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$4.99 May 2026
Vol 38 • No 12
Mother’s Day Musings A Visitor’s Guide to Fogo Island Bygone Days of Passenger Boats
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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
Warehouse Operations Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Shipping/Receiving Clerk Jonathon Organ Shipping/Receiving Clerk Kim Tucker
Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters
Retail Operations Retail Operations Director Jackie Rice Retail Manager, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Manager, Avalon Mall Emma Luscombe Retail Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Destinee Rogers,
Advertising Sales Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Account Manager Sharon Muise Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Emily Snelgrove, Alexandria Skinner, Colleen Giovannini, Morgan Powless, Adriana Hann, Keith Lamkin, Martina Rogers, Hayley Warren, Annie Woelfel
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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52 edge of the world
Contents
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20 Island Insights Havin’ a Time Nicola Ryan
44 Swimming with Giants Jill Heinerth’s iceberg odyssey Dillon Collins
52 A Visitor’s Guide to Fogo Island
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Tips and recommendations for a two-day trip. Wayne Parsons
84 Downhome Recipes Smachno UA Ukrainian Bakery
beneath the surface www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
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homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor
10 Letters From Our Readers Memories of the Bullet, Cooking Cod Tongues, and a Memorable Trip to NL
16 Then & There Downhome catches readers up on major recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and acknowledgements across Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.
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africa bound
18 Downhome Tours Africa 24 Life’s Funny The Almond Bowl Orville Cole
25 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
26 Lil Charmers Reel Cute!
28 ready to go
28 Pets of the Month Weekend Ready
32 Book Nook Downhome dives into the latest and greatest in Newfoundland literature
34 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose celebrates 30 Years of the Kubasonics
38 Adventures Outdoors 2026 Salmon Management Plan Gord Follett
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salmon season
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Contents
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66
music & family
features 60 The Heart of the Matter A Personal journey through heart disease. Kim Ploughman
66 She Has a Love Story Fiddle phenom Natalie MacMaster talks music, family and Newfoundland ties. Dillon Collins
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72 A Feathery Family How a man went from saving an egg to finding a best friend. David Sturge
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Contents
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days gone by
home and cabin 78 Stuff We Love Ice Ice, Bay-Be 80 Plates & Passages Memories of Mom Bobbi Pike
78 ice is nice
reminiscing 88 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
89 This Month in History Canada’s Olympic Lottery
90 Visions and Vignettes Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport in days gone by. Harold N. Walters
94 From the Forest to the French Shore Robert Walter Parsons 6
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102 getting around the bay
100 Grandmother’s Ducks James Sparks
102 Goin’ Up to Gambo Fondly recalling the days of passenger boats Marie-Beth Wright
112 Puzzles 124 Colouring Page 126 Classifieds 128 Mail Order
the back porch About the cover Icebergs are a sight to behold here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tourists flock to iceberg alley each year to catch a glimpse of these behemoths, but it’s perhaps the world beneath that’s most intriguing. Our cover image from Janette Lambert of Gander, taken in Twillingate, captures the imensity, beauty, and mystery of these natural wonders.
Cover Index Half Past Here • 20 Running Afowl • 72 Beneath the Surface • 44 Mother’s Day Musings • 140,142 A Visitor’s Guide to Fogo Island • 52 Bygone Days of Passenger Boats • 102 www.downhomelife.com
132 The Labrador Current Labrador West Community Gardens Nathan Freake
134 What Odds Paul Warford’s quilting quandary
136 Ties to Home Home Away From Home Dianna Brown
140 From Our Readers My Mother’s Rocker Phalma Hobbs
142 Mother, Daughter, Ant Janice Robere
144 Photo Finish May 2026
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between the lines As a child, I was afraid of whales. Not sharks, whales. Like Monstro from Pinocchio, or that one who ate Jonah. Or Moby Dick, and that tough customer who sank the Essex. Come to think of it, there are quite a few of these so-called “gentle giants” that both history and fiction have painted as not so gentle. Heck, even Free Willy was a Killer Whale, but he turned out to be best kind, didn’t he? What always got me wasn’t their appearance or any noticeable patterns or traits, but their immensity. Compared to me, a modestly sized human male, these behemoths of the deep are gargantuan. Talk about heaping on to that inferiority complex. One errant flip next to a boat, or a haphazard swim beside one lunge feeding, and I’m no better than Papa Geppetto, doomed to the horrors of slow digestion. But there’s also a sense of wonder and awe that comes with these creatures that I’m appreciating more as I’ve graduated from fearing monsters of the depths and am more concerned with real-world, adult fears. Icebergs, much like whales, give us that sense of wonder. And while what we see from these magnificent marvels of nature commands attention and documentation, it is the world below the surface, the hidden world of icebergs, that’s most fascinating. This month, we speak with adventurer and cave diving legend Jill Heinerth, who has frequented Newfoundland and Labrador to study these bountiful bergs. Elsewhere in our jam-packed May issue, time zone trivia, matters of the heart and the head, a trek to Fogo Island and one unique relationship between a man and his goose.
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 Ron Besaw of St Pierre Jolys, MB, who found Corky on page 18 of the March issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
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Memories of the Newfie Bullet Al Butt’s description (February 2026) of the Newfie Bullet’s meandering route across the island and the hazards encountered in driving from St. John’s to the ferry at Port aux Basques before the completion of the TCH brought back memories of our family’s trip on the Caribou in 1963. We put our ancient Morris Oxford on a special freight car for a rendezvous at the ferry and embarked on the train with three very young children. I remember a delicious dinner of salmon and, Al, I’m pretty sure there were linen tablecloths. After dinner, we managed to settle the very excited small people into their bunks. The train staff were wonderfully friendly and helpful, and suggested that perhaps my husband and I would like to go to the bar car, and they would be happy to babysit. Their invitation was gratefully accepted. Sometime the next morning, we stopped, a common occurrence on the trip, but this time there was no further movement. Al Butt mentioned that “sometimes trains were blown completely off the rails.” That had happened to a freight train ahead of us on the single track with no convenient passing place. We sat marooned for some time until a small fleet of school buses emerged from the bush. Passengers and luggage were crammed into the buses. We were in the 10
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second bus. As the first disappeared down the unpaved track, our driver turned to his passengers and hopefully asked if anyone knew where the Trans-Canada Highway was. A chorus of “Follow the bus in front!” gave him confidence, and we set off. Unfortunately, the bus in front got a flat tire some miles down the road. Luckily, they had a spare tire but no jack. Helpful passengers searched the bush for usable logs, and after another delay, the convoy set off again. We arrived at the ferry several hours later. Passengers already on board were forgiving, after all, the bar had been open since the scheduled departure time, many hours earlier. Our return trip several weeks later was so un-
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eventful that it has left no memories. We drove the unfinished TCH in 1964 in a VW van, camping for a couple of nights on the way to and from the ferry. The signs – we’ll finish the drive in ‘65, thanks to Mr. Pearson – were ubiquitous. More recent visits to Newfoundland were on beautifully paved roads, but we still miss the Bullet. Gillian Sandeman Peterborough, ON
Thanks for the insights, Gillian. We’ve received many comments and memories recently on the Bullet and how it’s long-lingered in the minds of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We’re always eager to share your memories of the past. Send yours to editorial@downhomelife.com
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Cod Tongues I will be turning 89 next week, and recently I was able to buy a pound of frozen cod tongues and was hoping to enjoy them on my birthday and get a true Newfoundland way of preparing and cooking them. I read your recipes in the Downhome magazine each month, but I can’t remember seeing a recipe for them in past issues. Do I bake them, broil them or fry them? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Bill Hutchings Etobicoke, ON
How about it, readers? What are your go-to ways to prepare cod tongues? Let us know at editorial@downhomelife.com. Share your tips, and even your recipes, for your chance to be featured in a future issue.
Corner Brook’s Alex Powell One of Corner Brook’s more noteworthy citizens is Alex Powell, who has been in my circle of acquaintances since I was 14 years of age. Because Alex is as modest as he is knowledgeable, I will offer here a brief outline of his activities and achievements rather than the multiple pages of description and analysis that his accomplishments actually deserve. Although he’s in his 90s, Alex has been known as a regular player on our golf course for decades now. He’s considered an expert on golfing, as well as most other sports. He has also been duly recognized as a well-informed and literate sports journalist and general reporter for the Western Star. He showed his high principles when he resigned from the paper in 1959 after the owners of this publication ordered its staff to cover only the government side of the fiercely combative IWA strike. He’s a 12
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capable teacher, having taught me during my three years at Amalgamated Regional High – 1959 to 1962 – and continued to work there until the late 1980s, I believe. As a humanitarian, he tirelessly devoted much time to students’ school projects, such as their yearbooks, and also to the administration and promotion of local baseball. He’s an intellectual with an encyclopedic mind and a loyal friend to many, including contemporary colleagues and former students. Alex, I think I will always remember you as a very fine teacher, and as a baseball fan whose magnitude of interest is perhaps exceeded only by my own! Lloyd Bonnell Corner Brook, NL
Thanks for this, Lloyd. Alex sounds like a remarkable fellow. A fine tribute and testament to a life well lived. 1-888-588-6353
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New Subscriber All right, all right, all right! I’ll admit it – yes, yes, yes! I’m a wannabe Newfie at heart! There, I’ve said it. After years of trips all around the coast of the province (RCN, CN, Marine, Coast Guard) my family and I have had the privilege and honour of making many trips by car to many places – Port aux Basques, Hawke’s Bay, Burgeo (home of my grandfather) Stephenville, Gander, Deer Lake, Corner Brook, St. John’s, St. Anthony and many more too numerous to mention, some several times. We enjoyed each and every one of them, and the people in each place are kind, friendly, and helpful. (My Grandmother came from Rose Blanche, Alice (Chaisson) Matthews.) I thought I knew all about the people and the province until it happened… I was introduced to Downhome maga-
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zine. Then I realized I knew very little and had my eyes opened! First, I had to order a subscription to Downhome, then followed cookbooks, joke books, and history books. My learning had begun at 83 years of age, imagine that. The earliest years I can come up with are 2018-2025, with a few missing in between. If anyone out there has any back issues they want to part with, I am willing to buy them. You can reach me through the Downhome magazine. Thanking you in advance, Bud Matthews Howie Centre, NS
Love to hear this, Bud. We’re always accepting honorary Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Anyone who’d like to reach out to Bud regarding back issues is welcome to email us at editorial@downhomelife.com, and we’d be happy to connect you.
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