On January 4th, 2012 – My friends and I spent some time in St. Anthony – where you will find the only traffic light on the Great Northern Peninsula. However, St. Anthony`s claim to fame is much bigger than a traffic light – it was the home of Dr. Wilfred Thomason Grenfell.
I am currently reading, A Biography of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell – a Doctor, Missionary and Politician who radically changed the way of living for the people of Northern Newfoundland & Labrador as an International Association was founded to help enhance the social, medical and economic climate of the region.
Grenfell House (pictured in the background above) is one of the Historic Properties which thousands of visitors walk through beginning in May and into the Fall to gain insight on what it was like to live a day in the life of the good Doctor. I have been there many times; however, this was my first visit to Teahouse Hill. I remember my grandmother talking about her walking up to see the simple markers of Dr. Grenfell and the site of where his ashes were buried. Yet, never had I taken the time to experience for myself what it meant to trek teahouse hill – a common play area for the children of St. Anthony.
Teahouse Hill overlooks the town of St. Anthony. According to the Grenfell site, the walking trail is approximately 20 minutes and has been developed to National standards. Although, it seemed much longer on this chilly day of January. We were not really sure where we were going and really hoped not to get lost as the signs or interpretative panels were taken down for the season.
Oh no! – a fallen tree….
Headlines to read…`Mitchelmore uses brute strength to restore the tree to the vertical position`
Unfortunately, Mitchelmore is no Chuck Norris and the leaning tree remains.
The trail is a wonderful winter walk. I can only imagine the joys of walking or jogging along the trails in Spring or midsummer after a day in the office. A great offering for residents and visitors alike.
At the top of the hill there are three strategically placed lookouts that permit you to see the Town, the harbour and gain views of the ocean. The freedom of seeing the open water is quite powerful.
There is beauty in this space. It seems like the wonderful place to re-build a seasonal teahouse – offering incredible views and a place for people to escape and enjoy the beauty of nature that surrounds them, as well as a site for geocaching.
I recommend taking a trek to teahouse hill. This may have been my first visit, I sure hope it is not my last.
Live Rural NL –
Christopher C. Mitchelmore, MHA The Straits-White Bay North