Make and Break Engines at the Wooden Boat Museum

Charlie Donnelly (pictured far left) speaking two stroke marine engines to workshop participants.

On Saturday, June 29th, I drove to the Wooden Boat Museum to participate in a workshop on two stroke engines. My work last summer  focused exclusively on the make and break type of two stroke engine, but the Wooden Boat Museum has broadened their scope by including the jump-spark versions of these simplistic engines. 

About thirteen participants attended this first workshop which was really just a starting point for workshops to come. The museum wanted to get a feel for who was interested in attending workshops on the repair, restoration, and maintenance of these antique engines. The Museum hopes to generate enough interest that they will be able to  put off a series of day long workshops over the next few months and into the fall. Topics pertaining to the restoration of these engines, including pouring babbitt bearings and installation methods, will be covered.

With these workshops participants would start with the very basics of the engines and begin to get their hands dirty in the workshop shed. The main model for these workshops would be the Barnes engine (pictured left) which has been donated for restoration to the Museum. Barnes engines were made in St. John's, Newfoundland, and are very difficult to come by - even more so in excellent condition with matching paper stickers and all! This great find will be restored through the series of workshops lead by Charlie Donnelly, who hopes to have the Barnes engine running smoothly again once the workshops conclude. 

For more information on these two stroke engine workshops contact the Wooden Boat Museum by phone at 1-709-583-2070. 

Wells and Springs in Eastern Newfoundland

Lion's Head Spout from The Battery, 1975

Last month’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador mentioned that the job search for a new project on traditional wells, springs and water sources had begun. Well, the hunt is over, and I will be the researcher for this very interesting project over the next few months!

My name is Sarah Ingram, and I am an archaeologist by trade, just finishing up my graduate degree in Historical Archaeology at Memorial University. Although I have focused my career on archaeology I have always had a passion for folklore, local traditions, and how the past influences and effects the present. Traditional water sources are one of these things that can carry into the present, and are surrounded with lots of stories of where they were, which ones were better for making tea, and how throwing trout down into the well would help to keep them clean. In fact, old stories of a well in Ferryland, Newfoundland, where I did my graduate research, helped the archaeologists’ years ago find the lost well on the site!

This project has a couple of goals. The first is to gain a better knowledge base of the water resources that we have around here, some of which may not have been in use for years, and many of which are not publically known about. The second is to learn about the use and management of these local water sources, how they both were used and still are used, and how people in the community care for, clean, and maintain their water. The third, and the most easily lost aspect of knowledge we want to uncover surrounding water resources, are what people value about the wells and springs they remember and used, and what the community feels their significance was and is. We hope that this information can help to inform governmental projects, folkloric research, and community use of these traditional places!

I’ve been in the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador offices for a week now, beginning some preliminary reading, Internet scouting, and making myself as familiar as possible with any stories, traditions, or uses for wells and springs that I can find. Already I have come across some really great stories and images initially collected by Dale Jarvis from the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and Philip Hiscock from Memorial University.

Soon I will be contacting some people who have already expressed interest in sharing their stories with Dale and Philip, and hopefully learn much more than what is already recorded. Once I have gathered enough preliminary information, have spoken to some people about what they remember, and have some places in mind, I can get out in the field, look at these water sources, and hopefully get my hands dirty while recording them!


If you have any memories about using wells and springs, or know where there are some out in the community, I would love to have a chat with you! You can contact me at sarah@heritagefoundation.ca or give me a call at 739-1892 ext 7.

Do you remember the Grenfell Mission?

Do you remember the Grenfell Mission? If so, Heidi Coombs-Thorne would like to talk to you. 

Heidi is a postdoctoral researcher with Memorial University, working on a history of the Grenfell Mission in Labrador. She is looking at the relationship between the Grenfell Mission and the Inuit-Metis of Southern Labrador (1939-81). 

"I'm particularly interested in the 'patient perspective' of the Mission and the experience of living under such an influential organization," she says.  "Through my own earlier research, I noticed that most (if not all!) of the histories of the Grenfell Mission focus on the Mission's perspective and use exclusively Mission documents and sources.  That approach omits the patients' voice and leaves a huge untold part of the history. So I'm hoping to find out what it was like to be patients of the Grenfell Mission and how the people felt about the Grenfell Mission in general."

Heidi will be conducting interviews with people who remember the Mission in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, July 3-7 2013. If you would like to participate, please contact her at hthorne@mun.ca or 709-763-4416. 

Photo: Dr. Hare at Harrington Hospital from the Vashti Bartlett Photograph Collection

Memories of Quidi Vidi

The past few weeks in Quidi Vidi have been spent gearing up for the bulk of the project to come. I’ve been working out of the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation for two weeks now and next week, finally, the interviewing process begins!

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the project, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, in partnership with The City of St. John’s, is reaching out to the residents of Quidi Vidi Village to help preserve the memories and heritage of this unique community. Many of the families who live in Quidi Vidi have been here for hundreds of years and others have only moved here in recent years. Each person will have experienced Quidi Vidi differently, but the one thing that binds them together is place itself - all of their memories will be tied to this little fishing village. My hope with this project is to see which locations in The Village have memories tied to them, which spots have names not depicted on modern maps, and, most important, how the people of The Village feel about their community.  

Most of what I’ve done so far is planning work so that the main part of the project goes smoothly, things like making contact with locals, setting up my office, taking preliminary pictures of The Village, reading history, and beginning to plot out buildings. All of these things will make the interviewing and recording process easier.

So far, the people that I’ve met in the village have been generous with their time and their knowledge. People like Craig Walsh, who owns a home and a fishing stage in The Village, John O’Brien, who has lived in Quidi Vidi his entire life, and “adopted Newfoundlander,” Peg Magnone, who once owned an antique store in Mallard Cottage but now resides in The Village. This project will be successful because of the people in The Village and their willingness to participate in recording their history and culture with my help.

Check back next week to see how my first week of interviews went!

-Joelle

Red Bay Basque Whaling Station named Canada’s 17th World Heritage site

The news that The Red Bay Basque Whaling Station in Newfoundland and Labrador has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage List was welcomed warmly today by the Honourable Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada. The decision to inscribe the site on UNESCO’s prestigious list was made by the World Heritage Committee at its annual meeting, held in Cambodia.

“In declaring The Red Bay Basque Whaling Station a cultural place of outstanding universal value, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has afforded Red Bay the highest recognition for a protected heritage place in the world,” said Minister Kent. “This international designation indicates that the site’s cultural characteristics are so exceptional they deserve to be protected for the benefit of all humanity. The Government of Canada is delighted that the Red Bay Basque Whaling Station now becomes Canada’s 17th UNESCO World Heritage site.”

Including its buffer zone, The Red Bay Basque Whaling Station World Heritage site takes in some 600 hectares of terrestrial and submerged resources, and properties managed by individuals, its municipality and other levels of government. Visitor opportunities at Red Bay National Historic Site, managed by Parks Canada, will continue to set the stage for experiencing what is the largest and most complete example of early industrial-scale whaling in the world.

Newfoundland and Labrador boasts numerous sites of important cultural significance, and Red Bay is certainly one of our province’s greatest treasures,” said the Honourable Terry French, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. “We are honoured that this important part of our history will be protected and preserved under this heritage designation and now takes its rightful place among the other world-renowned sites.”

“This recognition from UNESCO is a major community achievement. I am thrilled for our Town and for the many partners who have worked on this project over the years,” said Wanita Stone, Mayor of the Town of Red Bay. I am very proud of all of our residents. We are ready and eager to share this cultural history with the world.”

Documenting and celebrating the voices of seniors

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador administers the province’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Strategy, working to safeguard traditional culture. The ICH Strategy provides opportunities for community members to come together to share their ideas, experiences and traditional knowledge. Through sharing knowledge, it hopes to open up intergenerational and intercultural conversations about shared values and experiences.

The provincial ICH strategy recognizes, as a guiding principle, that the inclusion of multiple voices, including those of seniors, is important in all work relating to Intangible Cultural Heritage. ICH is kept alive and is relevant to a culture when it is regularly practised, and learned within communities and between generations. In many instances, elders in our communities are the bearers of much of our traditions and customs.

The ICH office has been working closely with Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative to store and showcase a number of oral history collections, many of which feature the voices of seniors. Collections are organized thematically or by community. Over the past year, a number of new community collections have been created, notably for Registered Heritage Districts in both Heart’s Content and Bay Roberts. These specific collections focus heavily on the reminiscences of seniors in those communities.

ICH thematic collections cover a number of topics, ranging from calendar customs such as mummering, to craft traditions like rug hooking. Almost all the collections include the voices of seniors, but there are a few collections of note which are particularly excellent examples of the documentation of the voices of elders. Some of these collections include:

The Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery -116 audio interviews
The daily work of the fishery had a profound impact on the culture and history of Newfoundland and Labrador. The particular method of curing fish in Newfoundland (and Atlantic Canada)--soaking in brine and sun- drying on stretches of coastline--led to the development of specific architectural forms, language, and many different aspects of occupational folklore. This collection showcases the history, hard work, and lifestyle of many Newfoundland fishing families.

Voices of Nurses -119 audio interviews
In the mid 1980s Marilyn Marsh interviewed a group of Newfoundland nurses who graduated between 1918 and 1949 and worked in a variety of nursing settings and locations in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and in several cases internationally.The nurses' stories capture what life was like for women and nurses during that era. Women in the 1920s and 30s had few career options. Most chose to stay in their community, marry and have families. For those wishing to pursue a career, to travel or were adventuresome, nursing provided the greatest opportunities but for many also their greatest challenges. These interviews reveal their lived experiences and provide insight into who they were as women and nurses.

Boatbuilding - 63 audio interviews
This collection of audio recordings highlights the stories, knowledge and skills of Newfoundland boat-builders, several of whom who have passed away since the time of recording. For much of their history, the fishermen of Newfoundland and Labrador enjoyed a reputation for making fine boats. Using only hand tools and local timber, they built skiffs, punts or "rodneys", motor boats and schooners, and a variety of other small wooden boats. While the principle focus of these recordings center around the materials and methods used in the construction of inshore fishing vessels, often those being interviewed will provide personal narratives about their lives in early twentieth century Newfoundland and Labrador outports.

Photo: Wilson Hayward showing tourists the art of mending nets, 

at Ryan Premises National Historic Site of Canada. Photo courtesy Parks Canada.

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Quidi Vidi By's

I snapped this photo last week while out exploring Quidi Vidi Village for the Memories of Quidi Vidi project. I love everything about this photo - the rocky background, the handmade wooden eagle, the texture of the hung up nets, and, of course, the name of the boat. 

-Joelle

What's happening in the world of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Newfoundland and Labrador

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador: the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is hiring a researcher to work on a project with the Department of Folklore to research wells, springs and traditional knowledge about water sources; Tolson Rendell of Heart's Content shears his sheep; marine engine enthusiasts are invited to a meeting about Newfoundland's iconic make and break engines; we start work on our folklore and oral history project in Quidi Vidi, St. John's; Nicole Penney returns from ICH workshops in South East Bight; designers are sought for the design of a helicopter memorial; and ICH Development Officer Dale Jarvis looks back on the past year of ICH policy work and programming at the HFNL office.

You can download the newsletter in PDF or other formats from:

https://archive.org/details/Ichupdate044small

Historic Plaque Program: LSPU Hall

For many years, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador has been placing historic plaques on registered heritage structures throughout the province. Over the years, some of these plaques have gone missing, are out of date or have fallen into disrepair. Over the past year we have been identifying which structures need plaques. We recently received our first order of shiny new bronze plaques and the first one we gave out was to the LSPU Hall.

LSPU Hall staff posing with their brand new bronze plaque
 (L-R): Suzanne Mullett, Peter Rompkey and Katie Butler Major

Like many other buildings in downtown St. John's, the LSPU Hall currently stands on a site that has a history stretching back hundreds of years. In the case of this building, the use of the site traces back to 1789 when it was the location of the first Congregationalist Church in Newfoundland. Several of the structures built on the site were destroyed by fire over the decades. The current building was constructed between 1923 and 1926 after it was destroyed by fire in 1922.




-Nicole