Corona stories: Number 13: Canada 1997

After nine month of winter ...

In 1996, KLM had overbooked a flight and we got a voucher of 500 $ each. So I looked forward to book a flight for another trip. But at that time, KLM was not a budget airline and all their flights were at least 500 $ more expensive than their cheap competitors. Eventually we ended up in Halifax.

A little port in Nova Scotia

It was begin of June. In Nova Scotia the trees had their first fresh green. The result was such an onslaught of mosquitoes that we decided to go further north, to the island of Newfoundland.

Trailer park amongst rubbish, a frequent sight in Newfoundland

No mosquitoes in Newfoundland begin of June. Spring had not begun yet. In the higher plains there still was plenty of snow. We ended up in a lovely B&B in Rocky Harbour on the east coast of the Island. The owners had had 10 children. After they had grown up and left, there was plenty of space for visitors. It was the first building I saw with triple glass window panes. The owners treated us like one of their children back home. There was a fantastic breakfast with home baked bred, self made jam and eggs from their own chicken. These friendly people had had nine month of winter. The tourist season of three month is short and we were about the first guest to arrive in that year. And after each day trip, Annie, the owner’s first question was: did you see any moose?

Moose along the road

Moose are widespread all over Canada but nowhere as easily spotted as is Newfoundland, which in 1997 had about 40.000. They love to graze along the road, which is an easy route of travel also for a moose. Unfortunately this leads to numerous moose-car collisions, which with an animal of 400 kg frequently is fatal for both. Even we saw dead moose at the roadside.

Tourism was the big hope of Newfoundland. Due to overfishing, the only good catch left were lobster. Lobster cages were everywhere in the little ports. Seal hunting and whaling was banned. From the dilapidated state of many of the villages and buildings you could guess that this was not a rich island.

The ascent to Gros Morne

Rocky harbour is at the base of Gros Morne, Newfoundland’s highest peak. It is not only the center of a vast national park, but because of it’s unique geological features, also a UNESCO world heritage site. Because of the snow in the high tundra the rugged trail up there was still closed. We did go anyway. Even so it looked like a rocky desert, the flat top of the mountain was full of life. Snow hares, quails and caribou had still their winter white coats or where just about changing to a brown summer dress. On the northern face, sheer cliffs drop down into ten mile pond, on of three lakes, which more resemble a norwegian fjord and have water so clean that no fish can survive in there.

Pack ice in the street of Labrador

A coastal road leads to the end of the peninsula 400 km north of Rocky harbour. On the other side of the strait is the coast of Labrador. This is the area, where the first Europeans, the Vikings, settled in the new world. The more north we come, the more ice is floating in the strait. Icebergs are blocking the entrances to cute little harbours. The northern part of the Labrador strait is still completely covered in pack ice.

Iceberg in the harbour of St. Anthony's

The little port of St. Anthony’s is at the northern tip of Newfoundland. The entrance to the port, where a ferry to Labrador should leave, is blocked by an iceberg. Next to the lighthouse is a cosy little restaurant. We eat lobster while outside the icebergs slowly drift south. It is a scene of great quietness and beauty. We think about the Titanic. However, her route was much further south, so in that time the drift of the icebergs went as far south as Halifax.