A lot can happen in a year and 2014 was filled with adventure, travels, issues and accomplishments for this rural Newfoundlander & Labradorian.
Part II:
July begins with a wreath laying to remember those fallen Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel, as well is a celebration of Canada’s birthday. This year, I spent the festivities parading around the Town of Roddickton-Bide Arm and also the events at Town of Main Brook. Each evening my family members both Mitchelmore’s and Way’s are invited to converge for a relatively new tradition of a bbq in the shed and fireworks! It is always fun to spend time with my family, they are a whole lot of fun to be around!
July is also the Annual Grenfell Heritage Days in St. Anthony, it is always a great fundraiser for much needed hospital equipment. I also view greenhouses, gardens, lumberyards and icebergs. I went cod jigging and enjoy a kitchen party in the gear shed at Green Island Cove. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the community come together for a random summer occurrence like that night. There must have been 100 plus people having a scuff, playing an instrument or having a yarn. You never know what unique experience may just pop up in rural Newfoundland & Labrador.
Tourism was in full-swing giving me the opportunity to visit Raleigh, Ship Cove, St. Lunaire-Griquet and L’Anse aux Meadows for some of the Peninsula’s finest attractions, foods and unique landscapes. There is no place like the Sortie Tearoom and its company. This place does the mind, heart and soul a world of good. Thank you Mark and Linda for being so very wonderful.
July came with the planning of a 50th Wedding Anniversary Party for my grandparents, a slideshow which must have taken 50 or more hours to produce and a family reunion. More than 150 Way Family Members converged for an unforgettable weekend, 25 years since the last!
At the end of July, I flew to Ireland on Westjet’s $400 return seat sale, a place I’ve been many times and it will always be a place where there are some Irish connections. The last day of July brought another reunion with a friend I met in Prague in 2007. I stayed several days in Switzerland with him and his girlfriend. They provided me with a very authentic Swiss experience. It was truly unforgettable! My last day of July was on lake Brunnen, sailing. Oh, what fun!
August kicked off with a brilliant fireworks display in Switzerland. I was in the country as they celebrated their national holiday. I took a boat tour to the Rutlii, the place where Switzerland was founded in 1291. There were numerous dignitaries including the President of the Swiss Parliament, in which I took some time to share conversation. Traditional Alp Horns, Clothing, Song, Food, Entertainment and Flag Displays dominated the special ceremony. My friends and I took a river cruise instead of the train to our home where more fire works would be fired off from the rooftops. My Swiss vacation also included visiting a farm, riding a mountain cable car and enjoying my friend’s 30th birthday at Lake Lucerne.
My holiday continued with a bus to Liechtenstein for some incredible R&R, and a high-speed train ride to Budapest for a magical five days to experience culture, vernacular architecture and fall in love with all my surroundings. 🙂
I enjoyed a trek of the fjords at Western Arm Brook, the Arches Provincial Park and the opening of the Eddies Cove Come Home Year, St. Lunaire-Griquet Mussel Festival and the Goose Cove Garden Party. I toured Norstead Viking Village and Port of Trade, as well, L’Anse aux Meadows World UNESCO Heritage Site. There is tremendous beauty along our walking trails like the berry patches, Inukshuk or root cellars like the photos below from Goose Cove.
I visited Stephenville, Stephenville Crossing, St. George’s and other communities campaigning for now MHA Scott Reid. I ended up tenting and enjoying the sights, sounds and surroundings of the beautiful West Coast. On the 23rd my grandparents would celebrate 50 years of marriage. August also brought much municipal pavement in Conche, St. Anthony, Roddickton-Bide Arm and work in Flower’s Cove would continue throughout the Fall. A 25′ wharf extension was granted for Conche. We saw a little free library pop-up at Consumer’s Co-op in Flower’s Cove and the Burnt Cape Cafe, Raleigh. My friends arrived from Alberta and we spent the weekend in Woody Point, Trout River and Norris Point. More beauty on the West Coast.
I’ve spent summer travelling all over The Straits-White Bay North, the West Coast, a little time in St. John’s and some European travels. It was a well-rounded time to connect, experience with people and places at the doorsteps, at business, in community and at special events. Summer is truly bustling in Newfoundland and Labrador!
Live Rural NL,
Christopher Mitchelmore, MHA (The Straits-White Bay North)
