You are invited to The Old Photo Sharing Sessions in Eastport and Salvage

Photo: Man with cart pulled by bull, Eastport, circa 1939, The Rooms Item VA 14-248

You are invited to
The Old Photo Sharing Sessions

Wednesday, November 8th, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
St. Stephen’s Hall, Salvage 

Thursday, November 9th, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Beaches Arts and Heritage Theatre Annex, Eastport

Do you have an old photo album of pictures from the Eastport Peninsula? Heritage NL is hosting two sharing sessions, to help preserve and share old photos for all to see. Heritage NL is looking for old photos of the community, from the 1890s to the 1990s, including anything showing old buildings, garden parties, shops that no longer exist, photos from the old festivals, or cars decorated for weddings. 

“We want to see those snapshots Nan kept in the old biscuit tin in the closet,” says folklorist Dale Jarvis with Heritage NL. “Sometimes photos from the 1970s and ‘80s include buildings or structures that have changed over time, so even if they aren’t ancient photographs, they can still help us document changes to the community.” 

Think of it as a show and tell for your old photos! Heritage NL staff will be on site to scan the photographs and ask questions about who or what is shown. You take home your original photos, and if you bring your own USB flash drive, you can take home a digital copy as well. The digital copies will be used in an Old Picture Show viewing event that will take place later on this November. The event will occur locally and you are all invited to attend.

So go ahead and dig out those old photos, and come out for a cup of tea and a chat with the folks from Heritage NL!

Organized in partnership with the

  Eastport Peninsula Arts and Heritage Society

 and Salvage Fishermans Museum

Candy boilers, fence builders, and blood pudding makers - celebrating the skills of Tilting, Fogo Island

Tilting NL - Candy boilers, fence builders, and blood pudding makers are featured in a new report celebrating the traditional skills of Tilting, Fogo Island.

Starting in 2022, the Tilting Recreation and Cultural Society (TRACS) and Heritage NL, in partnership with the Community Revitalization Research Program at Queen’s University, set out to identify traditional skill holders in the area.

That research on local knowledge has been released in a colourful new online publication by Heritage NL, with photos and quotes by the participants.

"We wanted to find the ‘hidden gems’ of Tilting traditions," says Dale Jarvis, Heritage NL Executive Director. "We found storytellers, musicians, carvers, lobstermen, keepers of beer plants, and experts on local lore, who are all represented in the study."

Jarvis says the document is a starting point for future research, with many more crafters, makers, and skills-holders to be identified. The report is available on the HeritageNL.ca website.

https://heritagenl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Tilting-Traditional-Skills-Inventory.pdf

Job Posting: Records Management Clerk

Job Posting: Records Management Clerk

Heritage NL is seeking a Records Management Clerk, to assist Heritage NL further its goals of fostering a greater appreciation of historic places and living heritage, by digitizing organizational records and community archival and photographic collections, and making those more accessible to the general public. This will include scanning and digitization of photographic and written records, writing of archival metadata, as well as transcription of recorded oral histories. 

This will be a 52 week position at $20/hr, based in St. John's.  The applicant will have a background in records management and/or library and information sciences, experience in transcription, strong computer skills, and knowledge of various digital media formats. An archival background or work experience, or work with community heritage organizations, is an asset. 

This position is funded through the Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) program, so applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a resident of the province;

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents legally entitled to work in Canada;

• Meet the definition of EI-eligible;

• Be approved by the Department under Section 25 of the Employment Insurance Act as insured participants who are active EI claimants; and

• Have an employment plan that identifies that the JCP work experience being considered supports a reasonable occupational goal.

Heritage NL’s role is to safeguard and sustain the 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. 

Deadline to apply: Wednesday, September 20th

Send resume and cover letter to:

ich@heritagenl.ca 

Dale Jarvis, Executive Director, Heritage NL

PO Box 5171

St. John's, NL

Canada A1C 5V5

Interview with Joan Smith about the Heart's Content Cable Staff Houses

Photo of the Cable Staff Houses, taken from the side of #2, with the Superintendent's House in the background (Heritage NL, 2023)

This week I went to Heart’s Content to visit and interview Joan Smith, a long time resident of Heart’s Content. She is one of the last people in the community to remember the Cable Staff Houses #1 and #2 as they were when they were owned by the Cable Station and employees of 
the station lived in them. 

She had many stories and memories of the houses, specifically house #1 as she was friends with Ann Bonfield who lived in there with her father, Mr. Bonfield, and sister Eileen. Mr. Bonfield was originally from England and came over here to work in the Cable Station. His first wife died during childbirth and his second wife died when Ann was very young. So it was just the three of them in the house, along with their housekeeper who would do the washing and cooking. Joan says she was the “grandmother type” and would stay there overnight to be able to get up early and get the girls ready for school. The Bonfield’s lived there from 1945 to the early 1950s.

It was well known in the community that people who lived in these houses previously were different, or as Joan described them, “snobbish”. They thought they were superior to the locals. No one from the community was ever allowed into the Cable Staff Houses, unless they were hired as a housekeeper for example. But Joan said Mr.Bonfield was different. She was welcomed into their home and she remembers having many meals there and spending time with Ann. Joan remembers one instance where in highschool she and Ann were to sing in a concert and Mr. Bonfield trained them. They sang ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful”. She said that they sang the song so many times she will never forget it, in both English and Latin! Mr. Bonfield was also trained as a watchmaker when he lived back in England so when he moved to Heart’s Content he would repair peoples watches and clocks, and he would never charge them. Mr. Bonfield did keep to himself, but Joan said he was always nice to the children in the community.

During the interview Joan brought out a bowl of gooseberries, which were a light green colour. She explained that they were actually from a European gooseberry tree, as the berries are green when they are ripe, rather than the regular red colour we see from the gooseberry trees here in Newfoundland. Joan said Mr. Bonfield told her brother to go up to the Cable Staff House and take the gooseberry tree. Now it resides in Joan’s yard. They are a bit bigger than Newfoundland gooseberries and were very flavourful! The tree must have come over from England when the other trees, such as the huge copper beech trees and maples, were brought over to be planted in the yard of the Cable Houses. Joan remembers the trees in the yard always being big, she would see them as she and her family walked up the hill to church.

Joan also remembers the Rendell family who lived in house #2. Mr. Rendell was originally from Heart’s Content and was able to get work in the Cable Station. His wife was from Newfoundland, so they were different from previous people who had lived in the houses. They had three children, two boys, Roland and Wallace, and a girl, Phyllis. Unfortunately, Wallace, the youngest boy, passed away two years ago and Joan said it would have been great if I could have spoken with him since he actually lived in one of the houses. But I was able to listen to a clip from the Heart’s Content Cable Conference in 2016, where Wallace Rendell and Ted Rowe discuss their memories of growing up in a cable town. Rendell discusses a lot of his memories about living in the cable staff houses. Here is a link to that discussion if you are interested!

https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/ich_avalon/id/6146/rec/2

A couple of years ago, when the houses were owned by Ed and Lynda Woodley, they had an open house where people from the community could go inside and see the houses. Joan remembers going in. She said they did a good job restoring the house to what she remembers, with the only differences being the bathroom downstairs and the bathroom on the landing. Joan says that many people back then didn't have a bathroom inside, and if they did they were upstairs. Originally the downstairs bathroom was a butler’s pantry and the one on the landing was a small room, which could have been a number of things like a sewing room for example. The houses are incredible and if you ever get a chance to visit I highly recommend! 

The time I spent with Joan was impactful as I was able to learn about her and her childhood, but also her memories of the Cable Staff Hoses and Heart’s Content. I enjoyed learning about the people who lived in the houses and the memories that still surround them. We are always open to more stories about the Cable Staff Houses so do not hesitate to reach out to us!

If you’d like to learn more about the Heart’s Content Cable Staff Houses #1 and #2 click the link below and you’ll be directed to our field note on them!

https://heritagenl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Hearts-Content-Cable-Staff-Houses-1-and-2-Fieldnote.pdf

Endangered Crafts featured in Saltwire Article

Photo by Cameron Kilfoy/The Telegram.

Recently, Terra Barrett, Heritage NL's Intangible Cultural Heritage Program Planner was interviewed by Saltwire about endangered crafts in the province. The article touches on our Craft at Risk program including the Mentor-Apprentice program. If you want to learn more check out the article below. It also features, Melissa Tarrant, Manager and Business Mentor with Anna Templeton Centre discussing their recent workshops. 

Reviving Traditions: Local workshops breathing new life into endangered craft of Newfoundland and Labrador
https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/lifestyles/reviving-traditions-local-workshops-breathing-new-life-into-endangered-crafts-of-newfoundland-and-labrador-100883761/

Avondale Railway Station on the St. John's Morning Radio Show

 

Picture was taken in the Avondale Railway Museum with Ted Doyle, son of the last Station Agent for Avondale and part of the last family to live in the station!

If you tuned into the St. John's Morning Show on CBC Radio One this morning you would have heard an interview done with Emlyn Tuck, our summer student Historic Buildings Researcher, where she talked about the Avondale Railway Station and the research that was conducted for it! If you missed it, no worries! Check out the link below to listen!

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-56-st-johns-morning-show/clip/16003656-history-preservation-avondale

If you'd like to learn more about the Avondale Railway Station check out the following links to our website!
https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/avondale-railway-station-registered-heritage-structure/

https://heritagenl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Avondale-Railway-Station-Fieldnote.pdf

Heritage Update for August - Heritage at work in communities across the province

In this month's Heritage Update: heritage restoration is underway on both the Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church restoration on the Port au Port peninsula, and Sacred Heart Church, Open Hall; a feature on exterior bell towers or campaniles; a Craft at Risk and Heritage Skills Training Program Update; Heritage NL staff go in search of women's stories related to Registered Heritage Structures; a new plaque for Winter Home in Clarke's Beach; we dive into the history of the Avondale Railway Station; and some news from the ongoing restoration of the Fowler House in Brigus. People have been busy!

Download the pdf here

Contributions from:

Jarvis, Dale Gilbert
Barrett, Terra M.
O'Brien, Andrea
Lanphear, Juliet
Barker, Anne
Tuck, Emlyn
Burfitt, Stephen

Heart's Content Cable Staff Houses #1 and #2: Got any stories?

 

Heart's Content Cable Staff Houses #1 and #2 (Heritage NL, 2017)

Heritage NL is looking for information about Cable Staff House #1 and #2 in Heart's Content! This building is a duplex and housed many people since being built in 1882, so there's lots of history there! If you have any stories or know anyone who used to live in the houses don't hesitate to let us know! We'd love to learn more about the history of the buildings and the people who came through their doors!

If you have any information you can email research@heritagenl.ca or take part in our survey, at the link below:

https://forms.gle/HQ1TiEAAXuEogGPv6

To learn more about the Cable Staff Houses check out the following links to our website!

Cable Staff House #1: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/cable-staff-house-1-registered-heritage-structure/

Cable Staff House #2: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/cable-staff-house-2-registered-heritage-structure/

Temporary Plaque Presented to the Pouch Cove Clifton Lodge SUF #46

 

Pouch Cove Clifton Lodge SUF #46

Today Heritage NL presented a new temporary plaque to the Pouch Cove Clifton Lodge Society of United Fishermen #46 to display during the building's restorations. 

Heritage NL's Historic Plaque Intern presenting the plaque
 to the Pouch Cove Heritage Society Chair Susanne Whiteway

The sign also includes a brief history of the building which reads: "Built 1924-26, this building was constructed to replace the original Clifton Lodge founded in 1900, named for James A. Clift, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge in St. John’s. Clifton Lodge was used as a community space, hosting Society of United Fishermen meetings, Women’s Sewing Circle events, concerts, and wedding receptions, and was briefly a classroom".

Learn more about the Clifton Lodge SUF #46 on our website: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/clifton-lodge-suf-46-registered-heritage-structure/

For more information on the history of the Lodge and possible future uses check out the Adaptive Reuse Report compiled by Heritage NL: https://heritagenl.ca/pouch-cove-suf-hall/

Heritage at Work on the Port au Port

AGUATHUNA NL - A historic Port au Port Peninsula church will soon start much-needed repair work with assistance from Heritage NL.

Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church is an imposing Renaissance Revival church prominently situated on the isthmus dividing St. George’s and Port au Port Bays. Apart from being one of the largest, it is also one of the finest Newfoundland churches and was designed by one of the province’s noted architects William F. Butler. It was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by Heritage NL in 1997. 

Built between 1914 and 1925, the all-wood building is being restored by the not-for-profit Our Lady of Mercy Complex Committee. The 2023 recipient of a $20,000 Revitalization Grant from Heritage NL, the Committee will focus the first phase of their repairs on the church’s eaves and historic trim work. 

“This funding will assist us to begin an overall plan to restore the exterior of the heritage church,” says Vanessa Glasgow, Chairperson of the Our Lady of Mercy Complex Committee.  “It means we can address one of the priority issues from the completed conditional assessment.”

“The original pine carved eavestrough has been in place for almost a century and has deteriorated the eaves,” Glasgow adds. “This restoration project will restore the integrity of the eaves, reducing heat loss, and addressing any deterioration.”

Heritage NL was established in 1984 to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the historic places and living heritage of the province. In addition to its designation and granting programs, Heritage NL also has an educational role and coordinates events, publications and other projects designed to promote the value of Newfoundland and Labrador heritage. 

###

Learn more about the building here:

https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/our-lady-of-mercy-roman-catholic-church-registered-heritage-structure

Avondale Railway Station: List of People who Worked Here

Picture taken during a visit to the Avondale Railway Station as they were re-shingling the roof. (Heritage NL, 2023)

Heritage NL and the Town of Avondale have been working together to compile a list of everyone who may have worked at (or lived in) the Avondale Railway Station. The names of station agents, telegraphers, section foremen, and others associated with the station will be included in a proposed exterior sign helping to tell the personal stories behind this historic building. With much research we have been able to recover this list of names of individuals who worked at and around the Avondale Railway Station. This is only a small portion of the people who spent their time here and we are always looking for more information and stories about the station and workers! Feel free to email research@heritagenl.ca or fill out our survey on the subject at forms.gle/f37hryvx7eUurGtJ9!

The following list of workers is in chronological order of when they worked at Avondale Railway Station:

William Aspell (Section Foreman) 1887-1918

C.J. Furey (Telegrapher) circa 1890

G.A. Simms (Telegrapher) circa 1890

Edward Kennedy (Post Office Operator) 1890-1913

J.W. Mitchell (Telegrapher) 1895-Unknown

John Meany (Telegrapher) circa 1895 & (Station Agent) circa 1898 

(Mr) S. Forbes (Telegrapher) circa 1901

Richard White (Station Agent) circa 1904

John Withycombe (Unknown) Unknown-1905

James Kennedy (Post Telegraph Operator) 1905-1906

John Kelly (Section Foreman) circa 1906

Louis Lawton (Post Telegraph Operator) 1907

P. Lee (Conductor) circa 1908

Annie Moore (Post Telegraph Operator) 1908-1910

(Mr) Maher (Station Agent) 1909-1911

A.J. O’Rielly (Station Agent) 1911-Unknown

(Mrs) Maurice Kennedy (Telegrapher) circa 1911

Bertha Moore (Post Telegraph Operator) 1911-1918 & (Post Office Operator) 1914-1919

C. Tavernor (Reid Co. Station Agent) March 1913-October 1913

W. Dwyer (Reid Co. Station Agent) Unknown-1913

John T. Meany (Postal Telegraphs) circa 1914

Dennis Meany (Reid Railway Co. Staff) circa 1914

(Mr) Fox (Station Agent) circa 1918

Jennie Moore (Post Telegraph Operator) 1919

(Mrs) Wade (Unknown) circa 1920

Julia Kennedy (Post Office Operator) 1920-1930 & (Post Telegraph Operator) 1920-1931

Catherine Hennessy (Maid/Housekeeper) Mid to late 1930s

Anne Costello Doyle (Snack Bar Worker/Housekeeper) 1939-1941

Mike Wade (Station Master- Operator) circa 1940s

Daniel Costello (Telegrapher) 1945-1947

Greg Costello (Station Master) circa 1947

Patrick A. Costello (Section Man) 1940s-1950s

James Costello (Section Man) 1940s-1950s

Leo Hickey (Relief Agent) 1961-1971

Chelsey Gosse (Carpenter/Labourer) Unknown-1968

Terrance Michael Doyle (Station Agent) 1969-1984

Terry Doyle (Station Agent- Operator) circa 1980s

James B. Lewis (Worked on train and at station) Unknown

Thomas Costello (Section Foreman) Unknown

James P. Fleming (CN Railway Station Agent) Unknown

John R. Kennedy (Unknown) Unknown

John Parsley (Unknown) Unknown

Living Heritage Podcast Ep236 Mentor-Apprentice Program: Letterpress Printing with Duncan Major and Katie Butler Major

Duncan and Katie in their home studio. Photo courtesy of Heritage NL.

In this episode we talk with mentor Duncan Major, and apprentice Katie Butler Major who are two participants of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program.

Walpugis Press

Duncan learned the craft of letterpress from Tara Bryan, a painter and book artist who was well known internationally for her letterpress work. He started working as Tara’s apprentice in 2000 at the age of 14. In this role Duncan helped make handmade, limited-edition artist’s books. The pair continued to collaborate until Tara’s death in 2020.

Since 2004, Duncan has operated Walpurgis Press with Katie Butler Major, making cards and sundries. Duncan has introduced bookmaking and printing to kids in St. John’s, Goose Bay, North West River and Nain.

Working on the Love poster during the apprenticeship. Photo submitted by Duncan Major and Katie Butler Major.

Katie has always been drawn to handcrafts. She is an avid sewer and knitter, and enjoys working with her hands creatively—so letterpress is a natural fit for her. Katie has helped design and produce invitations, coasters, and cards. As Duncan’s partner, she has learned the basic printing process and is also familiar with the materials that go along with printing. Katie has participated in Printer’s Fairs organized by the Book Arts Association, met letterpress artists from abroad, and visited Running the Goat’s printshop in Tors Cove.

Avondale Railway Station: Did someone in your family work here? We want to know!

Did someone in your family work at the Avondale Railway Station? We want to know their names!

Heritage NL and the Town of Avondale are working together to compile a list of everyone who may have worked at (or lived in) the Avondale Railway Station. The names of station agents, telegraphers, section foremen, and others associated with the station will be included in a proposed exterior sign helping to tell the personal stories behind this historic building.


If you know of someone who worked at the station, you can email research@heritagenl.ca or fill out the short online survey at https://forms.gle/f37hryvx7eUurGtJ9

Avondale Railway Station 1988 before restoration

Source unknown

Avondale Railway Station 2022

Photo credit Heritage NL

If you would like to learn more about the Avondale Railway Station and its history click the link below:

https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/avondale-railway-station-registered-heritage-structure/

The Gale Carding Mill: an interview with Terri (née Gale) Dunphy and Don Gale

Photo of the Gale family circa 1944.
Photo courtesy of Don Gale.

Earlier this month, Heritage NL visited the West Coast and interviewed Terri and Don Gale about the Gale family and their family's carding mill in Millville. Terri and Don’s grandfather, Alexander Gale, started the original Gale’s carding mill during the 1890s. 

Gale's Carding Mill in 1971.
Photo from The Last Stronghold by Margaret Bennett.

The Gale’s mill would card wool from all over the province, arriving via train. The mill operated throughout the spring and summer, carding the wool from the shearing season. Terri Gale recounts that when she was a child in the 1940s, all the employees of the carding mill were women.  

Newspaper Clipping from the Western Star
September 20th 1905

Spinning bee in 1935, probably in Millville.
Photo courtesy of Don Gale.

Sending wool to be carded saved time, and yarn was used for creating knitted wares like blankets and knit clothes. Terri and Don recount that most families in the Codroy Valley owned sheep for wool and meat. 

Current Equipment in the Mill

The original mill from the 1890s ran using a waterwheel from water diverted from the nearby brook. During the 1940s, a new mill was constructed and a diesel generator was installed, replacing the waterwheel. Alex Gale left the Millville carding mill to his sons Edward and George Gale, who ran the business as Gale Brothers. 

Advertisement and instructions for the Gale Brothers Carding Mill
in the Western Star 1945.

The Gale carding mill closed in the 1970s.

For further listening check out Living Heritage Podcast Episode 186 on Carding and Weaving in Millville, Codroy Valley, here: http://www.ichblog.ca/2020/08/living-heritage-podcast-ep186-carding.html

You can read more about the Gale Carding Mill on Heritage NL's main website: https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/gale-carding-mill-registered-heritage-structure/

Living Heritage Podcast Ep235 Mentor-Apprentice Program: Cossack Making with Charlene Rumbolt and Katie Lee

Katie posing with her finished cotton duck tote bag. Photo courtesy of Charlene Rumbolt and Katie Lee.

In this episode we talk with mentor Charlene Rumbolt, and apprentice Katie Lee who are two participants of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program.

Charlene is the lead artist and knowledge keeper at the Great Caribou Studio in Mary's Harbour. A talented seamstress, she was a winner in the Senior Visual Arts division of Arts & Letters NL in 2019 and 2021. Charlene is a member of the NL Craft Council. She began sewing at 11 years old and has since made dresses, pants, handbags and more. Charlene has taught crafting and art for over twenty years, in both group and individual settings. For the last 12 years, after learning from elders in Nain and Hopedale, Charlene has been making the traditional Cossack/Dickie and the Akalik. Learn more about her work at Great Caribou Studio.

Katie's finished cossack (also known as a dickie). Photo courtesy of Charlene Rumbolt and Katie Lee.

Prior to the start of the program Katie had basic skills in cossack making and was intent on improving her abilities. Her artwork has been inspired by her Indigenous roots and she plans on making more traditional outerwear to carry on her ancestors traditional craft while simultaneously expressing her own creativity within her culture. She has previously worked at the Great Caribou Studio in Mary's Harbour.

Katie sewing her cotton duck tote bag. Photo courtesy of Charlene Rumbolt and Katie Lee.

Gale Carding Mill, Codroy Valley, designated as a Registered Heritage Structure

MILLVILLE, CODROY VALLEY - A historic wool carding mill, possibly the last remaining in the province, has received heritage designation as a Registered Heritage Structure by Heritage NL.

Located at a crossroads and along Granddaddy’s Brook, the Gale Carding Mill is a well-known landmark in the Codroy Valley.  Constructed around 1940 to house the Gale family’s carding mill, this two-storey, wooden building employs utilitarian design elements and is constructed using locally milled lumber.

Millville was established in 1897 when Alexander Gale started a wool carding business (later known as A. Gale and Sons) near Granddaddy’s Brook, close to the site of the present-day mill building. Gale built a dam and a water wheel on Granddaddy’s Brook to power the British-made, industrial carding machines he purchased in Nova Scotia. 1,000 pounds of fleece were carded in the first year of operation. 

An interview with Sir Edward Morris, following his visit to the Codroy Valley in 1908, reported that the carding mill was “run by a man and a little girl, and they turn out ten thousand pounds of wool annually.” By 1942 the existing mill was constructed and operated in conjunction with the original mill. While the original carding mill was powered by a water wheel, the new one was operated using a diesel generator. At top production, the Gales were producing about 500 pounds of carded wool per day up to a peak of 40,000 pounds annually. 

“This is an exciting project that shows the link between our architectural history and the strong heritage of craft and craft development in Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Dale Jarvis, Heritage NL Executive Director. “

“We look forward to working with the Gale family to see that this mill, and the heritage skills associated with it, continue on into the future.”

Heritage NL was established in 1984 to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the historic places and living heritage of the province.

Listing on Heritage NL's register of heritage buildings:

https://heritagenl.ca/heritage-property/gale-carding-mill-registered-heritage-structure

Living Heritage Podcast Ep234 Mentor-Apprentice Program: Spruce Root Basketry with Danny White and Arlene White

Danny and Arlene collecting spruce roots.
Photo courtesy of Danny White and Arlene White.

In this episode we talk with mentor Danny White, and apprentice Arlene White who are two participants of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program.

Danny demonstrating how to make the basket mould.
Photo courtesy of Danny White and Arlene White.

Danny learned the teachings, stories, and process of basket making starting at the age of 12 from his father, Anthony White. Anthony was considered a master basket maker. Danny has taught courses and held exhibitions at Pow Wows, schools, and colleges. His work has been documented in newspapers, magazines, and videos.

Arlene White with the frame of her spruce root basket.
Photo courtesy of Danny White and Arlene White.

Arlene completed a course with Master Basket Maker Dan White in 2018. She has an understanding of how to dig spruce roots, and how to harvest some of the material. She has made two baskets but is interested in taking her knowledge to the next level in order to keep the skills alive, and pass it on to the next generation to ensure the tradition continues for years to come.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep233 Mentor-Apprentice Program: Weaving with Morgaine Parnham and Sylvie Mitford

Sylvie's loom set up for overshot weaving. Photo courtesy of Sylvie Mitford.

In this episode we talk with mentor Morgaine Parnham, and apprentice Sylvie Mitford who are two participants of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program.

Morgaine has been a practicing craftsperson for over 10 years. She graduated from the College of the North Atlantic Craft and apparel design program in 2012 majoring in Print and Dye, Surface Embellishment and Weaving. After graduation Morgaine held a studio at Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios. Later she moved to Bonavista to open her own craft shop and weaving studio. Aside from formal training Morgaine learned a lot from her mother who has been informally teaching Morgaine since she was a child. Morgaine has experience teaching group workshops to both adults and children.

Sylvie posing with her finished woven bedspread. Photo courtesy of Sylvie Mitford.

Sylvie has been interested in weaving since she was a teenager, and has moved from a simple handmade loom to a floor loom. She has woven scarves, wraps, blankets, tea towels and yardage. Sylvie is a knitter and sewer and also has an interest in natural dying. She wants to learn more advanced weaving techniques and weave structures, and also learn how to spin, and make use of the local wool from the sheep in Bonavista.

One of Sylvie's finished products! Photo courtesy of Sylvie Mitford.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep232 Mentor-Apprentice Program: Letterpress Printing with Marnie Parsons and Abby Hann

Abby showing off her work outside Marnie's press and shop, Running the Goat.
Photo submitted by Marnie Parsons and Abby Hann.

In this episode we talk with mentor Marnie Parsons, and apprentice Abby Hann who are two participants of Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program.

Abby preparing her ink for printing. Photo submitted by Marnie Parsons and Abby Hann.

Marnie first learned letterpress printing from Tara Bryan, who invited her to her studio in the summer of 2000. After working for several years in Tara’s shop, Marnie set up her own letterpress studio in her home in St. John’s. She then moved her shop to Tors Cove in 2013, where it remains. The shop is open to visitors throughout the year.

Abby getting ready to set the type. Photo submitted by Marnie Parsons and Abby Hann.

Abby graduated with a Bachelor of Fine arts from NSCAD University in Halifax in 2020. During her degree she focused on printmaking, primarily using the relief technique. Since then, Abby has maintained a prolific printmaking practice from her home studio and small printing press. Abby has participated in artist residencies in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and South Africa, while exhibiting prints in multiple solo and group exhibitions.

Check out the episode here: