Sharon Snow finds it incredible when she reflects on her career at NTV. “22 years with Places to Go and 30 with NTV. It’s been quite a ride, and it’s not over yet,” she said with a laugh.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Snow one-on-one, then take our word for it: she’s just as incredible off camera and she is on. More so, if that’s even possible.

When we spoke, Snow was on vacation with family, but she didn’t miss a beat when she answered her phone. 

“That’s okay, my treasure, you called at a perfect time,” she opened. 

Of course, Snow is quite proud of Places to Go, sharing that each segment is like having a friend say, “I’ve been there, I loved it, go check it out!” 

“I was able to go to my hometown, and that was very special. There was so much to see and do in Fogo and so we kind of hit the road on Father’s Day weekend, and Tony (Barrington, camerman extraordinaire) joined me that Monday and we did a whole bunch of shoots which are still airing. We literally shot Places to Go nonstop, and that’s super cool that there’s so many amazing places to go,” she said. 

Tony Barrington has been enjoying going along for the ride, Snow said with a laugh as she reflects on the fun she’s had with her “side-kick.” 

“He loves to hang out with me. I mean, seriously, what’s not to love about going to fabulous places and experiencing amazing things? I keep telling him I got him spoiled rotten.”

22 years of Places to Go

Snow’s Places to Go is very popular with NTV fans. What is it that fans love so much, we ask. 

“We’re highlighting places within the province and it’s been going for 22 years so it’s kind of like a friend telling you, ‘Hey, you know, I was at this place, you should go. It’s super cool. I know you’re going to love it.’ So I think that’s kind of how people look upon the feature. They know me. They have been watching for 22 years. They like to know what this place is about and they like having some suggestions,” she said. 

Thinking back, we ask Snow about what she thinks of the last 30 years. She almost didn’t take the job, she admitted. But timing is everything, she added. 

“I was happy where I was, but the second time (the job was offered) it was at just the right time. So I absolutely believe timing is everything and I do believe it was meant to be.”

Some of her career, like the television pieces, were “by accident” she added. 

“I was hired for sales so the rest was by accident. Like they say; the best things are unplanned and they often turn out to be the most wonderful times of your life. And that’s the case as I look back now and say ‘30 years. Wow.’”

The friendships she’s made with chefs and with business owners, as well as with coworkers, has been a gift, she said.

“We did things like Supper with Sharon. I don’t know if you remember that, but that was a long time ago and we did it as part of live weather hits. We would literally go into local celebrities homes – into their kitchens – and make dinner for them from the ingredients in their cupboard and in their refrigerator. And those relationships are still special.”

But there’s the Frosty Festival and the Health Care foundation too. 

”What we do for them as a company  and the relationship that we have with them all, it’s all part of serving the community and that’s the mandate for television, for NTV. In doing so, by achieving that and by working on that and keeping that as a goal, then all of those beautiful relationships have been forged.” 

‘I love everyone’

Snow is known for her kindness. She’s known as a hard worker. And she’s known for her fashion sense too. 

She laughed. Tops for her? Her work family, she shared.

“Oh, my gosh. I love everyone. We get along. We support each other. We lift each other up. And that’s very important. There are so many things that you could say or do, but when you choose kindness it just works. That’s so important that we support each other.”

Anything else she wanted to add before she heads back to vacation mode, we ask?  “It’s been a great ride over 30 years. Who would have thought that?  22 years of Places to Go. And I just know I’m looking forward to the next number of years.”

But it won’t last forever, she teased. She has plans to settle down eventually and enjoy life at home. “Oh, there will be retirement. Oh, it’s going to happen. So I’m working on that, but even retirement promises to be exciting.”

There’s fun to be had whenever NTV’s Sharon Snow and OZFM’s Danielle Butt get together. It doesn’t matter if it’s work-related, the pleasure is evident as these two long-time co-workers turned friends unite.

One of the places these two fabulously brilliant, talented and stunningly beautiful ladies have a chance to let their hair down is anytime they share the coveted cover of The Newfoundland Herald.

“It’s always fun doing things with friends who lift you up and support you,” Snow begins as the two pose for picture number one the day of the Christmas Cookbook photo shoot. 

Butt and Snow give one another the once over (hair in place? Earrings straight?) and then easily strike a pose and smile for the camera, joking and having fun between setting swap outs and clothing changes. 

Enduring friendship

The glorious red fur coats the two ooze into thanks to the kindness of Always in Vogue, are swapped mid-way through the photo shoot to make sure they both get a chance to experience each jacket.

Sitting on the back of the truck on photo day in a field behind Snow’s house, they share a laugh and a nibble of the food the chefs brought that day to help merry up the backdrop.

When asked how their friendship has endured, it’s an easy answer.

“We just have fun and enjoy one another’s company. From working together on Places to Go and Made Right Here, to weather hits, we’ve had many chances to work together,” Butt shared.

 “Even Christmas is a time to work together. We do the Christmas Parade every year – I host and Sharon is in the parade – and there’s the Salvation Army Dream Tree and the Christmas Kettle. These things are growing traditions here at the company that we get to be involved with together,” Butt added. 

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 Of course, while work is always busy for both women, they always make time for family around Christmas too. 

“We always talk about the value of Christmas memories. Danielle has granddaughters now, one born on her birthday, so Christmas is even more special now,” Snow said. 

Alice and Charlotte certainly make the holidays a little more merry. From baking to heading out around the bay to celebrate at Gunner’s Pond, Butt  shared she can’t wait for family time. 

Snow shared that heading home to Fogo is still a big part of her Christmas tradition. So is making the annual gingerbread house.

“Myself and the kids actually decorated a gingerbread house for one of The Herald covers. It happens every year with my cousin Darlene and her kids, who are about the same age, as Jorja and Ethan, so we do that together every year. Actually, we missed one year and we vowed we’d never let that happen again because we always have a blast.”

‘Kids make Christmas’

 Butt smiles, eager to begin such traditions with her own young granddaughters. “Alice loves to bake. And she’s just so cute. Kids make Christmas so much fun,” Butt said.

Butt also has a very special role come Christmas and that’s being Santa’s little helper around the NTV studio.

“Santa comes into NTV every year to read children’s letters to Santa and I get the honour of helping out with that. That’s always so much fun.”

 Now that her kids are older, is it still Christmas around the Snow household? Is it still magical? 

“Oh yes, absolutely. The kids are big on Christmas. Ordinarily, we would have the house decorated by now. Jorja’s birthday coming up, she will be sweet 16, and we’ve been doing some renovations, so it’s been busy, but we will start decorating soon,” Snow said.

 The tree decorating is always a special time. “We select a Christmas movie and will have a hot chocolate and treats. We spread everything out and the cat goes crazy. It’s a happy, happy time,” Snow laughed. Butt can relate, sharing a photo of her adorable pup, Stevie Nicks. Is Stevie excited for Christmas? 

“Stevie is excited for everything. And yes, she has a couple of outfits for Christmas,” Butt admitted with a laugh.  

The two women say that this year is special for so many across the province and around the world. “We’ve just all been through so much. It’s time to enjoy family and embrace Christmas traditions, whatever they happen to be for us,” Snow said. 

Butt couldn’t agree more.

“Just do what works for your family. Bring in new traditions. Celebrate with family. Enjoy the time you get to spend with one another.”

Time together

And spend time with co-workers you love too, they add. 

Butt smiles across the table at Snow before speaking. “We like each other. We enjoy each other’s company. We hike. We laugh. We share. And we lift each other up, because why not?”

Another great memory? A recent work-related road trip to commemorate 9/11. Snow gets the last word. 

“It was nice to get outside of the building together and be together. While we were still working, we really enjoyed each other’s company. It was fun that we could do a road trip like that for something so meaningful and share it with someone who means so much.”     

Sharon Snow had big shoes to fill the evening of January 14. Filling in for NTV’s chief Meteorologist Eddie Sheerr on the NTV Evening Newshour before a huge storm wallops the island with snow, rain, and freezing rain would rattle anyone’s cage. But not Snow. 

Looking beautiful (as always) and composed (as usual) she handled her duties with style and grace and smarts. “Stepping into Eddie’s shoes is a real gift for me,” she begins with a smile. 

MEDIA POWERHOUSE

Being on-air isn’t new for Snow, who was first hired for radio advertising sales with OZFM 27 years ago. 

“Back then, there were separate sales teams. One for radio, one for television and one for print. Since then, it’s transitioned to one media powerhouse; radio, print and television – and not just any radio, television and print, but the best in this province, a company with the furthest reach in this province. I’m with the best and that’s incredible. Being with it in it’s infancy stages, and still being here now, is a real joy,” she shares.

Jim Furlong was NTV’s News Director at the time. He invited her to make a demo tape, and as the saying goes, the rest is history – or a Day in History if you want to be cute about it. 

“I was asked to fill in for Toni-Marie for weather shortly after that, and it’s been such a beautiful experience. So, I’m thrilled I still get to do that,” she says.

Snow had much praise for the entire News Team. “Mark (Dwyer, NTV’s News Director) is so supportive. He’s a beautiful soul. And Toni gives of herself so freely. She gives anyone an opportunity. Some in her position may feel threatened, but she’s so gracious and that’s how she was right from the beginning when I first started filling in for her on the weather. 

“She supported me and encouraged me, and she let me put my own stamp on things. I didn’t have to do things her way, I could do it my way and she was always gracious and kind and supportive. And she’s still like that today with any of the newer staff. It’s beautiful.”

ALL GLAMMED UP

Speaking of beautiful things, Snow turned 50 on Christmas Eve, something she commemorated by having a photoshoot at JAG Hotel with pal and former colleague, Aamie Gillam. Why did she get glammed up? Because she wanted to!

“It was a celebration of being 50. I’m 50, fabulous, and fierce, and I wanted to capture that, not just for me, but for anyone facing that milestone who might not feel it’s all that great. I know, trust me. It wasn’t too many years ago that you’d think 50 was very different than what it actually is. When you spoke about anyone who was 50 it seemed ancient, right? Well, I don’t feel like I thought 50 would feel like.”

In her ‘younger days’, looking at hitting 50 was like looking towards the end, she jokes. Not anymore.

“50 has no impact physically or emotionally on me. It’s just a number, another milestone, another thing to celebrate.”

Something else to celebrate? Her 27 years with the company. “I sometimes can’t believe it. I’m in my 27th year with Newfoundland Broadcasting which means I’ve spent over half of my life here, and that’s pretty amazing.”

One of the blessings of a life spent in front of the camera is the people she meets. “I love chatting with anyone who feels comfortable enough to come up and talk with me. I hope no one feels I’m unapproachable because I’m on television. I think people feel I’m accessible because I’m honoured that people come up and chat with me at the grocery store or at the doctor’s office. That always reminds me of the impact and the power of media, so I always try and make the time if at all possible.”

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Something else she makes the time for is community events, like this year’s Frosty Festival. “I love the Frosty Festival, and all events like that. I feel getting out in the community is an extension of what this company feels is important; our viewers. The listeners. The readers. When I’m out there, like any of us hosting these local events, we are stressing to the province and the community that we are their NTV. We are local, we are one of you and that’s what keeps us connected and that’s what keeps us humbly successful.”

LOCAL COMMUNITY

Efforts like that show, she says. “Our ratings continue to grow and it’s so humbling that people continue to rely on us for hard-hitting news of course, but they also look to us and know we will be there supporting the local community at events like the Frosty Festival.”

If Snow is passionate about the community, she’s even more so when she talks about family.

“It’s so emotional being a mom and talking about my kids. They are so great. Ethan is almost 16 and Jorja is 13, and they are amazing kids,” she says as her usually smooth-as-silk voice cracks – just a little. There’s a reason for that. “Mom wasn’t always there, mom worked a lot because I was on air many supper hours. But they persevered and they are so supportive. They are really special.”

Snow sees herself in her children, and her smile returns as she speaks of the traits they share. “I see me in my son’s sense of humour and in his easygoingness and I see myself in my daughter in her organization skills and her ability to multi-task and she is proactive; she thinks and she gets it done and she makes a list and she gets that done. That’s so me,” she laughs.

One thing that’s been said about Snow over the years is that she has a kind heart. Where does that come from, we ask. 

“It’s my upbringing. My mom and dad are so gentle, quiet and kind. Rural Newfoundland values. They still live in Fogo. And my faith has been a force that has always gotten me through challenges and that will continue. It guides me. I would not be who I am today if it wasn’t for a strong belief in a God that guides  and takes care and provides at times when you question your own abilities and your strength.”

Is there anything she’s most proud of? Yes, she answers, that she’s persevered. 

“I’m proud of being able to get through it all and handle it all – work, family, myself. It’s been a balancing act that I’ve had to figure out and at times I felt overwhelmed and felt things happened at the sacrifice of my family but today, at 50, I think I can say I always focused on the greater good and my choices were always made with the best intentions.”

SO MANY BLESSINGS

Snow stresses her life has been filled with so many blessings on so many fronts. Family has always been number one, but her work has brought her so much joy too.

“My coworkers are so much fun and we support one another and we joke with one another,” she says. 

And being a part of a company where women are in so many important roles has been a sense of pride for her. “There’s so many strong women in this company and I believe they have had a huge impact on its success, and the credit for that goes to the top, to Geoff and to Scott Stirling for having the vision to put the right person in the right job, no matter the gender.”

Lorraine Pope, Director of Sales and Program Acquisitions with Newfoundland broadcasting is one person Snow admires.

“In this company, people like Lorraine know when to offer a hand, or when to give you a hand (she claps to demonstrate her play on words.) And I love that. I feel privileged we can work for a media company at a time when so much is changing globally on all fronts; in print, television and radio, and we have the strength that we have. We work in a place where we all flourish and are given the gift of earning a living at home doing what we all love.”

PLACES TO GO

Speaking of things she loves, her Places to Go that airs Fridays on the award-winning NTV Evening Newshour is one of them.

“This February 2 it will be the 19th anniversary of that segment. There’s been so many interesting things. The biggest compliment is when people from away email me to say, I’m coming to the province and I’m using your Places to Go as a checklist for things to do. That makes me feel so proud,” she says.

 In 2020, Places to Go will celebrate their 20th in fine style, she says, hinting that this coming year – and the one to follow – might just be the best yet. “We will really celebrate that in a big way,” she teases with a twinkle in her eye. 

No wonder she’s sparkling and glowing. From turning 50, to her fabulous family and her major career milestones, Snow’s entire life seems like one huge celebration. She laughs. “I’m embracing every beautiful moment in this life I can,” she says with enthusiasm. Her smile, as anyone whose ever seen her in person or on television knows, is contagious. “Have a beautiful day,” she calls as we part ways. After time spent in such delightful company, it’s hard not to.

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