Are you curious to learn more about our Sheep to Sock Sunday demonstrators? Meet one of our spinners, Alison Simms!

Are you curious to learn more about our Sheep to Sock Sunday demonstrators? Meet one of our spinners, Alison Simms!

Alison is a MUN student, studying Biology and Earth Sciences, but in her limited free time she loves to work with wool. Her interest in fiber arts began with crochet and knitting. After many years of interest in learning to spin, she found herself with the opportunity to buy a second hand wheel, and a connection to a local farmer with fleece to spare. With help from members of the local Weavers and Spinners Collective, she quickly learned to use her wheel and spin her local wool. A hobby that she finds both relaxing and rewarding. She loves the entire process from sheep to sock, and is happy to share her knowledge of this process with others. #SheepToSock

Interested in learning more about Sheep to Sock Sunday? Check out this link: heritagecraft.ca

Sheep to Sock Sunday: Presenting Christine LeGrow

Are you as excited for the upcoming Sheep to Sock Sunday as we are? #SheepToSock Heritage NL is featuring another of our upcoming demonstrators, Christine LeGrow.

Christine LeGrow was born and raised in Newfoundland, and has a keen interest in the people, places, and things that make this island unique. A life-long knitter, her company Spindrift Handknits produces over 30 regular hand-knit wool products across a diverse product line. The business is supported by rural knitters throughout the island who make extensive use of traditional patterns that have been handed down through generations. Christine believes to extend the life of handknits, the basic knowledge of darning skills is essential.

Learn more here: https://www.spindriftknits.com/

Heritage NL Celebrates 40 Years

Saturday, May 18, 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (Heritage NL). Heritage NL is a provincial crown agency with a mandate to stimulate an understanding of and an appreciation for the province’s built and intangible heritage. Since 1984, Heritage NL has been doing just that - through programs that recognize the province’s built and intangible heritage, by providing financial support for built heritage preservation, and by supporting intangible cultural heritage projects and practitioners.  

"We have accomplished so much in the past 40 years," says Heritage NL chair Dr. Lisa Daly. "We continue our commitment to highlighting the varied heritage of our province and protecting it into the future."

To date, Heritage NL has designated over 340 Registered Heritage Structures, 6 Registered Heritage Districts, and has disbursed $3.5M towards the preservation of heritage structures. Heritage NL has also supported countless community oral history and intangible cultural heritage projects, ensuring that valuable community resources are preserved for future generations. The organization also facilitates the transmission of our province’s heritage skills through inventories, workshops, and mentoring opportunities.

During this anniversary year, Heritage NL will be highlighting its accomplishments on its social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X (@hfnlca). The website www.heritagenl.ca includes a heritage property search and a large collection of intangible cultural heritage material from across the province. 

Sheep to Sock Sunday Demonstrator Heather Nolan

Want a sneak peek for our upcoming Sheep to Sock Sunday on May 26th?

Heritage NL is presenting one of our featured demonstrators of wool carding, Heather Nolan. #SheepToSock

Heather Nolan (they/them) is a knitwear designer, natural dyer and writer living in Bonavista, Newfoundland/Ktaqmkuk. They have published knitting patterns internationally, as well as collaborating on designs with yarn companies like Woollen Twine Fibre Studio (Germany) and Uist Wool Mill (Scotland). They are the author of novels How to be Alone (Goose Lane, 2023) and This is Agatha Falling (Pedlar Press, 2019) as well as the poetry collection Land of the Rock: Talamh an Carraig (Breakwater, 2022), works which have received nominations for the Winterset Award, Newfoundland Book Awards and the ReLit Award. Heather's current project is working toward opening a wool mill in Bonavista.

Check out some of Heather's work here: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/heather-nolan

https://www.oileanach.ca/

Come check out Sheep to Sock Sunday on May 26, 2024 from 11-4 at the O'Brien Farm Foundation in St. John's.

Sheep to Sock Sunday at O'Brien Farm, May 26th 2024

 

Join Heritage NL and our friends at the Sheep Producers of NL for our first "Sheep to Sock Sunday" at O'Brien Farm on Sunday, May 26th, 2024. There will be sheep, lambs, shearing demonstrations, spinning, carding, knitting, darning, and more. See the whole process of how we go from sheep to sock! A free family event. 

Sheep to Sock Sunday
Sunday, May 26th, 2024
11am-4pm 
O'Brien Farm
150 Oxen Pond Road, St. John’s

List of Demonstrators:

Shearing demo, BBQ and Silent Auction by SPANL
Spinning - Emily Denief
Spinning - Alison Simms
Tanning Hides - Brenda Aylward, Aylward Farm and Meat Shop
Carding and Processing - Heather Nolan of Oileánach Knits
Carding - Amelia Reimer
Knitting - Corinne Reid and SeaSpun Yarn and Coffee House, Carbonear
Darning - Christine LeGrow of Spindrift Handknits
Felting - Shona Stacey of Wild Iris Gallery

Sheep to Sock Schedule (download the pdf here)

Stay tuned for more details at www.heritagecraft.ca!

Poster design by Chloe Jane Lundrigan, 2024.

Heritage Update - Wood Windows and Energy Efficiency, Sawmilling, and Three New Heritage Designations

In the April 2024 heritage update, we share news about three new Registered Heritage Structures in Burin, Indian Cove, and Heart’s Content. We look back at 75 Years of Co-operative Heritage in the province, and look forward investigating energy efficiency of wooden windows, and an ongoing project to build new double-glazed wooden windows using traditional techniques. We finish with the story of sawyer Moses Drover and his Whiteway, Trinity Bay, sawmill. 

Download the pdf:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e57F355C47Ymr1ZUDLZTItENuh0qpGtJ/view?usp=sharing

Job Posting - Building Conservation Intern (full time position to March 28 2025)

Building Conservation Intern Wanted!

Are you between 19-30 with an interest in old buildings or heritage carpentry?  Send us your resume!

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 passionate about heritage carpentry or conservation for the position of Building Conservation Intern. Work will include assisting Heritage NL staff and workshop leaders on providing technical workshops on the repair and restoration of wooden windows and other conservation skills, helping provide workshops on Standards and Guidelines, preparing a written report on the benefits of window restoration over replacement, and assisting with assessments of historic properties in the field.

A certificate of completion, diploma, or degree in heritage conservation, heritage carpentry or masonry; or certification as an apprentice carpenter; or practical experience in building trades with an interest in heritage restoration or conservation. The candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills. 

Candidates must meet eligibility requirements under the Young Canada Works program and be a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador. The job will be situated at the Heritage NL offices in downtown St. John's.

Hourly wage:

$21.00

Send resume to dale@heritagenl.ca 

Deadline extended to May 24th

Job Posting - Celebrate 75 Researcher 12 week position through Young Canada Works.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (Heritage NL) is hiring a Celebrate 75 Researcher as a 12 week position. Heritage NL has designated over 360 Registered Heritage Structures since its creation. These places range from elaborate houses and lodges, to modest fishing structures, and works of public engineering. They are a physical record of where we have come from, and are repositories of the stories that tell our history. Celebrate 75 is a project to recognize, record, celebrate, and promote the meaning and evolution of these places since Newfoundland and Labrador’s Confederation with Canada in 1949.

The Researcher will be undertaking research about the historic architecture of local historic places, with the goal that the collected information and images from the research will be featured in the Celebrate 75 online media campaign.

The applicant must have excellent oral and written communication skills; good knowledge of word processing and Excel; availability to travel; and an undergraduate or masters level degree in history, archaeology, folklore, journalism, creative writing, or architecture. Previous experience with a heritage organization is an asset. Good computer skills required, including ability to do online and archival research. Experience with blogging/informal newsletter writing an asset.

The position may also assist with Heritage NL public programs related to historic places as needed, and will report directly to Heritage NL’s Executive Director.

$20/hr, 35 hrs a week, 12 weeks.

Deadline to apply: April 26, 2024

A student may be eligible for employment if they:

• are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible);
• are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
• are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment; and
• are a high school, college, CEGEP or university student.

All applications must be made through the YCW website:

https://young-canada-works.canada.ca/Opportunity/ProjectDetails?projectId=19512&showBackToSearch=true 

Celebrating the Traditional Skills of the Humber Valley

photo courtesy Lauralee Ledrew, Cormack

Heritage NL has been working with the Department of Folklore and the Harris centre at Memorial University on a traditional skills inventory for the Humber Valley.  The following communities are included in the study: Steady Brook, Little Rapids, Humber Village, Humber Valley Resort, Pasadena, Pynn’s Brook, Little Harbour, St. Judes, Deer Lake, Reidville, Cormack, and Howley. 

The study is now finished, and is presented in two parts. First is the Humber Valley Skills Inventory (2024) which showcases individual makers, crafters, and artists in the region. The second is a report entitled Needs and Gaps Related to Traditional Knowledge Transfer in the Humber Valley, NL (2024), which explores challenges related to traditional skills.

And as a followup to a recent Thriving Regions workshop in Deer Lake, we have set up a new facebook group, Humber Valley Traditional Skills, for those people wishing to discuss or share opportunities for knowledge transfer:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/humbervalleytraditionalskills

Thanks to Harris Centre for their support and to the work of our researchers: Denise McKeown, research assistant & writer; Felicia Omodunke Somolu, graphic designer; Emlyn Tuck, needs and gaps researcher; Rose Baruh and Era Mahmuda, archival research. Thanks also to Heritage NL staff Andrea O’Brien and Terra Barrett, for fieldwork assistance and editing.

There are also collections of material related to both the Humber Valley generally and Deer Lake specifically on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative:

https://dai.mun.ca/digital/ich_wn/