One visit to any area of the province will leave folks saying; why did we stay where we’re to? We should have come where you’re at long ago.

 “It’s been overwhelming, overwhelmingly positive,” says Premier Andrew Furey of Come Home 2022. Furey himself has been touring the province as much as possible himself too, he shared.  

Exactly what NL needed

“It’s just been an incredibly joyous, happy occasion for communities throughout our province. Coming out of the pandemic, this is exactly what people needed. People celebrating life … all rallying around this call to come home. And I couldn’t be more proud with the results from this campaign,” he said.

From Regatta and Churchill Park Music Festival to Monster Trucks, George Street Festival, Tell Tale Harbor and Come From Away, Furey and team have been proudly supporting events held throughout the province.  “This was exactly what the province needed right now. For decades, centuries even, we’ve had a history of festivals in towns and communities. Of concerts, arts festivals and more, but because of the pandemic these things mostly stopped. We needed an injection of enthusiasm to reinvigorate them and I think that Come Home Year 2022 did exactly that.”

Whether it was a large concert or a smaller gathering on an outport wharf, it’s been quite a summer to celebrate. The numbers speak for themselves, he said. 

In auto traffic, the province is up 166 per cent from 2019 and growing. Travellers in general are up almost 300 per cent compared to 2021. “It’s special, it’s emotional and it’s economically beneficial at the end of the day as well,” Furey  said.  

Furey shared he figures he spent one weekend in his own bed this entire summer. “It was really nice to see the hope and optimism and the spirit of Newfoundland and Labrador on full display in many communities – all communities, frankly – around the province,” he said. 

This has always been an incredible place to visit, he added. “It’s really more than just about one year. It’s about reinjecting  enthusiasm and optimism … that will live beyond 2022.” 

The premier says he has been so proud as he’s travelled around. “I’d like to thank everybody for being involved and for embracing (Come Home 2022). We were in communities that normally only have 100 people in it and to see it grow to 300 or 400 people in an afternoon to  celebrate the culture of Newfoundland and Labrador … was just fantastic.  

Mel Simmonds and her husband Brad had everything they could want – except for good health. “In 2018 I was at my heaviest, well on my way to 450lbs… medication I was on caused weight gain, high blood pressure and very high anxiety levels,” Mel Simmonds said. 

More medication was prescribed but she knew there had to be a better and a more natural way.  

“I decided to do research based on the information my doctor gave me. She said I was unable to process carbs and sugars in the same way as a regular healthy person may do so with this tidbit of information and my handy dandy Google, I stumbled across Ketogenic lifestyle.” She began to learn how to redevelop her family’s fav Newfoundland cultured-based recipes into no added sugar, low carb and low sodium meals. 

“I have been involved in the food industry since high school…and I am a very creative person so it comes very natural to me to be a rock star in the kitchen. When my family started seeing all the delicious foods I was eating they weren’t long to jump on the keto bandwagon and join me on my journey.” She lost 110lbs in a year and didn’t crave a thing. 

“Whatever I wanted I was easily able to transform into a wonderful delicious new keto approved creation.” She kept things as simple as possible, she added.  

Joining the journey

“My aim when starting was to make this as simple and easy as possible because I knew if it was anything but, my mental wellness would not allow me to continue it. When friends and family saw the amazing transformation that was happening, there were lots of questions.”

“My inbox on Facebook was being bombarded with inquiries so I figured the easiest way to do this was to build a Facebook group (Keto Newf). There I could post about my journey, answer questions and give support to my friends and family. To my shock, people from all over the world started jumping in my inbox and asking to join my journey.”

The group grew. “I had spiked some interest in people who wanted to be healthier, just like me,” she said.  

By 2019 she had lost another 220lbs and her family’s total weight loss was nearing 500lbs. “We were doing fantastic and the dish creations now were simply amazing. Not only Newfoundland cultured foods but I was learning  to recreate foods from all over the world.”

Then, in Feb 2020, one of her closest and dearest friends, Roxanne Weinhebour,  also the former owner of Chapman’s Bakery, encouraged her to start selling some of her dishes. “By the time I figured out how I was going to take orders and get it to those local people who needed it, the winter was in full swing and then the pandemic hit. I knew now, more than ever, that I needed to get these health foods out to people as being stuck in the house would make us more unhealthy,” she said.

Spreading the word

She packed up her family, the food and even the family dog and headed out on to the TCH to do safe drop offs along the way from St. John’s to GFW.  “It didn’t take long before the word spread. I had people filling up my inbox saying how much of an inspiration I was to them, and that I was helping to get them through the pandemic. Mission accomplished,” she said. 

But there was more to do, she added, and the Keto Newf brand keeps growing. Another thing growing is the couple’s love of music. 

“Brad Simmonds Country Music  (their Facebook group) has grown in popularity and Brad calls me his Wifager because I am his wife and manager. I am also his song writer, promotions specialist, booking agent, publisher and distributor,” she shared.

Husband Brad is an easy listening  country music performer, Simmonds added, and with two original songs that have been released, their music is being heard all over the world on all major streaming platforms.  –

 “Brad has always been into music since he was five and got his first guitar. Brad and I met in 2012 and I found his musical abilities and fantastic deep-based vocals very exciting and it is one of the things that made me fall in love with him. I moved to his very small rural community of Charlottetown, NL so there were no real opportunity to showcase his talent.” They married in 2015 and began livestreaming their music on Facebook. 

“We had a fan group and streamed virtual concerts. In 2018 I decided to help make his dreams come true and I wrote a letter to Santa. I asked him to help me by surprising Brad with one of the things he wanted the most because I wanted help in making his dream come true.”  

The gift? Recording studio time to help make their dreams come true.. 

Brad and Mel focus on their future while still helping others, sharing their contacts and knowledge with anyone who needs help musically or health-wise. Being a friend to all has become their passion and their mission. 

For more visit  Keto Newf – sites.google.com/view/ketonewf/home. 

The Shed – Powerhouse (sites.google.com/view/theshed-powerhouse/home). 

Brad Simmonds Country Music Artist (sites.google.com/view/bradsimmonds/home)

Mark Bowering just might have the most perfect working conditions possible and as we stand in his Walsh’s Farm ‘office’  – a brilliantly sun-lit field in Colliers – he takes a moment to appreciate what a great summer it’s been for anyone in the business of growing blueberries. 

“The berries, they seem to do really good in the heat. They like it. And we always notice around big rocks that hold heat from the sun, the berries around them are some of the best,” he said. 

“It’s easy to be grateful for the heat when cold can cost so much,” he added. “You can lose your whole season in a frost in June. The plants are coming to flower in June and that actually happened here two years ago with a late frost,” he said.

Bowering, as president at Bowering Gardens – a landscaping company – and co-owner of Walsh’s Blueberry Farms, spends a nice bit of time outdoors and he appreciates every minute. 

The many berry-pickers Bowering employs seem to be enjoying their day in the great Newfoundland outdoors as well. We meet Vince Wade who has been picking berries for profit since he was eight years-old. 

Bren Bartlett, who shows off his berry-stained hands, has been picking for over 35 years. Chris England – famous for being both speedy and efficient – uses a two-handed method. “Been doing this for over 25 years and I loves being out picking berries,” England said. 

Helpful bees

There’s much to brag about when it comes to Newfoundland berries. The thicker skin – believed to be designed by nature as a way to protect the berry from the elements – is possibly the reason why locally grown blueberries are ‘the berry best’ tasting and the best for us, especially when it comes to their antioxidant value. 

No pesticides are used as none are required in this province. 

The plants require no watering and they need no other tending besides controlled field burning which is on a rotational schedule and keeps the low-bush blueberry plants healthy and improves yield.  We visit the resident bees on site and Bowering explains how their presence has been helpful.

“We’ve been using bees to try and experiment with pollination … to up our yields a bit. They’re just been doing fantastic out there and seem to be loving it,” he said.

Berry pickers

One fun bee/berry fact?  Bees who thrive around blueberry bushes make a pretty amazing blueberry honey. “The honey that they make from the nectar that they collect at the time of flowering is thicker than regular wildflower only honey,” he said. 

We watch the many pickers do their thing as we enjoy the sunshine – and the berries around us. Bowering smiled.  

“Some of these berry pickers here on this farm have been here for over 30 or 40 years. Some of the same people return and a lot of them are locals. It’s amazing to watch them work. One picker could pick anywhere around  450 pounds a day depending on how thick the berries are and their experience.” 

Who’s their clients? Blueberry pie making nannies? Bowering laughed. 

“Wine makers, beer makers, restaurants, supermarkets. We mostly do bulk sales for businesses but we also do online sales to locals. You can have delivery or arrange for pick-up.”

As for how he enjoys his berries best? “In oatmeal,” he answered.  Bowering shared that when he was first asked to get into the berry business five years ago, he stood on the same field we were standing in and saw nothing but grass and woods. 

“I just saw fields of grass. I’m like, ‘Where’s the berries?’ I didn’t see it because when you look in, it’s just all grass and how can there be berries?”

But he looked down and finally saw the potential.  “When you get out on the field and you finally see the sea of blue you’re in, it’s just amazing.” 

For more visit walshsfarms.com 

The Newfoundland Herald has hit the road this summer and we’ve visited some incredible locations. From Salvage, Tickle Cove and Keels to Steady Brook, Catalina and Green’s Harbour, we’ve met incredible people doing spectacular things.  

One thing has stood out above all others: those who work in the tourism industry dedicate their soul to the art of hosting others. From serving a cup of tea to fluffing a pillow to tickling our funny bones, these treasures of tourism deserve a shout out.

Rising Tide Theatre ~ Trinity, NL

Donna Butt is recognizable in voice and in stance. On the day we visit Trinity, Butt stood proud as a peacock in a sea of tourists almost as enthusiastic as she was about the historic village and its place in this province. From shops selling the most unique products (stock up for Christmas opportunities galore!) to the wide array of edible and entertainment possibilities, Trinity is a head turner and no one knows that better than Butt herself. “Isn’t this lovely?” she gushed after a warm hug of a greeting. 

“Trinity is just so special. It has history and heritage and you can tell just by looking around that the people here really care about the place they call home,” she said. 

She’s right. As perhaps 50 tourists mill about outside the prominent building that’s home to Rising Tide, tour buses continue to load and unload those hankering for a bit of outport history and hospitality. Butt and her team provide all of that and then some on their walking tours. But of course theatre – from short skits to more elaborate pageants – is what drives this diva of the dinner theatre. 

There’s the Trinity Pageant – which stars Luke Rowe, Julia Quinton, Mallory Clarke, Michael Power, Devon Bryan and Juila Quinton – and Woke Island featuring Devon Bryan, Donna Butt and Michael Power.

Shenanigans, which features the whole cast, is an opportunity to have a feed of fish while being entertained by the best of the best when it comes to live theatre on the edge of the Atlantic. From Out of It  and Salt Water Moon, to the moving No Man’s Land, Rising Tide and their shining stars make a visit to Trinity tops for any tourist. 

For more visit risingtidetheatre.com  

Round Da Bay Inn ~ Plate Cove West

Karen and Chris Ricketts buzz around Bella’s restaurant at Round Da Bay Inn in Plate Cove West. These two know everyone it seems, and if they don’t, they quickly remedy that with a smile and a kind word.  

When we finally sit down to chat, it’s near overwhelming. Covering in written word what this passionate, powerhouse of a couple have accomplished is quite the undertaking. First, it’s the inn itself. With themed rooms all with unique and distinct personalities, it’s worth a visit just to tour the premises. From movie stars to relics from Nan’s attic to finds from Pop’s old fishing shed, Round Da Bay Inn is a piece of art – or better yet, a masterpiece. But there’s so much going on. The Ricketts started the Welcome Home Project (New Beginnings on Facebook to contribute or follow their progress), for one thing. 

“We have three refugee families we’re sponsoring. We’re renovating a house with an apartment upstairs for a family and a downstairs unit that can operate as a business,” Karen explained.

There’s many fundraising efforts going on in support of Welcome Home, and one involves a man named Charlie who has captivated and captured the hearts of all he encounters. On the day we visit Round Da Bay Inn, Charlie Comrie, a 96 year old Second World War vet who moved to Plate Cove West from southern Ontario last December, is engaged in a lively breakfast conversation with some guests at Bella’s.

While Charlie isn’t sipping from a coffee mug featuring his own mug that boasts: I Know Charlie on it (funds raised from mug sales support Welcome Home) he is singing the praises of the Ricketts for all the work they do.

The Ricketts equally sing the praises of Charlie. At 96, he runs errands and takes care of his own home as well as lends a hand to help with renovations in whatever way he can.  

Charlie’s presence is a present, Karen and Chris share. “We got to know Charlie and his wife Anna from many visits to Newfoundland from Ontario. We kept in touch through the years. Christmas cards, then phone calls started and the friendship grew,” Karen said. On one visit Charlie mentioned he didn’t want to leave.

“When he was here last year he said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to go back (to Ontario) after all, I think I’d like to live here.‘ Well, we helped him find a house and he was here by Dec. 21st just in time for Christmas,” she said.

 We ask Chris (who is also renovating a recently purchased church) how the idea of the themed inn rooms started. Basically, they just had “stuff” they needed to use, he said with a laugh. “We bought a house full of antique furniture for a summer house or retirement home or whatever it was going to be, and at the same time we had bought this inn,” he said. 

Karen laughed, adding that things just “snowballed” after that. “Karen woke this night and said, ‘what if we did one of the rooms up like Nan’s attic? We can use some of the antiques in that and it would be different.’ And that was the first one,” he said with an almost sly smile. Karen laughed as Chris continued the yarn.   

“It was a middle of the night revelation of Karen’s but honesty, I was in my element.  I was like a junkie set free because then every time we were at yard sales or saw deals we’d pull up and say, ‘There’s something for the golf room, there’s something for the captain’s room, there’s something for this room or that room and then it just kept going.” 

We ask if they have a favourite room. The Seaside Retreat is Karen’s because it’s “so light and airy, and blue and pretty.” Chris has a fav too. Bayman’s Cove.  

“Meet your neighbours in Bayman’s Cove.  Gaze in through the ‘windows’ to see depictions of outport life and imagine the stories ol’ skipper could tell! Live your Newfoundland outport vacation,’ the room’s write up says. 

It’s like a little piece of heaven on earth, we say as we tour the rooms. Chris laughs. 

“You know, it really is. We didn’t realize at the time what this place would end up meaning for us or for others, but  we’re really glad we get to have a little fun and we try to not take ourselves too seriously while still having other people who come here really enjoy themselves.” 

There’s so much more to share when it comes to Karen and Chris so tune into future editions of your NL Herald! 

For more visit rounddabayinn.com

Chateau Chance Cove ~ Chance Cove, NL

Jordan and Jen Chubb know that it takes a village to accomplish many things worthwhile in this life – like raising a child – but they also found out how important that is when it comes to being involved in the tourism business. How did this young couple end up owning a rental property on the edge of the ocean in Chance Cove? By chance, of course!  

“We just saw the house and we saw the view from the pictures and we said ‘Let’s go see the house,’” Jen said. They loved it instantly and bought it. Then, the renovations began. “It needed lots of work but we said, ‘You know what, we can make a go of this place.’ So we ended up buying it and renovated it from top to bottom. And here we are three years later,” she said.  

One thing that required no reno was the sound of the ocean right outside the door. Jen beamed. 

“You are in there in the bedroom and the waves are rolling in or outside just watching the sea from the deck. That was definitely one of the biggest things that drew us to the place.” 

The couple knew they could get people to come to a small town like Chance Cove to experience the beauty of simple living. 

“Our scenery and all the things that Newfoundland has to offer. That’s priceless,” she said.

The couple’s adventures have really opened their eyes to the beauty of Chance Cove and of people in general, Jen continued. “When we were in the final stages of getting ready to open up the first two units it was June of 2020,” she said. 

Stores were just opening after the first lockdown and there was a huge shortage of goods on the shelves. It was so hard to find furniture, she added. “There were delays upon delays for online orders – up to a year,” she said. “A number of business weren’t in operation so we had a bunch of friends and family reach out and say ‘Hey! If you need anything, you’re welcome to look in my shed and see what I have,’ or ‘I’m moving and I have these end tables, do you guys want them?’ And I would be scrounging up all of these odds and ends and cleaning them and painting them to put in the units. It really did take a village to get started but somehow it all came together.”

And now? “It’s time to enjoy sharing the beauty of the ocean and the walking trail and the beach area of Chance Cove with others,” she said with a smile. 

“We didn’t even know where Chance Cove was when we bought the house and we have been learning to appreciate the area along with our guests so to speak.” 

A year after they bought the house they finally did the walking trail just minutes from their rental home.  “We love it there. Chance Cove is beautiful.” 

They’ve gained so much making the jump into tourism, in so many ways they never expected, she added. “This entire process was like a learning opportunity for us to kind of think about what’s there and what the place has to offer, because we’re not from Chance Cove. We’re kind of just learning to appreciate it a little bit at a time whenever we get a chance to go visit and we love that we get to share those experiences with others.”

For more follow Chateau Chance Cove on multiple social media platforms

A celebrated Labrador artist shares his story of losing everything because of alcohol and drug addictions ?–  finding his way back to sobriety by creating art

Scott Pynn,  born and raised in Labrador City, began painting and drawing at a young age under the guidance of his grandfather, Henry Pynn, also an artist. In school, Pynn studied engineering and psychology, neither of which he felt were the right professions for him. 

  “I said, I have to learn how to do something within the arts if I want to be happy in my life,” Pynn tells The Herald. 

It wasn’t long after that realization that he quit his job in construction to become a professional artist.

Success soon followed. Pynn, a talented visual painter, has sold his work and prints all over the world. His other business, a tattoo shop – the first of its kind to open in Labrador City – was also thriving. The business owner was living what remembers as “a great life.”

It was 15-years-ago when that life began to spiral. His struggles with addiction began as a teenager when he started drinking, leading to an alcohol addiction, and then to an addiction to cocaine. 

Says Pynn, “Addiction doesn’t take control of your life overnight,. It’s not like you drink once, and you’re an alcoholic, or you try cocaine once, and you’re addicted to coke. It’s a slow process.”

For Pynn, it came to the point where he was drinking hard liquor and using cocaine every single day. 

“I felt like I couldn’t even live without it. It spiraled to where I had no will to do anything else but drink and use.”

He lost everything that was dear to him? – ?his family, his money, his business and his health. He knew if he didn’t seek treatment for his addictions that he would die. “I always thought I was just one more night away from that fate.”

Pynn checked himself into the Humber Wood Rehabilitation Centre, in Corner Brook, in November 2021. The three weeks he spent there for treatment reconnected him to something he had replaced by drugs: ?his art. 

Pynn painted every day, realizing it was something that had gotten away from him over the years. “I painted maybe five pictures over two or three years. So when I went to Humber Wood, I promised myself that I was going to get back to my artwork.”

Today, he credits his passion for creating art, which kept his mind occupied, helping him towards his early recovery. 

At the end of his three-week stay, Pynn had painted between 20 and 25 pieces. Upon his release, he started a Facebook group, Scott Pynn Canadian Artist, which, in just one month, gained 25,000 members.

Life as an Artist

Pynn, who’s nearly 200 days sober, says his days now are rather routine. He wakes up early in the morning to practice yoga or meditate, listens to music, and paints all day long. It’s a routine that’s working out extremely well for him. 

“My relationships with my family are much better. The most important thing for any recovering addict to remember is people can’t help you if you don’t tell them what’s going on with you.”

He believes this is why he continues to receive such an outpouring of support from others? – ?it’s because he laid all his cards on the table. “I said, look, this is who I am, this is what happened to me, take me or leave me. But the support for me has just been unbelievable.”

It’s that level of support that gets Pynn through each day when, on any morning, he’ll see 500 Facebook messages from people all over the country, letting the artist know they are pulling for him. 

It’s that support that not only touches him, but gives him the accountability to stay committed to the path he’s on. “I’m not about to disappoint the 25,000 people in my Facebook group and go use or drink. That’s not an option for me anymore.”

Of the hundreds of messages left on Pynn’s group wall each day, he remembers one in particular from a young girl that particularly moved him. 

“She said my group is the most positive and addictive thing she’s seen on social media and my paintings look like they were done by someone who has crossed over to the other side and brought back the visions. I thought that was beautiful.”

Pynn says that everything he lost to his addiction? – ?his business, family, daughter, girlfriend and his health, he now has back. “Every day gets better than the last. I found it very easy to stay away from the drugs and alcohol once I had the knowledge of how to do it.”

Art of Recovery Program

For Pynn, it was important to him that addicts who have been suffering in silence have a place to turn. He recently launched an NFT project of 1111 different pieces and will be using a substantial portion of the revenues raised for his “Art of Recovery Program”, which helps pay for people to attend treatment centers and provides recovering addicts and people struggling with mental illness access to free art supply’s.

Since sharing his story, others have reached out to him to tell him he’s been an inspiration. “They’ll say I’ve been watching you, and you inspired me to decide to get clean. I know my story has made a difference in some people’s lives, for sure. Now that I’m helping other people, I feel amazing. Every day is better than the last.”

Find Scott Pynn at www.facebook.com/scottpynncanadianartist/ and www.spynnergy.com

It’s been an interesting summer, and there’s certainly been much to celebrate. My daughter turned 14 for one thing, and we have had the pleasure of spending many a day together touring the province. 

We’ve had some wild mother/daughter adventures. In Steady Brook, for example, we started the morning off with facials and pedicures at the Salt Water Spa at Marble Inn Resort and by the afternoon we were squealing with fear –and delight – as we tackled ‘The Spider Challenge’ at Marble Mountain. 

A challenge it was, one I’m glad we faced together. There’s videos that will never see the light of day. Still, it was certainly an experience that will stand out for us both, that’s for sure. 

That perfect selfie

That night, as a reward for a hard-day done, (and to calm our rattled nerves) we headed back to the spa to soak up some saltwater therapy. All’s well that ends well, right? We’ve enjoyed adventures on the high seas while fishing for cod and swung from a zip line over Petty Harbour. Now that was exhilarating! We’ve co-captained a paddle board through jellyfish infested waters and squealed with horror as we took turns knocking one another off into a sea of pulsating slime. Bonus points if the jellyfish were already dead when the dumping occurred. 

We’ve hiked and raced our way to see waterfalls and to capture that perfect selfie on top of whatever cliff there was to climb and we’ve gone off-grid a time or two and (gasp) actually had to pull out our phones only for snaps instead of for snapchat. Fun times! 

We’ve slept in lighthouses that captured our imagination and we’ve stayed in tents as well as in the most luxurious settings one could imagine. We’ve slept in the same room and settled in for the night floors apart. My daughter has chased and caught frogs and codfish and she’s read by flashlight in a tent as well as in a hammock over the ocean. 

There’s been lobster pods and lobster cookouts. There’s been boating adventures where she turned green with seasickness, but stuck it out like a champ just so the rest of us could jig our cod quota. She’s sat in a car with dogs on her lap for hours and eaten whatever’s been tossed back over the seat at her when travel demands dictated that meal time meant sliced peppers and cheese from a sandwich bag used – and then reused  –maybe one too many times. 

We’ve picked berries and plucked flowers, grateful to Mother Nature for her bounty, and we’ve peed outside when nature called.

Our time together

Fires in central changed our throw caution to the wind philosophy when it came to adventure destinations and we had to be aware and alert, and caring for our two elderly dogs during one crazy hot summer also meant keeping their needs and wants in mind, too. 

There were unexpected deaths within my friend circle as well as in my family while we were travelling and there were things that had to be shared and discussed and people we had to mourn over. It’s been a summer filled with experiences and growth. For both of us. 

While we might not have literally taken the road less travelled on any of our adventures, the roads we did take certainly led us towards one brilliantly beautiful destination: togetherness. 

At 14, there might not be many more such road trips for us, but my child, oh, the wonderful places you’ll go without me down this road called life. 

I just hope her future travelling partner is as fun and as fearless as she is and that she’ll sometimes think of our times together – spider challenges, seasickness and jellyfish wipeouts and all – and smile. I know I will.

Pam Pardy, The Herald’s Managing Editor, can be reached by emailing pghent@nfldherald.com

Proud dad Chris Snelgrove extended the invite to one and all.

“Good morning. My son Ryan was the recipient this year of the Hair Factory Fund to pay for his driver training. The fund was awarded to him in conjunction with the Newfoundland and Labrador Autism Society.

‘Pay it forward’

“On (July 23rd) Ryan has organized an afternoon/evening of entertainment here in our back yard to raise money to help the next driver(s) in training; ‘Pay it Forward’ for the want of better way to explain his thoughts,” he shared.  

There was food and beverages and 14 entertainers – including Ryan himself.

Ryan and his mom Susan were busy setting up for the event when The Herald stopped by their home-turned-concert-venue in Heart’s Delight-Islington. Ryan, who’s 19, spoke first. “Today we’re having a bunch of performers here in our back garden. As people come in, we’re going to have a donation box set up so that they can drop as much money that they want to donate in there for  a great cause.” 

Kids do great things

Because Ryan was a recipient of the Hair Factory fund to pay for his driver training, he wanted to give back. 

“I thought what they did was very nice so as a thank you, I decided that I would make some more money to give back to them so someone else can take advantage of the same training and opportunities that I had.”

Wayne Button and his bandmates from A Black and White Night: a Tribute to Roy Orbison, were there to perform. So was Rodney Slade and Ryan’s cousin, Ben Diamond. 

Susan, Ryan’s mom, shared that this was “a great day” and she was so proud of her son. “He felt that because he was given this great opportunity and given the money from (the Hair Factory Fund), he would like to pay it forward so if two people next year want to get their license, then they can through these donations. It’s all in the aid of autism and autism awareness to spread the word that these kids can do great things.”

For more information visit asnl.ca 

Well, things have certainly changed. Fire bans are in place and a forest fire in Conception Bay South highlighted why such a call was needed. The grass is yellowing. Gardens are suffering. Folks are slathered in layers of sunblock as they venture out to face the day. And, because Newfoundlanders love to talk weather, there’s plenty of ‘some hot, wa?’ uttered to one another as we go about our business. 

All time high

Dare I say there’s been a few days – and sweltering nights – that have even been almost too hot? Since one of the best May 24th weekends weather-wise on the Avalon to now, NTV’s own Eddie Sheerr has been chatting non-stop about clear skies ahead, even noting that it’s not just Newfoundlanders that have been experiencing the sunshine. 

Parts of Europe and the UK are facing unprecedented heat waves, he shared on social media, and all time high temp records previously set are being shed faster than the layers of clothing. 47ºC in parts of Portugal just seems a little too hot to handle for my tastes, thank you very much.

Forecasts that used to read like a fairytale now sound a bit like a no air-conditioning sleeper’s nightmare when Eddie begins most updates with “looking like a solid week/weekend with a fair bit of sunshine…” 

Hard to complain about the fact that this summer is one of our best I suppose, though truth be told I wouldn’t moan too much over a little rain. The proof we could use a heat-break is in the numbers. On July 16th Eddie shared the news that St. John’s International Airport had recorded over 30 days with temps at or over 20 degrees where it usually only records 28 days in total for all of May, June and July combined. Good for staycationers and visitors I suppose – if you like it hot. 

We spent last weekend camping at Marine Park in Pouch Cove and the heat was enough to melt the nail polish right off my fingernails. Heading down to the beach hoping for a breeze, we found the water still as a corpse’s chest at a wake. 

With n’ar bit of wind, the only relief we found was in the water. This summer we’ve found a new passion: paddle boarding. With these temps, it’s been great that we’re not that good at it yet and have spent more time off the board than on. Falling off ungracefully is a good thing when it’s an opportunity to cool down. 

Intense heat

This summer the weather has been enough to melt over practically everywhere. Our stay at the Doctor’s House Inn and Spa was all sunshine-filled days and brilliantly warm evening sunsets. Twillingate was beautiful with just a little morning rain to provide a wee wettin’ to cool  down our deck chairs. Dunrovin in Lethbridge was so nice weather-wise we stayed up until the wee hours in the still warm air just listening to the frogs croak-croaking in the pond and the heat was so intense in Musgrave Harbour that we took to swimming in the cool Atlantic just to chill out – literally and figuratively. 

Temps aren’t showing any signs of dipping. 25 to 30 are the projected highs of the week ahead, so get used to it. That’s all we can do. For those sick of the sunshine, suck it up and soak it in, because before long we’ll all be ankle deep in fall slosh from wicked ol’ rain storms and winter slush from a make-ya-sick mix of all the things that fall from our easterly located skies, so think positive if your brain’s not yet melted mush and you can even think at all. 

There’s one good thing about living in Newfoundland and facing this heat: no matter where you turn, there’s water to dip in to cool down your furnace a few notches. No one said it better than the late Joan Morrissey. 

Pam Pardy, The Herald’s Managing Editor, can be reached by emailing pghent@nfldherald.com

You know I am privileged to live in a major centre (all things are relative) and to have a family doctor. The corridors of the Health Sciences are familiar to me because I have been there many times with the assorted afflictions that come down upon a man in his mid-seventies. 

I have known the operating room. I have been in emergency. Been to x-ray and all kinds of diagnostic imaging procedures and tests. Spent time in the chapel. I am privileged and it is hard to even imagine not being able to see a doctor. Unfortunately, many people in our province don’t have that same access. 

 Honestly, there is going to be no quick solution to our health care crisis. Is there a crisis? Absolutely!  As most of you know emergency rooms have been forced to temporarily close in several communities recently Why? Because there aren’t doctors to staff them. Everybody knows that but the question is Who is the bad guy? 

Apple pie & motherhood

It is okay for opposition parties or labour groups to say government needs to do more to attract and retain doctors. That is apple pie and motherhood. I can tell you who the bad guy is. It is geography. You must ask the question about how you can get someone to practise medicine in tiny rural communities. Communities by the way that are smaller than they used to be. 

 What are you going to offer a med-school graduate to come here and to Newfoundland and Labrador and set up a practise? Money? That won’t do it. A doctor is going to have money wherever he or she hangs out their shingle. Lifestyle? The doctor shortage is such that all you can offer is incredibly long hours and hard work. Doctors are going to be run off their medical feet.

Now it isn’t easy to write this without offending anyone but if you want me to practise in a community you must ask the question as to why I should move there. I have never been there. And it is not even on the road to any where. My guess is that someone from that community or nearby would be an excellent choice. 

That would be true for Bonavista or Ferryland or Buchans and a whole bunch of places like it. I am from inner city St. John’s so you can take a stab at where I might like to practise.  It is most unfortunate but that is the reality of the situation. Newfoundland, in many sections anyway, is “emptying out” for economic reasons. There is a price attached to that and it is unfortunately the way things are. I wish it wasn’t that way.      

NTV’s Jim Furlong can be reached by emailing: jfurlong@ntv.ca

Globally, more than 700,000 people take their own life every year, and every day an average of more than 10 Canadians die by suicide. Each and every suicide is a tragedy. It affects families, friends, and communities as a whole. 

While the link between suicide and mental disorders is well established, suicides can also happen impulsively in moments of crisis due to anything from life’s stresses and financial instability, to chronic pain and illness. 

Suicide rates are also extremely high amongst vulnerable groups who experience discrimination; refugees and migrants, indigenous peoples, and the LGBTQ+ community.

It’s no question that technological advancements and the use of the Internet and social media plays a negative role on mental health and suicide rates. Particularly for teens who tend to be far more susceptible to online bullying, and social media standards and influences, but it doesn’t only affect youth. Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts aren’t age, race or gender specific. 

Social media may hold a ton of negative influence, but it also has its place in creating safe spaces. It can aid in bringing people together, raising awareness, and offering support. Just ask singer-songwriter Gary Smith of Conception Bay South, who recently released his newest single online — Just One More Day.

“Just One More Day is a song I wrote about a lady I used to see as I went for walks. She was no one that I really knew, just someone who made my day brighter with a smile and a wave,” Smith shared in a one-on-one interview with The Newfoundland Herald. 

“One day I walked by and she was no longer there, and I met a family member who told me she had taken her own life the night before.” 

Messages in Music

The song, written by both Smith and his son Curtis, formerly Town House, was recorded with Billy Sutton. The music video, shot by Center City Media, was uploaded to YouTube in February and not only received thousands of views, but also an abundance of support.

“Music is different from most other forms of media,” Smith explained. “If you can capture the attention of someone through online music, and if the music delivers a message, then you have succeeded in breaking through a barrier. Hopefully people can take something away from that message to help improve some aspect of their life, and maybe see that we all share similar thoughts and experiences.”

In 1981, Smith picked up the guitar and subsequently started playing in a few folk festivals on the island, leading to the formation of Polly’s Pride, a band consisting of Smith and a few of his friends. Mainly performing in bars and festivals along the east coast, when the pandemic first hit, Smith was forced to find new ways to interact and share his music. He started recording videos and posting them to Facebook where he received tons of praise for his tunes. In the following months, Smith began posting music online on a regular basis.

Since the release of Just One More Day, he has received an outpour of support from the community. Smith has been contacted by a group of first responders, multiple victims’ families, and four suicide attempt survivors who felt deeply moved by his lyrics and the safe space his songs have created. 

“Being contacted by survivors, first responders and victims’ families is definitely one of the most gratifying parts of creating the video. I have always felt I owe a huge debt to those people, but in many cases they are the ones who pay the price,” Smith shared. “I was told by fire department members that they required help to try to get out from under the relentless images that will not go away. For them to thank me for my efforts seems to me to be a gross injustice, for it is I who is perpetually thankful for them.”

Be kind first

Smith continues to write and record meaningful music in hopes his lyrical messages can be of some form of comfort or support for his listeners. 

“It sounds cliché, but we all just need to be kind first and foremost. My life has been greatly enriched by embracing the differences. Not only do we not know what kind of day people have had, we also don’t know what influences affect them in their upbringing. We don’t know the traumas they’ve endured, and we also don’t know how close they are to a negative outcome. So in all cases, give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them like they matter.” 

Check out the song and music video for Just One More Day via YouTube Gary Smith MUSIC. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental heath and/or thoughts of suicide, please reach out to the Newfoundland and Labrador Crisis Lines at 1-888-737-4668 (Toll-free) or 709-737-4668 (Local).