Youth "Community Historians" wanted on Change Islands, Newfoundland

GREEN TEAM POSITIONS
Town of Change Islands
Green Team Job Ad Number: Zone 3 - C

Project Title: An Environmental History of Change Islands

Project Description: Team members will be “Community Historians” recording the unique history of Change Islands and how its natural environment has sustained residents for hundreds of years – providing shelter, food and fuel. The Team will interview, videotape and photograph three generations and their experiences of ‘living off the land,’ and develop informational tools such as tourism booklets, community storyboards, and newsletter articles. The Team will also conduct several Environmental Awareness Events, which will include a presentation, delivery of games, arts and crafts, activities; and other duties as assigned. Employment is from June 30 to August 22, 2014.

Team Leader (1 Position): The Team Leader is the day-to-day supervisor for the Green Team. As such this person is responsible for the conduct of Team Members and the work they undertake. The Team Leader ensures that the work required is properly assigned and carried out, and ensures that the project proceeds smoothly. This involves planning, maintaining discipline, daily acquisition of materials required, effective liaison with the Project Proponent and the Conservation Corps, troubleshooting, etc. A Team Leader is expected to demonstrate the ability to plan and organize and must have previous leadership and supervisory skills. This position is for eight weeks with a rate of pay $11.00 per hour for 35 hours per week.

Team Member (3 Positions): The Team Member is an integral part of the Green Team. The Team Member follows the direction given by the Team Leader, has the ability to work well in a team environment and feels that s/he can make a positive contribution to the projects undertaken. This position is for eight weeks at $10.00 per hour for 35 hours per week.

Qualifications for this project:

· Experience and/or interest with photography, videography and graphic design an asset
· Interviewing skills
· Writing and computer skills
· Good organizational skills an asset
· Willingness to participate in public speaking
· Willingness to learn and positive work attitude
· Youth aged 16-30

Additional Considerations: Required to get to and from worksite; applicant must have CSA approved boots and gloves; potential for evening and weekend work; one person on the Team will be required to have a valid driver’s licence and full-time access to a vehicle with adequate insurance. Reimbursement for vehicle mileage is in accordance with CCNL policy.

Application forms available: Suite 103, 10 Austin Street, St. John’s or online at www.ccnl.ca

Application Process: Please return a completed application form and resume to:

MAIL or IN PERSON: Suite 103, 10 Austin Street, St. John’s, NL, A1B 4C2

FAX: (709) 729-7270

EMAIL: applications@ccnl.ca

Indicate the Green Team Job Ad Number and Project Title on your application.

Deadline for Applications is Friday, May 30, 2014.

For more information, contact Joanna King, Regional Supervisor at jking@ccnl.ca or 709-572-9245.

Portugal Cove Cemetery Clean-Up Day

Just up the road from the Roman Catholic Church in Portugal Cove, on the side of a green hill, is the RC cemetery. It's a fairly large, sprawling cemetery, with headstones (many as old as the mid 19th century) standing in clusters through the trees. This is just one of the many interesting burial spaces that PCSP has, all of which are physical reminders of the community's long settlement history (which, no doubt, is closely connected to the fishery). Because of the historic significance of these spaces, cemeteries are worthy of attention so that they can be protected to the best of our abilities. This is a huge task in Newfoundland, as the climate is hard on the stone, and there are so many cemeteries that need attention, that it can feel overwhelming to try and protect them all. But even small measures can go a long way. The Roman Catholic Cemetery has been tended to some degree over the years, and this summer, it is schedule to have an intensive clean-up by a group of volunteer students from MUN.

 

The RC Church in Portugal Cove, close to the RC Cemetery.

Some of the organizers checking out the site. (I'm behind the camera!)

On June 24th, 2014, 30 to 40 students with the "Make Midterm Matter" program will be showing up to do their part. Not only will they work hard to clear brush, clean up garbage, and cut away growth from headstones, but it will also be a learning opportunity for them. They will be given a few tips for how to tend to headstones without doing any damage, as well as learn about what the symbols on the headstones mean. This day-long heritage volunteer excursion is a partnership between MUN, the HFNL, the Town of Portugal Cove and St. Phillips, and the RC Church. It's the first partnership of its kind, and we hope it continues into the future. It will be a great opportunity to raise awareness about heritage issues in our communities. Hope to see you there!

A small portion of the large cemetery space that the students will be working in. Endless growth and brush for them to tackle!

-Lisa

Tuesday Folklore Photo: Eleanor Roosevelt visits Newfoundland

A funny thing happens, from time to time, when I'm trying to find a good folklore photo. I'll start out looking for a nice archival photograph of flowers, to brighten your RDF filled afternoon, and then I end up writing about Elanor Roosevelt, isn't it just the way?

It all started with this photo:

"Mr. Roosevelt being presented with flowers"
[October 08, 1961]
Original photograph in Memorial University
 of Newfoundland Libraries,
 Archives and Special Collections Division.
 S. J. Carew Photograph Collection

And then I just couldn't stop....

Eleanor Roosevelt chats with J.R. and Clara Smallwood
[October 08, 1961]
Original photograph in Memorial University
 of Newfoundland Libraries,
 Archives and Special Collections Division.
 S. J. Carew Photograph Collection

"Premier Smallwood, Lieutenant Governor MacPherson and Eleanor Roosevelt"
[October 08, 1961]
Original photograph in Memorial University
 of Newfoundland Libraries,
 Archives and Special Collections Division.
 S. J. Carew Photograph Collection 

On October 9th, 1961, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and an accomplished individual in her own right, attended the opening of the new campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Lord Thomson thanks Eleanor Roosevelt after her address[October 09, 1961]
Original photograph in Memorial University
 of Newfoundland Libraries,
 Archives and Special Collections Division.
 S. J. Carew Photograph Collection 

For more information about Eleanor Roosevelt's visit to Newfoundland, visit the collection on the Memorial University of Newfoundland Digital Archives Initiative.
-Nicole 

Be on the lookout for this stolen 17' Newfoundland dory!

Traditional culture is where it's at, as we all know here on the ICH blog. It's so hot, apparently, that people are willing to steal to get a piece of it.

The news making its rounds on social media is that someone has stolen a Newfoundland dory.  I imagine it is the sort of thing that is hard to hide and move, so if you see it, let the police know.

This from the RNC facebook page:

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is requesting the assistance of the general public in regard to the theft of a 17' wooden dory from the east end of St John's. Anyone who has information related to this matter can call the RNC at 709-729-8000 or contact Crime Stoppers NL to submit their tips online, call toll free 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477) or text TIP190 plus your message to "CRIMES" that's 274637 and relay their clues or information.

Job Posting - Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum Coordinator

Reporting to the Heritage Committee, will be responsible for: 

- Supervising the museum and providing guided tours
- Collecting and cataloging historical information
- Other associated duties

Experience and Qualifications: - Must have experience dealing with customer relations 

- Must be competent in Microsoft Word and Excel
- Must have an interest in history and be enthusiastic

The Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Heritage Committee was formed in October 1995, with the goal of preserving and promoting our Town's rich history through the establishment of a museum. The Museum is divided into five themes representing different aspects of its heritage:

Fishery - a collection of local photos, fishing net displays, and various fishing and sealing artifacts.

Agriculture - photos, tools and items representing early farming activity.

Sports - highlights, through photos and artifacts, its strong rowing heritage from the famous Outer Cove crew that rowed the time of 9:13 in 1901 to present day rowers.

Lifestyles - re-creation of a traditional kitchen containing artifacts from everyday life. Also includes artifacts and pictures reflecting the importance of the church and religion in daily life.

Military - a tribute to those of the community who served in any armed conflict.

The Museum also contains an archive of information regarding history of the community that is available to the public upon request.

Send Resumes to aprilkenny@lbmcoc.ca

Application deadline May 28, 2014

Folklore Photo - Painting the Jenkins House, Twillingate

I have been working on compiling an oral history of the Jenkins House in Blow Me Down, Durrell, Twillingate. The above photo is of the house at the end of its restoration project. Here, owner Corey Sharpe talks about how he selected the colour for the house, in consultation with George Chalker, HFNL's Executive Director:

So colour was another thing. What are we going to put on it for colour? I can remember it always being white. So I said, “I’m not a big fan of white. White’s everywhere. It’s not even a colour, in my opinion. But anyway, it did look nice on the house and stuff.” So I said … I spoke to George Chalker, and he said, “Well, take a look at those heritage colours that we had Templeton’s do for us.” I said, “Yeah, I’ll do that.” 

So I picked out a colour. I think it was Dory Buff or something like that. Am I going to drastically change the colour of the house, or what am I going to do? So the siding, the local siding, had been replaced on the house in different places on the house over time. It was never all stripped and replaced. I could do one side one year, then 15, 20 years later they probably did a patch on the other side, whatever. So anyway, I got down to a patch that was original to the house. It had the cut nails, and I said, “What colours were on that house?” So I slowly scraped the paint down. When I got down to the last colour, apart from say the red ocher-ish stain that they had on it, that was the colour. It was almost like exact. That just made up my mind right there. So that’s the colour we painted the house.

Photos courtesy Corey Sharpe.

Tuesday's Folklore Photo - Waterfront Gardening

I've heard that because of our cold start to Spring, locals gardeners are feeling a bit anxious to get started. Surely things will soon warm up and people will be able to get their seedlings in the ground....right? Hopefully this photo will provide a little bit of inspiration, and remind us that the wait will be worthwhile.

Taken in Conche on the Northern Peninsula in Spring 2010, a family works together to dig potato trenches, getting the ground ready for planting. This waterfront garden plot is one that this family has been using for decades. Its location near the ocean ensures that it gets optimal exposure to sunlight, is easily accessed by boat, and can easily access kelp, which is an effective soil fertilizer.

-Lisa

Folk Belief Booklet Launch a Success

I'm glad to report that we had a wonderful turn-out for the launch of our booklet: Folk Belief and Legends of Bay Roberts and Area. This event took place at the Bay Roberts Pavilion last Saturday, May 3rd. Many people came to celebrate this collaborative project and sat down to hear a few local stories. Special thanks for the thoughtful and generous introduction from Mr. Clarence Mercer (pictured below). Also pictured are two students from Ascension Collegiate (Sarah Barrett and Josh Russell) who read out-loud selections of their work from the booklet. Sarah explained what weather-lights are while Josh told us about a ghostly figure that visits the bridge in Clarke's Beach--a lady that many have claimed to see over the years.  Mike Flynn, a local author, was also in attendance. He shared a spooky tale about the devil showing up at a local dance to partner up with a lonely woman. The moral of his tale? Be careful what you wish for!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the launch and helped us celebrate this accomplishment. The Bay Roberts Cultural Foundation will be offering copies of this booklet for sale onsite at the Pavilion in the near future. Don't forget to stop in and pick one up!

Clarence Mercer introduces Dale Jarvis and I.

Sarah and Josh reading their stories.

Some of the people who attended the event.

Mike Flynn shares: The Devil at the Dance.

Now that this project is all wrapped up, I'm dying to work on another one just like it. As always, we are accepting all of your ghost/fairy stories and other strange tales at the ICH office. Drop us a line!
lisa@hertiagefoundation.ca  
or Dale: ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Lisa

Symposium on Music, Folklore, and the Public Sector - May 15

You are invited to attend a half-day symposium on Music, Folklore and the Public Sector on Thursday, May 15, 2014, hosted by the Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place (MMaP). A group of internationally renowned ethnomusicologists and folklorists will join with local experts, activists and entrepreneurs for a lively exchange on issues that range across local culture, politics, and social well-being.

 his afternoon event will feature presentations by the Board members of the Society for Ethnomusicology: Gregory Melchor-Barz (medical ethnomusicology, Vanderbilt University and the University of the Free State, South Africa); Anne Rasmussen (musical labour in Oman, gender and Islamic arts, College of William and Mary); Tina K. Ramnarine (cultural mapping, heritage sites, Royal Holloway, UK); Harris Berger (popular music and performance studies, Texas A&M University); Zoe Sherinian (Tamil folk music, politics, film-making, University of Oklahoma); Margaret Sarkissian (minority groups in Malaysia, Armenian immigrants in Toronto and Chicago, Smith College); Andrew Weintraub (music and human rights, repatriation, Uganda and Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh); Stephen Stuempfle (SEM Executive Director, Caribbean musics, Indiana University);

It will also highlight ongoing public sector initiatives in Newfoundland and Labrador: Dale Jarvis (Intangible Cultural Heritage, HFNL); Zainab Jerrett (Tombolo Multicultural Festival of Newfoundland and Labrador Inc.); Jillian Gould (Public Sector Program, Folklore, MUN)

When: Thursday, May 15, 2014, 1pm-6pm, followed by a reception.

Where: MMaP Gallery, 2nd floor of the Arts & Culture Centre, St. John's NL
Admission is free.

For more information and a full schedule of events, please visit the website: www.mun.ca/mmap, or contact Meghan Forsyth (709-864-2051, mforsyth@mun.ca) We hope you will join us for this exciting event!

Photo by Chris Hibbs, 2010.