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 

“I am so grateful to be part of such an awesome show, Hudson & Rex, as a police officer since day one season one,” he said. 

“The actors are so down to earth to work with each and every day as we punch 12-plus hours most days yet it flies by in no time. ”Sherri Davis is Rex’s (Diesel’s) trainer and is so amazing to watch on set,” he adds.  

“The things she is able to get Rex (Diesel) to do is just short of mind blowing. Most don’t get to see the many hours of hard work behind the scenes it takes training Rex to do each and every scene to near perfection. What they accomplish can only be described as incredible,” he said. Everyone from the cast, crew, hair, makeup, wardrobe and transport are all rock stars and he “loves them all,” Morgan added with a smile. 

We ask Morgan what he’s been  up to besides Hudson and Rex. 

“I’ve been a police officer in the popular show Departure, season three slated to air on Global late this Fall. I started off early spring in a TV show called The Canoe Project where I play a camera man in one episode and then shortly after that I was involved in a full length film called Skeet where I had a small part as a police officer,” he says, adding that “playing a role in law enforcement seems to be a calling.” Morgan began an acting career somewhat later in life, but it’s been quite the experience, he shared. 

“I was thrilled to be invited to audition for and land a small role in an upcoming short film called Vegas where I’m in a scene with my spouse, actor Paula Morgan, and with actor Rhiannon Morgan that premieres Oct. 23 at the St. John’s International Womens Film Festival on Gala Night.”

But the highlight? His continuing role on Hudson and Rex. 

“Of course season five of Hudson & Rex as a Police Officer which airs late Sept.  is amazing to be part of.  We continue shooting until late Dec. and I look forward to each and every day.” It’s a gift to work in his home province on a show that has such a reach. Rex is beloved around the world and the show itself has so many fans worldwide.
  “Life’s been great to say the least. If you love what you do it will feel like you never worked a day in your life, the saying goes and working on Hudson & Rex is that and more in  nutshell.” 

Watch for Hudson & Rex, which premieres Sunday, Sept. 25 on Citytv and Citytv+ 

Newfoundland & Labrador’s Weary explores the sonic pangs of heartache through the atmospheric stylings of sophomore album, Hush. Complete with emotive, lingering guitars and swooning melodies that, as described by creator Kate Lahey, offer up songs of loving, losing, longing and change. 

Following up their acclaimed debut album Feeling Things, which was nominated for MusicNL’s Alternative Album of the Year in 2018, Hush continues the trajectory for a project equal parts emotionally resonant and artistically striking. 

A nominee for MusicNL’s Rising Star of the Year in 2018 as well as earning a 2016 long listing for the Borealis Award, and with noted performances at East Coast Music Week Rising Star Stage, Flourish Festival, Bloom Fest, Lawnya Vawnya, Halifax Pop Explosion, Out of Earshot Festival, and MusicNL week, Weary’s trajectory continues to rocket skyward, as does their way around a tune that tugs at the heartstrings as well as engaging the mind.

Lahey caught up with The Herald for the latest in our album deep dive series, diving into the inner workings, and meaning, behind Weary’s Hush. 

Big Love 

This song is about struggling with mental illness, particularly watching a loved one struggling with mental illness and feeling both helpless and full of hope for their beauty, resilience and spirit. This song is about how we can feel trapped or limited by our minds, while our hearts are overflowing. 

Body 

This song deals with intergenerational loss from my perspective as a Newfoundlander. I wrote this song after my maternal Nan passed away, who I loved dearly. Making sense of the ways the memory moves across generations, how we hold multitudes, I attempt to work through my desire to remain connected to all that came before me, particularly my ancestral relationship to this island. 

Broken Window

Working through my relationship with my teen years, particularly my relationship with addictions, this song explores how loss and longing shaped my experience with trauma as a young person in Newfoundland. Images of smoking cigarettes, listening to The Strokes, skateboarding and even overdosing lace this song with fragments of memory that reflect the effect of brokenness I felt at that time in my life. 

Twin Flame 

Chris Meyers, who is the guitarist for Weary and also a co-vocalist on this song, is also my partner. It has been a long journey of finding how music fits into our relationship and how our relationship fits into music. This song was a really special opportunity to have those worlds interact creatively as we reflect on the many expressions of our connection. 

Trust

Trust explores a moment where my past and future collided. Love asked me to take a leap of faith into the unknown, while trauma filled me with fear. Working through a claustrophobic sense of flightiness, trust explores the ways in which our past can overwhelm our desire for a better future. In my search for belonging, security and safety, I found myself scared of the very things I long for because of their unfamiliarity. Trust is not about trusting someone else with your heart, but about learning to trust yourself. 

For all things Hush and Weary visit weary.ca and all official social medias.

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

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.

Gillian Phillips is the director of The Trinity Market – George Street’s only local market. The Trinity Market happens every second Sunday afternoon from 12-5pm at the Trinity Pub located on George Street in downtown St. John’s. 

“We kicked off our market again this weekend (catch them Aug. 21, Sept. 4th & again on Sept. 18th) after a very long wait, and starting up the Market again earlier this summer was great and we couldn’t be happier,” Phillips said. 

Phillips, who owns Gingerly Bakery, can be found there on market days selling her incredible and yummy plant-based treats. 

In its third summer, the market was started in 2020 in an effort to connect the growing tourism base on the island with home-based business owners themselves right in the heart of downtown St. John’s. 

“We wanted to showcase local businesses all over the island who may not have an opportunity to sell their products in other places or at other markets. This market rotates its vendors and features a different lineup every event, ensuring everyone a fair chance to sell their goods. We wanted to bring the beautiful artisans of this province into the heart of downtown and have done so successfully,” she said.

A wide variety

The Trinity Market started just a month before the pandemic. Despite travel restrictions and decreasing numbers in tourism, the energetic crew of vendors continued to operate. 

“With the addition of the pedestrian mall and the foot traffic in the downtown core, we saw an incredible amount of visitors and vendors were able to prosper from this alone,” she continued. 

“This year we have received hundreds of applications from small businesses island wide seeking a place to sell their products. Many of us have lost store fronts, or downsized our businesses during the pandemic. Many have turned to online forums to sell products, therefore we were eager to be able to sell face to face again.”

With a large number of cruise ships visiting this summer – a major reason for choosing their market location – Phillips shared that things have turned around. 

“Oftentimes these tourists do not have time to go to St. John’s Farmers’ Market, and they have only a few hours to explore downtown. The Trinity Market offers a space for these tourists to shop for souvenirs and purchase directly from the maker.”  

The Trinity Market has a wide variety of vendors from hand crafted items, knits, jewelery, baked goods, art, clothing and with hot food vendors on site and great specials on drinks and beer all day, it’s a great way to spend some time. Plus, it’s a family friendly market. “We even welcome dogs, with The Trinity Pub having one of the only pet friendly patios in the city. We aim to be a friendly and inclusive space for all to enjoy.” 

Help spread the word about this community event, or better yet, visit them in person or online @trinitymarketongeorge and on Instagram @the.trinitymarket

Local musician Ryan Snow, a Harbour Grace native now living in South River, is no stranger around a tune. A longtime member of Sheila’s Brush, Snow has branched out solo with his latest effort Tales from the Lighthouse.

Produced and engineered by Brad Tuck with collaborators Ryan Baker and Ray Legere, Snow’s collection is a proper taste of home perfectly paired with come home year festivities.

We caught up with Snow for an in depth look into the new record for the latest in our album deep dive series.

Sea Legs

This was the first song written for the album. This song was written about an excursion I had with my wife and friends out by Harbour Grace Island trying for some elusive codfish. My friend took us out jigging and the wind picked up after I was whistling. He blamed the wind on my whistling. Nonetheless, the water got choppy and I got feeling a little sick. I had to get brought ashore and then home to lie down. Having ‘Sea Legs’ is a rite of passage for most Newfoundlanders and Labradorean’s, I just didn’t get them. I did finish the song with a better ending than I had, as he became quite proud of the ones that he had grown (unlike myself). 

Tales from the Lighthouse

Modern technology in marine travel is becoming more advanced by the day. The use of lighthouses over the course of time have saved many distressed travelers and fisherman alike. 

This song uses the words “The lighthouse keepers eye’s upon us” referring to the actual light from the lighthouse as a metaphor for the lighthouse keepers watchful eyes.

Audrey’s Adventure

This song came about in a funny way. I was writing music one morning and my little girl, who was six at the time, asked how come I haven’t written a song about her? I told her to grab a scribbler and write down some things she would like to have in her song. 

So in her six-year-old fashion, she had fictional characters like witches and wizards and trolls and dragons, like you would. We created an adventure where she went off in a hot air balloon to see all kinds of magical places to end up finding some unicorns in the sky.

The Storyteller

We all have people in our lives that can captivate us in their stories and keep us hanging on for more. This was inspired by my good friend Jim Pike who’s never stuck for words and my father Wendell Snow who always has a great story to tell. I wrote the song in a type of executive summary style format where two stories are introduced (“Of broken hearts and shattered sails”) and the following verses in the song elaborate on their stories.

Music that Makes Us

This is a tribute to all the great music that has shaped so many of us. I can remember being a kid and my dad would have Irish/Newfoundland music always playing in the kitchen. It has shaped the music I play and the music I love – and now the music I make. The song has a start similar to Simani’s intro in Outport People and takes a turn of its own. In this song there are 29 song references to well-known Irish/Newfoundland folk songs. Some songs are easy to pick out while some others are more difficult. See how many you can able to identify!

Jigs in Full Sail

A great representation of the accordion skills of Ryan Baker. Ryan is from Marystown and has played with the likes of The Ennis Sisters, Natalie MacMaster, and even at Casino Nova Scotia where he performed a tribute to Harry Hibbs. His playing ability is one of the best I’ve ever seen. You can even hear the banjo skills of Brad Tuck following along. Brad’s presence is all over the album with various instruments and vocal harmonies. Brad is a professional multi-instrumentalist and a well-known singer and songwriter. I was fortunate to get introduced to both of these guys and will be forever grateful for their contribution to the album.

Dawn

I had to finish off the album with a sad song I wrote for my aunt that has passed. She was my godmother. She had a lengthy battle with cancer and had it defeated many times. Ultimately, she couldn’t take anymore and succumbed to it. I was asked to play a song at her funeral, but I couldn’t think of a song that would fit, so I wrote this one that evening instead. The day after I had it finished and was prepared to play it, I was informed that I was not allowed to play it in the Catholic Church as it was against their rules. I did play it in the funeral home at her wake and haven’t played it live since then.

On the day we head out in the boat, Liam Duggan  joins our crew to help bait the jiggers and haul in the catch. He’s also a great puffin-pointer-outter-too, we discovered. Orren and Hearn are passionate about sharing and celebrating the knowledge and skills they have gained when it comes to the ways of the traditional family fishery. They created Island Rooms as a sanctuary for people willing to learn and experience a way of life that sustained generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Fishing for Success is located in beautiful Petty Harbour, traditionally a thriving fishing village and now a protected fishing area. 

The traditional ways

Orren is particularly passionate about teaching the traditional ways to children, like my nephew Kaleb and my Daughter Elia, who joined my sister and I on our voyage. An interesting tidbit about Fishing for Success; as a non-profit and educational organization, they have special access and are able to participate in the recreational cod fishery every day of the season – not just on weekends.  

“Petty Harbour is only about 15 minutes away from downtown St. John’s, yet it offers a totally different perspective to a way of life,” Orren said. 

“We want to make space for everyone in the boat so we partner with First Light (a registered non-profit organization that serves the urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous community) and the Association for New Canadians and Choices for Youth and the YMCA and Canadian Wildlife Federation, with their Youth Leadership program. We want to provide social supports for others when it comes to having access to this way of life,” she added.

‘Wonderful therapy’

Nothing cures all like getting out on a boat on the ocean, seeing the coastline from a different view, or participating in catching your own food supply, she said. 

“If you think about nature and all of the wonderful therapy that it provides when you’re out there experiencing it, then you know that those type of experiences should be available to all.”

For more on Fishing for Success, including some hands-on cod-fish art, don’t miss an upcoming issue of The NL Herald or visit fishingforsuccess.org 

For the first time in 12 years, the crown jewel in Canada’s post-hardcore crown, St. Catharines, Ontario’s Alexisonfire, return to Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2022 Iceberg Alley Performance Tent.

‘Keep that vibe’

Comprised of George Pettit, Dallas Green (also of City and Colour), Wade MacNeil, Chris Steele and Jordan Hastings, Alexisonfire is set to drop their first studio album in 13 years, Otherness, on June 24th, their first since a lengthy hiatus beginning in 2011.

“It’s a trip. And especially after being cooped up, not playing a show for two years in that global pandemic,” shared Pettit in a sitdown with The Herald, marveling over the white-hot status of the band, who are headlining festivals across the globe. 

“Your first show back is Lollapalooza in Santiago, Chile. That’s a bit of a head trip. And it has been wild. I don’t know, we’re all very, very excited that we’re still capable of doing that sort of thing. It’s not lost on us how miraculous that is.”

Otherness, Alexisonfire’s first studio album since 2009’s acclaimed Old Crows/Young Cardinals, finds the collective powers of one of the Great White North’s most blistering heavy attractions on full display. And what’s more, they’re having a blast doing it.

“I think part of keeping it going too is keeping it in that fun realm,” Pettit shared. “Like, the reason why this record turned out as good as it did was because there were no real expectations at all. This wasn’t like, ‘okay, we’ve got a month now in between tour cycles, let’s make a record.’ It was like no, ‘let’s just make something because we think we can do it.’ So I think we want to kind of keep that rolling and keep that vibe.”

‘Crazy show’

Reflecting on past excursions to The Rock, and Pettit candidly recounts honest and hilarious observations on the at-times wildness of our wind-swept island, and our party-ready people. One such memory at the 2007 Salmon Festival in Grand Falls bares repeating. 

“That Salmon Festival Show, I remember that,” he grinned. “You get off the flight, you get into a van and then you drive for three hours into the bush and there’s moose running across the street and all the stereotypical Newfoundland sort of things. You’re just like, this is incredible and remarkable. 

“And then all of a sudden the woods kind of open up and there’s a stage there and a group of the drunkest, rowdiest Newfoundlanders that I’ve ever seen in my life just in the middle of nowhere playing a crazy show. So we’ve always had a great time.”

Lets play!

Returning to the island in 2010 and Pettit and co. would jam-pack the Delta Ballroom in St. John’s, the demand for tickets so high it resulted in the crash of the ticketing website.

“Again, we did the whole shebang,” he recalled. “I feel like there was a time, maybe that 2010 show that Alexis played and then Wade and myself and a few other guys, there was like a bar advertising an after party and we went there and we took all the band’s instruments and we played the Black Lungs set. I think that was in Newfoundland.

“It was just like the best. We just showed up. People are so happy and everybody’s having a great time and we just  borrowed everybody’s gear. We’re just like ‘let’s play! We’re playing. All right, here we go!’ I’m very excited to come back.”

For tickets to Alexisonfire at the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent visit icebergalleyconcerts.com. Alexisonfire’s Otherness is available worldwide on June 24th. Visit theonlybandever.com for more information.