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Vol 38 • No 09
$4.99
February 2026
Bonus 14 Puzzles!
Love Adrift Brian Tobin Reflects A Walk Down Broadway
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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Dillon Collins Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Warehouse Operations Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Retail Operations Retail Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Jonathon Organ Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Kim Tucker, Destinee Rogers, Emily Snelgrove, Alexandria Skinner, Colleen Giovannini, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless, Adriana Hann, Keith Lamkin, Martina Rogers, Hayley Warren, Annie Woelfel, Shannon Jones
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Jennifer Kane Customer Service Associate Jacinta Squires Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions 1-Year term total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NB, PE $49.44; NS $49.01; ON $48.58; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $45.14. US $54.99; International $59.99
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada
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74 cold comfort
Contents
FEBRUARY 2026
38 The Beer Necessities A Guide to Craft Beer of NL Dillon Collins
58 Wild Wooing
38 cheers!
Mating Habits of Newfoundland’s Creatures Todd Hollett
74 Downhome Recipes Cosy Winter Comfort Food
118 EXTRA PUZZLES!
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Contents
FEBRUARY 2026
homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor
10 Letters From Our Readers The Blue Mist, Papa’s Hometown, and the Beothuk Seniors 16 Downhome Tours Mexico 18 Then & There Downhome catches readers up on major recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and acknowledgements across NL and beyond.
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down mexico way
20 Why is That? What’s the origin of Valentine’s Day, and why is it held on February 14? Linda Browne
22 Life’s Funny Fine Dining Patsy Day
23 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
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eyes for you
24 Lil Charmers Snow Day! 26 Pets of the Month Fur-ever Yours 28 Book Nook Downhome dives into the latest and greatest in NL literature
30 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews the Liz Fagan Band’s bilingual LP 34 Adventures Outdoors Save Our Water Gord Follett
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water concerns 4
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Contents
FEBRUARY 2026
54 amazing journey
features 50 I Had A Good Run Brian Tobin looks back on 24 years in politics Pam Pardy
50 checking in
54 Across the Sea A Message of Love Kim Ploughman
home and cabin 64 Stuff We Love Puzzle it Out Nicola Ryan
66 Ask Marie Anything
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Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions.
70 Everyday Gourmet Pickled Red Onions Andrea Maunder
life’s a puzzle www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
FEBRUARY 2026
96
railway memories
reminiscing 84 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
85 This Month in History The crash of the CH-136 Kiowa
86 This Month in Downhome History 90 Give My Regards to Broadway Lloyd Bonnell 96 From Our Readers The Caribou – Better Known as the Newfie Bullet Al Butt
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looking back
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broadway bound
104 Puzzles 116 Colouring Page 124 Classifieds 126 Mail Order About the cover Our February 2026 issue is all about cosy creature comforts. From home-cooked meals (like the mouth-watering toutons on our cover) and drinks to warm your bones, to stories of love and romance to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day, Downhome has everything you need to stave off winter’s woe.
Cover Index 14 Bonus Puzzles • 118 Wild Wooing • 58 The Beer Necessities • 38 Cosy Winter Comfort Food • 74 Love Adrift • 54 Brian Tobin Reflects • 50 A Walk Down Broadway • 90 www.downhomelife.com
the back porch 130 The Labrador Current Persistence Nathan Freake
132 What Odds Paul Warford’s movin’ on over to a New Spot
134 Ties to Home Spreading the Sounds of Home Dianna Brown
138 A Night at the Opera Tom Rossiter, MD
140 The Time A short story Dean Riggs
144 Photo Finish February 2026
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between the lines
It’s raining as I write this. A precipitous blanket of winter’s woe. This followed several hours of snowfall, to be followed by, wait for it, more rain and snow, followed by “potentially damaging high winds,” which I’m sure will be about as pleasant as stepping barefoot on your child’s Legos. It’s hard to find the beauty in winter on days like today, and even harder to find a good, honest reason to siphon up some joy when you’re soaked to the skin. But then, these are things we know as Newfoundlanders – or as Canadians, for that matter. We can sooner stop time than predict the downsides of the seasons, and as such, we find ways to cope. I’m sure ya’ll have your own go-tos. Mrs. Collins enjoys long baths, comfy PJs and warm blankets, while I rest my tired head on the maternal bosom of the three M’s: movies, music and munchies. These, in no particular order, never fail to fix a frozen heart. This issue, which we’ve lovingly assembled here for you readers to help in the thick of winter, is dedicated to those creature comforts we’ve come to rely on. For starters, we’ve heard that you enjoy puzzles? Well, we’re in the people-pleasing business here at Downhome. As such, this issue features more of the puzzles you’ve come to know and love, and no, you don’t need an internet connection or 5G to use them. Recipes? We’ve got those too. Cosy cures for the cold, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food and flavour for days. Need more encouragement? Take a walk down memory lane and discover affirmations of the inherent goodness of others: a message in a bottle, a stroll down Broadway and a night at the opera. I’d bet you’re starting to feel better already.
Dillon Collins Editor-in-chief
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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules
You could WIN $100! Every reader whose PHOTO, STORY, JOKE or POEM appears next to this yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue receives $10 and a chance at being drawn for the monthly prize: $100 for one photo submission and $100 for one written submission. Prizes are awarded in Downhome Dollars certificates, which can be spent like cash in our retail stores and online at shopDownhome.com.*
Submit Today! Send your photo, story, joke or poem to
Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at: www.downhomelife.com *Only 1 prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material.
Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.
Can you find him? Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.
Send your replies to: Corky Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the 25th of each month.
Congratulations to James R. Butler of Etobicoke, ON, who found Corky on page 114 of the December issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
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Papa’s Hometown
At the end of October 2024, my husband, Garland, passed away after suffering from leukemia. It was a difficult time for everyone, especially our granddaughter, Xania, who is known in the family as “papa’s girl.” Early in the new year, she approached her mother and me, saying that she would like to visit her papa’s hometown (Burin) on her next birthday, which was in October. It would only be the three of us, as her uncle Michael and his wife, Ligia, were unable to accompany us. Arriving in St. John’s on October 3rd, 2025, we travelled to central Newfoundland to visit the area where we had lived before moving to the mainland. As Xania’s special day approached, we journeyed to the Burin Peninsula, where, on her birthday, her uncle Alvin and cousin Dion escorted us around the community where Garland grew up. It will always be a memory the three of us will treasure. The picture attached is of Xania, holding her papa’s picture, her mom, Elizabeth, her nana, Anne, and Uncle Alvin in front of her papa’s home. Thank you, Anne Foote
Thanks for sharing, Anne. Our condolences on the passing of Garland. It sounds like you had a beautiful trip and now have some new memories your family will cherish forever. 10
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Re: “Remembering the Lost” I’m writing in response to Dianna Brown’s article in the September issue, titled “Remembering the Lost,” a story about the loss of the fishing vessel Blue Mist on February 19, 1966, and the aftermath of that tragedy on those left to mourn. I am not a family member of those left behind, nor did I know any of the Blue Mist crew, but I was one of those involved in the search operation. Reading the story brought back vivid memories of that very stormy night and, I am sorry to say, an unsuccessful attempt to find the Blue Mist or any survivors. On that fateful night, I was a crew member working in the engine room of the CN Coastal Vessel Nonia, en route from St. John’s to Mulgrave, NS, to load cargo destined for St. John’s. Our course that night took us near the area where the Blue Mist had sent out
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its last distress call, and we were soon tasked by RCC Halifax (Regional Coordination Centre, Search and Rescue) to proceed to the last known position of Blue Mist and commence search and rescue operations. We were already on route. Before taking over the midnight to 6 am watch, the engineer and I were briefed on weather conditions and told to control engine speed from our position, as we saw fit, due to sea conditions. Shortly after taking over the watch, we noticed that as the ship would crest a wave, the engine speed would increase, indicating the propeller was spinning freely out of water at that point. This is something you never want to see, especially in conditions like those we now found ourselves in. We decided to take 15-minute shifts each on the engine
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controls, decreasing speed to idle when the ship would crest a wave, wait for the free fall down the other side and increase speed to full ahead only after the bone-crushing impact when we could feel the ship begin to recover and start to climb the next wave. During our 15 minutes off the controls, we would race around the engine room, checking the generators, pumps, fuel level in the day tank (from which the main engine and generators were taking their fuel) and inspecting the shaft and stern gland/tube. When relieved at 6 am, I headed straight to my bunk, only to be thrown across the room on several occasions when the ship hit the bottom of a wave. Even though I was only 19 years old at that time, I had spent the previous year working on a tug towing old lake boats from Canada to Germany to be scrapped. The company records for that time state, and I quote, that tug “had survived two hurricanes, nine storms, 12 severe gales, 28 gales, and numerous near gale force winds.” That said, I know that nothing I encountered on that tug could come
close to what I experienced that night on the Nonia. We remained in the search area until late the following day, when released by RCC upon the arrival of dedicated SAR ships and planes. Sadly, neither Nonia nor any of the Search and Rescue ships or planes were able to find any trace of the Blue Mist. R.I.P., my seagoing associates. Wayne Connolly Torbay, NL
Thanks for the harrowing insights and memories, Wayne. These stories of survival, and at times tragic loss, bring with them a range of emotions, and I’m sure sharing these firsthand experiences couldn’t have been easy.
Finding My Heritage I know my grandfather, James Christoper Hann (August 23, 1866March 10, 1944, Allan’s Island), came to Toronto, Ontario, from Newfoundland in the early 1900s. He married Dorothy Brown, born in Toronto on December 7, 1866. They had 10 chil-
Crafty Souvenirs
A very special thank you to Ron McCarthy of Musgrave Harbour, who sent our Downhome staff some fantastic handmade souvenirs, including a wooden “Newfie Leapfrog,” “Weather Forecaster,” and personalized “I.D. Cards,” which he shared he’s been making for 18 years. Ron says he’s given away these cards to some 1800 folks and counting. Thanks again, Ron, and keep up the good work! 12
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Baker’s Helper
Fancy is an elderly cockatiel, and she’s quite friendly. We were about to make the blueberry loaf with lemon glaze on the front of the September issue when she decided that we needed supervision! Laura Shone via Downhomelife.com
Thanks, Laura! Fancy seems like she’d be a whiz in the kitchen!
dren. My mother, Dorothy, was the ninth. I had often heard they came from Heart’s Content or Lamaline. My brother Kirk and his wife Helen visited Heart’s Content only to find through church records that they came from Lamaline. In 2002, my husband Cliff and I drove to Newfoundland from our retirement home/cottage on Morrison Lake, Gravenhurst (100 miles north of Toronto, Ontario), to find my heritage. We stayed in B&Bs while travelling 4200 km exploring your beautiful province, including L’Anse aux Meadows, St. Anthony, Twillingate and up and down nearly every peninsula. Finally, we stayed in a B&B in Grand Bank, owned and operated by Judy Foot and from there went to Lamaline. In a snack bar store in Grand Bank, we
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purchased a booklet, 1849-1963, part of the story of 114 years: Church at St. Mary the Virgin, parish of Lamaline. We found it contained the name of George Hann as a Church Warden. In Lamaline, we found the church and the tombstone of my great-grandparents, George Hann and Mary Ann Pitman and other relations. We went to the post office and asked the lady if she had heard of any relations of the Hann family, and she said no. The next day, Cliff said, “Let’s go back and check again.” There was a different lady at the post office. We asked the same question. She said, “Yes, John Hooper was a descendant, and he and his wife Beulah live in town. I’ll call her and tell her you are coming.” We had a lovely visit and shared information on the family. In 2005, we
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