Saving Traditional Skills in the Tri Town Area and surrounding communities in partnership with the Great Northern Peninsula Community Place Corporation

 If you know of someone crafty or with know-how of traditional skills in the Port au Choix region, a local group wants to meet them!

The Great Northern Peninsula Community Place Corporation and Heritage NL are 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. 

Everyone from boatbuilders to basket weavers are wanted. Already, the project has identified people in the area who are willing to share skills around sewing, knitting, crochet work, and net making and mending.

“Every year, there seems to be fewer people who know how to make traditional crafts,” says folklorist Dale Jarvis, Heritage NL’s Executive Director. “This is an exciting local project that we are happy to support, to see who is still in the area with the knowledge of how to make the tools, objects, and crafts of yesteryear.”

The project is the idea of the new GNP Community Place, a community center located on the main street of Port au Choix NL, set up to help build on community strengths and assets. 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.

Local researcher Destiny Penney has been hired to interview local crafters and seniors, and to compile a list of people in the region who are willing to share their skills. For more information, or to nominate someone with local knowledge, email destinyy.penney@gmail.com.

The project is jointly funded by Heritage NL and ICOMOS Canada’s Youth in Heritage Program.

Pictured: Cutting wood in Port aux Choix. Photo courtesy of Decks Awash Photographs, Memorial University Archives and Special Collections.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep210 Revitalization of St. Paul’s Anglican Cemetery with Ian Morris and Kevin Toope

Updated war memorial in St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery. November 2021.
Photo courtesy of Trinity Historical Society.

In this episode of the Living Heritage Podcast we talk with Ian Morris and Kevin Toope of the Trinity Historical Society about the work of the society, their adopt a headstone project, and their research and revitalization plans for the St. Paul’s Anglican Cemetery. We also hear some of their favourite stories from their research, and their own connections to the cemetery.

The Trinity Historical Society preserves and promotes the history of Trinity, through the acquisition and preservation of artifacts and archives, and through the promotion and acquisition of historic properties. The Trinity Historical Society was organized in 1966. Originally the Trinity Historic Sites Committee, it was formed on February 7, 1964 to gather information on the history of Trinity and to preserve it for future generations. In 1971 it was incorporated under the laws of Newfoundland and it is a registered Charitable Organization.

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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.

A new home for the 1892 Meneely and Co. foundry bell from Ireland's Eye, Trinity Bay.

We had a grand chat yesterday with Mr. Garland Bailey about one of our Registered Heritage Structures, St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Old Bonaventure. Garland and his local committee are working on a plan to see the building find new life in the community. 

One plan is to see the re-use of a historic bell, from the old church in the now resettled community of Ireland's Eye, Trinity Bay.  The bell was cast at the Meneely and Co. foundry at Troy, NY in 1892. 

We've written about the interesting history of the Meneely foundry in an earlier blog post, and there are several Meneely bells in churches across the province. This one is interesting as it shows it was donated/paid for by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and lists the two churchwardens of the day.

It's great to see one being saved, and we will be following the Old Bonaventure project as it unfolds. Photos of the bell below, with an archival image of what the old St. George's Church in Ireland's Eye looked like circa 1950.

St. George's Anglican Church, Ireland's Eye, c1950, Maritime History Archive, PF-317.855

Saving Endangered Crafts across Newfoundland and Labrador: Introducing Heritage NL's Mentor-Apprentice Participants

Colourful wooden boat created by Newfoundland artist Jerome Canning.

From boatbuilding to bark tanning, traditional skills at risk of being lost in Newfoundland and Labrador just got a boost from Heritage NL.

Nine projects from all across the province that pair a learner with an experienced craftsperson have been given the green light by Heritage NL, the provincial agency that deals with historic places and living heritage. 

The Heritage NL Mentor-Apprentice Program is a one-on-one immersion program that provides funding up to $10,000 to support the teaching of endangered crafts and skills from an established mentor to an apprentice craftsperson or tradesperson. 

“The traditional craft sector is an important part of our contemporary economy, especially in rural areas,” says folklorist Dale Jarvis, Executive Director of Heritage NL. “We are excited to support these tradition bearers and entrepreneurs in learning and promoting skills and crafts that otherwise might fade away.”

The participants will have a year to work together, teaching and learning a variety of skills including weaving, making traditional Labrador clothing, and manufacturing Uilleann (Irish) bagpipes. There are two more opportunities for people interested in traditional skills to apply to the program, February 10 and April 10, 2022, with more information online at heritagenl.ca. 

This program is supported by the Labour Market Partnerships program, Department of Immigration, Skills and Labour, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The approved mentor/apprentice projects are as follows:

Labrador duffle work, (a pure wool fabric originally used for blankets and coats).

Mentor Joyce Lee, Red Bay,  with apprentice Miranda Rumbolt, Mary’s Harbour.  

Rodney punt design and construction

Mentor Jerome Canning, St. John’s, with apprentice Chris Hogan, St. John’s.

Bark tanning 

Mentor Susan Furneaux, Conception Harbour, with apprentice Nicole Travers, Lark Harbour.

Uilleann (Irish) bagpipe making

Mentor Neil O'Grady, Carbonear, with apprentice Robert Brown. 

Wild food processing and preserving

Mentor Lori McCarthy, St. John’s with apprentice Tina White, Mount Pearl.

Labrador cossack (dickie) making

Mentor Charlene Rumbolt, Mary’s Harbour, with apprentice Katie Lee, Red Bay.

Weaving skills

Mentor Stephanie Stoker, St. John’s, with apprentice Chantelle Evans, Makkovik;

and

Mentor Megan Samms, Katalisk / Codroy Valley, with apprentice Jane Walker, Bonavista;

and

Mentor Jessica McDonald, St. John’s, with apprentice Christian Dauble, St. John’s.

For more information or photos, contact:

Dale Jarvis

Heritage NL

dale@heritagenl.ca

https://heritagenl.ca/programs/craft-at-risk/ 

Take a look at some of the beautiful work our apprentices have made. More details on our Mentor-Apprentice program to come!

A beaded shield. Bark Tanning work created by apprentice Nicole Travers.

Storage of Japanese Knotweed - a Foodways preservation technique credited to apprentice Tina White.

Goose Eye Weaving by apprentice Chantelle Evans.

Duffle work courtesy of mentor Joyce Lee.

On the loom - Weaving in process by apprentice Chantelle Evans.

Linen weaving by mentor Stephanie Stoker.

Mentor Susan Furneaux's "Small Landscape" bark tanning.

Apprentice Jane Walker's first completed woven scarf.

A woven baby blanket by apprentice Christian Dauble.

Wessex Lecture “The Welfare Officer: The Life and Work of Welfare Officers during the First Decade after Confederation with Canada ”

Larry Peckford has put together a history and personal story of the work of Welfare Officers in the first decade of post-confederation Newfoundland and Labrador. Drawing on his own family experiences and the minutes of meetings of senior executives, departmental annual reports and publications, Larry chronicles an interesting period in the evolution of social services delivery in those early years. Included are the stories of the men and women who provided departmental leadership in recruitment, training and development and, most importantly, placing a focus on those Welfare Officers who endured the hardships of delivering an essential service to a new province after confederation with Canada.

The event will be held on Facebook Live and Zoom at 7:30 pm on January 12th 2022, via the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/hfnlca/live

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88969728397

Wanted: Digital Archives Intern for the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation

Wanted: Digital Archives Intern

The Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation (BTHC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and protecting the heritage of the Baccalieu Trail Region.  The BTHC is hiring a youth intern to create and manage digital files related to their regional folklore collection, which includes filmed oral histories and a large number of photographs, many digitized from the Corporations 35mm slide collection. As part of the project, digitized files will be uploaded to the BTHC collection on Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative website.

Work will take place at the BTHC office in Carbonear, NL.  Duties include organizing digital materials to be placed online; processing collected data and electronic files; digitizing, compiling metadata and uploading records for Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative;  and performing other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Applicants should have knowledge of computers, and Google/Excel spreadsheets.
• Experience compiling metadata for archival collections is a bonus.
• Must have a strong ability to work independently, and excellent organizational skills are a must.

Work experience related to the management of online inventories, editing of digital data (audio, photographic, video), or cataloguing of materials would be a plus. Applicants should have a background in folklore, history, or library and archival work, or an equivalent combination of experience and training.

Applicants must be aged 15-30 and legally entitled to work in Canada.

One of the goals of the Youth in Heritage Program is to diversify and strengthen the cultural heritage sector. We encourage individuals who face barriers to employment to apply.  

This is an 8 week position, starting in January 2022. Salary:  $20/hour.

Interested individuals should send their contact information and resumes to: contact@baccalieudigs.ca

Deadline to apply: January 8, 2022

This position is funded as a partnership between ICOMOS Canada’s Youth in Heritage initiative and Heritage NL. 

Wessex Lecture this Wednesday: “Christmas Wonder with Wendy”

“All is calm, all is bright…” Is it? Was it? The well known and loved Christmas carol Silent Night holds a special place in the hearts of many of those who hear it. It’s one of those tunes that invokes memories of Christmases past and instills hope for a better tomorrow. But how did it come to be written and why is its message of peace so timeless? 

 As a seasonal offering, through use of dramatic monologues, Wendy Woodland will present an exploration of Silent Night that may just have you thinking about the carol with new perspective and renewed interest. 

Live on the Heritage NL facebook page

7:30pm, Wednesday, November 8th

Craft at Risk, New Knitters, Research in Change Islands and Harbour Grace, and Heritage Polaroids!

In the November 2021 edition of the Heritage Update: Heritage NL and Craft Council of NL launch the Craft at Risk project; a group of new knitters learn some skills in Torbay; Michael Philpott of Heritage NL gets ready to teach you how to research your historic home (from home); we give an update on our recent People, Places, and Culture workshop on Change Islands; our intern is busy scanning hundreds of Polaroids from the Town of Trinity; we visit with the postmaster of North River; explore the heritage of the Parsons/Collis building in Harbour Grace; and announce a new job opening for a social media coordinator! We've been busy!

Download the pdf at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Mlw7E4UG99mLeT1fQZi1wnxn0KpfgPZ/view?usp=sharing

Job posting - Heritage NL Social Media Intern - deadline Dec 6th

Do you like geeking out over heritage online?  Are you passionate about people and their stories? Are you curious about the stories behind our historic places in Newfoundland and Labrador?  We are looking for a Social Media Intern that is passionate and is looking to support the understanding of an appreciation for the built and intangible cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. The ideal applicant will be energetic, self-motivated, and will have strong organizational skills. One of the goals of the Youth in Heritage Program is to diversify and strengthen the cultural heritage sector. We encourage individuals who face barriers to employment to apply.

The Social Media intern will be responsible for assisting in day-to-day operations and management of content of the Heritage NL Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts. This position will be responsible for planning, creating, scheduling, and posting content for various heritage projects such our designation program for historic places, and for our Craft at Risk Mentor/Apprentice programs and internships. 

Must be aged 15-30 and legally entitled to work in Canada. $20/hour - 35 hrs per week. 

Start date: 1/10/2022

End date: 3/31/2022

Responsibilities for Social Media Intern

• Work alongside the Heritage NL team to create a plan for social media strategies 
• Aid in the daily aspects of promoting historic places and Craft at Risk Mentor/Apprentice projects
• Monitor postings to ensure brand message is constant, from the terminology used to images posted
• Interact with followers by communicating and answering questions through the Heritage NL’s social pages
• Assist in implementing plans to increase followers on popular social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn
• Brainstorm/offer ideas for social media projects/opportunities, and help create digital content 

Send your resume and cover letter to ich@heritagenl.ca by December 6th.