The Master Boatbuilder

If you happen into Trinity on a summer's day, you may just be treated to one of Newfoundland and Labrador's most beautiful sights: the schooner Leah Caroline as she slips into view, sails set to catch the wind. This beauty was built by Henry Vokey, a resident of Trinity and a boatbuilder since the 1950s. Henry grew up in the now-resettled community of Little Harbour, Trinity Bay; when he moved to Trinity he established Vokey's Shipyard, which produced over a thousand vessels from rodneys (small punts) to longliners using traditional methods, and at times employed up to forty people. With the shutdown of the shipyard in the 1990s, Henry continued building boats from the shed behind his home. In 1986, the schooner J & B was launched from the shipyard; it was operated as a tour boat for a number of years before being lost in a hurricane in 2007. Recently, Henry decided that it was time to build another schooner. The result is the beautiful and graceful Leah Caroline, launched in July of 2012. The day of the launch was a festive one in Trinity, drawing a large crowd despite the rainy weather. See a video of the launch, posted by Dale Gilbert Jarvis, Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, here.

Iceberg Season Drifts Into View

April, May and June are prime iceberg-watching season in Newfoundland and Labrador,since this is the time of year when these northern giants drift south on the Labrador current after spending the winter frozen into the sea ice.  They'll gradually break free as the ice begins to break up, and move with the current to the shores of Labrador and then the island of Newfoundland. Their pace is slow and stately, befitting to the offspring of glaciers, and like most youngsters they move much more quickly than their parents. They move at the speed of the current, getting the occasional boost from favourable breezes if the berg is tall enough to act as a sail. They come in all shapes and sizes, from growlers the size of a cottage to massive,

floating islands of ice like those that calved from Greenland's Petermann Glacier in 2010 and 2012. They heave into view in the distance and inch to the south each day, but changes in wind direction can play tricks: one berg that had grounded on the south side of Bay Bulls (near St. John's) last spring suddenly freed itself drifted out of sight to the north before abruptly changing direction and moving south, ending up in Ferryland by the next morning. Bergs are often at their most spectacular as they begin to break up; the centre of gravity shifts as a result of erosion from sun, wind and water, and suddenly the massive weight of the berg can no longer support itself and a huge section will crack off, or the entire berg will roll and chunks of ice will fly in arcs to the water. It's important to treat these ice giants with respect, but they can certainly provide some wonderful viewing opportunities.

Timeless Trinity

If ever there was a delightful place to spend a few hours, or for the really lucky visitor a few days, it's the charming town on Trinity, Trinity Bay.  The redundancy in the name comes from the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador is not divided into counties; if two communities happen to have the same name, they can't be differentiated by county so have to be referred to by the bay on which they lie; hence the distinction between Trinity, Trinity Bay, and Trinity, Bonavista Bay.  While both communities are lovely, it's the Trinity Bay locale that's our focus today.  The town lies roughly an hour north of the Trans-Canada Highway via Route 230.  It lies on the shores of Trinity Bight, a large indentation of Trinity Bay's shoreline that includes a number of small communities.  Its huge
and easily-defended harbour made it an important fishing port in the 1700s, as well as a centre for lumbering, shipbuilding and other trades. In its heyday, Trinity was home to more than 800 people and was a thriving centre for trade and commerce. Today, it has a year-round population of fewer than fifty, but in summer it can still be a bustling place, where restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and museums can be found. Its inviting, tree-lined streets or boat tours beckon, while for the more ambitious the Gun Hill Trail above the town centre overlooks miles of spectacular coastline. Museums include the Cooperage, a restored barrrel-maker's shop (seen above left), the Lester-Garland House, the Trinity Interpretation Centre, Lester-Garland Premises, Hiscock House, the eclectic
Trinity Museum and the Green Family Forge, among others.  There's no shortage of possibilities for sightseeing and learning about the area's fascinating history. Friendly and knowledgeable animators provide information and answer your questions about the various sites, and a wander through the narrow streets of the town is rewarded with photo opportunities at every turn. Dominating the skyline is the imposing St. Paul's Anglican Church. Its neatly fenced graveyard is filled with inscribed stones, each of which has a story to tell, and the interior of the church is softly lit with a number of finely crafted stained-glass windows (below). Across the water lies Fort Point, Trinity's newest restoration, where a trail leads to a number of storyboards surrounded by a stockade fence.  Trinity is also home to the Rising Tide
Theatre, a professional theatre company that stages a season of performances, including comedy, drama, and dinner theatre, that extends well into the fall. The season's anchor event and best-known work is The New Founde Lande Trinity Pageant, an outdoor walkabout performance that takes place in the afternoon. Members of the company portray an array of characters from Trinity's past, and lead their audience to various locations around the town. It's an opportunity to step into history and meet some of the people who played a vital part in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador.  There's only one small drawback to visiting this little gem of a town: once you've experienced the lure of Trinity, you'll want to return for another look!