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Newfoundlander

Newfoundland and Labrador

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Newfoundlander

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William’s Harbour in southern Labrador

Newfoundland’s

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Inclusion

Bill Westcott of Clarke's Beach writes in the Telegram:

Here we go again. According to CTV’s “Canada AM” program Thursday, we should all celebrate Canada Day with wine and cheese parties. In the process, the program suggests we all raise a glass or two of Nova Scotia, Ontario or British Columbia wines. 

There are two inferences here, in my view. One is that, like so often, Canada begins in Nova Scotia (likely Cape Breton). The other is that we have no wines of any distinction here on this “quaint little rock” in the North Atlantic. 

We Newfoundlanders should demand more respect and insist that more attention to these national references be made with a view to having them stopped once and for all. 

How often do national weather forecasters, particularly on CBC and CTV, refer to weather outlooks from “right across the country” while meteorology graphics on their computer-generated weather maps end at Nova Scotia. We should fire off emails and tweets in protest to these program producers and hosts.

Bill Westcott of Clarke's Beach might want to get in touch with Bill Westcott of Clarke's Beach:

Just imagine not blowing 'ere wide open eh Clar, and having a great time for ourselves right across her eh, from St. John's to Port aux Basques. [The Compass, April 21, 2009]

Ever since I was nine years old Newfoundland has been considered to be the poor cousin of Canada. Premier after Premier, beginning with Joey in 1949 fought and clawed their way trying to make this island home a have province. [The Compass, December 15, 2009]

Herber McGurk's letter to The Compass May 21, headlined "The SS Kyle deserves better," brought up a very important subject that needs addressing by the Dunderdale Government, namely the shameful condition of, not only this magnificent historical ship that's rusting away abandoned in the waters off Harbour Grace, but of many other Newfoundland and Labrador historic sites, buildings, monuments and artifacts. 

We live on an island in the North Atlantic that has one of the most incredible histories anyone anywhere will ever study. [The Compass, June 14, 2013]

Seventeen

The Western Star editorializes:

In one case, it was suggested a resource centre for prospecting and mineral exploration be set up on the west coast. While that would be great, the costs involved would likely be tremendous. A further suggested solution was to have small resource centres set up in either libraries or at campuses of the College of the North Atlantic, of which there are 17 across the island.

For the record:

We are Newfoundland and Labrador’s public college – one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centres in Atlantic Canada, with a history dating back more than 40 years. Today we have 17 campus locations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and one in the Middle East State of Qatar.

TINL

Himself blurbles, on CBC Newsworld’s Power and Politics with Evan Solomon Thursday afternoon:

Well, because of the long haul, in order to get across the straits, down through the island of Newfoundland and Labrador, then across the gulf...

What more excuse might a body need to recycle this image?

Right pritty speech

Wade Verge — pfffft — either got the privilege of responding to the Platitudes from the Throne on Monday, or was forced to:

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, our Province is in the midst of an exciting and promising period. It is a rewarding time for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. As a Province, we have persevered and believed in ourselves and in this Island of ours. We knew we had the right stuff. We also knew that one day we would see the benefits of living on our Island in the sea or the Big Land in the North.

And just in case you are wondering who would be so clueless, this day in age, to write "this Island of ours" into such a momentous speech, here's a textual clue:

PREMIER WILLIAMS: In closing, Mr. Speaker, William Faulkner once said, and I quote, "I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail." Well I believe with all my heart and soul that Newfoundland and Labrador will not merely endure: we will prevail. I look forward to continuing to work with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians right across this Island and the Big Land, because I believe that our brightest moments are yet to come and that that glass is half full and will be full when we are finished.

Mr. Verge, it would seem, is not only entitled to his own opinions, he's entitled to Danny's opinions as well.

The circumlocutory portion of the province

Or, the island that dare not speak its name. From the chapter of today's Auditor-General's report concerning ferry services:

Thirteen of these vessels service the Island portion of the Province while the remaining 5 vessels service Labrador.

[…]

Figure 1 shows the 15 passenger ferry routes for the Island portion of the Province and for Labrador.

[…]

Thirteen of these vessels service the Island portion of the Province while the remaining 5 vessels service Labrador.

[…]

In 2005, the Department hired a consultant to evaluate ferry services on the Island portion of the Province “…to conduct an analysis of various aspects of a vessel replacement strategy for the ferry services around the Island of Newfoundland.”

[…]

As Figure 5 indicates, 4 of the 8 Government-owned vessels servicing the island portion of the Province are well over 30 years old.

[…]

As Figure 5 also indicates, all contractor-owned vessels servicing the island portion of the Province are over 30 years of age with 4 of the 5 vessels being 40 years old or older. These vessels are expected to have similar age-related problems to those of the Government-owned fleet.

[…]

Although, these contracts have gone to tender, there is no comprehensive plan in place addressing the replacement of contractor-owned vessels servicing the Island portion of the Province.

[…]

To facilitate vessel replacement planning, we would expect the Department to conduct a long-range traffic forecast for all marine services on both the Island portion of the Province and Labrador to help determine the size of replacement vessels needed.

[…]

It can be seen from the Figure 5 that the majority of the vessels providing Provincial ferry services for the island portion of Newfoundland are old.

Ummmm... is there some portion of Newfoundland that isn't island?

Cartography

From page 157 of today's provincial Auditor-General's report. Notice the title on this map:

The LabraMap — separate, and at a separate scale — follows on the next page of the report.

The Mysterious Island

From the ITAR-DAN newswire today.

Does this island — sorry, Island — have a name by any chance?

Pilot Launched for Year-Round Ferry Service Between Island and Labrador

The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works, today announced a pilot project with the goal of providing a year-round ferry service between the Island and Labrador across the Strait of Belle Isle. The project will involve an additional Provincial Government investment of approximately $1.5 million.

"Right on the heels of the opening of the Trans Labrador Highway, Phase III, we are pleased to be announcing another historic transportation initiative that will benefit Newfoundlanders and Labradorians travelling or shipping goods between the Big Land and the Island," said Minister Hedderson.

"This is great news for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," said the Honourable John Hickey, Minster of Labrador Affairs. "A year-round connection between Labrador and the Island will allow more opportunities for travel, recreation and business for all residents of the province. […]

Goose Bay, the Island

An ad currently in circulation on a local media intertubes site (phone number redacted).

Video hit

Many thanks to the communications SuperGeniuses (you guys really are worth your weight in gold) on the Eighth Floor. Your periodic pushes to have Dear Leader do as many scrums as humanly possible are a never-ending source of fodder for the bloggerating classes.

And special thanks to CBC for their public service in posting up raw video of the whole avail, not just the soundbites that make it to Here and Now. Monday's episode (DW 20091026: Just not on) contained a wealth of material, including this geographical puzzler:

Not only are they [i.e., Hydro-Quebec] trying to prevent us from taking our power from the island and transporting it somewhere else, they're now going to tell us what to do with our river. And that's just not on.

Houston, we have a new catchphrase! Coming soon from a cabinet minister, spontaneously reading script onto the airwaves of VOCM.

Difficult islands

Barbara, any time, y’know, we’re dealing with islands it’s difficult. I think we can take the big picture, y’know, the Island of Newfoundland and Labrador, we’re dealing with Marine Atlantic, y’know, we’ve got a lot of issues with Marine Atlantic with regards to rates [blah blah blah]

- Himself, responding to CBC Crosstalk caller Barbara, June 17th. Cf. November 30, 2007

Oversight

From a James McLeod report in Wednesday's Telegram:

Canada doesn't end at Halifax: council

Mayor Dennis O'Keefe was at a luncheon in Houston during the Offshore Technology Conference when the Canadian consul general got up to speak.

"In referencing oil developments across Canada, he started in British Columbia and finished with offshore Nova Scotia," O'Keefe said. "The East Coast oil industry is off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, the oil offshore Nova Scotia pales in comparison, and that's with developments that are current today, let alone new developments that will be occurring."

When he mentioned this during the meeting, O'Keefe's story sparked a discussion involving almost every member of council sharing their own stories and frustration at Newfoundland's neglect.

[...]

O'Keefe said he doesn't know what can be done to change people's attitudes.

"That kind of comment reinforces the stereotype - the stereotype of Canada being from Vancouver to Halifax, and the terrible, terrible omission about the offshore oil and gas industry in Newfoundland and Labrador," he said.

"They are aware, they do know, they're not stunned, but for some inexplicable reason, the references continue. It's almost like it's been going on for so long that it happens in a rote fashion."

Yip.

That's what it's almost like. Something that's been going on for so long that it happens in a rote fashion:

"It seems like every time I set my foot off this island, I have something said to me that incenses me," Coun. Tom Hann said.

Obnoxion

Within 24 hours VOCM obnoxiously turns disaster into a political issue, and its public obliges:

Date: 3/13/2009
Name: pearl
Comments: we are an island surrounded by water. we should have search and rescue aircraft in every region of the province and in labrador. it''s too bad an accident like this has to remind the government officials of this.

The island of Labrador? (II)

Another day, another massively bloated .pdf document, in landscape format that is keeping the platitude industry out of recession. Yes, the Williams Government has released his report on air transportation in the province. Here's the link to the file. Warning: it's big.

http://www.business.gov.nl.ca/plans/Study_of_Air_Transportation.pdf

Notice the title: Setting Direction: Study of Air Transportation, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The document, so titled, goes on to say — cue the inspirational music — at pp. 6-7:

As a province, we must immediately, and with a sense of urgency, focus on our strengths, including our robust economy, and on the fact that an island’s continuing economic growth is related to the transportation infrastructure that supports it.

[Emphasis added.]

What about the continue economic growth of non-islands? What's that related to?

Incidentally... what's our island, with its robust economy, doing running a deficit of between $400-million and a billion, and why, at this stage in the budget-building process, is there such an astonishing lack of precision about how big our island's deficit will be?

First, you assume an Island

Does this Island have a name?

UNDERTAKING REGISTERED:

Labrador – Island Transmission Link
Proponent: Nalcor Energy

The island of Labrador?

Paul Butler, in this week's Newfoundland Weekly Separatist:

An ever-present hazard on an island where whole communities were often built of wood, fire, it seems, has a place in Newfoundland and Labrador history not only as seasonal peril, but also as judge and avenger.

Geography

Once upon a time, not that long ago, Danny Williams drove up the Northern Peninsula, in a Winnebago or some other such suitable campaign vehicle, in the course of a couple of provincial by-elections.

Out across the water, he saw lights twinkling on the far horizon.

“What could that be?”, he wondered? “What is that land over there? Nova Scotia? Quebec? Iceland? Ireland? Norway?”

“Malta?”

No, someone patiently explained to him.

“Sure, that’s Labrador.”

“Labrador!”, he exclaimed. Well, I’ll be! I never knew you could see all the way to Labrador – Labrador! – from this belovèd island of ours!”

And what is the name of that island? Again, from O.D.P.’s scrum today:

As well, from a Lower Churchill perspective, the federal government are looking at several billions of dollars in green infrastructure money. Well, what better place to put some green infrastructure in transporting some of that Lower Churchill power to the Island of Newfoundland and Labrador, in order to replace Seal Cove, Holyrood, thermal generation?

But apparently O.D.P. hasn’t read and initialed his own “re-branding” memo. Surely it’s the Island of NewfoundlandLabrador, no?