Downhome's Grant Loveys recently visited the workshop of a man we've dubbed the "Shoal Harbour inventor." Oliver Vardy spends his days thinking up and constructing new and unique musical instruments. Perhaps the most unique is an invention that Oliver calls the Melody Chord Harp. It is essentially a combination of guitar, harp an...
Out of This World
From our vantage point, Newfoundland looks very small. The Gaff Topsails, hundreds of square kilometres of stunning west coast land covered in snowdrifts so immense they resemble dunes, is just a small white smudge on the province's grey-green face - like a spoonful of sugar dumped on a slab of speckled granite. Newfoundland's innumerable ponds are, from here, no more than a collection of icy spots connected by threads of river winding chaotically around hills
Finding Your Roots Online
Although they are defined differently, the terms "genealogy" and "family history" are often interchanged. Genealogy refers to tracing family lineages for a family tree. Family history, on the other hand, is much broader and includes biography information, pictures, letters and other documents associated with a person or family. Both are very demanding tasks, often requiring extensive research. Like most tasks, they begin with a desire and a plan and then a knowledge of the resources
Making Ugly Music
As Dale Jarvis explains in the December 2012 issue of Downhome, the traditional Newfoundland ugly stick may have its roots somewhere off The Rock. "Similar percussion instruments were known in Europe as far back as the 16th century. British Army marching bands used a stick covered with bells called a 'Jingling Johnny' into the 19th century. Today in England, folk musicians play a version of the ugly stick called a 'Mendoza' or 'monkey stick.' In
Newfoundland and Labrador Paranormal By Kirsten Joy
Call me crazy, but I'm a long-time believer in the paranormal. How could I not be? I grew up in the Mockbeggar area of Bonavista, a historic, ocean-hugging part of town well known for spooky activity. Another house I lived in, in nearby Elliston, was separated from an old graveyard by just a few trees. The creepy experiences I grew up with led one of my more logical friends to
The first time I saw black-and-white photos of a frozen St. John's harbour, I remember marvelling at the image of young boys strolling across wide pans of ice in the same place where I'm used to seeing cold, black water. In a way that any politician's rhetoric or environmentalist's warning could never do, those pictures made me think about the impact of climate change. Seeing them brought to life those grandfatherly
Off the Record
In the April issue of Downhome, Linda Browne chats with Robert Williston, curator of The Museum of Canadian Music™ and owner of the largest private collection of Canadian music artifacts in the world. Several years ago, Robert began contributing music reviews to Kevin McGowan's blog It Came From Canada (click here to visit), starting with a couple of classic Newfoundland albums.
To read more about Robert and his music collection, check
5 Awesome Moose Videos
These five videos might just give you a different perspective of the majestic moose that roam our highways and meander through our backyards. From destructive nuisances to playful friends, these creatures definitely have distinct personalities. Enjoy!
How a Moose Gets Groceries
A Moose's Best Friend
Newfoundland
Lighthouses of Atlantic Canada
Over the last few months, we've been putting the call out for your best shots of the grand and beautiful lighthouses that dot the coastlines of the Atlantic Provinces - and you heard us! Check out the September issue of Downhome, where we showcase what we felt were the winning entries. Thank you to everybody who submitted. Here are some more of those great lighthouse photos.
