1 Comment

My wife and I, and another couple, holidayed in Spain in 1985. My interest was triggered from knowing my father and his wife and crew sailed there in 1919, in a 100 ton schooner that has no engine, sail only, and almost 3000 quintals of salt fish. Then much of Europe was destroyed from the Great War, there was much hunger, and Nfld fish a highly valued commodity, and freight rates at a record high. I grew up in rural Nlfd, Bishop's Cove, knowing that several pieces of household furniture had come from Spain on an old schooner in 1919. The Schooner ,the Village Belle, a very sturdy vessel, was built for ice conditions. about 1907, in Nova Scotia. During WW1, she was in Hudson Bay, owned by the NorthWest Mounted Police and abandoned there since 1915. For several years she was her side , on the mud flats of Port Nelson, Manitoba, useless to them as the engine had failed, and the Mounties had very little sailing skills.

The year before, in !918, my father, age 28, salvaged her and now co-owned her with George M Barr, a large St John's fish merchant. The Canadian govn, in 1917, accepted my fathers proposal to buy the vessel for 500 dollars. He partnered with Barr to attempt salvage, with an experienced Nfld crew. When it safely got to St Johns in the fall of 1918, it was now worth 25,000, given new sails, some minor repairs. It was loaded with fish, still no engine, set sail and was battered for 10 days by a huricane while crossing the Atlantic, arriving in Portugal, before Armistice in November.

Some of my relative have travelled to Europe in recent years; my older brother and his wife, twice spent part of winter in Portugal. My granddaughter and her husband recently holidayed on a cruise from Spain to Portugal. My grandson to Portugal, last year, on a school arranged fling, for those who could afford it. Six months ago my son and his wife holidayed in central Europe.

As you correctly say, the government is subsidising the mid and upper class on convenient flights for their holidays, while ignoring the high cost of air travel within our province, especially Labrador.

As to adventure, my fathers travels by sea were much more interesting and...... used no fossil fuels. Now some 80 million visit Spain each year, most by air. My daughter just barely missed the recent historic flooding event, the cruise ship had left Spain for Portugal. My friend form 1985 last year took a cruise from Spain to Florida, departing from Italy just before the devistating fires that hit not far from there. At present, COP 29, with 1700 fossil fuel lobbyists gather in a oil rich country who is expanding gas production and says "gas is a gift from God". We see a mockery of 29 years to tackle climate heating, as fossil fuel use just keeps climbing, yet where 70,000 gather, as a working holiday, from some 190 countries, typical year after year, to argue over what and give warning, that are all ignored, what Trump calls a Chinese hoax, wants to drill baby drill, just like our Dr Furey , (and practices a little doctoring on the side to keep his licence). who promotes our "clean oil", and who once imagined hisself as a Dr Grenfell, but to save the poor from Haiti, not the forgotten and neglected of Labrador.

I know of no one who wants to visit Labrador, winter or summer. No discount flights there.

Oh my of my , the arce is right our of her, hey b'y.

Expand full comment