“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+ 

There’s little doubt Diesel, who plays Rex on Hudson & Rex, is a mega-star and one very good boy! The day the six year-old German Shepherd strolled into The Herald with owner Sherri Davis, he easily stole the show.

Every mega-star has a stunt double and Diesel had two. “Diesel is the face of the show, and our main dog who does 99 per cent of the show and then the other one per cent is played by his nephews Iko and Is-he,” Davis said with a smile.  

Davis has been in the film industry for 25 years and been training dogs just as long, she explained. How did she and Diesel meet? She’d been looking for that perfect companion for years when the call came that there might be a puppy available for her to work with. She booked a flight to check out the possible find.

“I went and looked at these two pups and Diesel was at the far end of the kennel on the right hand side and this dog just kept locking eyes with me,” Davis said.

She was told “That damn dog was bought as a puppy and returned untrainable.” So I said, ‘Well, would it be good with these dogs? (looking at two young puppies she planned on buying) And they said, ‘His sister had these dogs,’ so they were the nephews. I went for one puppy and I ended up coming home with Diesel and his two nephews,” Davis said with a laugh.

‘Go get the bad guy’

Diesel loves his role on Hudson & Rex, David added and “he loves the chasing. He gets super excited when we do any kind of ‘go get the bad guy’ stuff. He’s so excited when he goes to work on a Monday morning and gets a back scratch from everyone.”

Davis has some expert tips when it comes to preparing our furry family members for back to school time. With COVID and working from home/schooling from home over the past two years, things have been a whole lot different than they will be this Sept. “As much as we think of our dogs as kids and think they understand and know what we’re saying and what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling – which is true – you can’t explain to them the future,” she said.

The time to start exposing our pets to any change in schedule is before it happens, Davis shared.  “There’s going to be that drastic change in their lives come back to school. Don’t do it all at one time and don’t make it drastic,” she said. Get the dog used to everyone leaving the house at one time, she advised. If you crate the dog, then start doing so now, a little at a time.

“Start doing it now instead of waiting until the day so that the dog is getting used to being in its own space again. It’ll make the transition much less stressful for the dog when it comes time for everybody to go back to work and school.”

 Is there any one question that pet owners ask about, we ask. “Jumping and barking is the number one thing that I hear from pet owners – jumping up on people and barking. And I say to people all the time, ‘well, what do you tell the dog?’ And they say, ‘no.’ And I say, ‘No, what?’”

When we want a dog to lie down, we say lie down. When we want a dog to sit we say sit. What exactly does the word ‘no’ mean to a dog, she continued.   “A lot of times behavior problems is just miscommunication between owner and dog and what you think you’re telling the dog to do is not what you are saying,” she continued. Giving the proper command is key. So is being positive. “I often say, ‘no means nothing unless it’s used in conjunction with a positive.’” 

‘Talk to me’

Try saying things like ‘good boy. No jumping.’ Or ‘good boy. No barking.’ Another tip? Teach your dog to do what you don’t want it to do so that stopping the behavior becomes a known command. “Teach the dog to put its feet up on you. Teach the dog to put its feet up on the wall. Target an object for them to put their feet on to mimic ‘jumping’ because then it’s very easy for the dog to understand and associate their behavior with when it’s fine (good boy) and when it’s not (good boy, no jumping).” 

Same for barking. “If you’ve got a dog that barks, yelling, ‘no, no, no,’ is not going to work. Teach it to bark or speak or ‘talk to me’ because then when the dog barks and it’s not supposed to, then it’s very easy for the dog to understand, ‘Oh, you don’t want me to speak right now.’”

It’s all about speaking in ‘dog language’ and communication, she added.

Davis says her Newfoundland experiences have “been amazing.” “We’re always very thankful for Newfoundlanders and for Newfoundland. People always welcome Rex wherever we go and the continued support for Hudson & Rex is absolutely amazing and we can’t thank you guys enough.” 

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

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.”

By Russell Bowers

Over a career spanning three decades, most of Colleen Power’s songwriting has been personal with tunes inspired by real life, relationships, or stories she’s heard. Viewers of NTV first became of aware of her in 2001 when the video for Happy Girlfriend was in regular rotation, highlighted by a cameo from the late, St. John’s mayor, Andy Wells.

Since then, she’s released 8 albums, both in english and en francais, has racked up awards and countless concerts, and often finds producers approaching her to write songs specifically for them.

“I just wrote a song for a science fiction movie called Jiggy the Squid,” she reveals. “It’s about a squid that saved Bell Island from a giant sea monster, so that will be out whenever the movie comes out.”

Still, with Power amassing such an impressive resume, even she found herself a little surprised to be approached to star in a new TV show, Sing Me Home.

HEADING DOWN THE ROAD

Producer, Xavier Georges, reached out to Power because, “I’ve worked with Colleen for many years and she is an awesome bilingual composer and writer, amongst many other talents. Having played in tough conditions with a tough crowd, and being a radio host, we knew she could definitely deliver something beautiful on a tight schedule.”

Martine Blue was the director for the series and picked the communities, knowing there was no shortage of charming and intriguing places to go.

“First, it was Cupids,” Power adds. “Then we did Quidi Vidi Village, Heart’s Content, Dildo (we had to go there), and finally Lawn and Fortune.”

With her itinerary sorted, the next step was waiting for the producers to hand over any materials she would need to prepare for the community and the journey.

“Martine did the research on each town and then, sometimes the night before, or the week before we travelled, they would tell me who we were meeting and who I would be interviewing.

“As far as preparation on the songs, I may have had a melody or two kicking around, but until we actually got to the communities, a lot of those decisions came up during the visit. It was challenging because when you’re writing a song for a community, it has to be really good!”

WHAT WOULD RON DO?

Once Power and the show producers from Bell Fibe TV started the journey and the assignment took shape, the responsibility of her task sunk in. And there was one person that sprung to mind for Colleen that gave her inspiration.

“The first person I thought of was Ron,” she says. “What would Ron [Hynes] do? I have this opportunity to go to communities around Newfoundland and write songs about these people and places… which was what Ron did. He always talked about the importance of writing about home when we would talk about songwriting. He was very proud to write about Newfoundland, and of course, so am I.”

Any artist will likely tell you that writing about their own life is easier than writing about something abstract, or just making it all up. The challenge for Sing Me Home was coming up with lyrics that felt true to Colleen, even though her experiences in any given town was brief.

“I write for my albums and it’s often based on my own experience or a story I heard. I don’t follow a set of rules. I just write about whatever I got. I’ll write about a rat out in the yard, or the snow falling down, or a flashback of some dude that I dated 20 years ago.

“But for this project I was given guidelines to go by. My own songs don’t have time limits, as such, but these TV shows are 15-20 minutes long, so the songs all have to be 2 minutes and 30 seconds long. And I tell you, it was not easy to do that.”

And if you ask any tourist, and they could tell you that landing in a new place can be like a case of sensory overload, with so much to see in so little time. Even though Power would be a tourist in her own province, trying to balance writing new songs about people she just met or places she was seeing for the first time, that became the great struggle to overcome.

“With Cupids,” she recalls, “it was the first one we did and I tried to get everything in there. But after that one, I thought, obviously I’m not going to do them all like this.

“Quidi Vidi Village was funny because of the pronunciation of Quidi Vidi. There was a big divide with the older people, the longest living there, they said ‘KWY-da VYE-da.’ But the newer residents said ‘kiddy-viddy.’ So that’s what their song ended up about.

STORY IN EVERY COMMUNITY

“One really special place was Lawn. I had never been. My dad was a teacher from Burin and I was born at the Burin Cottage hospital, not far from Lawn. I knew I had relatives out there but I never met them. My mom’s side of the family – the Connors – the five original brothers were the first Conners in Newfoundland at Lawn.

“At one point, I was doing an interview with a man whose relatives were involved wth the rescue of men from the Truxtun and Pollox [two US navy shipwrecks during WWII]. I asked him if he happened to know my great-aunt, Marie Rogers, and he said, ‘Oh yes! Mrs. Rogers used to teach me in grade three. That’s her grandson’s cabin over there.’ The song I wrote there is close to my heart because I also learned about myself.”

Viewers may get a new look and appreciation for well-known places, and Xavier Georges can’t wait for people to see the stories, facts and characters that he says forged our heritage.

“We discovered many things along the way and we wanted to dig into that history but remain anchored in the present. Everyone we met looked towards the future with ambition and pride. Colleen’s songs captures all of that and becomes a sort of anthem for these great places.”

Now that Colleen is back home and the show is available for people to see on demand through Bell TV, she’s had time to consider what her viewers will see over the course of six shows. It’s music and a travelogue, but to her, so much more.

“It’s a really good show for Newfoundland history buffs,” she offers. “It is for tourists, and others from away, but it’s also for people here. For them to go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’ I certainly didn’t know a lot of the things that I learned visiting these communities, so I hope that people are inspired to go dig a little deeper. There’s always a story in every community.”

All six episodes of “Sing Me Home” are available on demand through Bell Fibe TV, channel 1 and the Bell Fibe TV app. Colleen Power’s music is available online through singsonginc.ca

“We are devastated to announce that we have lost our dear husband, father, and brother Paul,” the family shared via Pope’s personal Facebook account.

“He passed peacefully this morning surrounded by his loving family. We ask for privacy as we process this unfathomable loss. With love, Lisa, Joan, Glenn, Alex, Simon, Ezra, Debbie, and all his extended family. His kindness and dedication will be missed.”

Pope, owner and operator of Pope Productions, helped spearhead the boom of local film and television productions across the province, namely backing titles from Hudson & Rex, to Grown Up Movie Star and Rare Birds.

He was one of the founding members of the Newfoundland Filmmakers Cooperative and a board member of the Canadian Media Producers Association.

The Newfoundland Herald sends condolences to Pope’s friends and family in this difficult time.

Instead, she added, “there’s only admiration” for anyone who has heard the calling of journalism and praise for the people who tell all our stories. 

No one knows that better than viewers of NTV News. That crew has faced lock downs and epic snow storms with grace under fire. The flagship show – the NTV Evening News Hour – must go on and everyone put their best foot forward. In spite of the chaos and the unknowns, the NTV team saw the light and the love in Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and reported on inspirational people doing exceptional things while also sharing the dismal COVID facts of the day. 

There is always hope between the headlines and we were grateful. And while the Oscars gave us the slap heard around the globe – an entertainment world bummer – the 65th annual Grammys were the opposite. 

An unexpected feel-good highlight happened when Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the world in a pre-recorded video which included a passionate plea for support for his people. 

“Our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos, they sing to the wounded in hospitals … but the music will break through anyway,” Zelensky said. He concluded: “Fill the silence with your music! Fill it today, to tell our story…To all our cities the war is destroying: Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Mariupol and others, they are legends already, but I have a dream of them living. And free. Free like you on the Grammy stage.”

While mixing war and musical awards might seem an odd combination, artists taking a stand for the greater good isn’t new. From the recording of Do They Know its Christmas by BandAid, to the recent charity song Lean On Me by artist CAN, a 2020 charity single featuring a who’s who of Canadian music legends, musicians have long offered support and now many have teamed up yet again to form a Stand Up for Ukraine initiative in a show of solidarity.

In real ‘Give Peace a Chance’ style, Doctors Without Borders received a $10,000 donation on behalf of Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon, reminiscent of the days when John Lennon’s Bed-ins for Peace as the Vietnam War raged made the news. 

Herald founder Geoff Stirling and his son and publishing successor Scott Stirling had a profound encounter with John and Yoko in 1969. Inspired by one of their songs, the senior Stirling wrote a note to the couple that read, “I heard your Come Together, so here I am: Geoff Stirling,” further evidence that entertainment, news-makers and anti-war efforts often go hand in hand. As for those in the news business, they do their part. 

The Award Winning NTV News team has covered disasters at sea, DARKNL and Snowmageddon plus provided up-to-the-minute pandemic coverage, going above and beyond to educate and inform. However beyond the facts and figures, there’s good news yarns –  like one recent story about a local artist who uses her jewelry to help those living in Ukraine. 

Such stories provide hope – a light at the end of the tunnel tale so that at the end of a tough news day, there’s proof we’ll all make it. For that balance, those who tell our stories – good and bad– for a living are worthy of an extra dose of admiration.

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

Three Newfoundland and Labrador based culinary establishments will be featured on the new season of Food Network Canada’s Big Food Bucket List. 

Hosted by renowned comedian and noted foodie John Catucci, Big Food Bucket List takes viewers on an epic, coast-to-coast journey, spotlighting buzz-worthy, crazy, delicious food that demands to be featured on any food enthusiast’s bucket list. 

In each episode, Catucci visits the restaurants behind these must-eat meals and hits the kitchen to learn how the chefs make their mind-blowing creations. 

This season, Catucci and co. touched down at three notable NL eateries: Mallard Cottage, The Grounds Cafe and Seto Kitchen + Bar.

“I think there’s a certain personality trait that almost all chefs have, which is I need to feed you. This is what I have to do. I have to feed these people. I have to make them feel good. And then add the hospitality that exists in everybody in Newfoundland, it’s kind of ridiculous, right? It really is like no other part of the country,” Catucci shared in a sitdown with The Herald in advance of the season premiere.

The new season of Big Food Bucket List premieres on Food Network Canada this Saturday at 8 PM ET/930 PM in Newfoundland. Pick up our full feature with Catucci and Big Food Bucket List in our April 10-16 issue, on stands this Monday!

Oh! To have someone call me ‘Fancy Face’ as I set my wide jaw to indifference – though my eyes would say otherwise – would be the be-all-end-all of romantic endeavours. Or so I thought.

Romantic Dreams

Many things change over time, and as you age, so does your perception of that perfect love. Gone are the longings for daytime drama-like romances where demonic possessions, kidnappings and love-child sagas are the things romantic dreams are made of. And having a long thought dead husband return to reclaim his lost love after she’s fallen in love with another? No thanks! Who need the stress of tossing a messy love triangle into the already muddy mix of love and marriage? Not I!

There comes a time in life when seeing a partner load the dishwasher is all the foreplay one needs, or when not having to clean up the crumbs after them one night out of six means that what you have must really be true long-lasting love.

Now? In my fifties? I’m fascinated with ‘older’ couples who seem to have it all figured out. You see them around all the time. Hubby waiting outside a store as his lovey picks through the racks. The fella keeping the car warm for his missus outside the Costco, one eye on the door so he can drive around and fetch her when she pops out with cart chinched.

The duo out for a wee stroll holding hands and looking like they might actually be enjoying one another’s company. Swoon-worthy relationship goals. 

Of course there’s other more visible role models when it comes to love and romance and marriage.

The Queen isn’t a bad one to look up to when thinking of long-lasting love. The Queen and Prince Philip were married 73 years and if either ever strayed outside their marriage for comfort from another, rest assured the paparazzi would have grabbed the snaps and we’d all have read about it.

The image of the Queen sitting alone at the Duke’s funeral will long stay burned in my mind. That image of lonely is how you’d imagine you’d feel after the loss of your life partner, and that picture spoke a thousand words.

Other public couples also stand testament to long-lasting love, even though theirs would be considered a tad unconventional. Gene Simmons and NL’s own Shannon Tweed come to mind. Sharon and Ozzy are another rock ’n’ roll couple who are proof that through sickness and through health (and through all kinds of other strange, scary stuff) marriage can last and love can endure for who knows what rhyme or reason.

Against all odds

Even the most brilliant minds knew better than to analyze it. It was Albert Einstein who said wisely, ‘you can’t blame gravity for falling in love.’ Against all odds, love can last in Hollywood. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been in love since their first date on Valentine’s Day in 1983 and Kevin Bacon has been anything but ‘Footloose” since meeting Kyra Sedgwick in ’87.

As for Fancy Face and her Bo?

Their love lasted and like the Queen and Philip, only death separated those lovebirds. Bo died in Hope’s arms in the same park where they first met. Be still my beating heart! And let’s not forget Nikki and Victor, who have been married and divorced at least once a decade over the last forty years and are still together in spite of near-deaths, reported demises and enough affairs to cast doubt on any possible romance rekindling. Proof there’s hope for the rest of us.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Rock Solid Builds, a home-reno show like no other thanks to colourful characters as well as homes, takes viewers to the rocky shores (and inland too!) of Newfoundland so third-generation builder, Randy Spracklin, can do what he does best: create while doing construction! 

With a team made up of his business partner and father Scott, ‘rookie’ loves-a-good-laugh apprentice Nikki, salt-of-the-earth been-there-done-that Paul, the crew battle the elements – and sometimes one another for a laugh – to pull off historic renos and jaw-dropping builds.

That ol’ NL charm

There’s Newfoundland-styled language, joking and pranks along the way as Spracklin and co. build spectacular new homes on the coast or loving renovate centuries-old properties, but no matter the project, the team always showcase the charm of living and working on the extreme eastern edge of North America. 

Nikki and her willingness to try anything has certainly caught attention. As a mom and an apprentice carpenter she’s become a hero to many. Add to that her colourful devil-may-care attitude and her willingness to take – and give – when it comes to jokes and pranks, and you have produced a home-grown fan fav. 

“Funny enough, Nikki wanted to get into the trade and we knew each other way back, say, when we were younger. She used to come to Brigus to hang around, and I guess that’s how she met her husband who’s from here,” Spracklin said.

Nikki wanted in, and she was willing to do the work, and at the time, Spracklin was looking for someone to help their busy Newfound Builders team.

“Because I knew Nickki, I could say she’s definitely got the right attitude and it just worked out well. We clicked and she got no trouble taking on any task,” Spracklin boasted. 

Bit colourful at times          

  There’s lots of work getting done on Rock Solid Builds, but there’s lots of fun being had too. Is all the laughing and joking part of a typical work day, we ask. 

“Oh my god, yes. You know, we Newfoundlanders, we love everything about ourselves because we’re so unique. We love our language and our culture and our sayings. Now, we especially love helping each other out, but you know, sometimes we like to have fun too and that can get a little colourful at times,” he admitted 

Newfoundlanders use words a little differently than other Canadians, for one thing, he added. 

“Nikki can swear and she swore on me a few times, especially if I’m playing tricks on her, but it’s all in good fun.” 

But at the end of the day, it’s about getting the job done and having a laugh while also embracing the opportunity to highlight this beautiful province of ours and its people, he added. 

“It’s just a great feeling to be able to do what we do and especially to do it here in Newfoundland. A lot of times people are looking at the show and are not sure what to think besides the fact that we really are a diamond in the rough.” 

Spracklin is a third generation builder, but he’s tried his hand at a few other things in a few other places over the years. 

“I went out west. I tried that whole Alberta thing and it wasn’t really for me,” he admitted. He just kept coming back to his first loves: woodworking and construction and good ol’ NL.

“I just kept coming back to the things I did with the old man growing up. Building houses was part of that.”

In 2008 Spracklin returned home and never looked back, he shared.

“You know what? This is definitely what I’m meant to do. Little did I know 15/16 years later, we’re going to have a TV show,” he said laughing.

Sitting at the table in Newfound Builders showroom as the crew worked away out in the shop, Spracklin admitted that the show with HGTV Canada started because of an email that went to his ‘junk’ folder. 

“Believe it or not, I got an email in my junk mail, and they were looking for an east coast show because there was nothing this side of Toronto. I emailed them back and here we are. Can’t believe it myself sometimes,” he admitted. 

A little good ‘junk’ mail

Now that they’ve finished taping Season Two, it’s almost like they’ve been “at it forever,” he said. “It’s the people behind the scenes that we are grateful for. We work together well and you don’t even remember they’re shooting a show. A lot of times they’re like, ‘Hey, don’t move yet because they’re shooting’ but other times we just do what we do and they (camera folks) do what they do. We’re just so used to blending together and I guess that’s what makes the show so awesome, because there’s no format. There’s nothing that we’re got to do and nothing we got to say. They’re just running behind us with a camera because you never know what will happen next.”

This is, he adds, real life. It’s construction in Newfoundland where everything needs to come by sea. It’s dealing with older homes and trusses that don’t fit and foundations that are ready to crumble. It’s hurricanes and epic snow storms and windy “some day on clothes” days. It’s being prepared for the unpreparable. 

“We are here on an island. The only two ways to get stuff is by boat and by airplane. When the wind is blowing the boat don’t run and you can’t ship big stuff by airplane. We’re all on one big rock, so people don’t realize that when you’re digging a foundation, sometimes you’re going to hit rock. Sometimes you use that to your advantage, sometimes not.”

And the homes themselves often have a mind of their own too. “These are 100-200 year-old homes you’re dealing with. So you have the weather and you have the house itself that you’re dealing with and sometimes you don’t even know how it’s standing. Some people would tear it down. That’s not our way.” 

‘We had snow in June’

Spracklin offers that Season Two presented one of his biggest challenges. 

“This season, you’re going to see probably one of the biggest head scratchers that I had since I’ve been in this business. We were in St. John’s and it’s supposed to be an easy renovation … and then we found a structural issue. I don’t know how the house stood up. We had to actually bring the excavator inside. We should tear it down, we thought, but you know what? The homeowners loved the history as much as we did, and we put it all back together.” 

That was probably one of the most amazing builds of the year, he added proudly. Besides the challenges the houses offer, working through all seasons is part of what makes what he does for a living fun, Spracklin said. 

“We had snow in June this year. It was great as much as it was tricky. And then we had a hurricane. But we went whitewater rafting in the fall and the production team were looking at us saying, ‘You’re really doing this in this weather?’ But yeah, that’s the thing. Weather just brings another bit of fun to anything you do in Newfoundland.” 

Besides Spracklin and his team, fans of the show get to know his wife and children too. They also get up close and personal with his clients. How are “regular Newfoundlanders” when it comes to being part of a show like Rock Solid Builds, we ask. “A lot of them are pretty open and they just go with it. The love of their home is real so they roll with the punches. A lot of times we have free range on what we get to do and design and build so that’s fun, too.” We ask about balance and home life. Spracklin has an extensive ‘honey-do-list at home, he admitted. 

“Life is pretty busy, but you get up early in the morning and you go to work and then you come home and spend time with the kids … but because I love what we do, I love work, and I love my family, it works out,” he said.

One big family

As a third generation builder, he comes by that passion naturally. 

“I can’t wait to get up every morning, actually can’t wait to go to work. But then on the other side of it, I can’t wait to get home and see the family. But then most of my family also works here and so we’re one big family, and I’m sure if the kids didn’t go to school, they’d be here too.” 

How is it being a home-grown celebrity? He sometimes forgets that part, he laughed. “Actually, we were in St. John’s around Halloween and we were at Lester’s (Farm) and this lady and this little kid came up and was talking and knew my name and I said, ‘how did they know me?’ And my wife’s like, ‘You’re on TV,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah.’” 

The celebrity also attracts  come-from-aways too, he acknowledged. “For me it is still pretty surreal and hard to grasp because we’re just doing what we love to do. And other than having a camera following you it really is just like a normal day, but the rest of Canada is looking at Newfoundland. We get so many calls of people wanting to visit here, and wanting to move here, from watching the show.”

Pack up & Move here

Knowing that people just want to “pack up and move here from watching a show is pretty amazing,” he added. Of course Spracklin can’t blame them. “You drive here from east coast to west coast and look at any coastline or the mountains or the interior, it’s just beautiful. I said many times, there’s no other place in the world you’re going to get a view like this for the price tag. And that’s the other thing that Newfoundland ‘s got to offer.”

For more visit hgtv.ca/shows/rock-solid-builds

Having a gab with Rick Mercer while he’s hove off in his shed at home in Newfoundland is like talking with an ol’ buddy from ‘ome, because that’s exactly what he is! Mercer’s experiences growing up in picturesque Middle Cove mirror many other Newfoundlanders and Labradorian’s childhoods – or those who were blessed enough to have the freedoms that accompany a rural raisin’, that is. 

When we jump on the phone, like all good Newfoundlanders, our first bit of business is the weather. Today’s forecast? Cold but crisp and sunny. Loves it!

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Mercer admits he’s relaxing at home, sat back all comfy in his glorious shed and that he’s feeling pretty chill, which means he’s got all the time in the world to yarn.

“The shed’s been glorious, except in the winter. It just didn’t matter how big a fire you had in, it wouldn’t work. And then my buddy and I figured out a design, and then he built this Plexiglas sliding window that now keeps me warm. It’s fantastic,” he opened. 

“For a man with no discernible skills, you’ve  done quite well,” I inform him, stealing a line directly from his latest book, Rick Mercer: Talking to Canadians. 

“That’s right. I suppose I have,” he replied – thankfully getting the reference. 

Talking to Canadians is a sensory treat – hitting all the buttons and stirring up all the feels. There’s comedy of course, from how Mercer glued his hand to his forehead in class one day just to get a laugh to how much he sucked at the Flexed Arm Hang in gym class. 

There’s also many touching moments, like sharing tidbits about growing up in Middle Cove or wee little tales about his parents. His dad could make bread or build a house, and his mom was not to be fooled with as becomes evident throughout the memoir. While Mercer declares the only tool he himself can use with any skill is a corkscrew (he also knows his way around the operation of left-over Pride Parade glows sticks, apparently) it soon becomes quite clear that his life’s calling would only require him to master a sense of humour and tenacity. In fact, it was failure that set Mercer on the path to fame.

Show Me the Button

While not wanting to give too much away and ruin reader’s own enjoyment of this delightful yarn, it was the debut of his one-man show, Show Me the Button: I’ll Push It – or Charles Lynch Must Die, that helped chart Mercer’s television course. 

While filled with titillating tidbits and triumphant tales and a whole bunch of hilarity and humour, what really pops out is a heap-load of gratitude. 

“That’s it exactly,” he said. While he offers there was no “oh yeah!” moment when it came to his career trajectory, what his life’s path really has been is a whole bunch of near random encounters.   “It’s not like I had epiphanies when I was writing the book, but I always knew I was lucky and I always knew luck had a factor in any success that I had. And I talk about how important it is to have luck, which of course, you can’t control. But I also realize how blessed I am. 

“So it’s true; I have gratitude. I always knew I was lucky and now I know I’m also very grateful because you cross paths with people and you might only know them for three days or three weeks or something like that, but certain people you cross paths with change the trajectory of your life or your career and those encounters can make all the difference in the world,” he said. 

Newfoundland Roots

Another thing he’s grateful for? His Newfoundland roots. “You don’t think about this at all when you’re growing up, but I think about it now – how lucky I was to grow up in the place that I grew up in. Middle Cove was just so great at the time. You don’t really realize it. That’s why I say I don’t like to dwell too much on my childhood. It’s too painful. Not for me, but for anyone who was not lucky enough to grow up where I did because it was pretty bloody ideal.”

Mercer shared that he’s often caught off guard, even by other Newfoundlanders, when he spins yarns of growing up.  

“I can’t tell you how many times I would be telling a story and I’d be almost embarrassed because my life was so good. I think we were doing 22 Minutes and I was talking to Mary Walsh and she said, “Where did you grow up, anyway?” Because my stories would always involve the pond behind the house that we skated on, or the goat or the pony, or riding our bikes to the beach. It was just this fantastic boy’s life, and I think it pissed people off,” he said with a laugh. 

Mercer’s parents are living nearby and we ask what they think of the tell-all book. 

“I think they’re happy. I think they’ve always had a really healthy, nonchalant attitude towards my career. And that’s been very grounding. And I think they’re proud of all their kids. They certainly get a kick out of it when something cool happens, like when their son just happens to be on the cover of The Herald because as everyone in Newfoundland knows, that’s a pretty big deal. They’re always kind of bemused by that.”

Does he miss being on television? Yes and no, he responded. “I’m still happy with the decision to wrap up the show  and of course no one knows what television will look like in five years, let alone for five minutes. It’s changing so quickly, and so I don’t know if I want to do a television project as I don’t know what that project would look like, and I don’t know where it would be. But for the time being, I’ve been really happy exploring new things.”

Just for Laughs

Touring the country with Just for Laughs and doing standup in “big, beautiful theaters” is one thing he’s looking forward to, he shared,

And he enjoys writing, so there could possibly be more of that, he teased. 

 Everyone remembers the famed Mercer Rants. He reflected on the pressure he put on himself to perfect those in one take so as to not inconvenience any crew member, sharing that some are still “etched into his memory” from the hours and hours of practice. 

The book has many incredible pictures from his past, and we ask about the cover image. 

“That was the poster for my first one man show. So it’s a Justin Hall photograph. Justin, of course, is a great Newfoundland photographer. So I went to the Salvation Army and got my first sports jacket and the sleeves were about four inches too long. And that photo was the poster for Show Me the Button: I’ll Push It – or Charles Lynch Must Die.” 

A pivotal career moment at just 19 years of age, the photo makes perfect sense. We chat about the irony of him having had a career in television when television was considered “an idiot box” in his home growing up. 

“I write about my parents and their bizarre attitude towards television, but I’m really having fun more than anything because it’s not like they were pathologically opposed to television. They, like so many people back then, thought it was a waste of time.”

There wasn’t going to be a television in the Mercer home until they could afford a piano, because both were quite expensive. “Of course, as a child who didn’t play piano, it seemed like the most ridiculous thing in the world to me then, right?” he said with a chuckle. 

Inspired by Ray Guy

Did anyone inspire his style of satire? Ray Guy is mentioned, of course. While the heyday of Guy’s career was before Mercer’s time, he did read Guy’s collection of stories later in life, he shared. 

“I was fortunate enough to know (Guy) a little bit, but not that much and I never worked with him. He was a very shy guy. When I would try to talk to him … at a Christmas party, he would kind of disappear into the chair. But he was always very gracious and I was a big fan of him as a playwright. He had such a sharp pen. Nothing lazy. And I’ve always hated anytime I get a whiff of lazy writing. There was nothing lazy about Ray Guy, that’s for sure.” 

Speaking of not being lazy, Mercer’s brilliance during his Talking to Americans days is legendary. Mercer recently went back to look at some of the show’s transcripts, and even he was impressed, he offered. 

“I couldn’t believe how funny the transcript was. And then I went back and started watching some of the episodes to write this book, and I just remember myself and Pete Sutherland, my cameraman/producer/director, just laughing with tears coming down our cheeks as we were doing it,” he recalled fondly.

It wasn’t work really, he shared. All he really had to do was come up with the questions to ask. 

“All I had to do was come up with increasingly absurd scenarios about Canada. And I would always go in saying, ‘no one is ever going to believe that we were going to legalize insulin this week.’ That was our favorite one for some reason. When the guy said, ‘Congratulations, Canada for legalizing insulin,’ it still makes me laugh. People will believe anything I think,” he laughed. 

As is discovered in Talking to Canadians, Talking to Americans happened by accident. Not giving anything away, however, just know the show’s origins is but another example of Mercer’s “luck.” 

The Rick Mercer Report

Another example of Mercer’s gratitude on display is reflected on his show The Rick Mercer Report. 

“There’s this attitude that emanates from big cities sometimes where they go to a place and the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, the airport is so small.’ Mm-Hmm. No, you’re just a small person. Just keep your mouth shut and listen and look around and maybe you might learn something about this place.”

That was his Mercer Report philosophy, he shared.  “It was an open road for us because celebrating is not something that comes natural to comedians. Comedians generally are known for tearing down, and there’s a place for that, absolutely, but not our show. If we went to Lab City to do the Labrador Winter Games, we were covering it just like we covered the Olympics in Beijing.” 

And Mercer always made sure his proud Newfoundland roots were on display. “Behind the news desk, the map of Canada that was over our shoulders, Newfoundland was about three times the size of Quebec. And it was also kind of in the center. It was the Newfoundland-centered world,” he said.

In fact, his entire career has been about celebrating home. “Everything I’ve done has been informed by the fact that I’m from Newfoundland. And certainly everything about 22 Minutes in the early days was informed by the fact that the people who created it came from Newfoundland. “

What’s next for Mercer? A cross-Canada comedy tour, and possibly more writing.  He’ll enjoy his time home in the meantime, enjoying the East Coast Trail (he has a Park’s Canada jacket he sometimes wears to the delight of other hikers  – locals and tourists) and his Plexiglass/wood-stove heated shed. 

As for Christmas plans? It’s family time, he shared. “I’ll be in Middle Cove where my parents are and have a very low key Christmas with a great dinner and enjoy family and the usual hangers on and just feel really very lucky.” 

For more, visit  rickmercer.com or to get a copy of the book visit penguinrandomhouseca or pop in anywhere books are sold locally.