From horrid dogs to dangerous youngsters: telling back lane tales in Harbour Grace

Row of headstones in the Bennett's Lane Roman Catholic Cemetery.
Bennett's Lane is visible in the background. Photo taken: February 2022

Harbour Grace, NL -  From horrid dogs and dangerous youngsters, to casket makers and compassionate doctors, the back lanes of Harbour Grace have seen it all. The old stories of the laneways are coming to light once more, with a little help from graduate students enrolled in Memorial University’s Department of Folklore.

The project is a cooperation between students of FOLK6740: Public Folklore, the Town of Harbour Grace, and course instructor Dale Jarvis of Heritage NL. The idea emerged from discussions following a 2018 Heritage NL People, Places, and Culture workshop in the community.  The storytelling project focuses on the historic laneways and paths that run between many of the buildings within and bordering the town's Registered Heritage District.

Students Than Brown, Roshni Caputo-Nimbark, Meaghan Collins, Emma Kwok, Denise McKeown, and Anna Reepschlager interviewed locals, conducted archival research to uncover hidden tales, and created a wiki to document their finds. 

“This research project uncovered some fascinating information from both historical sources and residents’ memories,” says Matthew McCarthy, Economic Development Officer with the Town of Harbour Grace. 

“These areas are such treasure troves of stories, past and present,” says McCarthy. “We think there’s great potential to reanimate these footpaths for both residents and visitors through thoughtful public infrastructure.”

One of the laneways documented in the project is Doctor’s Lane, named in honour of the many early doctors who lived in Harbour Grace. This included Dr. William Stirling, born in Harbour Grace, who eventually settled in Twillingate. He and his wife, Anne Peyton, had ten children, the youngest of whom became Newfoundland’s first opera singer, Georgina Ann Stirling, “The Nightingale of the North.”

The back lanes, while under-developed today, invite exploration. 

“Right now, we have some significant private investment coming to the area, with Yellowbelly’s restorations of the old Courthouse and Immaculate Conception Cathedral,” says McCarthy, “and this project is another important piece of the municipality’s long-term plan to revitalize the downtown Registered Heritage District. We’re excited with where things are headed.”

The students’ wiki page is viewable at:

https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Laneways_of_Harbour_Grace 

Job Posting for Built Heritage Intern with Heritage NL

Heritage NL is a non-profit organization that promotes the conservation and awareness of Newfoundland and Labrador's historic places and the safeguarding of its Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

Heritage NL is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Built Heritage Intern to undertake a number of projects that will support the various programs of the foundation. These will include the development of short research papers on historical subjects, the rewriting of descriptive texts on designated properties, and the documentation of Registered Heritage Structures through field study, archival research, and oral histories. Eligible candidates should have an undergraduate or graduate degree in a relevant field such as: history; archaeology, folklore; architecture; cultural geography; archaeology or other related field. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements under the YCW program and be a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador. The job will be situated at the Heritage NL offices in downtown St. John's.

$20/hr, full time, ending March 31, 2023

Deadline to apply April 25, 2022

Apply directly though the Young Canada Works portal:

https://young-canada-works.canada.ca/Opportunity/Project?projectId=15174 

Report released on Saving Traditional Skills on the Great Northern Peninsula

The Great Northern Peninsula Community Place Corporation and Heritage NL have been working together to make a list of people with traditional skills and know-how in the Tri-Town (Hawkes Bay, Port Saunders, and Port au Choix) area.

Local researcher Destiny Penney was hired to interview local crafters and seniors, and to compile a list of people in the region willing to share their skills. Her findings are summarized in a new report, released this week. 

The report features local knowledge-holders ranging from 85-year-old Edmund Alyward, a Port au Choix capelin net maker, to Hawkes Bay quiltmaker/sewer Josie Penney (shown above). 

"This will be an amazing resource for us to build on," says GNP Community Place Corporation's Joan Cranston. "I would like to identify people with traditional cooking skills as well, and traditional healing skills and knowledge."

The GNP Community Place is a community centre located on the main street of Port au Choix, NL. Overlooking the harbour, this community heritage building will offer a safe, accessible place for people from all over the Great Northern Peninsula to gather to participate in inter-generational health and wellness initiatives. It is run by a volunteer not-for-profit community corporation and operates as a social enterprise, offering space for programs to benefit the community while generating revenues to offset operating expenses

The full report can be downloaded in pdf format at: https://www.mun.ca/ich/resources/Saving_Traditional_Skills.pdf 

This project was jointly funded by Heritage NL and ICOMOS Canada’s Youth in Heritage Program.

Heritage NL announces updated funding program to help maintain Registered Heritage Structures

A cracked window or small leak in a roof might not seem like a big problem, but left unfixed, it can lead to major headaches for a homeowner. For owners of heritage properties, help is on the way to fix some of those small problems before they become big ones. 

Heritage NL has designated over 360 properties across the province as Registered Heritage Structures, a program which began in the early 1980s. Today, many of these iconic properties need some fixing-up. At a recent meeting of its Board of Directors, the organization agreed that the ongoing maintenance of heritage buildings is important, and needs to be a priority. 

“Deferred maintenance puts historic structures at risk of permanent damage or loss,” says Dr. Lisa Daly, Heritage NL Chair. “In the long run, the costs associated with regular maintenance of heritage features will be less than waiting to do large-scale repairs. On a practical level, it makes financial sense for Heritage NL to start addressing this now.”

In order to discourage deferring maintenance, and to encourage the continuous upkeep of designated properties, Heritage NL has streamlined and expanded their grant program. Structures designated by Heritage NL are now eligible to apply for a cost-shared grant of $3,000 every three years to assist with upkeep of exterior heritage features such as wooden windows, trim, and clapboard. 

The grant, while not large, is meant to help cover the gap between using less expensive repair options and proper restoration with the use of original materials.

Heritage NL has allocated a portion of its annual granting funds to cover this specific need, and owners of Registered Heritage Structures are encouraged to check the Heritage NL website for conditions and an application form. 

Heritage NL celebrates barking and bark tanning as Distinctive Cultural Traditions and Practices.

Barking pots in Twillingate, early to mid 1900s. From the Twillingate Museum.

For Immediate Release

St. John’s, NL
March 31, 2022

Join us virtually on Tuesday, April 5, 7:00 pm as Heritage NL, with the support of The Rooms, celebrates barking and bark tanning as the newest addition to the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program’s list of Distinctive Cultural Traditions and Practices. The celebration will happen via Zoom. To register in advance for this webinar visit here.

Administered by Heritage NL, the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program (PHCP) 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, 39 designations have been made, including the designation being recognized on April 5th. 

Joan Ritcey, chair of the Commemorations selection committee, says, "the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program is an important element for the recognition and appreciation of our past. By recognizing our cultural traditions and history we honour our heritage and pass it on to future generations."

The tradition of bark tanning and the use of bark mixtures has a long history in Newfoundland and Labrador. The old iron bark pot on the landwash was (and is) a reminder of our ancestors’ skills. Bark was used by Indigenous peoples and settlers alike for tanning hides, making fishing nets more durable, and colouring everything from sails to clothing. 

Today, the old tradition of barking is finding new life as craftspeople embrace this ancient technique. A representative from the Labrador Artisans Co-op and participants in Heritage NL’s Crafts at Risk Mentor/Apprentice Program will be joining us to discuss current barking projects. Follow this link to the official Commemoration listing .

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For Further Information Contact:

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

Living Heritage Podcast Ep217 Weaving Her Life Across Canada

Weaving and hooked rugs by Celeste Colbourne.

In this episode of the Living Heritage Podcast we talk with Celeste Colbourne about weaving including her interest and background with the craft, the process of weaving, and her experience weaving across Canada.

Celeste Colbourne in front of her loom in her home.

Celeste Colbourne is a weaver who was introduced to the intricacies of making yarn, threading a loom, and creating beautiful cloth 28 years ago in British Columbia. Over the years miles of handwoven cloth have been woven and sold in almost every province, and now she is home, weaving in Newfoundland.

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Living Heritage 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 Ep216 Bunches of Barrels with Lindy Rideout

In this episode we talk about Lindy's experience learning coopering or barrel making, the traditional and modern tools used, and the importance of cooperage to Cottlesville. We also discuss the historical uses for barrels as well three different grades of barrel making.

Lindy Rideout holding one of his pieces. 

Lindy Rideout is a self trained cooper who lives in Cottlesville, New World Island, NL. Using his grandfather’s cooperage tools he has made barrels, water buckets, and even a wooden hot tub. A third generation boatbuilder who builds kayaks he has also taken up painting and has tried to capture the work of barrel making including the tools, process, and people.

Coopering or barrel making is one of the crafts listed in the Heritage NL Craft at Risk List 2021. 

Painting completed by Lindy Rideout.

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Living Heritage 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.

Municipal Designation of Cemeteries - a How-To session with Heritage NL

 

Thursday, March 24, 2022
2:00 PM

Cemeteries throughout Newfoundland and Labrador are generally revered as special, sacred places. They occupy both emotional and physical space in our communities. Cemeteries are also expressions of our spiritual beliefs and cultural values, as well as rich repositories of genealogical and community history. 

Under the Municipalities Act, incorporated Newfoundland and Labrador municipalities can create Heritage Advisory Committees and designate locally important heritage buildings, structures and lands. In this free webinar, Heritage NL outreach officer Andrea O’Brien will walk you through the steps of how municipalities can designate cemeteries that fall within their town limits, and will explain what that means in terms of the protection of cemeteries as a historic resource. 

Register at:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j3FCItadRLuex16IG0l2VA

Heritage NL celebrates Outport Girls and Women in Domestic Service as Exceptional People from the Past.

Unknown woman and Monica Rice Rossiter, Nunnery Hill, St. John's, circa 1930s.

The newest addition to our Provincial Historic Commemorations Program (PHCP) honours Outport Girls and Women in Domestic Service as Exceptional People from the Past. 

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.

Joan Ritcey, chair of the Commemorations selection committee, says, "the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program is an important element for the recognition and appreciation of our past. By recognizing our cultural traditions and history we honour our heritage and pass it on to future generations."

Since the Program's inception in 2010, 38 designations have been made, including the designation being recognized on March 8th:  Outport Girls and Women in Domestic Service (Exceptional People from the Past).

The economic history of Newfoundland and Labrador is dominated by prominent merchants, politicians and businessmen. But merchant and fishing households alike could not have operated without the help of “the girl”: that is, the domestic servant. These girls and young women, usually from rural outports, represented the largest sector of waged women’s work from the late 19th century right up to Confederation. Their often invisible labour was essential to the operation of households of all classes. The migratory workforce of outport women in this province was a key part of the Newfoundland and Labrador economy up until the 1950s, and an important part of its social history. 

Follow this link to the official Commemoration listing https://heritagenl.ca/discover/provincial-historic-commemorations-program-designations/outport-girls-and-women-in-domestic-service.

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