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Finding your way in Bird Cove, NL – It’s About Time
The Town of Bird Cove is quite scenic. One could get lost in the beauty of your surroundings. I had taken the trek around parts of Long Pond and some of the archaeological sites.
Bird Cove is a Community of 50 Centuries. People have inhabited this peninsula for more than 5,000 years. So many cultures collided, from the first Maritime Archaic Indians, Paleo-Eskimo, Groswater Eskimo, Recent Indians, Basque, French, English to the current settlers. So it is certainly “About Time…”
I started my walk behind Bird Cove Community Centre.
I was tempted to take this small boat out for a row. It has been awhile since I’ve been rowing on the water, I miss it terribly. On the walk, I would recommend bug spray as there were many gnats and dragon flies skirting around me. I saw a fine winter’s wood neatly piled along the walk.
The trail continued with pebbles that would lead me to various plant life along the trail.
I was told that it is not uncommon to see a caribou while walking this trail. I did see a small squirrel and several birds. They were singing 
. It was a beautiful day.
One could be with nature at one turn and at the other see civilization of Bird Cove with a view of dwellings and the water tower. The trail continued to a boardwalk into the “Big Droke” (thickly forested area)
There was lots of space to sit down for a rest or to have a bite to eat. The trails were well-maintained. However, some of the signage was missing, so at times when I came to a fork I was a little unsure as to which direction to take. There were no bags in the limited garbage containers, so I held my Gatorade bottle. I was pleasantly surprised garbage was absent. Despite this, I found the trek very enjoyable. The larger panels had good images and useful information.
There were many other trails, as there are more than 30 register archaeological sites. One could walk Dog Peninsula and see Captain James Cook’s Cairn. I did not enjoy the fact that the trail did not loop around, as I was sporting my beige shorts with black dress shoes (very under-prepared for this walk, as I left from work wearing dress pants, shirt and tie). I ended up having to walk down a road of houses and make a turn to get back to the Community Centre. The additional walk did permit me to take many great photos of lobster traps, a rest area, fishing boats, seabirds and the Big Droke Cultures Foundation before making my way back to the Centre.
You too could find your way in Bird Cove! Remember “It’s About Time”
Live Rural NL -
Christopher C. Mitchelmore
Twitter/LiveRuralNL
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A Great Place to Discover – Town of Englee
The Town of Englee is a Great Place to Discover, nestled near the eastern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. The scenic town has much to offer those who take the time to visit…
A Snapshot of Englee from the Gazebo. Photo provided by Doris Randell, Town Clerk
I enjoy driving through this quaint little fishing Town located on ocean’s edge. The fishing boats line the harbour and the craggy coastline is quite visible, with Barr’d Island just on the horizon. There are many older dwellings and buildings, some more than 100 years old. John Reeves General Store dates back to the early 1900′s, grew to many outposts, saw many close up shop, yet has maintained their operation in Englee. The Town has some unique vernacular architecture from the churches, salt-box homes and heritage houses; some are painted in splashy bright colours.
One could spend the day hiking a number of trails. If you are up for the challenge, you may even get to visit the gazebo at the top of the hill. The Town has thoughtfully provided a central parking area, free of charge, for any visitor to park and take in the beauty of the Town. Ensure to bring a camera, as the opportunity to get some great images is high! Make your own art. If you are lucky you will see some wildlife, whales and maybe an iceberg. As well, they have a wheelchair accessible day park with plenty of picnic tables and fire pits for cooking. This can provide you with some time to have a scoff (a great meal), rest and take in the beauty of nature.
This year adds extra excitement as the Town and Come Home Year Committee have been tirelessly planning and organizing a Come Home Year Celebration! The dates, Sunday, August 14th until closing day on August 20th, 2011. Mark your calendars!
Below is a tentative schedule as posted by Madeline Newman on the Englee Come Home Year Facebook Group: Englee Come Home Year 2011
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_336199157541
Englee Come Home Year Tentative schedule
Subject to change
Day 1: Sunday August 14, 2011
1:30-3:00pm Opening Ceremony
Location: Playground (weather permitting)
• Prayer
• Ribbon & Cake Cutting
• Church Service
• Mayoral Address (Rudy Porter)
• Meet ‘N’ Greet
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Day 2: Monday August 15, 2011
8:00-9:30am Registration
Location: Municipal Building
8:00-10:00am Breakfast at the Apostolic Faith Group House
10:00am Kids Day
Bike Parade
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes will be awarded for decorated bikes
Location: Apostolic Faith Parking Lot (ride to the playground)
11:00am -4:00pm Games and Activities
Bounce House
• 50 Meter Race
• Sack Race
• Spoon Race
• Long Jump
• Bunny Hop
• Obstacle Race
• Other Games & Activities
All participants will receive a prize
Healthy Snacks will be provided
12:00pm-2:00pm Dinner at the Faith Pentecostal Church
• Potluck with tea or coffee ($7)
• Serving up to 100 people
6:00pm Little Mr & Little Miss Pageant
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes will be awarded for each category
Location: H. G. Fillier Academy
• 3-5 years of age
• 6-8 “ “
• 9-12 “ “
• 13-18 (?) “
8:30pm Community Bonfire
Location: Lockers Point
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Day 3: Tuesday August 16, 2011
8:00am-9:30am Registration
10:00am Motorcade
Location: Municipal Building
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes will be awarded for best decorated vehicles
1:00pm Grand Opening and Naming of the Town’s Heritage sites
• Barnes House
• Dr. B. T Gillard Memorial Park
• Harvey’s Stage
• The Replica of the Schooner the Nellie Reeves
4:00pm-6:00pm Supper at the Faith Pentecostal Church
• Cold Plates with tea or coffee ($7)
• Serving up to 100 people
7:00pm Variety Show
• Skits
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Day 4: Wednesday August 17, 2011
Family Day
3:00pm-5:00pm
Finger foods at the Apostolic Faith Church Group House
6:00pm Light the Tree of Memories
• Make a donation in memory of a loved one & a bulb will be lit in their honour
7:00pm Gospel Fest
Location: H. G. Fillier Academy
10:00pm Entertainment
Location: Fire hall
• Dave McHugh
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Day 5: Thursday August 18, 2011
10:00am-12:00pm Englee Day Festival
Games, booths ($20.00) and various activities
• Row-boat Racing
• Tug of War
• Log Throwing
• Log Sawing
• Dunk Tank
• Balloon/Dart game
• Money Ring Game
• Other Games & Activities
*Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each event*
12:00pm-3:00pm Dinner at the Salvation Army Church
• Meal Vouchers sold in advance (Soup & sandwiches, tea or coffee) $5.00
• Games will continue throughout the day
5:00pm-6:30pm & 6:30-8:00pm Supper at the Salvation Army Church
6:30 Open air service
Location: Apostolic Faith Parking Lot
• Fisherman’s Brew’s tea or coffee ($7.00 a serving)
9:00pm Open Mic at Fire hall (must be 19 or older)
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Day 6: Friday August 19, 2011
8:30am-11:00 Breakfast at the United Church Hall
• Beans, bologna & fresh bread (tea or coffee)
• Or bacon, eggs, toast (tea or coffee)
2:00pm-4:00pm Seniors Social, visiting & tea
Location: United Church Hall
5:00pm Community Supper (meal vouchers will be sold in advance)
Location: H. G. Fillier Academy
9:00pm Entertainment (teenage dance)
Location: Fire Hall
• Jodi Rice & Band
10:00pm Fireworks
Location:
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Day 7: August 20, 2011
8:00am-11:00 Breakfast at the Salvation Army
Beans, bologna & fresh bread (tea or coffee) or bacon, eggs, toast (tea or coffee).
10:00am Community Bobber Race
Pay $1 for a bobber. There will be 1st, 2nd, & 3rd prizes for the winners
Location: Batteau Cove Brook
2:00pm-4pm Family Picnic (everyone responsible for their own food)
Location: Ball Field (no pets allowed)
10:00pm Entertainment (adult community dance)
Location: shelter?
• Jodi Rice & band
Day 8: Sunday August 21, 2011
1:30 Closing Ceremonies
• Boat Tours will be available through Scenic Pursuit Ltd Bide Arm (ph# 709 457-2706 or 7678)
• Moose Burgers will be sold at Fire hall throughout the week
• United Church Hall will be open daily from 8:00am-8:00pm for tea, coffee , and to do some socializing
• Barnes House & Harvey’s Stage opened daily
Anyone with any suggestions or ideas can contact one of the committee members or send Madeline a message at engleechy2011@yahoo.ca. It will be brought to a meeting where a decision will be made if it will be added it to our schedule or not. Anyone wanting to take part in the Variety Show or Gospel Fest can do the same, only it will not be brought to a meeting.
There is always lots of activity in Rural NL on the Great Northern Peninsula. This summer ensure to add the Town of Englee to your list of places to visit and make your own discoveries.
Live Rural NL -
Christopher C. Mitchelmore
Related articles
- The Loss of the General Store (liveruralnl.com)
Vernacular Architecture: Rural NL Saltbox Home
A friend, travelling from Quebec City to the island of Newfoundland for the first time had scheduled a visit. Prior to waiting for the Ferry Service to dock at port in St. Barbe, I decided to take a “Look Back in Time”.
Traditional Saltbox Home
Black Duck Cove Seashore Day Park was my first visit. This rest point’s highlight is a collection of miniatures that represent the architecture-styles of rural communities of the past. There are two saltbox homes, slightly modified; a church, schoolhouse, wharf, fishing rooms and lodge. There are beautiful & well-marked walking trails, captivating views of waterways and binoculars to view sights of Labrador. There is a small playground and picnic area for you to stay for a while. However, many travellers would not easily find this place, at it is not well-marked in terms of signage or on any main highway route. If you can, take the time to ask for directions. I’d recommend a fresh coat of paint to the replicas and some minor repairs, unless the organization responsible is going for a more rustic look of the past. Just moments away, you can see neatly stacked lobster traps, two adjacent graveyards and piles of unpacked wood for winter stoves.
Stacked Lobster Traps
These replicas made me realize that the vernacular architecture styles are fading from local communities in the Strait of Belle Isle region. Vernacular architecture is a term that categorizes methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances, as defined by Wikipedia.
I decided to drive the area in search of the traditional folk house type, found commonly all over Newfoundland & Labrador, which is the Salt Box style. It is named for its shape, which resembled the boxes used for shipping salt to Newfoundland & Labrador and was one of the earliest forms of house construction. The Salt Box traditionally had a shorter steep roof line in front and a longer steep slope in back. This gave the impression that the house was much larger than it actual size.
An Abandoned Home
Talking to residents and elders, they noted that logs were sawed into lumber using a “pit saw”. The simple design of a two-story “salt-box” used simplicity of design and maximized space and limited the amount of resources required. This saltbox home depicts a more modern-style where the rooftop peak is central to the home for even distribution.
Today, Live Rural NL sees a more modern home, split-level, bungalow, two-story, pre-fab home, mobile with an array of designs and styles. I’ve suppose we have gone modern, with very few residents living in this traditional home design with bright vibrant colours. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect changes of culture and society. I certainly hope that these homes do not disappear forever entirely in the region.
Tilting with Time
There is much charm in an older traditional home. I had to stop for a moment as the structure to my left continues to tilt to its demise as it lacks an apparent caretaker. The field is quite large as the water it in the background. For this place, we can only stop and “Look Back in Time” at the memories that were made by the people who lived here before us.
A Rural Reflection -
CCM
