Not long after their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, touched down in St. John’s to began a three-day Canadian tour, The Herald spoke with premier Andrew Furey. “I think it was a great moment for the province. How special to come out of COVID-19 and have a live event like that where everyone is gathered safely and respectfully to celebrating our history,” he said. While there’s good and bad in the history books of this province and nation, taking time to honour the past while celebrating the present and future is an important balance, he added. “To have the royals here was absolutely fabulous and coinciding with the Come Home Year, to not only welcome them to Newfoundland Labrador but to welcome them back home was an honour,” he said. Not to mention the fact that with 40 international media in tow, the eyes of the world were literally on this province of ours. 

In great spirits following the Charles and Camilla touch down, the premier joked how local treasure and comedian Mark Critch got to enjoy a full-circle moment during the royal visit. As a child – as portrayed on his popular series Son of a Critch – the star had enjoyed an encounter with the People’s Princess, Lady Diana. The premier laughed. “Well, you know, we were watching the show, and it seems that (Critch) gave flowers (to royalty) when he was a kid so we thought he should do the whole thing again and come full circle. So it’s the circle of life.” 

Furey has demonstrated his dedication to the arts industry in this province, and including many artists from different disciplines was important during this latest royal visit, he added. From culinary and visual artists to musical and brewery masters, Furey explained that showcasing “as many as possible” was important.    “I think we put on a good display and I know the royals were quite fascinated by (what they experienced) and we’re quite impressed.” In fact, he continued, a later conversation with his father – a senator in Ottawa, the Honourable George Furey – cemented this fact. “I had the benefit of having a follow up because my father saw (their royal highnesses) later in Ottawa, and they were over the moon with their reception and their experience in Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said proudly. 

There’s certainly much to be proud  of, including the fact that this province was the first in Canada to welcome Ukrainian refuges. 

“We wanted to do something right away, as soon as we saw the mass number of immigrants and the refugees displaced from their own homes because of the war in the Ukraine,” he stated. NL  took “a bit of a different approach, albeit with some degree of skepticism from other provincial leaders,” he added, and “set up a desk in Warsaw.” “Because I knew from my previous experience and my previous work life that refugee camps require a significant amount of bureaucracy.” That’s why “having a helping hand in navigating the complex paperwork matters,” he said. “Because of that. We were able to arrange the first flight of 166, and there are many, many more who want to come…Many have been matched with families and jobs here in the province, which, of course, gives them a sense of security in what has to be an incredibly stressful time for them.” 

Seeing the warm welcome those from Ukraine have received from the people of this province is “humbling” the premier added.  “It’s a beautiful world moment and one that we’re very humbled to play a part in and very proud that the idea started here and has really made a splash on the world stage.” 

With 2022 being the summer to come home following two years of stay where you’re at pandemic caution, we ask what the premier hopes to see happen. Come Home offers an “opportunity to relaunch Newfoundland and Labrador as a world class hospitality and tourism product,” he began. NL was “incredibly compromised by the pandemic,” he added, but things have changed. “We knew that we needed something to catapult, to relaunch, to reset and show the world that we were open for business and that we had the best product in the world that everyone deserves to have a look at and come and see. And equally, considering what everyone had been through for the last two years, we felt that there would be significant demand (to visit here) because people have been pent up at home and wanting to travel and Newfoundland and Labrador is on many bucket lists.”

 Come Home Year offers a reason to come, he added. The venture has been an overwhelming success from the get-go, he added. “We’re hearing stories from Marine Atlantic that they are fully booked,” he said. Provincial parks are packed. Festival tickets around the province are selling out. All signs point towards this being one busy and celebratory summer, he shared.  “Following the pandemic, previous lives need to be reinvigorated and we need to celebrate who we are and where we came from and open our hearts and doors to the rest of the world emerging from the pandemic.” 

When any Newfoundlander’s yarn begins “Well, we were on our way for a bit of Mary’s (Mary Browns Chicken) and on our way back we stopped at the Irving…” then you know you’re face-to-face with a family that keeps it real and that the tale they are about to spin will be a good one.

In this particular case, this Big Mary followed by a bit of gas yarn just happens to belong to the Furey’s and Dad Andrew Furey is the Premier of Newfoundland Labrador and Mom Allison Furey is an emergency physician at the Janeway Children’s Hospital in St. John’s. 

Dr. Premier continued. “There was a gentleman (at the Irving) changing his tire and he was struggling a little bit, so we offered help.”

Dr. Allison picked up the tale, ‘cause as many hubbies tend to do, the tale got all tangled. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but it was actually our daughter, Maggie, that noticed that he was struggling with his tire change. And she said, ‘Mom, we need to do something.”

‘You’re the Premier’

Corrected, the Premier continued. “Right. Yes. I was in the Irving and when I came back out Maggie said, ‘You should help that guy over there.’ So I went over and helped him. And his wife asked what do I do for a living, and I think Allison said I was a surgeon and they were getting ready to leave and the guy turns and says, ‘Hey, you’re the Premier.’”

We ask the two how their relationship has changed or evolved over the past year and a bit since combining politics with a pandemic. “I think everybody’s relationship has changed because COVID happened. You know, when we started this adventure, I put my hand up for the leadership before COVID had really impacted us all. Before shutdowns happened,”  the Premier began.

How have those challenges, combined with turning into such a public figure, changed their lives?

“If anything those things have strengthened the relationship, made us more cognizant of each other and for me, made me realize how important it is to have Allison and the family around.”

While he tries hard “not to bring the office home,” that’s not always an easy endeavour.

“Always the responsibility of the province and working through the pandemic is large and I wear that so sometimes at home it can be a challenge so having an understanding partner and family has allowed me to navigate all that easier on a personal level.” 

The family Furey

Mrs. Premier agrees. “From the start, Andrew becoming Premier and simultaneously the pandemic striking has really highlighted for me the importance of stability at home for everyone. We’ve always had the attitude that anything we get involved in we do as a team. That could be the Premiership or as a surgeon or doing volunteer work overseas. Whatever it is, partnership is really important and our relationship has become much stronger from an emotional and supportive standpoint since March 2020.” 

The family Furey is made up of Mom, Dad and children, Maggie, Rachael and Mark. Like most families in the province, they struggle with balancing busy schedules and children who – when we spoke at least – were attending school at home. How do they do it? Very carefully, they shared.

“Allison is able to work at home a little bit, but we focus on that sense of responsibility where we have to make sure the kids are being educated. Always, hats off to the hardworking teachers out there who are teaching online. That’s not fun for them, either. I’m sure, like every parent, we’re balancing screen time and trying to make sure that the kids are physically active. COVID means that I get to do more from home, too, but when I can’t, when I get home, I try to make sure that the kids are doing something outside of the confines of the kitchen table or their desk in their room,” he shared. 

The Premier and his wife have moved beyond their usual daily duties during the pandemic as well. Dr. Allison has lent a hand in Ontario during the worst of the crisis and the Premier/Dr. has administered vaccinations throughout Labrador. Don’t they have enough on their plate, we ask.

“I always felt that you had a responsibility to give back with the talents that you had, some of which were natural and some of which were built on the backs of opportunities like having a solid medical education,” the Premier said. He’s long felt a “responsibility to give back to our own community and communities around the world,” he added. 

“If a call comes for vaccinators, for example, that’s something I can do. Knowing the demand is there, knowing that was a natural fit and just to be able to do it and to be contributing and learning was good.” 

Helping others

We ask if such things, like heading to Labrador or flying with a medical contingent to Ontario, were tough decisions to make.

“I don’t think it was a difficult family decision at all. The kids are pretty used to one of us going away to help the greater community in some way or another. Andrew’s been to Haiti several times. I’ve gone to Bangladesh. It isn’t outside the realm of normality in our household, so I don’t think it was a difficult family decision. It was a natural decision to go. I had a skill set and the opportunity presented itself.” 

Not going would have been the harder family conversation to have, the Premier added. “If we didn’t do something, we’d be answering questions over ‘why didn’t you do something?’ The kids are used to us traveling around the world to provide medical care and education and here’s an at home crisis.”

The children would have been left  wondering why they didn’t do anything, they added. Thinking of the paths they’ve taken in life, the Premier reflected.

“I think as an individual, you’re the combination of your past, present, and your future. The trajectory that my life has taken has largely been built on the shoulders of my family,” he said. 

His father, Senator George Furey, made politics and service a passion and a priority for the family. But beyond “growing up in a political family,” he also says he feels “responsible to ensure that we’re not subscribers to cynicism, but dreaming of the possibilities and solutions.”

“I hope that we are setting the right example for the children. I feel the responsibility of having those eyes on me at home. The call to public service is a noble one and I can only hope my children take something positive from the experience of me being Premier, and from my time with Team Broken Earth,” he said.

It would have been so easy, he continued, to simply say; there’s nothing we can do.

“It could be said easily, ‘what can we do? We are from St. John’s, Newfoundland Labrador.’ I don’t believe in that cynicism. I don’t believe in that philosophy and approach to life. And I hope my kids can really dream of the possibilities and then execute those possibilities.” 

A typical family

Allison feels equally as strong, she shared. When it comes to setting good examples for their family, that’s number one. “I don’t think (our efforts to help others) goes unnoticed in the household. They’re conscientious kids and I hope that our example is one of possibility for them and their future.” 

Having spent time with the Furey family in the past, it’s obvious they try and keep things real. From sports to music and mealtimes to video game championships, theirs is pretty much a typical family on most days.  

That the two share that family keeps it real is no huge surprise. “There’s a silver lining in this (pandemic) time for me and that’s as Premier, there’s less travel by mandate, and there’s less social gatherings, and obviously less political gatherings so as a result, I’m able to sit home and watch the news or Mandalorian or Harry Potter with the kids and that keeps me grounded and humble. My kids don’t mind telling me when I’m an idiot,” he said laughing. 

Since Valentine’s Day is pending, how do they keep the romance alive? There’s some joking about hesitancy to answer and about who fell in love first, but they agree theirs is a strong bond.

“Romance is a dynamic notion and concept that changes with the changing phases of your life and I’m still growing in love with Allison every day,” the Premier shared sweetly, evoking a chorus of ‘awwww,’ from his wife and the interviewer. 

‘I love you’

“When it comes to romance, we definitely celebrate each other and our relationship in small ways and I think it’s a constant that we work on,” Allison shared.

We ask them to describe their love for one another. Is their long term relationship more like the Titanic theme song My Heart Will Go On, or is it like a Dolly Parton love song?  Is there a song that causes them to instantly gaze into each other’s eyes if it’s heard? 

Allison is quick to respond. “I would have to say that our wedding song probably would be the song and that’s The Beatles, In My Life.” 

And how did the Premier respond to that? By using a simple one-word quote from perhaps one of the most romantic movies of all time, Ghost. Like Patrick Swayze’s charter said as he responded to Demi Moore’s character’s “I love you,” the Premier eloquently responded a very romantic; “Ditto.”

Enough said. 

There is one more message from the Premier. No matter how it’s celebrated this year with COVID restrictions in place, make sure we celebrate love.  

“I’d like to wish all of the other couples throughout Newfoundland and Labrador a very happy Valentine’s Day.”