Discovering the Discovery Trail

Asset mapping in Champney's West

Ready to map the living treasures of the community

It’s been a whirlwind two days of work here in Champney’sWest.  Dale and I headed out Thursday morning for a weekend of oral history interviews, asset mapping, and an oral history workshop.  On Thursday evening there was a public asset mapping workshop held in Champney’s West to see what heritage means to the people of the community.  There were three tables of locals with a moderator taking notes on the community’s cultural organization, creative cultural industries, spaces and facilities, festivals and events, cultural heritage sites, natural heritage and intangible cultural heritage. 

Discussing the community's cultural assets

Checking out the map of Champney West's living treasures

After the community brainstormed the important cultural assets of the community the residents received a recipe card and were asked to think of a living treasure in the community.  Living treasure just means someone in the community who is knowledgeable about a particular topic or skill and why they are important.  The residents then mapped these local treasures on a map of Champney’s West.  After the map was completed everyone enjoyed a little lunch and cup of tea before heading home for the evening.

Friday morning and afternoon Dale and I interviewed two older residents of the community brothers Ben and Roy Hiscock.  Both brothers were great storytellers and told stories about growing up in the community, local shipwrecks, memories from the Second World War, and jokes from local characters.  Be on the lookout for clips of these two interviews!

Checking out Elliston, the root cellar capital of the world!

Don Johnson and I outside one of Ellison's many root cellars

Between the interviews with Ben and Roy we also headed out to Elliston to talk with Don Johnson from Tourism Elliston to do a short interview on root cellars in the root cellar capital of the world.  Don showed us a couple of cellars and explained their importance to the community in the past and to the present community.  He explained their upcoming festivals and took us out to see the puffin site and the new sealers memorial.  

The Sealers Memorial in Elliston

Puffin site in Elliston

After a lovely supper at the Bonavista Social Club we were back in Champney’s West for the first coffee house of the season.  It was a great evening with live music, jokes, stories and another small lunch.  After lunch we were in for a special treat as local characters Martha and Bertha put on a skit.  They discussed the “h’asset mapping” and the ‘eritage of the community.  They even mentioned the out of town folklorist who wrote a book on mummering.  This is when it got interesting as Bertha bet Martha he couldn't even mummer.  Let’s just say a nice bit of dress up and dancing ensued!  Check out the pictures below!

Local fiddler

Martha, Dale Jarvis and Bertha

Plankin er down!

Thanks to Champney’s West for a great two days!  Today we've got a couple more interviews and an oral history workshop in Port Union.

-Terra

New on the Digital Archives: Purse Seines to Lobster Pots (1952)

Our colleagues over at Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative are constantly uploading new documents to their already impressive collection of archival material.

Recently added was a fabulous short pamphlet entitled "Purse Seines to Lobster Pots" by F.H. Wooding, published in 1952 by the Department of Fisheries of Canada, and printed by the fabulously-named Edmond Cloutier, King's Printer and Controller of Stationery.

The booklet is from the Marine Institute Collections, 20 pages long, and provides an introduction to everything from British Columbia herring, to ice-fishing on the Prairies, to the fisheries of the Atlantic Coast. It includes some great photos of the era, including the Newfoundlanders with the cod trap, above, and the scene of men launching dories somewhere off the Atlantic coast, below.

The booklet also includes a series of great line drawings, such as the illustration of an Atlantic coast sardine weir, shown below.

The publication can be viewed online, or downloaded as a pdf document. Happy fishing!

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Southern Shore Ship Wrecks

Ferryland [VA 41-21] 1929
Newfoundland Tourist Development photograph collection
Views of Newfoundland by W.R. MacAskil, Halifax, N.S.
Photo: Courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives

Today's folklore photo is of a shipwreck in Ferryland.  I am currently listening to a number of interviews completed in the Cape Race region of the Southern Shore.  I am writing up tape logs for these interview and one reoccurring theme in the interviews are memories of ship wrecks.  There are a number of stories about men saving the people from shipwrecks.  One story in particular is about the Brave Joe Perry who saved a number of men by tying a rope around his waist and being lowered over the side of a cliff and hauled back up with a passenger by the men of the surrounding communities.

Another idea surrounding shipwrecks which is repeated is the practice of wrecking.  For anyone who doesn't know the term wrecking refers to the practice of removing valuables from shipwrecks which have landed close to shore.  One particular story which stands out is of a wrecked ship which was full of pork.  The men of the community came home with chunks of meat for their family's supper after that particular wreck.

Have you heard any stories about shipwrecks?  What about the practise of wrecking?  If so leave a comment below or shoot us an email at terra@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Culture mapping, memories, a new booklet, and more!

In the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador for April-June 2015: 

• Folklorist Dale Jarvis is working with the Champney's West Heritage Group on a cultural mapping project; 
• Terra Barrett writes about the soon-to-be-released oral history booklet from Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove; 
• Heritage Foundation of NL invites you to listen to stories about heritage properties as part of The Memory Store, now on YouTube; and,
• You are invited to a free "Saving our Stories" workshop in Port Union!

Download the newsletter in pdf or other formats.

Know a recent grad looking for a job in the heritage field? #nlheritage

Job Posting: Museum Association AssistantDuration: Full time until March 31st 2016

The Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MANL) is a not for profit, registered charitable organization that supports our membership and museums throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Job Description
The Museum Association Assistant will work with the Executive Director in reviewing the organizational records of the Museum Association. The Assistant will be responsible for reviewing membership information and updating it on the MANL website. The Museum Association Assistant will also assist with planning, organizing and delivering our Annual General Meeting and training programs. The person reports to the Executive Director and works with committees of the Association to fulfill the goals of the Association.

The areas of responsibility include but are not limited to:

• Digitizing of records of the Association • Establish and maintain information related to members • Reviewing organization documents for retention • Assist in the development of membership database • Reevaluation and organization of reference library • Produce a regular newsletter and maintain the Association’s website • Assist with Annual General Meeting and training programs • Support the Board of Directors and committees of the Association, special projects and meetings as required • Some travel required must have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle • Other related duties as required.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will have demonstrated relevant experience. Must meet the criteria for the Graduate Employment Program, having graduated from a post-secondary program within the past two years. Must have experience with Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Excel; and possess excellent communications and organization skills. Knowledge of the museums, records management, light bookkeeping archives and heritage sector would be an asset. Completion of MANL and ANLA training would be an asset. The successful applicant must demonstrate the ability to work with others in an office environment. The successful candidate must present a certificate of conduct upon request.

Deadline for applications:

June11th, 2015, 3:00 pm
Applications may be forwarded by email only to: kflynn@nf.aibn.com

MANL thanks all applicants for their interest; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Memory Store: If we put in a second fire escape...

Hi everyone this is Terra again. I just wanted to introduce you to my main project this summer with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador: "The Memory Store". The research for the Memory Store includes doing short video clips with people about the stories surrounding historic places. This means part of my summer job is checking out historic sites in and around St. John’s and listening to the stories about them. The video clips of these stories are part of the Memory Store which is a virtual spot where we can find stories about local places. 

The Memory Store is part of the HFNL’s goal to foster a greater appreciation of historic places, by making the stories about these sites more accessible to the general public. The HFNL is working to document the architectural history and the associated stories of Newfoundland and Labrador’s historic places, in and around the St. John’s region. This research project will form part of a permanent collection with Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Digital Archives Initiative.

The following videos are the first in the series which will be posted every second Wednesday. In the first video folklorist and ICH development officer, Dale Jarvis, explains the idea behind the memory store. While in the second Gary Green, past president of the Crow’s Nest Officer Club, tells the story of the second fire escape in the Crow’s Nest placed there during the Second World War. Garry says although the first escape may look like nautical decoration it was put in place as a functional fire escape. Make sure to check out this link to learn more about the Crow's Nest Officer's Club as a historic site!

Introduction Video

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca, terra@heritagefoundation.ca or 739-1892 ex. 5.

Memory Store: If put in a second fire escape...

-Terra

Witless Bay Cemetery Clean Up

ICH development officer and members of the Witless Bay heritage committee.
Left to right: Peter, Kevin, Dale, Bonnie, Mary.

This morning Dale and I drove out to beautiful Witless Bay on the Southern Shore to meet with several members of the heritage committee.  In a couple of weeks time on June 23^rd the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Witless Bay heritage committee are partnering with Memorial University for the second year to do a cemetery clean up as part of MUN’s Make Midterm Matter.  This year students from MUN will have the opportunity to spend the day out of the classroom and in the graveyard engaging with the community while gaining volunteer experience. 

View from the Witless Bay cemetery.

Cemeteries are an interesting part of our past with many stories to tell, however, older cemeteries are often forgotten and fall into disrepair.  Taking care of cemeteries in this province is difficult with a climate which is rough on the gravestones.  However, looking after these gravestones is important as they often offer information which is not found elsewhere.  In order to show the students some of the information which can be learned from the graves we will be doing a couple of gravestone rubbings.  Dale will also discuss the significance of the gravestone symbols and how reading these symbols can give us information about the people who are buried in the graveyard.

Several symbols are displayed on this gravestone in the cemetery.
A cross, an anchor, a harp, a plant and a sacred heart.

The students will be working together to clear brush, mow grass, paint and fix fences, clear garbage and generally tend to the cemetery grounds.  The Witless Bay heritage committee is looking to restore the graveyard to its former glory and any and all volunteers are welcome.  If you are interested in volunteering and wondering how you can become involved send me an email at terra@heritagefoundation.ca


-Terra

Saving Our Stories - An Introduction to Community Oral History in Port Union

Saving Our Stories - An Introduction to Community Oral History with folklorist Dale Jarvis.
A free workshop organized by the Sir William F Coaker Heritage Foundation, Champney's West Heritage Group, and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. This workshop is open to anyone with an interest in local history, culture and folklore. It is intended to give a background on how to conduct research interviews, and will give people a chance to try their hand at creating interview questions and to explore the world of oral history! It is free to attend, but you need to register in advance.

Saturday, June 13th, 2015, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Factory/Advocate Building, Port Union, NL

Contact:
Terra Barrett at 1-888-739-1892 x 5 or email terra@heritagefoundation.ca

What, and where, is our heritage? Help map Champney’s West heritage.

Thursday, June 11th, 2015 
7pm – 9 pm
Recreation Hall, Jack’s Hill
Champney’s West

This June, residents of Champney’s West will start to map out what their heritage means to them, with a little help from folklorist Dale Jarvis.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, our living heritage is rich and diverse. It includes ballad singing, snowshoe-making, accordion playing, knitting, Christmas mummering, berry picking, boat building, and much more. We tell stories, make clothes, shear sheep, and spin yarn. We have a complex knowledge of place, the seasons, and the movements and patterns of animals from moose to cod fish. If we lose these important parts of our living heritage (what we call Intangible Cultural Heritage or ICH), we will also lose important resources that can keep our communities going culturally, economically and socially. But where do we start?

Communities decide which traditions are important to document. Sometimes these traditions are threatened; sometimes particular elders or tradition-bearers will be highlighted. Other communities may record important traditions of everyday life. One first step is "asset mapping" - the process of collecting, recording, and analyzing local information in order to describe the cultural resources, networks, links and patterns of the community. Cultural asset mapping provides an inventory of key cultural resources that can be utilized for future development in the community.

Dale Jarvis, the ICH Development Officer with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, will be leading a community conversation about historic places, trails, old stories, place names, traditions, and local knowledge. Come for a cup of tea, and tell us what matters to you in Champney’s West. It will be a free and fun community workshop, sponsored by the Champney's West Heritage Group Inc.

For more info, contact: 

Shelly Blackmore, Heritage Coordinator
Champney's West Heritage Group
Ph (709)464-2173 Email - cwcdo@bellaliant.com
Website - www.champneysisland.net