Still a help, even in times of COVID

By Mark Squibb | Oct. 8, 2020

Representatives of St. John Ambulance were in the Goulds Monday night, Oct. 5, to present a certificate of appreciation to the Goulds Lions Club for its support.

With the help of an annual donation from the Lions, St. John Ambulance was able to buy a new ambulance, valued at approximately $25,000.

“It feels great to be recognized, but anything we do as Lions we don’t do for recognition,” said Goulds Lions Club President Charlie Phillips.

“St. John Ambulance is quite an important part of the community, always has been… we’re quite proud of our relationship with St. John’s Ambulance and quite proud of our relationship with the community.

We’re proud to support them. We’ve had several people who went through the St. John’s Ambulance program who are actually now Lions Members, which is great.”

Phillips is quick to point out that the volunteer spirit can be found in every corner of Goulds.

 “The Goulds is a community built on volunteers, from St. John’s Ambulance, to the Lions Club, to minor softball, minor soccer, minor hockey, it’s all about volunteers,” he said. “Without volunteers you wouldn’t survive…All organizations need support, and it’s important for us, as Lions, to be supportive. And not just organizations, but sometimes individuals who need some help.”

There’s currently 46 active members of the Goulds Lion Club, with one new member to be inducted in the coming weeks. Like all organizations, regular meetings and events have ground to a halt because of restrictions around COVID-19, but Phillips said that weekly meetings have resumed, and the club is looking at how, and if, usual events and activities can resume safely.

Southern Shore Folk Arts council settling into the new normal

By Mark Squibb | Oct. 8, 2020

Like many other organizations and businesses, it was a hard summer for the Southern Shore Folk Arts Council.

“It’s been quiet, relative to other summers, said executive director Jamie Clowe. “We didn’t have the Dinner Theatre three nights a week. We didn’t run our Shamrock Folk Festival, which would have been our 35th, so, with just the Tea Room open it was relatively quiet.”

Clowe was hired on in March, although, due to pandemic, he didn’t get started until June.

With a background in the hotel and hospitality industry, Clowe was hired to replace Keith Mooney, following his retirement.

Originally from Ferryland, Clowe had lived away for some 40 years, and returned to the province just a couple of years ago.

It goes without saying that no one anticipates their first days on a new job to be in the middle of a pandemic, and it certainly hasn’t been a typical season for the organization.

“Financially, it’s been difficult, but our Tea Room did well enough, that from an operational standpoint, it’ll get us through a few more months. And then hopefully come the spring, a few more restrictions will be lifted, and we’ll get back to a little more normalcy,” said Clowe, who added that there was still a business this summer from local tourism ‘staycationers’.

The Atlantic Bubble didn’t open until September, and the Tea Room closed on Sept. 15, so there was little opportunity for out of province guests to stop by.

The organization has been able to host some events with the recent lifting of restrictions on public gatherings.

They held a two-night tribute to Ron Hynes featuring local musician Katie Barbour in late August, and “An Evening on the Deck” with Jackie Sullivan and Katie Pilgrim in early September, both of which were well received and reached maximum capacity.

Later this fall, Ferryland actor Randy Crane will be also be doing a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the organization have already sold a number of tickets.

With the possibility of new restrictions, or an increase in COVID-19 cases pushing the province back into another lockdown, planning for future events has been difficult given the uncertainty of the times, Clowe noted.

But still, you have to plan ahead anyway, she added.

“You can’t stop planning and just wait, because you don’t know fi it’s going to get better, or if get worse. But if your planning, at least you got the ball rolling,” said Clowe.

Health, Hygiene and Disease Prevention in 17th Century Ferryland

By Mark Squibb | Oct. 8, 2020

As part of the Colony of Avalon’s annual general meeting, Barry Gaulton and other staff typically give a short presentation highlighting recent archeological finds.

Due to COVID-19, the Colony of Avalon did open for the season, but, this year, no archeological excavation was undertaken.

In lieu of presenting the year’s archology finds, Gaulton, the Colony’s chief archaeologist, gave a presentation titled ‘Health, Hygiene, and Disease Prevention in 17th Century Ferryland,’ highlighting some of the Colony’s medical practises and beliefs.

 “One of the very first letters written by Captain Edward Wynne, Ferryland’s first governor, to Sir George Calvert in 1621, requests that a surgeon be sent to the Colony,” said Gaulton. “And a surgeon, in 17th century parlance, is a someone who is trained, by way of an apprenticeship, in the methods and practises of medicine.”

Wynne’s suggestion was taken seriously; the census of the following year listed a surgeon among the Colony’s residents

Wynne also wrote letters to Calvert, claiming that “the air is very healthful, the water both clear and wholesome.”

Another resident, Nicholas Hoskins, wrote to Calvert to tell him “I never smelt any evil savor in the country,” and that he, “drank from a sweet brook of running water that quenched his thirst as well as any beer.”

Despite the fresh air and beer-sweet water, people in the 17th century still got sick and needed the most up-to date medical treatments. At the time, physicians adhered to the ancient Greek system of humours, which contested that for someone to be healthful, the four ‘humors’ (blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm) needed to exist in the body in perfect balance.

“So, medical practitioners, whether they were trained physicians, or surgeons, or local healers, they all considered the balanced of these four humors to be an essential part of medical treatment,” said Gaulton.

And one way to balance out those humours?

Bloodletting.

“So, if a person was running a high fever, or was frequently flushed, or hot, they were seen to have an abundance of blood in their system, and, so, they were sometimes treated by bloodletting, so as to drain an excess amount of blood out of their system in an effort to maintain balance,” explained Gaulton.

Archeologists have uncovered ceramic bleeding bowls, as well as iron lancers and straight razors in Ferryland, indicating that the practise was common in the area during the 17th and 18th century.

Doctors also had an interesting cure for overexposure to damp, cold environments —common in Newfoundland— which were also believed to throw the humours out of balance.

“This imbalance could be countered by the consumption of products that were thought to warm and dry the body,” said Gaulton. “The 17th century solution in many cases was simply to drink spirits, which had a warming effect, or smoke tobacco, which was considered to have a hot and drying affect on the body. In the 17th century, tobacco was considered a panacea, or a cure-all, for many diseases and common aliments.”

Their medical use may explain the abundance of pipes found in Ferryland. To date, archeologists have catalogued over 400,000 clay tobacco pipe fragments in Ferryland.

“Representing, hands down, the single largest collection anywhere in North America,” Gaulton said. “We have ample evidence that Ferryland colonists were concerned with personal hygiene, overall cleanliness and grooming.”

Chamber pots and bed pans, along with bottles that once contained ointments used to treat everything from headaches to venereal diseases, have been uncovered on the site.

A trusty multi-tool discovered near the Mansion House, and likely to have belong to a member of the Kirke family, was used to clean tooth, pick dirt out from underneath fingernails, and remove ear wax.

One end was used as a toothpick and fingernail cleaner, while the other, spoon shaped end, scooped wax out the ear.

“And hopefully the ends weren’t mixed up too often,” joked Gaulton.

Gaulton said that Ferryland also used an intricate, underground drainage system which carried waste from the colony.

Human waste would be flushed into a privy and held until the rising tides flushed out the waste twice daily.

Soil samples were sent to the University of Toronto in the early 1990s, and it was estimated that per a gram of waste there were about 30,000 intestinal parasite eggs, including tapeworm, whipworm and roundworm.

“I find this to be particularly interesting, because all of the written histories of sanitation and waste management in North America clearly state that this kind of village or City-wide wastewater planning did not occur until 1757,” said Gaulton. “Yet, 130 years, the archeology in our small town of Ferryland seems to strongly suggest otherwise. And in my opinion, this is once again another opportunity to highlight the importance of our ongoing research as a way to shed light on the actual activities and events surrounding this truly exceptional 17th century colony.”

The Colony of Avalon currently boasts over 2 million artifacts.

“For those who don’t know, our archeological staff uncover artifacts every time they dig on site,” said Gaulton. “And all the artifacts go through a conservation process, and are then catalogued and put into storage for future research.”

Ferryland celebrates the man of a thousand songs

By Mark Squibb | Sept. 3, 2020

The people of Ferryland knew they had a celebration on their hands.

“Once when Ron Hynes was inducted into the singer songwriter Hall of Fame, we knew we had to do something big here,” said Anette Mooney.

That induction was back in April of 2020, five years after Hynes’ passing.

But, plans for a Ferryland concert tribute to coincide with the induction were waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic, as were this year’s dinner theatre and Shamrock Festival..

In recent weeks, with the provincial government permitting larger gatherings, the people of Ferryland got to work organizing their tribute show.

The most important piece of the puzzle of course, would be who would perform Hynes’ songs — and that piece soon became apparent.

“We were looking for somebody who was a passionate Ron Hynes fan and knew a lot of his music. And Katie Barbour— let me tell you, she is amazing,” said Mooney. “She’s an old soul. Whenever she heard of Ron Hynes being anywhere, she wanted to be there to hear him sing.”

Barbour was honoured to be given to the opportunity to pay tribute to the man who had such an impact on her own musical journey.

“I grew up listening to Ron Hynes and always appreciated his music. However, in 2003, his album “Get Back Change” really hooked me as a musician and song writer,” Barbour said. “At the time, I was 13 years old, and playing the guitar for five years. However, Ron’s guitar playing style and chords really intrigued me and his lyrics just captured my heart as poetry and storytelling. I started then admiring his style and his writing, and with each new album or new song, I fell deeper in love with his music. I appreciate Ron’s lyrical mastery more than anything. He can capture so many emotions with his writing that has brought me tears, laughter, goosebumps and anger. He was one of the most gifted writers and I’m so happy that he is finally being recognized for his lyrical magic. Something else I really admired about Ron was his identity as an artist; many people had opinions on him and his music, but he stayed true to his art, and he created music that will last forever.”

Initially, a show, limited to 50 people – to meet social distancing guidelines – was scheduled for Friday, August 21, but tickets sold so quickly that a second show was added for Saturday night.

Mooney said that, apart from it being a Ron Hynes tribute, for many, it was their first concert since the shutdown back in April.

“People were very appreciative, and it was a great, great evening of entertainment,” she said. “There was such relief on the faces of the people there… people were so, so happy. And all I could hear was people saying, ‘We should have more of this.’”

Barbour said the show was a rousing success — despite pre-show, COVID jitters.

“The tribute show was amazing. I mean, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel “odd.” The first night I spoke with one of the administrators at the Folk Arts council we agreed that there was almost a nervousness in the air, which made the atmosphere a little different from pre-COVID settings. But overall, I knew people thoroughly enjoyed getting back to getting out and enjoying some live music and other people’s company, safely and by regulatory approval. The show meant so much more to me than just breaking the long stretch of being ‘barred in.’ Anyone who knows me, knows that I admire Ron’s music. So, to be able to do a tribute to him, in our hometown of Ferryland to two sold out audiences, is something that will linger in my heart forever.”

Barbour played three sets, including a number of her own Hynes favorites.

“’Get Back Change’, is one of my all time favourites; this song was my Nan’s favourite Hynes song, she loved it so much I had to make it a ringtone on her house phone. So, that one has become a family favourite,” said Barbour. “Another one that I love is “Dark River” which he co-wrote with his nephew Joel Hynes. This song captured my heart as soon as I heard it; the melody is a waltz and the lyrics are so relatable to small town life and the beauty that lingers there.”

Aside from Barbour’s performance, friend Cyril O’ Keefe spoke to his remembrances of Hynes.

“Cyril went to school with him and stayed at the same boarding house when they were going to university,” explained Mooney. “Cyril would wake at 2 o’clock in the morning and the light would be on and Ron would be scribbling away at his songs.”

Mooney moved to Ferryland in 1975 to teach, boarding with, of all people, Ron’s mother.

“She was obviously very proud of him, and of the work he had done,” said Mooney.

By 1975, the year Mooney moved to Ferryland, Hynes had already released his debut album Discovery, reportedly the first album released by a Newfoundlander comprised of entirely original material.

“Ron came all the time to visit his mom. And Ron was always at our (summer folk) festival, he was a big drawing card for the festival. People came to the festival just to hear Ron Hynes,” added Mooney. “Some people might say that Ron didn’t appreciate where he came from. But that’s not true, that’s not true at all.”

And Ferryland, said Mooney, appreciates Hynes.

“The name Ron Hynes is synonymous with Ferryland. And, Ferryland with Ron Hynes. People well say, ‘Oh, you’re from Ferryland— did you know Ron Hynes?’ or ‘Ron Hynes, he’s the guy from Ferryland!’ Ferryland is very proud of Ron… there is no such thing as a concert here in Ferryland at anytime where someone does not sing a Ron song. You’ve got to have a Ron Hynes song, or it’s not a concert in Ferryland.”

Barbour, meanwhile, said that she would like to see Ferryland honour Hynes legacy in other ways in the future.

“My dream is to one day have something to honour Ron here in our hometown. Maybe a Ron Hynes festival and a site that acts as a monument to point out his accomplishments and maybe some type of statue and bio,” she said. “I know we can do it together, because in the past when Ron needed help during his diagnosis with cancer, I was a proud member of a wonderful fundraising committee; a committee full of love, respect and admiration for Ron as an artist and as a fellow Ferrylander.”

Hynes was the second of five children born to Tom and Mary (O’ Neill) Hynes of Ferryland. He was a founding member of The Wonderful Grand Band, and released seven solo albums throughout his career.

A seven-time East Coast Music Awards winner and past Juno and Canadian Country Music Awards nominee, Hynes was the recipient of a number of other prestigious awards, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from Memorial University and a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

In July of 2012, Hynes was diagnosed with throat cancer, and died on November 19, 2015.

Ferryland mayor excited about trail renovation

By Mark Squibb | Sept. 3, 2020

The Town of Ferryland is looking for quotes to finish some work on a popular trail in the community.

Half of the trail was completed last year, and this year the Town is looking to finish the work up to where the trail opens near the ‘Welcome to Ferryland’ sign by Baltimore School.

Work will include clearing brush near the Come Home year sign, grading, ditching, adding fill, re-installing culverts, and installation of barriers and rocks to prevent vehicular traffic.

Mayor Sean Walsh said the trail runs the length of the community, parallel to the shoreline, and that the trail opening, near the Ferryland sign and flower gardens, is a popular spot for visitors.

“When you come into Ferryland first, a lot of people stop to take pictures,” he explained, adding that students also use the trail for getting around as it is so close. “The school uses it for everything from cross country (running) to taking their classes out for science class.”

Walsh hopes the work will help stabilise the trail to prevent any erosion that might occur.

He added that, although tourists are few and far between due to travel restrictions this year, there are still plenty of folk using the trails.

“There’s not a lot of tourists around, but more local people are out and about, walking, hiking, jogging, running,” said Walsh. “People have really gotten out into their own communities and the adjacent communities.”

The call for quotes closed on August 28, and council will award the successful tender during the next public meeting this month.

Revelations in surprising places

By Mark Squibb | Sept. 3, 2020

While watching a car renovation show with her husband, a piece of jewellery that Brenda Chidley had once found along a popular portion of the East Coast trail was perhaps the furthest thing from her mind.

Until she saw a nearly identical piece on the screen.

“He called me in to see this car that a man had put in the garage, but he had passed away before he got to pick it up,” said Chidley.

And so, the son on the car show went to pick up his deceased father’s renovated rig from the garage.

But, he wasn’t alone.

“’Well Dad, this is your ride home in your new car,’ said the son. And he hung a chain up on the rear-view mirror, identical to the one I’d found. Well, I was floored,” said Chidley.

“I said, ‘My God, that’s identical to the chain I found. I got the cold shivers and everything.”

Chidley said she’s since learned of a family member who had a spouse with a similar pendent, containing the ashes of a deceased family member.

“Honest to God, I was dumbfounded.”

She found the pendent some time back while out for a walk with her grandchildren.

“I happened to look down and I saw it on the side of the road,” Chidley explained, noting that it was half covered by gravel and may have been there a while.

She put up a flyer locally, but no one claimed it, and so she poked the pendent away in a jewelry box.

“But I didn’t realize what it was until the weekend,” she said.

Chidley added that, to complicate matters, the East Coast Trail draws tourists from all over the province, and the world, and that the person who lost it may not be from here.

“A lot of East Coast trail hikers go out that road, and they park out there, just up from where I found it. It was in the gravel on the side of the road,” she said. “And we’re after seeing people from all over the world out there.”

Now, she just wants to get it back to its rightful owner.

“I wish I could find whoever owns it,” said Chidley. “You feel so bad. It’s obviously a loved one of whoever lost it.”

If you think the piece may be yours, or may belong to someone you know, and can remember when and whereabouts it was misplaced, Chidley can be reached at 363-7671.

Bay Bulls council seat to remain vacant

By Mark Squibb | Aug. 20, 2020

COVID-19 put everyone in social isolation. So four members of a local facebook group, Blooming Buddies NL, got together to discuss how to “up” the social environment in the Trepassey Area. A plant swap party seemed like a good idea. The four decided to plan such a party. Registration was limited to 25, complete with a sanitation station and contact tracing records.

Participants came from nearby communities, and some travelled all the way from Holyrood. It was a wonderful day in the great outdoors, swapping plants and socializing. The event could not have happened without support from local businesses.

Honorable mention goes to Patricia Puddister of Pat’s Plants and Gardens, Bay Bulls. What an awesome special guest Patricia was, so much knowledge to share and a very generous sponsor for the event.

There were garden gate prizes galore, thanks to all our sponsors, and everyone had a prize to lift home along with all their newly swapped plants.

Blooming Buddies NL is a private group, but open to new members, so if you grow flowers or veggies, look either one of these women up on FB and ask to join; Patsy McCormack, Theresa Shea, Helen Mulrooney or Viola Curtis-Pennell. If you love to dig in the dirt and create something, we will welcome you to the group.

A fresh look for an old establishment

By Mark Squibb | Aug. 20, 2020

A staple of the Goulds, the Hayloft Lounge, has received a fresh new look — and second bar — that’s turning heads in the community.

The building has a rather storied history. Tony Barton opened the Hayloft Lounge in 1974 (the local legend is that 12-gauge shotgun was handed out as a door prize). During the billiard boom it served a brief stint as the Billiard Barn before reverting back to its old name. And before opening to the public, it was also the Barton home.

The Kiely brothers, Ian and Jed, bought the building some years back. The brothers themselves have a long Goulds history.

Both brothers have worked farms baling hay, back when hay was baled into square bales, not the large marshmallow shapes you see today.

“When it was baling time, everybody around the community, I remember Jed and I and our dad and everyone down by Forest Pond and that area, getting together and helping the farmers bale the hay and loading it up on the flatbeds and then we would get up on the flatbeds as kids and ride down the Goulds Main Road. It was really a part of growing up for me that I would like my kids to experience,” said Ian.

“We have a lot of memories baling the hay and all that. And now that we have small kids, it’s an opportunity for them,” agreed brother Jed.

The brothers say that they have a love for Gould’s farming roots, and want the Hayloft and new Farmhouse bar to reflect that heritage.

“The Farmhouse came from the Goulds being a farming community,” explained Ian. “The roots of the Goulds is in farming. The farmers have been here a long time. Different places, like Petty Harbour, are known for fishing. Goulds is know as being a farming community.”

He said that many people might be a little embarrassed by the farming reputation — especially that unmistakable summertime farm odor — but that they cherish the Goulds’ heritage.

“We want to embrace it. It kind of separates us from everyone one. That’s what we’re all about,” said Ian.

The brothers held a photo contest, asking residents to submit their favorite Goulds farming photos (some of which will adorn the walls) and have designed the building around the farming motif, with decorative hay bales and an unmistakable cow decal alongside the building.

That Cow, reminding folks to ‘support local,’ has caused a bit of debate in the community.

“Some people love it — some people hated it,” laughed Ian. “We did get some negative comments, people saying, ‘Why are you covering up all your nice new siding with this cow.”

However, Ian said, it’s the message the cow proclaims that matters most.

“In this era of COVID, it’s important for people to support local and to support local businesses. They’ve been hit the hardest. So, if we were going to do a billboard, I think the message should be, for now, ‘Support local,’” he explained.

And, for those who don’t like it, he said it probably won’t be there forever.

“It’s basically a billboard that we can change around periodically. It’s not something that’s stationary and going to be there for the life of the building. It got people talking,” he concluded.

The brothers were able to capitalize on the downturn brought about by COVID-19 to complete much of the work, which includes the new Farmhouse bar, new siding and windows, parking lot renos, and a front area overhang.

They closed to the public in March 16, and reopened the 25th of June.

“We were closed and we said, ‘What are we going to do, we’re not just going to sit still,’ and we always wanted to do the renovations, but we were afraid that it would interfere with the customers coming back and forth, so we said that this is probably the best time to get this renovation done,” said Ian. “We’re closed, it won’t interfere with customers coming back and forth. And it reduces the downtime. When you’re open you have to put away all your tools and make sure the place is clean for when customers come back. So, it saves us that hour or two everyday having to clean up.”

The lounge is currently operating at fifty percent capacity, or 30 people, and the brothers are holding off on booking parties, in light of the pandemic.

They hope to have the rest of the interior work, including bathroom renovations, done by the fall.

“A lot of people respect that we’re honouring the farmers of the Goulds and getting back to the roots of the Goulds,” said Ian.

Town of Witless Bay to hold off on by-election

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

The Town of Witless Bay is waiting it out before holding a by-election to fill the seat left vacant by former councillor Lucy Carew, citing safety concerns and COVID-19 regulations.

“By-elections are permitted under Alert Level 2, as long as public health measures are followed, such as social distancing and appropriate hygiene. However, councils are still recommended to do their meetings by video and teleconference. So, council presently has six members. And I’m not comfortable subjecting staff and residents to the possibility of this very serious virus. This is not warranted at this time,” said deputy mayor Maureen Murphy during the July 14 meeting public council meeting.

She added that there are also limits on how many people can be gathered together publicly at one time.

Murphy made the motion that Mayor Derm Moran contact Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment Derrick Bragg to request an extension on the by-election until further notice.

The motion was approved unanimously.

The town council has seen some significant changes over the last year or so with a number of councillors coming and going.

The latest to join council was Dale O’ Driscoll, who was acclaimed to council in November of 2019, following the retirement of former mayor Rene Estrade due to health reasons.

Upon Estrada’s retirement, council voted in Moran, who was the town’s former mayor. Moran, along with David Ryan, were elected to council on Oct. 9, following the resignation of former councillors Chris Brinston and Neil Stratton.

Carew resigned on May 15. No specific reason for the resignation was given to council. Her vacant seat will be the fourth such seat since August, 2019.

Witless Bay tackles long list of public infrastructure applications

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

Witless Bay Town Council had a long list of public infrastructure applications before them at the July 14 public council meeting.

Council first dealt with a number of applications that had been deferred from the June 9 meeting, including an application for a lot at 11 Dean’s Road, which council approved, and an application for a home on Jockey’s Lane, which council deferred as they continue to seek information.

Later in the meeting, council approved a Fisheries and Oceans application to remove the old CFIA building and construct a new warehouse, as per pending permits, at 229-235 Southern Shore Highway.

Council deferred an application for a home on 184-188 Dean’s Road until they received more zoning information, but approved applications for homes at 62 and 64 Country Path Drive, pending Service NL approval, as well as an application for a home at 215-17 Gallows Cove, again pending Service NL approval.

Council also approved applications for sheds, fences, a second access to property, a catch basin, and renovations for other properties around town.

The Town also noted that ongoing work on the recreation complex is on schedule.

“Most of the ground work is done, we got a few minor touch ups to do, and the fencing is supposed to start the middle of the upcoming week at the latest,”  said councillor Fraser Paul, adding that he had to meet with the plumber the next day.