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Getting real in Newfoundland

JAMES GLAVE

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:43 PM EDT 22/04/08

Forget pampering. Or It lists. A growing number of travellers are on the hunt for 'deep authenticity,' flocking to destinations like Newfoundland to get away from such trappings. The only problem: When you can't understand the locals — or crack their inner circles. But one tour company may have a solution. Call it a concierge service with a twist ...Read the full article

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  1. Jim Flom from BC, Canada writes: Well written article. Made me want to go there.
  2. Patricia Shapiro from Ottawa, Canada writes: In November 2001, we accompanied the Ottawa Youth Orchestra on a brief tour of Newfoundland. We absolutely loved the place and the wonderful welcome that families of the counterpart Youth Orchestra of Newfoundland provided for our 70 or so young men and women. We travelled in a couple of school buses and one of the drivers assigned to our tour not only spoke with a great Nfld. accent, but he was also missing teeth. This made understanding quite a challenge. The people are so genuine and also prone to party all night!
  3. Paul S from Canada writes: "cheap rum"? if they gave you that you were not 'Screeched' in...
  4. Rollo Tomasi from Belgium writes: It's a great idea, turn all NFLD into a theme park where Newfs remain in character and costume 24/7. Let Newfs be Newfs.
  5. Josh Taylor from St. John's Manchester, Canada writes: I recommend that any one interested go now while you can because the outports are dying or changing.

    It is an interesting diatom. Many aspects of our culture have been mocked. (Notice the misspellings in the quotes of this article - we don't spell 'about' as 'aboot' when we quote an Ontarian.)

    As a result young people try to avoid certain aspects of our culture. Young people often learn to lose their accents when they leave Newfoundland and Labrador or even when they move into the city. My sister, who taught in a coastal just a few years back found that students would mock those that ate cod fish. The list goes on.

    Many influences are causing the changes, in some way it is sad, but in other ways I don't expect someone to live in a salt box, grow a garden and raise a family on 35,000 a years so that when I go out to take pictures he is there being a traditional Newfoundlander for the rest of us....

    However, there is a new and exciting culture emerging. Very patriotic, independent and proud. Lets see where that takes us...
  6. M Clarke from Canada writes: I look forward to the day when Newfoundlanders and non-Newfoundlanders alike realize that "Newfie" is a pejorative and stop using it. Being "Screeched-In" has absoutely no cultural authenticity and is the height of foolishness. I suppose, though, that it gives the locals an opportunity to have one over on the gullible mainlanders who are willing to believe any far fetched yarn if it portrays the locals as backward simpletons. And, as much as it may be a cultural icon, Screech IS cheap rum.
  7. K S from Canada writes: The author saw a "grey whale"? Grey whales in the North Atlantic were driven to extinction long before we began to track such things. A fin or humpback perhaps? And BTW, did the "Awww, so cute" tone of this article annoy anyone else? I'm not a Newfoundlander, but that tone sticks in my craw.
  8. david curran from grand falls windsor, Canada writes: I am from rural newfoundland and I am offended by both the tone and content of this article. This type of tourism operation is a crass and vulger imitation of culture tourism. Call it what it is. It's vulture tourism.
  9. Hugh Lawlor from Canada writes: I agree with david curran.

    But, if someone can get $3K to let a Canadian camp out in their grandfathers abandoned house, well, I'd have to say more power to him.
  10. Tony Strong from St John's,NL, Canada writes: I look forward to an article being published by the Globe that has something nice to say about NFLD.Every article you publish has some part of it as a put down or incorrect information. ( Grey Whales !!) If you published this kind of article about Quebec, Ontario you would need an army of people to retrive the unsold papers . But insert a slight against Newfoundland and it's OK>> Enough already!!!!
  11. ex banker from St. John's, Canada writes: I'm a mainlander who has lived here longer than I spent in Nova Scotia. My wife is a Newfoundlander and so are my two kids. So I consider myself enough of a Newfoundlander now that I get offended by Newfie Jokes. Like this article.

    First of all, stop calling us Newfs. It's like using that other "n" word to describe people of African origin. We don't even call each other Newfs.
    Second, if you can't understand what we are saying then dig the dirt out of your ears. The accents are not unintelligible in this province. And we have plenty of good dentists and orthodontists, we're not a bunch of toothless hicks. Third, Screech is actually pretty good rum, not cheap rum. You can't get "Screeched In" by drinking a shot of Captain Morgan and kissing a salmon. The author's disdain for Newfoundland shows up in all his snarky comments.

    Now, all you other mainlanders are welcome to come and see our fair province. We have lots of clean air, wide open spaces, rocky coastlines, wild animals, great skiing, big waves and authentic rural communities. It's a downright exotic place to visit that will melt all your stress away in minutes. But, please, leave the big-city attitude at home.
  12. D Mac from Canada writes: You know the the story maybe a bit too foksy and quaint but I'm amazed at the people taking offence. There's worse things then being called "'deeply authentic". I too am married to a Newfoundlander and love the place- would like to live there.

    It sure beats Toronto's "deeply superficial"
  13. Alchemical Methods from Ottawa, Canada writes: Ethnocentric nonsense! I lived briefly in a community on the Avalon penninsula some years ago. Can't believe the Globe would publish this kind of article. Newfoundlanders are educated, welcoming, engaging and more than happy to share their fun as long as you aren't standoffish and snobby. If you keep your mind and kitchen door open as well as a pot of coffee on your neighbours will be more than happy to share the local goings on with you. Also no need to go through a tourist company, there's always someone who knows someone with a house for rent. Get out there and meet folks in a real and ernest way and you'll have an authentic experience.
  14. garlick toast from Canada writes: i returned yesterday from a week of skiing at marble mountain and a drive from corner brook to st.john's,followed by a drive from st.john's to port aux basques.
    i never met a local who was less than friendly and the ski hill is world class with no liftlines and over a metre of base in mid-april.but in corner brook,5 miles from steady brook and the hill,you'd never know the hill existed.there was only one sign in town for the t.c.h.,none for marble mountain.strange.for my next trip i would like to find a passenger-carrying coastal freighter and visit the outports.
  15. Wallace McLean from Canada writes: garlick toast, your options for passenger-carrying coastal freighter are limited to the Labrador coastal service north to Nain, or the Lower North Shore boat in Quebec. Those are all that are left.
  16. Irish 222 from Ottawa, Canada writes: david curran from grand falls windsor, Canada writes: This type of tourism operation is a crass and vulger imitation of culture tourism. Call it what it is. It's vulture tourism....

    I have to agree. This article sounds like a recounting of a trip to the Zoo to see all the strange creatures and their quaint habits. Outport Newfoundland has been ravaged in recent years, but as bad as it is for locals, they are still better off without these scavengers.
  17. Joan Forsey from Toronto, Canada writes: Why call Newfoundlanders "Newfs" or "Newfies"? Are four syllables too many to pronounce? What would the Globe call British Columbians (six syllables)?

    Many Canadians have accents -- especially new immigrants. When the Globe interviews them, does it change the spelling of their words to conform to their accents?
  18. garlick toast from Canada writes: wallace mclean, thank-you for the information.
  19. Wallace McLean from Canada writes: No prob. For your further info, the coastal Labrador service:

    http://labradormarine.com/

    And Relais Nordik on the Quebec North Shore:

    http://www.groupedesgagnes.com/en/home/24.cfm

    The latter ship will take you to Blanc Sablon, where you can continue by car into Labrador. If you are especially ambitious, you can continue down the road to Cartwright, from which you can take the Labrador coastal boat.

    It would be nice if the Newfoundland and Newfoundland department of tourism would actually promote Labrador as a destination.

    But they don't.
  20. Gary Casey from Canada writes: Garlick toast...........I'm pretty sure there are passenger carrying coastal boats that travel the south coast of nfld island.
  21. M S from Miami, United States writes: Maybe with the new oil riches flowing into Newfoundland, the St; John's Telegram will run some travel articles for Newfoundland professionals and businesspeople to visit some of the ghettos around Toronto, call some of the immigrants there by racial slang words derived from their homeland of origin, and make fun of their accents and customs, all in the name of entertainment. Let's not forget many people in Newfoundland are far richer than those on the welfare rolls in Ontario, so let's make fun of them for a change.
  22. Richard Purvis from Toronto, Canada writes: ex banker from St. John's, Canada writes: "Now, all you other mainlanders are welcome to come and see our fair province. We have lots of clean air, wide open spaces, rocky coastlines, wild animals, great skiing, big waves and authentic rural communities. It's a downright exotic place to visit that will melt all your stress away in minutes. But, please, leave the big-city attitude at home."

    I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm from Ontario, born and bred, but I'd move to Newfoundland in a heartbeat! I spent two weeks there last June and loved it. The people are friendly, the food great and the scenery breathtaking.
    I rented a car in St. John's and drove all the way to St. Anthony on the Northern Peninsula. I went out on a local boat to see the icebergs (it was a family run operation, the son had a degree in marine biology from Memorial University), visited L'Anse aux Meadows and the viking settlement, took in the beauty of Western Brook Pond.
    I visited Bonavista, Twillingate and many other towns and never felt like a "foreigner".
    If you're ever in St. John's visit the Johnson Geo Centre on Signal Hill Road, they had a NASA link to the Mars Rovers and a great exhibit on the Titanic.
    Newfoundlanders are great people and I'm looking forward to visiting again as soon as I can, it's a great place to relax and enjoy yourself.
    This article is terrible and in no way reflects my experiences in Newfoundland.
  23. Juanita H. from St. John's, NL, Canada writes: garlick toast....there are boats / ferries that service the south coast of Newfoundland. All of the ferries listed on this site carry passengers... http://www.tw.gov.nl.ca/ferryservices/schedules.stm Worth checking out....for someone looking for the 'real deal', not the manufactured version this article is touting.
  24. Grouchy Guy from Victoria, Canada writes: I find it amusing that the author chose to call his article "Getting Real..." when he even managed to mix up the fact that the cod moratorium, the most pivotal event in Nfld's recent history, and root cause behind the collapse of the various outports that he visits, occurred in 1992 not 1993.

    A fine piece of investigative travel journalism indeed.

    Harumph.

    JFD
  25. Allison Engbrecht from St. John's, Canada writes: How about 'get real'. Sounds like kitchen party in a box. And the term is "Newfoundlander."
  26. P Martin from St. John's, NL, Canada writes: Do not forget about Labrador. I have been there many times and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is unfortunate that the department of tourism do not emphasize that area of NL as much as they should.

    As for this article...the usual GaM style and attitude, with their usual bias and lack of research. Nothing new there.
  27. M. Walraven from Toronto, Canada writes: I have to agree that this is a rather annoying article! Having travelled in 2005 to Newfoundland for 10 days on a whirlwind tour of almost every corner of the province, I can honestly say that in all my travels I have not met more friendly, helpful and inviting people! In one instance, a local noticed our Ontario license plates and proceeded to tell us about a couple of icebergs that we might be interested in seeing. Though one iceberg was about an hour away from where we were staying, down a mostly dirt road, getting to see that iceberg was a highlight of our trip.

    Is the writer afraid of interacting with locals who haven't been vetted first by someone he has paid?

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