Corner Brook, Captain Cook and Benoit Cove

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Today, on our way out of Woody Point, we made a quick stop in Trout River, a small rural fishing village sitting in a pretty bay. A lighthouse blinked on a high rocky outcrop in the distance. The village looked economically depressed. A gaggle of children played in the dusty street and the now closed coffee shop looked sad and forlorn. Chickens scratched in their small pen and cheerful hand knit socks hung on a line with a "for sale" sign next to them. I imagine this is the plight of many fishing villages in Newfoundland. In the tidal river, fishing boats sat, waiting to go out to sea, and lobster traps were piled in huge stacks. We walked along the boardwalk that runs the length of the beach and it was so quiet. It wasn't long before we were back on the road.

From there, we started for Corner Brook. Located on the Bay of Islands at the mouth of the Humber River, the city has the largest population after St. John's. For many years, logs were floated down the Humber River to the Bay of Islands where a large pulp and paper mill at Corner Brook turned them into paper products. Today the logs are transported by truck. The river is now mainly used for recreational purposes, but there is still active shipping to and from Corner Brook's port.

The Captain James Cook Historic Site stands on Crow Hill overlooking the city. It is a long windy road that takes you up to the top, but once you get there, the view of the City of Corner Brook, the Bay of Ialands, and the Blomidon Mountains is spectacular.

In 1767, the famous British explorer and cartographer Captain James Cook surveyed the Bay of Islands and was the first to map the area. The historic site displays a statue of Cook along with copies of the amazingly accurate charts which he mapped over a four year period.

We had some time to kill (a first on this trip) before our ferry sailed, so we decided to drive along South Humber Arm on the west side of the island. An arm is another name for an inlet and this one was gorgeous. It quickly became apparent how the Bay of Islands got its name. This extensive inlet has many small islands scattered throughout it, some of which were populated for generations with fishing families. Now the islands are used mainly for camping and cottages but the small villages still exist and most of them are occupied by Acadians, the descendants of 17 century French settlers. Some of the villages include Halfway Point, Frenchman's Cove and Benoit's Cove, which intrigued me as that's my maiden name. The first Benoit descendant in my family came to Canada from France in the mid-1600's, so who knows - maybe one of his children settled here.

The sun was sparkling, the scenery bucolic, and the coastline was interrupted with quaint little fishing villages. It was our last taste of Newfoundland and we took it all in, not knowing when we'd return. What a ride we've had here in this amazing place. We've driven over 3,000 kms, experienced the rich culture, eaten traditional food rooted in the past, and best of all, met the warm, generous and friendly people who welcomed the come-from-aways with open arms.

As we sailed away on the Port Au Basque ferry to Nova Scotia, we took a final look back. The words of Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers' seemed appropriate now -

"This island that we cling to has been handed down with pride
By folks that fought to live here, taking hardships all in stride
So I’ll compliment her beauty, hold on to my goodbyes
And I’ll stay and take my chances with those saltwater joys."

(Scroll to bottom of page for more photos.)

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Comments

[Suzanna van]

leaving is hard
Tim and Eileen, I feel the melancholy in your words as you leave the rock. I have enjoyed reading your posts and your poetic written words, it has all lead to an emotional connection, yet again, with the east coast. This has been a trip of a lifetime and I know it is not over yet, so I look forward to reading about your adventures on the homebound trip. Cheers

[Eileen and Tim Crossing Canada]

It's All Good
Luckily our next destination was awesome too! Missing my Nanaimo friends.

[Roger & Jane]

3Mk's
That's a lotta driving. I guess we don't realize just how big NFLD. is Have enjoyed all your posts from here.

[Eileen and Tim Crossing Canada]

Maritimes
We love the Maritimes! Glad you're enjoying the blogs!