Heritage Day 2018 - Heritage Stands the Test of Time

Introductory remarks by David Lough, Chair of  HFNL's Board of Directors. Photo by Katie Harvey.

Heritage Day is celebrated each year on the third Monday in February. In honour of this day, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador held a public event at the Yellowbelly Brewery on February 19th (click here to read more about the history of the building). Hosted by Fred Hutton of CBC, a crowd gathered to celebrate the heritage of our beautiful province. The theme of the event was "Heritage Stands the Test of Time."

A highlight of the day was announcing the winners of our 13th annual poster contest. This year, we received over one thousand entries from students across the province. Images depicting various heritage structures were submitted by students from kindergarten to grade twelve, coupled with essays explaining the personal significance of the building. Dale Jarvis and Michael Philpott from our office selected the winners.

Photo contest winners (left to right): Katie Spurrell, Luke Shannahan, Chloe Flusk and Hayley Martin with the Hon. Chris Mitchelmore.  Photo by Katie Harvey.

The winners of our first "Registered Heritage Structure Photo Contest" were recognized as well. Owners of Register Heritage Structures throughout the island were invited to submit photos of their properties in action. First place was awarded to the Bristol Hope Heritage Society for their picture of the Mosquito School House. Second place went to Todd Warren for his photo of the George House B&B in Dildo. 

We launched two publications: the first of which is titled Stories From the Heart. This booklet is the sixth publication in our Oral History Roadshow Series. However, this booklet was a little different from the others, as the stories were collected by our Oral History Class of 2018. Throughout the month of January, we held a class for people who wished to learn more about the techniques and skills of collecting oral histories. They interviewed various people about stories of love, love gone wrong, childhood crushes, and other related topics. If you would like download the full PDF, click here. 

Stories From the Heart. Photo by Katie Harvey.

The second publication released is titled From Sealskin to Science Fiction: Taking Tradition into the Twenty-First Century. This magazine was the result of our Adapting Heritage Conference which took place in the autumn of 2017. Click here to check out the publication online!

We had a wonderful time celebrating heritage day. If you missed it this year, hopefully we will see you next year!

-Katie Harvey

The Goats of New Perlican - Booklet Launch

Cyril Pinsent reading out some of his story from "The Goats of New Perlican" booklet.
Several people who were interviewed for the booklet surround Cyril on stage.

On Saturday, July 8th, while the rest of our office was busy with Great Fire celebrations in St. John's, I headed to New Perlican for their Heritage Day celebrations. The day was a celebration of all things heritage and included a couple of speeches and presentations as well as display boards on family genealogy, occupational folklore, significant buildings, and events in the community.

As part of New Perlican's Heritage Day we also launched "Goats of New Perlican".  This is the first booklet in the Oral History Roadshow series. The booklet focuses on local memories and stories around the goats of New Perlican from their many uses to their stubborn nature.

New Perlican Heritage Day displays.

The roadshow is an initiative of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office of the HFNL made possible with assistance from the New Horizons for Seniors program. The Oral History Night Roadshow will see researchers travel from community to community, hosting a series of Oral History Nights, open-mic storytelling sessions led and inspired by seniors in that community.

The launch was a great success with approximately a hundred people turning out to celebrate New Perlican's heritage! Heritage New Perlican is currently selling the print copies of "The Goats of New Perlican" or you can check out the free PDF here!

Heritage Day audience.

If you would like to know more information about how your community can get involved in the Oral History Roadshow call Terra at 1-888-739-1892 ex. 5 or email terra@heritagefoundation.ca or Dale ex. 2 and ich@heritagefoundation.ca

~Terra Barrett

Join us for Heritage Day at the Fluvarium this Monday (Feb 16th)

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) will be celebrating national Heritage Day on Monday (February 16th), at 10:30 a.m., at The Suncor Energy Fluvarium, 5 Nagle’s Place, St. John’s.

Mr. Kevin Parsons, MHA for the District of Cape St. Francis and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development - along with representatives from the education and heritage communities and municipal and provincial governments - will join HFNL as the winners of this year’s provincial Heritage Places Poster Contest are announced. Over 1000 students from 50 schools across the province produced submissions for the contest. This contest was open to all schools in the province, and was organized through HFNL. The winning submission is featured on the Foundation's poster promoting Heritage Day in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mackenzie Boyde, a grade 11 student at Marystown Central High School, Marystown, submitted the overall winning submission – a depiction of the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Registered Heritage Structure and National Historic Site in St. John’s.

The winning submissions at the other grade levels are: 

Primary – Jakson Ganz, Grade 3, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Corner Brook for his depiction of Bacalhao Island Lighttower Recognized Federal Heritage Building,

Elementary – Emma Tetford, Grade 6, Amalgamated Academy, Bay Roberts for her depiction of Western Union Cable Building Registered Heritage Structure in Bay Roberts and,

Junior High – Nathan Corrigan, Grade 8, Stella Maris Academy, Trepassey for his depiction of Cape Spear Lighttower Recognized Federal Heritage Building.

Judges for the event included Margaret Walsh Best, artist and art educator; and Debra A. Barnable, visual artist and consultant. Please visit our website at www.heritagefoundation.ca to view the winners.

The Foundation is also encouraging municipalities and heritage groups throughout the province to celebrate their heritage by holding a Heritage Day Proclamation and calling upon their citizens to celebrate their rich and diverse history.

Heritage Day is celebrated on the third Monday of February each year. It is an opportunity to explore the past and to discover what shaped our communities and our history.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is a non-profit organization which was established by the Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1984 to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the architectural heritage of the province.

For Further Information Contact:

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

Heritage Places Poster Contest Awards 2014

Today is Heritage Day in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to celebrate, the HFNL put on an awards ceremony at the Quidi Vidi Plantation for this year's Heritage Places Poster Contest. Four talented students from around the province won awards for their artistic renditions of important local heritage structures.

Savannah Skinner, grade 2 student at Jakeman All Grade, Trout River, received an award for her poster of Roberts Store Municipal Heritage Site in Woody Point. The Elementary winner was Hae Na Luther, a grade 6 student Stella Maris Academy, Trepassy, for her depiction of Cape Pine National Historic Site. The Junior High winner was Erica Bailey, grade 8, who attends Bishop White School in Port Rexton. Her poster is of the Lester Garland House in Trinity. Finally, the Senior High and overall winner was grade 11 student Colby Farrell who attends Marystown Central High School. His poster of the Temperance Street Registered Heritage Structures, known fondly as the Four Sisters in St. John's, proved to be the best in show.

Thank you to everyone who attended the ceremony today, and congratulations to our poster contest winners.

The four winners of the poster contest pose with their posters.

Savannah accepts her framed poster and award, presented by Shannie Duff.

Hae Na accepts her framed poster and award, presented by Jerry Dick.

Erica accepts her framed poster and award, presented by Frank Crews.

Colby accepts his framed poster and award, presented by Frank Crews and M.H.A. David Brazil.

Heart's Content to receive provincial heritage district designation

On Saturday afternoon, July 20th, 2013, as part of Heart’s Content Heritage Day, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) will celebrate the designation of the Heart’s Content Provincial Registered Heritage District and will unveil a plaque recognizing this designation.

“Historic districts are geographically defined areas which create a special sense of time and place,” says Frank Crews, Chairperson, HFNL. “Above all, a historic district of provincial significance must have a ‘sense of history’, minimal intrusive elements, and the district's historic characteristics must predominate.”

The origins of the Heart’s Content heritage district date to 1866 when a transatlantic communications cable was successfully landed in the community. Included in the district are staff houses built by the Anglo-American Telegraph Company and Western Union Telegraph Company as well as buildings associated with the development of the community such as Heyfield Memorial United Church, the Methodist School and the Society of United Fishermen (SUF) Hall.

The application for the designation of the district by HFNL was made jointly by the Town of Heart’s Content and the Mizzen Heritage Society. The plaque will be unveiled on the grounds of the Mizzen Heritage Community Museum at 2 o’clock pm on July 20th.

The event will also serve as the launch of the “So Many Stories, So Many Traditions” oral history booklet that was compiled between fall 2012 and spring 2013. The booklet launch will take place at a reception at the SUF hall following the plaque unveiling.

The event is free and open to the public.

Photo: A vintage photograph of boys from the community including

Lloyd Smith, Art Button, and Art Cumby.

Report on Heritage Day 2013

Shown here are Minister Terry French, Victoria Fitzgerald, HaeNa Luther, and Ashley Synyard at the Heritage Day poster contest presentation which took place yesterday at The Plantation in Quidi Vidi.  Over 1000 students from 50 schools across the province produced submissions for the contest. This contest was open to all schools in the province, and was organized through HFNL.

Victoria Fitzgerald, a grade 11 student at Gonzaga High School, St. John’s, submitted the overall winning submission. The winning submissions at the other grade levels were:

• Primary – Jorja Pevie, Grade 3, Jakeman All Grade, Trout River, 
• Elementary – HaeNa Luther, Grade 5, Stella Maris Academy, Trepassey and, 
• Junior High – Ashley Synyard, Grade 7, Roncalli Central High, Avondale. 

Judges for the event included Margaret Walsh Best, artist and art educator; and Debra A. Barnable, visual artist and consultant.

Then, in the afternoon, I headed off to City Hall for the Heritage Day celebrations there. During the weekly City Council meeting, Mayor Dennis O’Keefe signed a proclamation which officially recognized the day as Heritage Day, and yours truly presented him with a copy of the Foundation's Heritage Day poster.

The City then presented Certificates of Recognition to the following residents and businesses:

• Todd Perin, Kim Doyle and Stephen Lee for 8 Barrows Road, The Mallard Cottage
• Christopher and Donna Hickman for 46 Circular Road, Brookdale
• Paul Crosbie and Ellen Dinn for 70 Circular Road, Sunnyside
• Glen Power and Florence Kennedy for 27 -29 Holloway Street
• Judy Ryerson, Quidi Vidi Village Foundation and Paul Chafe, Stantec for 10 Maple View Place, Quidi Vidi Village Plantation
• Craig Flynn and Brenda O’Reilly for 288 Water Street, YellowBelly Brewery and Public House
• G J Cahill & Company for 240 Waterford Bridge Road, The Tower Corporate Campus

“The heritage areas are the heart and soul of our City and we are very pleased today to honour commercial and residential property owners for their work in rehabilitating, restoring and celebrating our rich built heritage,” said Mayor O’Keefe. “These properties are a wonderful illustration of what can be accomplished when owners take pride in their homes, businesses and City. I am very pleased to congratulate each of our award recipients for the excellent work they have done in our heritage areas.”