Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Celebrating our History – The Restoration of the Colonial Building


The Association of Heritage Industries is pleased to support and applaud today’s joint funding announcement by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada of $22.3 million to complete the restoration of the Colonial Building.

Located in the heart of a nationally significant historic precinct, the Colonial Building is the finest example of neoclassical architecture in the province. As the seat of government for 90 years, the Colonial Building has played an important role in the province’s history and political culture.

The heritage community, under the umbrella of the Association of Heritage Industries, collectively lobbied for the restoration of the Colonial Building when the Provincial Archives relocated to The Rooms in 2004. The heritage community rallied to have the Colonial Building carefully restored, maintaining the historical and architectural integrity of both the exterior and interior. We also recommended transforming the building into a public space to interpret and celebrate Newfoundland and Labrador’s political history.

The provincial government adopted AHI’s recommendations and, in the intervening years, completed a management plan, making an initial commitment of $3 million towards the restoration project, along with a $648,000 contribution through Canadian Heritage’s Building Canada fund.

Today’s landmark announcement means there will be sufficient resources to complete the restoration work to a high standard - a fitting contribution to this significant building. AHI Chair David Bradley notes that, “The Colonial Building may be the province’s most important, surviving historic structure, and we are pleased that both levels of government recognize its importance and are prepared to make the necessary investment in its preservation and redevelopment. We will watch the progress with great interest.”


Contact:
Kim Shipp
Executive Director
Association of Heritage Industries
709-738-4345
ahi@nfld.net
PO Box 2064, Stn C.
St. John's, NL A1C 5R6

Labrador kayaks old and new, and adventures with polar bears.


This morning, Peter Cowan, reporter and video journalist for CBC in Labrador, tweeted a link to this story, about Noah Nochasak's journey to Hebron in a handmade, traditional style kayak. It is well worth a listen, particularly the part about Nochasak's run-in with a polar bear.

As a sometimes kayaker, I was interested in Nochasak's construction of the kayak, which is built along traditional Inuit lines, but using nylon instead of skin as the covering. It is a good example of one of the basic tenets of intangible cultural heritage: that ICH comes from the past but is in a constant state of evolution.

Give the interview a listen here.

A few years ago, I got a "backstage" tour of the collection vaults at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec. In a darkened room full of boats from all across Canada, there was one treasure that stood out for me: a traditional Inuit skin kayak from Labrador. A few pics below:








Roadside Gardens, Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland

I'm back in the office from our HFNL/ANLA workshop in Plum Point. Along the way, I took a few photos of one of my favourite "roadside attractions" on the Great Northern Peninsula: roadside gardens.  In conversation with David Adams in Cape Onion, he explained that when the highway was put through, the existing peat had to be moved to the side of the road to make room for laying a new roadbed.  That resulted in thick layers of peat on the sides of the road.

In a region with thin topsoil, it is perfect location with gardening, as long as you build the requisite moose fence and scarecrows. A few shots:






Monday, August 22, 2011

A little jaunt - 900 kilometres to Plum Point


In the morning, I'm heading out on the road to Plum Point - over 900 kms betwixt here and there. I'm giving a workshop with ANLA on Wednesday. So, you might not have a blog post for a few days, depending on internet availability.

And what does that have to do with Edward Teach, commonly known as Blackbeard? Not much, really, but any excuse to put up a picture of a pirate is a good one. Teach, reportedly, hung his hat at Plum Point (North Carolina, however, not Northern Peninsula).

Fair winds, all!

Aug 22nd, 1846 - Happy Birthday, Folklore!



On August 22, 1846, antiquarian William John Thoms coined the term "folk-lore." Writing under the pseudonym Ambrose Merton, in a letter to the editor of the London magazine The Athenaeum, Thoms wrote:

Your pages have so often given evidence of the interest which you take in what we in England designate as Popular Antiquities, or Popular Literature (though by-the-by it is more a Lore than a literature, and would be most aptly described by a good Saxon compound, Folk-Lore,—the Lore of the People)—that I am not without hopes of enlisting your aid in garnering the few ears which are remaining, scattered over that field from which our forefathers might have gathered a goodly crop. No one who has made the manners, customs, observances, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, etc., of the olden time his study, but must have arrived at two conclusions:—the first how much that is curious and interesting in those matters is now entirely lost—the second, how much may yet be rescued by timely exertion…. It is only honest that I should tell you I have long been contemplating a work upon our “Folk-Lore” (under that title, mind Messes. A, B, and C,—so do not try to forestall me);—and I am personally interested in the success of the experiment which I have, in this letter, albeit imperfectly, urged you to undertake.


[reposted from the American Folklife Centre facebook page]

Friday, August 19, 2011

Rare historic photo of Newman Wine Vaults interior


Earlier this summer, I borrowed a collection of photographs from Provincial Historic Sites which show various interior and exterior scenes of the Newman Wine Vaults on Water Street, and the associated Newman Building on Springdale Street, here in St. John's.  Vaults staff have scanned those photos, and we are currently compiling metadata for the photos, which will be added to a new sub-collection for St. John's on Memorial's Digital Archive Initiative.

The photo above is undated, but is probably from the early to mid-twentieth century.  I don't know the identity of the gentleman with the cane; if you know, email ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

The back of the photo reads:
"Pipes" of Newman's Port ageing in a bonded warehouse in St. John's 
Story 15 
V.P. 3
E 1-3 
53%
CANADIAN COLLECTOR


A "pipe" is an old unit of measurement for wine or port, sometimes called a "butt" and equal to two hogsheads, approximately 475 to 480 litres.

What is a Hay Barrack, you ask? A Newfoundland-wide photo hunt



I'm hoping that someone out there in Newfoundland has a photo (or memories) of a hay barrack. I'm working on a little article on hay barracks for a future newsletter, and would love a good illustration.

Here is what the Dictionary of Newfoundland English says:

barrack n Cp DAE hay barrack (1807-). Structure consisting of four posts and a movable roof, designed to protect hay from rain and snow (P 245-56). M 71-39 A barrack is composed of a square base of criss-crossed poles, to keep the hay from the ground, and at each corner a large upright pole. In each pole there are holes through which a large bolt can be passed. Resting on four large bolts, one in each pole, is a four-faced cone-shaped roof. These barracks are usually boarded in for about four feet from the ground. 1974 MANNION 176 ~ A roof sliding on four posts, under which hay is kept.

I'm hoping that someone might have seen one in a photo, perhaps not really knowing what it might have been. If you've seen one, let me know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Thanks to Philip Hiscock for pointing me towards this excellent photo of one in the Ukraine. The illustration above is of both a five and four pole barrack, the four pole barrack showing boarding similar to the description in the Dictionary. Illustration taken from the Dutch Barn Preservation Society website, which writes:  Five-pole hay barrack (left), published in van Berkhey, 1810 (Vol. IX). The Dutch wagon size suggests this barrack is about 24' wide and 33' high. Note the winding jack set in position to raise the roof using a long pole. Its form is similar to that of a cheese press. Its relative size, however, appears exaggerated for clarity. Four-pole barrack at right, also from van Berkhey.

See also:


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Two Tasty Riddles



I started off my Food, Folklore, and Tourism talk on Monday with these two riddles, and I figured I'd include them here for other lovers of traditional riddles:

Riddle One:

Flour of England,
Fruit of Spain,

Met together

In a shower of rain,

Put in a bag

And tied with a string,

If you tell me this riddle,
I'll give you a ring.

Riddle Two:

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Spell me that in four letters?

Guess away!


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Thoughts on pudding, folklore, and culture


Folklorist and Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer Dale Jarvis introduced the Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop in Cupids, Newfoundland on Monday, 15 August 2011, with some thoughts on steamed and boiled puddings, and on how food, folklore, and culture are intertwined.



Download Dale's talk as a MP3




Seeds To Supper Festival Midpoint


The Seeds To Supper Festival is in full stride right now. We've just hosted two successful events, our Food Folklore and Tourism workshop in Cupids on Monday, and our Evening With Century Farmers last night at Lester Farms Inc on Pearltown Road in St. John's (picture above with, left to right, Michelle and Jim Lester, and Leonard and Lena Ruby and family).

We've still got lots to come! This Wednesday and Thursday, we're partnering with the Eastern Edge Gallery for their Art Garden Workshop running 11am-2pm at 72 Harbourside Drive, St. John's. As part of their Art Marathon Festival, workshop participants will create a Moveable Art Garden, which will be part of FEASt's Third Annual Open Garden Day on Sunday, August 21.

Head on down to Eastern Edge to help create the art garden, or download the map for Sunday's Open Garden Day.




Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Which interesting townie would you like to see interviewed?

I've been asked  to think about doing a public interview series, where interesting local people and personalities are interviewed on stage. Who would you like to see talk about their lives? What St. John's businessperson or character do you think would have an interesting story to tell?  If you have a suggestion, let me know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.


Friday, August 12, 2011

Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop Sold Out!

Our Monday workshop on culinary tourism in Cupids is sold out! Thanks all!  Hope to see the rest of you at one of our other events between August 13-21! For full list of events see www.seedstosupper.ca


Stories from farmers: An evening with the Rubys and Lesters



An Evening with Century Farmers: The Rubys and Lesters

Tuesday, August 16
Free admission
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Lester Farms Inc, 92 Pearltown Rd., St. John’s

As part of the Seeds to Supper Festival, host Kevin Aucoin, of the Agricultural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, will sit down with Leonard and Lena Ruby, and Jimmy and Michelle Lester, and share stories about farming past, present, and future. Jimmy Lester represents the 6th generation Lester to continue farming in this area. Jimmy and his wife Michelle produce vegetable crops, bedding plants and flowers and operate the Lester catering facility on Pearltown Road. Leonard and Lena Ruby continue to grow vegetables on their own historic farm, where others might choose to retire and travel, reflecting their close connection to the soil. Join us, and fill your ears with some home-grown stories!

(NOTE: Lester Farms, Inc. is located at 92 Pearltown Road, not to be confused with the Lester's Market on Brookfield Road. If driving from St. John's along Brookfield Road, pass the Market, and turn left onto Pearltown Road).

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Boxes Under the Bed Archives Workshop in Plum Point, Newfoundland

Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Office, Heritage Foundation of NL
Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives
Partnered Workshop

Boxes Under the Bed: Dealing with backlog interview collections

August 24th, Plum Point Motel
9:30am – 4pm

Well, maybe they’re in your storage room, or in your bottom desk drawer – those shoeboxes of cassettes or videos that were collected by a summer project, seniors’ group or JCP worker. These were the recordings that were going to preserve the voices of the past – but here they sit with no voice at all! You don’t know what’s on the recordings, you don’t know much about who made them – maybe you don’t even have the equipment to play them!

How can you get access to those voices from the past? How can you preserve and use them? Dale Jarvis and Mary Ellen Wright will guide you through the process of identifying, arranging, describing, preserving and providing access to older collections that have been donated or made available to you or that already exist in your holdings. Topics to be covered include:

• Recording formats
• Documentation and consent
• Describing, indexing and transcription of contents
• Access issues
• Digitization
• Preservation of originals

Registration deadline: Participants must register for this course by August 19th, 2011

Fees: $35

Participants must register by email at anla@nf.aibn.com

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Century Farms, Newfoundland ponies, a building floats to a new home, and more


In this edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador: the Seeds to Supper Festival gets underway with a workshop on culinary tourism, featuring Canada's Top Chef participant Todd Perrin; we celebrate our agricultural history with an evening of stories of farming past, present and future; a local woman keeps the tradition of Newfoundland ponies alive; news on the Culture, Place and Identity at the Heart of Regional Development conference coming this fall; a historic merchant's shop is hauled (and floated) to a new home; and, our root cellar roundup.

Download the pdf

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Food industry guests at Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop

Our "Food, Folklore and Tourism" workshop is taking place at the Cupids Legacy Centre, this coming Monday, August 15, 2011 from 1pm – 4:30 pm

This is a free workshop, but people must pre-register with Melissa at ichprograms@gmail.com or by calling 1-888-739-1892 ext 3.

Our food industry guests for the workshop are:

Todd Perrin
The Chef’s Inn
twitter.com/toddperrin
www.thechefsinn.ca

Chef Todd Perrin believes that the ingredients are the star – he is just the mechanic. Todd began his career in the early 1990’s, enrolling in The Culinary Institute of Canada at Holland College in PEI. Upon graduation, he worked at The Lodge at Kananaskis in Alberta and then at a private hotel near Zurich, Switzerland. Currently, he owns and operates The Chef’s Inn, a B&B in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland that he runs with his family. With his own place, he sources the freshest local ingredients from his own backyard, neighbours’ farms and his root cellar, practicing farm-to-table whenever possible. His goal as a chef is to bring simple food to the next level.


Viola Wells
Skipper Ben’s Bed and Breakfast and Dining Room
http://www.skipperbens.ca/

Viola is the owner of Skipper Ben’s Bed and Breakfast and Dining Room, a heritage property (circa) 1890 situated in historic Cupids. Under Viola’s management Skipper Ben’s has become known as a quality casual fine dining experience on the Baccalieu Trail. Her expertise in food preparation and her hospitality are renowned and have made her much in demand for special events and weddings. The dining experience at Skipper Ben’s is second to none. With a selection of fresh produce and her own creative recipes, she serves meals with a unique style from health conscious menus that continue to satisfy her visitors.


Kelly Jones
Britannia Teas and Gifts
twitter.com/britanniateas
www.britanniateas.ca

Kelly Jones loves tea! From her earliest memories tea has played a part in her family life. This was especially true when visiting Nana Leawood, her grandmother, at her home in Britannia, Random Island, where tea was a five-times-a-day experience. Today, Britannia Teas is Newfoundland's first tea shop selling loose and bulk teas, tea-related merchandise and treats for the tea lover. Kelly loves passing on what she has learned to other people; she enjoys letting people know the proper way to brew different teas, discussing health benefits and talking about her current favourite tea.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop August 15th - registration open


Food, Folklore and Tourism Workshop
Cupids Legacy Centre, Cupids
Monday, August 15, 2011
1pm – 4:30 pm

Food is at the heart of much of Newfoundland and Labrador culture. From the berries we pick, to Sunday dinner, to the rich heritage surrounding our fishery, food and food production is a deep part of our history and sense of place. When people visit, we are always waiting with a cup of tea, and something to eat.

But what are the challenges faced by tourism operators in terms of developing culinary tourism products? What do they need to meet industry standards? In this workshop local tourism operators and business owners, including Canada’s Top Chef participant Todd Perrin, along with visitor service people, and heritage representatives, will give their input what visitors and locals want, and what they need.

This workshop is part of the Heritage Foundation of NL’s Seeds to Supper Festival. For full details and speaker’s bios visit www.seedstosupper.ca. This workshop is sponsored in part by the Cupids Legacy Centre and the Town of Bay Roberts.

REGISTRATION
This is a free workshop, but people must pre-register with Melissa at ichprograms@gmail.com or by calling 1-888-739-1892 ext 3.


Food Industry Guests

Todd Perrin, The Chef’s Inn www.thechefsinn.ca

Viola Wells, Skipper Ben’s B&B and Dining Room www.skipperbens.ca

Kelly Jones, Britannia Teas and Gifts www.britanniateas.ca

Speakers and Moderators

Kathi Stacey, Eastern Destination Management Organization; Ella Heneghan, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation; Bonavista Institute for Cultural Tourism; Dale Jarvis, Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Morning interview in Bay Roberts with Todd Perrin and Kathi Stacey


Things are moving along with the Seeds to Supper festival! We kick things off on the 13th with a whole series of events: a FEASt Workshop on Making Food Fun at the St John’s Farmer’s Market; an Edible Wild Plants presentation at the MUN Botanical Garden on Mount Scio Road; and the 53rd Annual Farm Field Day, at the experimental farm on Brookfield Road.

I just drove back into town from the Bay Roberts Tourism Pavilion where Kathi Stacey interviewed me, and Todd Perrin of Canada Top Chef fame. All three of us will be presenting at the "Food, Folklore and Tourism" workshop in Cupids on August 15th at 1pm. The workshop will include an open panel discussion session about culinary tourism in NL, as well as a session on the challenges faced by tourism operators when developing culinary tourism products. The workshop will be free to anyone interested, but pre-registration will be required. Email Mel Squarey at ichprograms@gmail.com to register.

Twitter links for this post:
@TourismintheBay
@toddperrin
@dalejarvis
@kathistacey

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Meet the Newfoundland Fairies, tonight in Cupids!


“When you go up on the hills picking berries
don’t going chasing off after strange music
and be sure to take a piece of bread with you
to protect yourself from the faeries.”

For generations Newfoundland grandparents advised little children this way - but, do they still need to, today? Come to Cupids on August 4 and find out!

The public is invited to join us on Thursday August 4 at 7:00pm, as the Cupids Legacy Centre officially opens its rooftop “Faerie Garden,” and celebrates faerie lore in local tradition. You’ll hear local faerie stories, watch faerie dances—and you’re GUARANTEED to spot at least three faeries.

Bring along your own faerie story to share, too, and join us as we explore this wonderful aspect of our intangible cultural heritage.

All we ask is that you not aggravate the fairies and speak kindly of them. (“Bread” will be available to all who attend—as a safety precaution!) Refreshments and finger foods will also be served.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Seeds to Supper coming soon!

We haven't had a blog post in a while, but don't think we're on summer vacation! We're busy bees down here at ICH - the newsletter is coming out soon, I'm back from workshops and meetings in Grand Bank, Crystal Braye has been in every other root cellar on the Avalon by now, and the Seeds to Supper festival is about to kick into high gear (www.seedstosupper.ca).  I will be posting info as it comes up, so stay tuned.