shearstown and its surrounding communities would go to buy supplies.

Do you have a memory of the section of Shearstown known as Muddy Hole? Heritage NL and the Town of Bay Roberts are working on a Virtual Museum Project, and any of your stories, photos, or memories of Muddy Hole are welcome!  You can email Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca or call 1-888-739-1892 x2.

Rehearsing the Heart's Delight-Islington Christmas Carols (and some archival audio).

We've been doing some work to document and share the two traditional Christmas carols that were traditionally sung by men door-to-door on Christmas Eve in the community of Heart's Delight-Islington. The group above will be performing at The Rooms as part of the the afternoon Coffee and Culture session on December 12th.

We have a couple archival recordings of the carols, none of which are of exceptional audio quality, but they will give you an idea of the tune.

First up are two recordings from an audio tape entitled "Ht's. Delight-Is. Carolers 1970-1971" from the collection of Edwin Bishop.   Edwin writes,

"As far as I can recall I recorded it myself at my sister's house (Harry and Elva Morgan) on Northeast Side. I can’t recall most of the names but pretty sure Lewis Legge or Clayton Reid was the leader. My brother James and Jim Reid, Hedley Fost and Gilbert were most likely there."

Download version one as MP3
Download version two as MP3





Next up, in this recording, Joe Crocker, Jim Reid, Fred Fost of Heart's Delight-Islington sing the carols. Recorded early 1980s. Thanks to Shirley Crocker Rockwood for the copy of the recording.
Download the MP3 here

Living Heritage Podcast Ep162 Revitalizing the Heart's Delight-Islington Christmas Carols

In days past, Christmas Eve in Heart’s Delight-Islington would ring with the singing of  their own special Christmas carols. The tradition involved the door-to-door singing of two specific carols which had been passed down over the past century. Originally, they were sung by men, who would travel to every house in the community. Other communities in the area, such as Cavendish and Green's Harbour, also once sang a version of the carols, but the tradition remains strongest in Heart’s Delight-Islington.

The custom continues with some changes over time, but more work is needed to safeguard this very special local tradition.  In this podcast, we chat with Stan Reid and Howard Sooley, two long-time carolers who are working to ensure this tradition is carried on to the next generation.  We talk about the past and present of the tradition, and where they would like to see it in the future.

Note: On Dec 12th, as part of this year's Mummers Festival, The Rooms will be hosting an afternoon Coffee and Culture with participants from Heart's Delight-Islington. Facebook event here. Photo courtesy Geraldine Legge.

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep161 We ❤ Craft Skill Sharing Series

With funding from New Horizons, the Anna Templeton Centre is proud to present the We ❤ Craft Skill Sharing Series - 10 tours, presentations, and workshops that showcase craft in and around St. John's. The events will facilitate the sharing of craft skills between seniors and their community, including other seniors, youth, and the general population.

The focus is not just on traditional Newfoundland and Labrador craft, but also adaptive and international craft and skills. There has been one event, a tour of the embroidery and silver of the Anglican Cathedral, where Joyce King gave a tour of the history and architecture of the Cathedral, Don Beaubier discussed the history and workmanship of some of the silver housed there, and Susan Furneaux discussed the embroidery on display, some of which was made locally by Bunty Severs.

Over November they will host a panel at the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation where three generations of knitters will demonstrate some methods for tricky and difficult techniques, and will take audience questions. At the end of November they will have three workshop on Iris folding, a Dutch technique of using scraps of paper, and because it is hosted by Sheila Ford, a quilter, scraps of fabric, to create beautiful images on cards.

Dr. Lisa Daly is the project organizer for We ❤ Craft, working with a board of women who are passionate about crafting. Lisa is also a member of the Heritage NL board, and has been working in heritage and tourism for almost two decades.

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep160 Listening for La Llorona with Mariana Esquivel Suárez

Mariana Esquivel Suárez (@folklorette) is a Mexican graduate student at Memorial University’s Department of Folklore. She is currently writing her thesis on the legend of La Llorona (the weeping woman) as a symbol of protest in Mexico. Her academic research interests include supernatural folklore, folk religion, and the intersection of folklore and politics.  We talk about the origins of the La Llorona legend, and how it has changed and shifted over time.

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Heritage NL goes Back to School - at the Marjorie Mews Library

Do you remember bringing splits to school for the fire, or being in a school play or concert? Did your school have indoor plumbing, or not? Did you take a school field trip to Bowring Park? Are you a retired teacher or educator? Or maybe you were the reason your teacher wanted to retire! We want to hear your memories!

On November 14th, Heritage NL folklorist Dale Jarvis is hosting a School Days Memory Mug up at the Marjorie Mews Public Library. You bring a memory of your schooldays, we’ll supply the tea and biscuits, and we will all have a chat. It’s free, open to everyone, and there won’t be a test at the end.

School Days Memory Mug Up
Thursday, November 14th, 10am
Marjorie Mews Public Library
12 Highland Drive, St. John's, NL A1A 3C4

Facebook event listing here


For more info:

Dale Jarvis
dale@heritagenl.ca
1-888-739-1892 x2

A Traditional Bonfire Night in Heart's Content - by Claude Rockwood

A Traditional Bonfire Fire

About a month or so before bonfire night a crowd of us, boys and girls ages 8-10, from the Northern Point would rush home from school every day and head for the woods. While the boys cut trees and boughs, the girls would drag them to the wide open field located up behind Uncle Albert and Aunt Lydia’s house (no relation). Believe it or not, but all this was done without grown-up supervision. Then we would pile them as high as we could pile them.

Bonfires could be seen all over the Harbour - Southern Cove, Rockwood’s Room, Rowe’s Bank, and Up the Backway. Now the big thing was to gather up as many boughs and trees as you could so you would have the biggest bonfire in the Harbour.

After the bonfire was over, we would all go to Uncle Albert and Aunt Lydia’s house  for a big scoff of pork and cabbage. For the scoff, we would all bring along some vegetables- cabbage, potatoes, carrot and, of course, each of us would have their own piece of salt meat. Aunt Lydia would supply scoff  vegetables from her own garden, as well. Everyone would sit around and have a fine old feed and chat about anything that came to mind. And you know, the smell of smoke from our clothes didn’t seem to bother them at all. I think Uncle Albert and Aunt Lydia were only too glad to be able to take part in the bonfire night with us children.

Bonfire night went on for several years until Aunt Lydia died in 1947.

This story was related to me, Claude Rockwood, by Mary (Mame) Burrage ( nee Piercey ) who grew up on the Northern Point, Heart's Content. Albert and Lydia Langer were my maternal grandparents.

Photo:  Bonfire Night, Porterville, Newfoundland, 2010, courtesy of Barry Porter. 

Living Heritage Podcast Ep159 Celebrating ICH in Jeonju, South Korea

In this podcast episode, guest host Katie Crane chats with Dale Jarvis of Heritage NL about his recent trip to the city of Jeonju, Korea. Dale talks about his experiences and impressions of Korea and the city of Jeonju, and about receiving the 2019 Jeonju International Award for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). While there, Jarvis also presented on NL heritage programs at the 2019 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage, at the National Intangible Heritage Center (NIHC).

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep158 Remembering Dr. Anna Templeton

Anna Templeton is perhaps best known today for a craft centre named in her honour in downtown St. John’s. But our province's modern crafting scene would not exist as it does today without the woman herself. She was a pioneer of the province’s cottage craft industry. Through her work with the Jubilee Guilds and the Department of Education, Templeton made craftwork accessible and profitable for rural women. She empowered women to learn new skills, gain personal confidence and earn their own income. Anna defied societal expectations of women through her fieldwork and her leadership as she championed the wider recognition of traditional crafts and craftspeople.

On September 18th, 2019, Dr. Anna Templeton was recognized as an Exceptional Person from the Past as part of the Provincial Historic Commemorations program of Heritage NL. In the podcast we share her story, memories of her, and some words from a recording of Dr. Templeton herself.

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Preserving in the Past - The use of red ochre and cutch as a preservative

from: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/singleitem/collection/elrcdne/id/19106/rec/1

European settlers in Newfoundland and Labrador used red ochre as a combination of preservative and colour pigment. One use was for “barking” or “bark tanning” nets, sails, and fishing gear to preserve it. The exact mixture of materials used to tan sails varied over time and from community to community, and it could contain some magical combination of ingredients including red ochre, cod oil, urine, seawater, beeswax, and/or birchbark extracts. The combination of ochre and oil adds to the weight of the canvas, but, “sails dressed by this method are durable, supple, and waterproof so that they do not become stiff and heavy in wet weather” (Worth para. 8).

As another option, sailworkers could use what was known as “cutch” - a type of tree bark extract which was imported to Newfoundland and Labrador from the Victorian period onward. McAlpine's Newfoundland Directory for 1894 to 1897 (151) references St. John’s merchant John Steer as a dealer in “Pitch, Tar Oakum, Resin Cutch, Lime, and Ochre.” Merchant Colin Campbell of St. John’s advertised in the April edition of the Evening Telegram in 1908 that he was wholesaling “Fisher-Lad” brand cutch, available in both blocks and slabs, “pure and unadulterated” which had recently arrived via the steamship Carthaginian.

Where commercial cutch was not available, fishermen made do with what they had, and that usually meant oil and ochre. As Francis Reardon told me,

The other thing that ochre was also used for, it was mixed with seal’s oil and used to put on the sails. It gave the sails on the schooners this really bright red colouring as opposed to now of course the white sails. But years ago when they were using the canvas sails they were red. Red ochre was a preservative, and also seal’s oil gave the sail a bit of a glaze so there was less friction in the wind, and it kept the sail from holding water. The water beaded away from it. 

Doctor and a naturalist Charles Wendell Townsend spent May-June 1909 sailing along the Labrador coast. In his book A Labrador Spring he notes several examples of these ochre-stained sails. Upon visiting the community of Esquimaux Point (likely Havre-Saint-Pierre along the Lower North Shore of Quebec) he noted the local two-masted schooners, describing them as picturesque, “especially when the sails were dyed a light pink or terra cotta red to preserve them from the weather” (Townsend 72-73). Further along the coast, he remarks about the boat he sailed upon:

It was schooner-rigged with two masts, and, although the owners took great pride in the white sails, and said the boat could therefore sail the faster, I myself regretted that the sails were not stained a picturesque red, or pink, or brown, as were those of many other barges in this region. Some of these stains were wonderful bits of colour, shading like a water-colour wash from dark mahogany in one part of the sail, to a light pinkish hue in another part. Others were more uniform, but the effect was always pleasing and suggestive of the colouring of the sails in far less rugged and more smiling waters (Townsend 105). 

If you have a memory of cutch or red ochre being used as a preservative of some kind, send me an email: dale@heritagenl.ca


Works cited

McAlpine's Newfoundland directory, 1894 to 1897. Saint John (N.B.): McAlpine Publishing Co., 1894.

Townsend, Charles Wendell. A Labrador Spring. Boston: Dana Estes & Co, 1910.

Worth, Claude. “DRESSING SAILS from Yacht Cruising by Claude Worth submitted by Jamie Orr.” http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/03/r/vintage/dressing/sails.htm (web accessed 5 March 2019).



This article is an excerpt from:

Jarvis, Dale Gilbert; Barrett, Terra M. The Historical Use of Ochre Pigments in Newfoundland and Labrador. Heritage NL Fieldnotes Series, 003, March 2019. St. John's, NL: Heritage NL."

Living Heritage Podcast Ep157 Pouch Cove SUF Memories

On Thursday, July 18th, 2019,  the Pouch Cove Heritage Society and Heritage NL co-hosted a storytelling and memory sharing session at the Anglican Church Hall, Pouch Cove. The topic was the old Society of United Fishermen (SUF) hall, which the Pouch Cove Heritage Society is in the early process of restoring. Folklorist Dale Jarvis moderated a two part discussion on the history of the SUF, the memories of former members, stories about dances, parades, and funerals, and the role the SUF played in the community. This podcast shares some of those stories, to give you a taste of what was shared that night.

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Heritage interpretation in Atlantic Canada - Breakout session report

Back in September, a contingent of Newfoundland folklorists and cultural workers took part in the "Heritage interpretation in Atlantic Canada: Dialogues between theory and practice"intangible cultural heritage conference, at Cape Breton University in Sydney, NS. We did not get tattoos.

On the last day of the conference, there was a discussion on how best we might be able to promote Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Atlantic Canada.

Two sessions ran simultaneously: one on Academic Research moderated by Chris McDonald, who asked the group to consider the question “What should be the future priorities for researchers in ICH?”; and one on Heritage and the Public Sector moderated by Ronald Labelle who asked the group to consider the question “How can museums and heritage centres contribute to the advancement of ICH?” At the end of the sessions, Dale Jarvis moderated a joint presentation of results, and compiled a report and list of future actions.

That report is available here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18sU3qZS3uYcd0OU6Sm3749aaZdDDJxWTrxG2kjbnL_g/edit?usp=sharing

Get back to work, Jarvis!

Well, I'm officially back in the office. I had a whirlwind couple weeks in Jeonju, South Korea, where Heritage NL won the 2019 Jeonju International Award for safeguarding NL's living heritage. It was a blast! I'm sure I'll post more on that anon, but for now, I'm making a list of all the stuff I need to catch up on (Living Heritage podcasts, case studies, our Craft at Risk survey, etc). If you want a quick peek at what happened at the Awards, you can look at the program booklet here:

• 2019 Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage 

Heritage NL receives prestigious international award for its work on living heritage

Heritage NL receives prestigious international award for its work on living heritage

Heritage NL’s Intangible Cultural Heritage office has been announced as a winner of the 2019 Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

The award is funded by the City of Jeonju, Republic of Korea, to encourage safeguarding practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the global community. Heritage NL’s Intangible Cultural Heritage office was one of forty-eight applicants from 36 different countries to apply for the awards. Only three applicants (individuals and organizations) were selected as finalists.

“This prestigious international award recognizes the major commitment by the Province, communities, tradition bearers and our team at Heritage NL in safeguarding and building capacity to celebrate the rich and diverse cultural traditions which are the very heart of this great place,” says Dave Lough, Heritage NL board chair.

The prize, valued at $10,000 USD, will be presented at a special ceremony September 27th in Jeonju. Heritage NL will be represented by folklorist Dale Jarvis, who has been the foundation’s ICH Development Officer since 2008. Along with Jarvis, the other recipients will be Ananya Bhattacharya (Secretary, Contact Base, India), and Ahmed Skounti (Professor, National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences, Morocco). While there, Jarvis will also present on NL heritage programs at the 2019 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage, at the National Intangible Heritage Center (NIHC) in Jeonju.

The mission of the Heritage NL’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office is to safeguard and sustain the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador for present and future generations everywhere, as a vital part of the identities of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and as a valuable collection of unique knowledge and customs. This is achieved through initiatives that celebrate, record, disseminate, and promote our living heritage and help to build bridges between diverse cultural groups within and outside Newfoundland and Labrador.


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For more information on the 2019 Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage see:  http://www.cics.center/jiapich_2019/

Historic Commemorations for Red Indian Lake and Dr. Anna Templeton

For Immediate Release
St. John’s, NL

Heritage NL - in partnership with The Rooms and NL Credit Union - will be announcing this year’s designations to the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program (PHCP) on Wednesday, September 18th, at 7:00 pm at The Rooms Theatre, 9 Bonaventure Ave., St. John’s, NL. The Hon. Bernard Davis, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation - along with representatives of the heritage, craft and Indigenous community - will join Heritage NL at this year’s event.

The PHCP (administered by Heritage NL) commemorates provincially significant aspects of our history and culture. It is unique in that it also recognizes intangible aspects of our culture and heritage – the customs, cultural practices, traditional skills and knowledge that define our province and our people.

Since the Program's inception in 2010, 35 designations have been made, including the two designations being recognized on September 18th: Red Indian Lake as a Unique Place and Dr. Anna Templeton as an Exceptional Person from the Past.

Red Indian Lake has a place in the collective imagination of this province. It has been a place of refuge and a place of promise. The Beothuk spent the last years of their existence on the shores of Red Indian Lake. A century later, as the railway pushed into the interior of the island, Lewis Miller started a logging operation here. The town named after him would be settled by fishermen who traded skiffs and fishing premises for saws and logging camps. Two decades later a mine was established on the northern shore of Red Indian Lake and Buchans was quickly developed, along with a new “company town” way of life. The railway town of Buchans Junction developed as a branch line from the main railroad was constructed to facilitate the transportation of equipment and minerals to and from Buchans mine. At first glance, these four communities have little in common. But they all have a story to tell about how a hinterland became home.   

Anna Templeton is perhaps best known today for a craft centre named in her honour in downtown St. John’s. But our province's modern crafting scene would not exist as it does today without the woman herself. She was a pioneer of the province’s cottage craft industry. Through her work with the Jubilee Guilds and the Department of Education, Templeton made craftwork accessible and profitable for rural women. She empowered women to learn new skills, gain personal confidence and earn their own income. Anna defied societal expectations of women through her fieldwork and her leadership as she championed the wider recognition of traditional crafts and craftspeople. She contributed to the creation of the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador and to the textile arts diploma at the College of the North Atlantic. The province’s vibrant craft industry owes its modern prominence in no small part to the foundations laid down by Anna Templeton.

For more information on the Commemorations program visit http://commemorations.ca/about/.

Heritage NL is a provincial crown agency with a mandate to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the architectural heritage and intangible cultural heritage of the province. For more information visit www.heritagenl.ca.

                                                                         
For Further Information Contact:

Andrea O’Brien
andrea@heritagenl.ca
1-888-739-1892 ext 4

Newfoundland word of the day: Suent - possessing a smooth, pleasing curve

Jerome Canning at work, by Tobias Romaniuk

"Suent" is one of my favourite Newfoundland words, and one that I first heard used by master boatbuilder Jerome Canning. In an article in Downhome Magazine by Tobias Romaniuk, he is quoted as follows:

“And all the time you’re looking at it, because you’ve got to trust your eye [that] she was looking good,” Jerome says. “You draw it on paper; you make a model. The boat had to look good, that nothing sort of looked clumsy, that it had a nice, suent look.”

Folklorist David Taylor includes this definition in his MA thesis on boatbuilding in Winterton:

SUENT: a term used in Winterton to describe any surface which has the proper amount of smooth, unbroken curvature. For example, a hull consisting of smooth, "fair" curves would be called a "suent" hull, while a hull exhibiting many humps and hollows, or other signs of unevenness would not. 

And the Wooden Boat Museum of NL gives this:

Suent: A gradual and smooth curve over a surface area or length of plank or board.from 

Have you heard this word used? If so, comment below, or send me a note! dale@heritagenl.ca

Have you taken the Cod Liver Oil Challenge? You can, this Saturday!

This Saturday, as part of the free-to-the-public event Doors Open, the James J. O’Mara Pharmacy Museum (located in one of our Registered Heritage Structures) dares you to take their Cod Liver Oil Challenge!

"My favourite part about doing the challenge (besides watching the reactions) is hearing about people’s experiences with having to take cod liver oil," says Deanna Walter, Museum Manager. "Whether it was lining up for a spoonful every day at school (apparently they used the same spoon for everyone) or parents and grandparents having a barrel of it on hand for their family. People have very strong memories and opinions about the stuff."

Take the challenge, and get a certificate to prove you downed your dose!

Saturday, September 7th, 10am-4pm

For more on Cod Liver Oil, read Larry Dohey's Archival Moments blog post here.

Preserves Making Workshop, Brigus, Sept 14th

Landfall Cottage in Brigus is running a preserves workshop! Space is limited if you want to participate!  Info below:

Living Heritage Podcast Ep156 Fairies, fetches, and blasts

Have you always wanted to know what a fairy blast is? Do you head to the woods with bread in your pockets? Listen to this podcast to learn more about fairy traditions in Newfoundland. Dale and Terra listen to audio clips of local fairy stories, and discuss the beliefs surrounding the fairies in Newfoundland. Tune in to hear about personal fairy accounts, stories of those who were fairy led, and learn how you can avoid fairies in the woods. If you have a fairy story let us know at livingheritagepodcast@gmail.com





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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Heritage Update Summer 2019 - Heritage colours, crafts, and candy!

In the Summer 2019 edition of Heritage Update: Executive Director Jerry Dick on the revision of Heritage NL's historic paint chart and the evolution of paint in the province; painting and decorating fishing buildings with Andrea O'Brien; intern Patrick Handrigan proposes some adaptive reuses for the Hant's Harbour Post Office Building; craft researcher Rachael Green on the craft-at-risk survey; Terra Barrett on the ladies of the Adler Chocolate Factory; and Terra and Dale Jarvis look at some of the earliest examples of red ochre paint in the province. 

Download the pdf

My Summer Work Term 2019!

I've had an exciting summer working for the Heritage Foundation and the Craft Council of NL! I have worked on 2 major projects- the 275 Duckworth Report and our Craft at Risk project. We held a 275 Duckworth Reunion at the building to meet past workers, and 2 Craft at Risk public sessions at the Anna Templeton Center and the Wooden Boat Museum in Winterton to chat about crafts in the province.

Along with this, I got the chance to attend events and outings including Sheep Shearing in Clarkes Beach, Heritage Craft Show-And-Tell in Spaniard's Bay, Tors Cove to visit Running the Goat print shop, Brigus to visit Kent Cottage at Landfall, and a Cemetery Transcription Workshop at St. Francis Assisi Cemetery in Outer Cove. I also got to visit communities such as Hearts Content and New Perlican!

Although I am sad that my work term is coming to an end, my time here has been amazing! I have met some great people and have learned so much. I appreciate all the great help and support from everyone along the way!

Next, I will be continuing my last year of studies at MUN. Im excited to see whats in store for the future!

Bye for now! -Rachael Green

Photographing and geo-locating tombstone data at St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery

Today, we were back at the St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery, continuing on our cemetery transcription project in partnership with the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove museum. For the past two summers, we've been working with the museum to run headstone transcription workshops in the cemetery. The information gathered to date has been entered into a publicly-accessible Google spreadsheet for anyone interested in the data.  If you are doing genealogical research involving that cemetery, you can view all those records here:

• St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Cemetery Headstone Records

This morning, a team of four (myself, LBMCOC museum manager Katie Crane, Terra Barrett, and Rachael Green) returned to test out the free Billiongraves.com app. The app, available for both Apple and Android systems, allows volunteers to photograph headstones, and then upload the photos of those memorials to the website. It is free to register and upload photos. You can transcribe photos on-site, or you can upload them without transcriptions, either for you to fill in later, or to be transcribed by website volunteers.

Each headstone creates a record, which we can then include as a link on the spreadsheet. In addition, the app geo-tags each photograph, creating a clickable map of the cemetery accessible both online and through the app itself.

As an example, here is the headstone of Seaman Thomas Kelly, which I photographed and uploaded earlier this summer:

That stone now has a record on the site:
https://billiongraves.com/grave/Thomas-Kelly/32290055

If you look at the spreadsheet data link above, check out Marker #3, and you can see we've now included a live link to his headstone photo.

Future researchers or family members can create a free account, and add additional photos, documents, memories, or link Thomas Kelly to other family members captured on the website. If you want to visit the cemetery in person, the app/website also shows you a pin on a satellite photo of the cemetery, to help you locate it amongst the other stones.

In about 30 minutes, the four of us were able to photograph over 400 memorials, and quickly upload them. The longer work of transcribing each stone and linking them to the spreadsheet will come later, but it was impressive to see how quickly a small group of researchers can photograph and create a digital record of the cemetery and the placement of the markers.

This is where you, dear reader, can help!

The cemetery photos are all located right here. Once you log in, you can click that link, then the "volunteer" tab, and then the yellow "transcribe images" button to the right of the volunteer tab. Then, you can help out by entering the Given Name, Family Name, and birth and death dates shown in the photograph!  Help us out!

If you are involved with a cemetery documentation project, and want advice on how you could start a similar initiative in your community, give me a shout at dale@heritagenl.ca. All you need are some smartphones and volunteers! You don't need to worry about data charges either, as you can upload all the photos once you are back home, or somewhere with wifi.

- Dale Jarvis

Craft At Risk Public Session at the Wooden Boat Museum

The Craft At Risk Public session on Wednesday August 14th, has been moved to the Wooden Boat Museum in Winterton!

If you are an interested craftsperson please stop by and share your thoughts on Heritage Craft in NL.

The public sessions are as followed:

Monday, August 12th
7pm, Anna Templeton Centre, Duckworth St, St. John's

Wednesday, August 14th
7pm, Wooden Boat Museum, Winterton

You can register here:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/heritage-craft-at-risk-public-sessions-tickets-64797180110

Heritage Craft at Risk Public Sessions

Calling all people with heritage craft skills!

We want to talk to you about heritage crafts in the province. We welcome all interested makers and craft practitioners!

Heritage NL and the Craft Council of NL are worried about the loss of traditional know-how when it comes to making heritage crafts, and are working together to create a list of makers, craft producers, and skills in decline.

If you make (or used to make) something that you feel is traditional, or made in a traditional way, we would love to speak with you. Come share your thoughts about endangered crafts and skills in the province, and learn more about our Craft At Risk Survey!

Monday, August 12th
7pm Anna Templeton Centre, Duckworth Street, St. John's

Wednesday, August 14th
7pm Wooden Boat Museum, Winterton

Register for the public sessions online at:
www.hfnl.ca

Heart’s Content in Pictures - The Old Time Photo Show!

Heart’s Content in Pictures 
The Old Time Photo Show!

Heart's Content Regional Centre for the Arts
(the former Hayfield United Church)
251 Main Rd, Heart's Content, NL

August 13th, 7pm

Join us as we present historical photos showcasing the fascinating history of Heart’s Content.  Many of these are rare old photos that  have been recently digitized as part of an ongoing project to scan the photographic collection of the Town of Heart’s Content archives.   You’ll see some places you remember, and some long gone.  Celebrate the history of the town in photographic form!

Sponsored by Hearts Content Mizzen Heritage Society

Free Event
Coffee, tea and cookies to follow.

Facebook event listing here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2605814859451616/

Placenames and Neighbourhoods of Carbonear Afternoon Tea - Aug 6th

Placenames and Neighbourhoods of Carbonear Afternoon Tea

Tuesday, August 6th
2pm
Princess Sheila Senior's Club Building
163 Water Street, Carbonear


Do you have a memory of Harbour Rock Hill? Did you grow up on Valley Road? Where does Irishtown begin and end? If you can answer any of these questions, Carbonear’s Green Team wants to meet you!

On August 6th, Heritage NL and the Town of Carbonear Summer 2019 Green Team are hosting an afternoon tea and conversation based around old Carbonear place names, neighbourhoods, trails, rocks, and coves. The groups want to collect and record old names and memories about local areas and landmarks.

Dale Jarvis is the provincial folklorist with Heritage NL, and says there is value in bringing back the use of these historic names as Carbonear continues to evolve.

“People had very different local knowledge based on which neighbourhoods they grew up in,” says Jarvis. “We want to collect this information, which could be the foundation for future town signage, trails, or even new street names.”

The celebration of local places is free open to the public, and will include refreshments. The organizers extend a special invitation to any seniors who grew up in Carbonear.

“We want to make sure their knowledge is passed on to the next generation,” says Jarvis.


Facebook event listing here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/491435738259509/

For more information, contact:

Kerri Abbott
Economic Development & Tourism Officer
Town of Carbonear
P.O. Box 999, 256 Water Street
Carbonear,  NL  A1Y 1C5
Tel: (709)596-3831 Ext. 235
Fax: (709)596-5021
Email: kerriabbott@nf.aibn.com

Tea with Hookers!

Placentia West Mat Makers hooker rug

On July 24, 2019, Dale and I drove to Boat Harbour on the Burin Peninsula to chat with four hookers about their experience with the Placentia West Mat Makers. This group was developed in 1979-1980 by Lois Saunders, who was working as a rural development officer at the time. She helped the local community women organize the Placentia West Mat Makers Association as a craft business. The goal was to earn wages through the traditional practice of rug hooking. Lois Saunders connected with Colleen Lynch who came to Baine Harbour to give workshops on rug hooking.

Former Placentia West Mat Makers

The four women discussed their own experience with rug hooking. Some had hooked before the Mat Making Association while others learned to hook as part of the rug hooking workshops. Traditional mats made by their mothers, and grandmothers included designs of geometric patterns, or flowers while the Placentia West Mat Makers hooked rugs with outport scenery including harbours, kitchens, and bedrooms. Traditionally mats were made for the floor, however, the mats these women created often ended up on the walls and in galleries. The women discussed some of the shows which displayed the Placentia West mats and described how several members had traveled to England, and Germany to accompany the mats to their shows.

Traditional pattern style with geometric designs, and flower in centre

Unfortunately due to a number of factors including low wages the Placentia West Mat Making Association disbanded in 2015. Thankfully, the Placentia West Heritage Committee, which has been around since 1983, has established the Livyers' Lot Économusée in Boat Harbour. The Économusée includes a reception, workshop, reading room, boutique, museum, restaurant, and interpretation of traditional and contemporary skills. This space allows the communities to keep rug hooking, and other traditions from the region alive and ensure they are passed on through workshops and events like this hooker tea.

Poked mat for sale at Livyers' Lot.
Poked mats were traditional to the area but not part of the Placentia West Mat Makers Association's business.

If you would like to learn more about the Livyers' Lot Économusée read our Living Heritage Economy Case Study or visit their Facebook page. If you would like to learn more about the development of hooked rugs in the province during the 1970s-2000s check out this article by Paula Flynn.