Here is another convenient way to send us your thoughts on down-home living, and comment on the stories you've read in Downhome. All will be considered for inclusion in the "Notes from Home" section of the magazine.
Away From Home (4303 views) Long time Newfie friends gather at the Second Annual Newfoundland Day in Naples, Maine. A day like this helps when one is away from home. Most of us left 40+ years ago, but we're forever proud of our heritage.
CN Ferry VS ecotourism $ The expense of the CN ferry is a major obstacle to any RVer wishing to visit your province. RVers bring $ and if anyone doubts this, they should look at Alaska in the summer. You cannot turn for RVers and this is a boon to local economies! Just about every small town in your province has some sort of RV park, yet many are underused or sit empty. I blame this on the ferry and ... click to read moreThe expense of the CN ferry is a major obstacle to any RVer wishing to visit your province. RVers bring $ and if anyone doubts this, they should look at Alaska in the summer. You cannot turn for RVers and this is a boon to local economies! Just about every small town in your province has some sort of RV park, yet many are underused or sit empty. I blame this on the ferry and its exorbitant fees!
I have been told that part of the Confederation deal between Newfoundland and Mainland Canada included the extension of the Trans-Canada Highway and if this is so, why is the rate of the ferry so high?
Don't turn RVers away, reduce the rate or even eliminate one way as they have with the PEI ferry. and watch how fast you fill those empty RV spaces and boost local economies! ... Hide full submission
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Remembering the SS Kyle
In your February 2013 Downhome there is a lovely picture of the SS Kyle. It brought back a lot of fond memories of my childhood in Wesleyville. I was born in 1931 and my father William (Billy) Fifield was the wharf keeper. ... click to read moreIn your February 2013 Downhome there is a lovely picture of the SS Kyle. It brought back a lot of fond memories of my childhood in Wesleyville. I was born in 1931 and my father William (Billy) Fifield was the wharf keeper. He was responsible for catching the steamer's lines and lighting the wharf light, a red lantern in a glass case. Wesleyville was one of the ports-of-call for many ships, the SS Glencoe, the SS Ranger and of course the SS Kyle. The SS Kyle came to Wesleyville often to pick up passengers from Lumsden, Greenspond, Cape Freels and all the small places in the Bonavista North area for the Labrador fishery. My family lived so close to the government wharf that we felt like we lived on the wharf. If the steamer was delayed and didn't reach the wharf on time, many passengers were stranded for the evening.My father would often invite them to our home for a meal or to spend the night. Some of these passengers were cousins, uncles, aunts and other family members but many were also strangers and "father" welcomed them all.
As a child, I had many visits to the SS Kyle when in port. I even sat on one of the Captain's knee and was given some candy, a rare treat for a youngster at that time. It was always so exciting when the SS Kyle came and blew the whistle three times to let my father know it was time to catch the lines. Sometimes it was in the middle of the night. It is so sad and too bad that these ships cannot be kept in some way. I can understand why Libby Earle DePiero would want to try and save a vessel which was so important to her father, Captain Guy Earle. The Kyle was important to everyone back then. It was our means of transportation from one outport to another. It was the vessel that took the workers to Labrador for the very important seal and cod fisheries. It was our connection to the rest of the world.
From the photo below, it is obvious how important the steamers were to the people of Wesleyville. It was a big event and drew a large crowd. Some came to meet loved ones who were away, while other came to say goodbye not knowing when they would see each other again. It's funny how one photo can take you right back to your childhood and bring back memories you thought were long gone. I can see the passengers and crew of the SS Kyle so clearly in my mind, waving as they approached the wharf, sometimes throwing candy, other treats and sometimes coins.
Thank you for the lovely article.
Olive Andrews (née Fifield)
Point Leamington, NL
The photo is taken from the book The Sea, Our Life Blood, A History of Wesleyville, Newfoundland. (B. S. C Printers, 1984, Ltd., Gander, Newfoundland.)
(My father Billy Fifield is the man in the light coloured long coat and hat in the centre of the photo talking to the police officer.)
In the February (2013) issue, the story about the trips to Labrador on the Kyle revived a lot of memories for me. I went to Labrador as part of the family crew from 1939-1947. We fished in Murray Harbour, just south of Battle Harbour. As a young male, I did indeed sleep in the hold along with my uncles and grandfather, together with a lot ... click to read moreDear Ron,
These comments are a little belated.
In the February (2013) issue, the story about the trips to Labrador on the Kyle revived a lot of memories for me. I went to Labrador as part of the family crew from 1939-1947. We fished in Murray Harbour, just south of Battle Harbour. As a young male, I did indeed sleep in the hold along with my uncles and grandfather, together with a lot of other crews.
We boiled our kettle at the main galley, brought it back to the forward hold, lowered it down with a rope, where it was retrieved by a waiting person, made our tea and ate whatever grub we had brought on board from Carbonear. The trip took about 3-4 days, if not interrupted by ice.
While accommodations in the hold were to primitive, I preferred it over the steerage where my grandmother and sister were. On my visits there to see them, all I remember is the oppressive steam heat, babies crying and the stench of seasickness. Despite all the hardship, my memories of many trips on the Kyle, both to and from Labrador, are very positive.
On page 17 of the March (2013) issue, there is a picture of three weights - 14, 28 and 56 pounds. I am very familiar with the 56 pound version. This weight was used for weighing codfish at shipping time. In my case, it was when the merchant's vessel came to our harbour to pick up our fish at the end of the season. A large Fairbank/Morse scale was used. Two 56 lb weights were placed on one side of the scale, and fish was loaded on the opposite side until the scale balanced. This meant that 112 lbs of fish, or one quintal, was weighed. Many a wrist was strained by trying to lift a 56-lb weight overhead while trying to keep the arm straight. ... Hide full submission
Edward French Sun City W., AZ
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Is the Name Newfie Derogatory or Not? I am probably really late to this party, however, I just had to comment on this term after reading about it in one of my wife's friends' Downhome magazines.
I have been married to a Newfie for 44 years, and she is one of the most wonderful and agreeable people on the planet. She comes from a family of most wonderful people, some as agreeable, and some a bit more caustic, but all loving ... click to read moreI am probably really late to this party, however, I just had to comment on this term after reading about it in one of my wife's friends' Downhome magazines.
I have been married to a Newfie for 44 years, and she is one of the most wonderful and agreeable people on the planet. She comes from a family of most wonderful people, some as agreeable, and some a bit more caustic, but all loving people. As I was raised in a normal (ie: dysfunctional) household, I was totally amazed to find a family that did not fight with each other all the time, and got along pretty much the same amount of time. They are all Newfies to me, which means happy, agreeable and loving. I lived among them, on the Rock, for a while, and they were good years. I have been called a mainlander by some Newfoundlanders, and although it was probably meant in a derogatory manner, it did not bother me, because as compared to those born on the Rock, I am from the main land of Canada. After all, what, really, is in a name? I have not yet been called an Upalonger, but aside from imbuing me with a confused expression, that also would not bother me. As one who has used the term Newfie for quite some time now, let me assure all of you upstanding Newfoundlanders, it is not used insultingly. Not by me anyway. Judging by all my in-laws, if Newfie means backwards, then I wish my family had been as backwards. If I do not know you, I will not grace you with the name Newfie, as, in my mind, you have not yet earned it, but if I know you and like you, and you HAVE earned it, I will.
From a mainlander (or maybe an upalonger)
Thomas Dickieson
North Bay, Ontario ... Hide full submission
My Downhome Story I have read many interesting issues of the Downhome over the years, however, it was always an old copy I had come across while visiting someone else's bathroom! Last year I decided the time had come for me to have my very own subscription to the Downhome and thought it would be extra special to receive it as a gift from a family member for my 65th birthday, so I dutifully informed my son of ... click to read moreI have read many interesting issues of the Downhome over the years, however, it was always an old copy I had come across while visiting someone else's bathroom! Last year I decided the time had come for me to have my very own subscription to the Downhome and thought it would be extra special to receive it as a gift from a family member for my 65th birthday, so I dutifully informed my son of my wishes.
Well, my wish came true and since November I look forward each month to receiving my very own copy of the Downhome magazine and all the interesting extras that accompany the subscription - the beautiful wall calendar with pictures that I want to frame, and an information travel guide that makes sure I plan my summer trips back home when my favourite festivals are on, and a recipe cookbook with easy gourmet recipes that often show up at family gatherings.
All copies of my very own subscription to the Downhome are never very far away because you never know when one might be able to refer to the Downhome to make a point. One evening recently, I invited a few of my senior friends over for a game of cards. While trying to settle the matter of a certain card rule, I confidently spoke up and explained how it is usually done in Newfoundland! Well, they were all mainlanders and not too impressed with a Newfoundlander's version of a card game rule, and to prove their point, they indignantly said "and what else should we know about the way things are done in Newfoundland?"
Not to be outdone, I promptly grabbed the past six issues of the Downhome magazine, that just happened to be nearby (as always), and gave each of them a copy to take home, and said "this is a wonderful Newfoundland magazine that will tell you the way many things are done in Newfoundland." They are raving about the little magazine from Newfoundland! The matter of the card game rule may never be settled but they all want to go to Newfoundland, and I expect that future issues of the Downhome may go missing from my place!
Judy Young-Cairns
Riverview, New Brunswick (formerly of Foxtrap, CBS, NL).
I am an old codger from NL (St. John's) living in Nova Scotia now for some 50 years, but still very much a died in the wool Newfoundlander at heart. I eagerly look forward to receiving your magazine and read each issue from cover to cover. I think your magazine is unique, devoted as it is to things Newfoundland, and filling a burning need in most Newfoundlanders to be closely ... click to read moreHi Ron & Staff:
I am an old codger from NL (St. John's) living in Nova Scotia now for some 50 years, but still very much a died in the wool Newfoundlander at heart. I eagerly look forward to receiving your magazine and read each issue from cover to cover. I think your magazine is unique, devoted as it is to things Newfoundland, and filling a burning need in most Newfoundlanders to be closely linked to home. When you retired from Toronto Ron, and moved your magazine to your home in NL, it was a real piece of forward thinking. This is evident by the rise in popularity of the Downhome over the years. The nature of the articles always seems to closely resonate with the intended Newfoundland audience and are always most interesting. Good on you for not deviating from this goal.
On page 30 of the January (2013) issue, it shows a heater used to heat Ron's room. I also grew up beside one and still own it today. Here is a picture of it.
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