NEWFOUNDLAND TOWNS

Few and Far Between

TWILLINGATE Ice berg capital of world

 

     The quaint scenic old fishing village, one of Newfoundland’s oldest seaports, has a famous lighthouse overlooking picturesque Notre Dame Bay. Residents have made their living from the sea for two centuries. Today it remains a fishing and sealing town. Four main islands are connected by causeways. The population of the islands is approximately 5000 divided among 17 communities in an area called the Kittiwake Coast.

     Settlers arrived in the 1700s. The area acted as a trading station for merchants from England in the mid 1700s. The village had its own newspaper 1883-1953.

Unique pit saw

     We visited Prime Berth, a private museum created and run by David Boyd. Dave a 60-year old fisherman started at age six with his dad. Here I saw a replica of a pit saw. With no power of any kind the logs had to be cut by hand. By building the saw into a hill one man could be above and one down below so that a long saw could be pushed and pulled through the log. It didn’t produce a perfect board like saw mills do but it worked. Electricity did not arrive in this part of the world until 1963.     Always looking for something different and new I was fascinated with that pit saw.

    Later we moved on to the shed over the water which is called a stage. We were told every fisherman has a stage. It is where the fish are prepared. To demonstrate he took a cod and broke off its head, then cut away the backbone. The cod resembled a kite when laid flat. It was then salted and left for days to cure before being moved out into the sun to dry. The liver was removed and put in a bucket of water where after a few days cod liver oil could be collected and bottled.

    From the head the tongue and the cheeks were cut out. The cheeks are like scallops and both the tongue and cheeks are eaten by the family, not marketed.

    Two small round bones removed from under the cheeks are ivory-like and called ootlith. If sliced crosswise, growth rings can be counted to determine the age of the cod. Today these little bones are finding their way into jewelry, especially ear rings.

    At one time the cod was so thick in this area one could walk on them. They were over fished and the stock was badly depleted when the steel boats and nets came into practice. It was necessary to put a moratorium on cod fishing, which was particularly hard on fishermen who had fished for generations. One year there was no cod fishing at all.

After leaving this very interesting and informative visit we stopped at the 331 foot high Long Point Lighthouse,1867. A foghorn blasts every 60 seconds. The unique design of this lighthouse encompasses a square cylindrical base topped with an octagonal conical and tapering 50-foot tower. The brick structure was encased in concrete after it cracked during a 1929 earthquake. A covered passageway attaches a round watch room to 1-1/2 story keeper's house. The tower is painted red, the lantern and watch room is painted white. It is staffed by the Coast Guard as a light station.

CORNER BROOK

    The city of Corner Brook, now with a population of 100,000, grew up around the mill and inn. The city is nestled among the folded and faulted Long Range Mountains, which are a continuation of the Appalachian Mountains stretching from Georgia. Set at the mouth of the Bay of Islands the city is 25 miles inland from open waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is an area of rugged and beautiful scenery including magnificent fjords, jagged headlands, thick forests, and many off shore islands. Wildlife, forest and water mingle with the city's borders.

     Corner Brook, the second largest city in Newfoundland, is the hub of the west coast. The city has a long and diverse history. People have lived and worked along the shores of the Bay of Islands for thousands of years.

    In 1767 Capt. James Cook was first to survey and map the Bay of Islands. Mountains fringe three sides of the city. The area has more clearly defined seasons than the rest of the province so lovely gardens bloom in summer.

    It is a marketing and distribution point for local fishermen who fish the Strait of Belle Isle in summer and who spent winters working in Corner Brook’s lumber woods. The arrival of the railway contributed to permanent settlement, which was followed by the construction of a paper and pulp industry. Soon after WW II a cement plant and gypsum plant were established adding to the economy

    Four distinct areas with unique commercial activities make up the city. Curling has its fishery, Corner Brook West has retail businesses, Corner Brook East has railway operations, and Townsite has the world’s largest pulp and paper mill ever undertaken in the history of paper making. In 1956 these four communities became the present day City of Corner Brook.

    Between the Old World Heritage, scenery that changes every mile, the most spectacular coastline in Canada, quaint coastal villages and smiling friendly people who speak with an Irish lilt, Newfoundland is truly a special place. It is unspoiled, has few tourists and the air is fresh and clean. The people were warm and friendly with a wry good sense of humor, and we had a fabulous time here.