Newfoundland & Labrador is jam-packed with some incredible people filled with light and love. Folks who are following their passion while sharing their light with others along their journey

I knew we were onto something that very first adventure of 2022. Meeting Courtney and Terrence of Grates Cove Studios and Seven Fathom – a seaweed based skin care line – set the tone for the many adventures that followed. 

The two seaweed/rural Newfoundland enthusiasts – one a local and one a come from away – shared their combined passions of place and an early lifetime of adventure with others through their many business endeavours. From a restaurant that serves creative cuisine to many skin care products based on the stuff that makes many go ‘ewww’ while navigating a dip in the ocean’s waves, these two showcasing the art of being creative.

Kristy Sweet of Catalina created Roy’s Lighthouse Retreat in honour of her beloved father. Designed to look exactly like a lighthouse, this vacation home is a sea-side treasure. Brilliantly beautiful, the retreat is built on land purchased by Sweet’s late father decades before for $500. To see what’s there now, you’d say it’s priceless. Perfect down to the last detail, Sweet admits she isn’t a designer. ‘’I knew what I wanted and I guess I asked the right people to help me and it came together in honour of my dad and his family’s lighthouse legacy,’’ she said.

But there’s many like her who have let their passions guide them through life and their visions now provide peace and tranquility to others. 

The folks who offer adventurous zip lining through the wilds of Petty Harbour obviously love what they do. Their occupation is more occupassion than anything and Phil Smith leads a team of equal-minded young people who instinctively know that emitting courage and strength with a good dose of humour is most motivating. 

Through adversity

One visit to Frozen in Time Winery will show you what preservation through adversity – like a loved one’s cancer diagnoses – can accomplish when you have the right team around. Likewise, Margie’s Place by the Pond in Placentia has a touching and personal story behind its creation. The loss of a beloved sibling can be a strong motivator in life. Luckily, that love and devotion can now be shared with others. 

Wendy and Danny at Iceberg Alley B&B in Twillingate made Newfoundland home (home again for Danny, new home for come from away Wendy) and now retirement looks very different than originally planned as their day’s work is now caring for others and sharing their love and passion of rural Newfoundland.

Kevin and Denise Moss at Sandy Cove Cabins are the same. With roots in the area, showing off the beautiful beaches in the Eastport region has become their gift to others. No toil for these two when it comes to greeting guests with a smile. 

Chris and Karen Ricketts of Round Da Bay Inn just might have a story that will take decades to tell. 

From their first meeting to today, these two are much more than a couple operating perhaps one of the most creative Inns around. 

With themed rooms – from Nan’s Attic to Captain’s Quarters – it’s a head turner of a spot, but the real head spinner is this tireless couple who do everything from wait tables to entertaining (and a most adopting) guests. 

In their spare time they sponsor refugees while also refurbishing a church. Ashley Hann, the brainchild behind Humber River Off Grid Tours, is one dynamo of a young lady. 

Energetic and passionate about keeping summer the way it used to be – with loads of time spent outside catching frogs and gulping in fresh air – Hann knows that the most treasured times are the ones spent off electronic devises while embracing Mother Nature. 

Many a Newfoundlander and Labradorian have a story to share. These are but a few of the tales from some of the incredibly inspirational people we have happened across so far this summer. 

More treasured tales to follow. Stay tuned.