By Pam Pardy “The train of death -” that’s one time where I legitimately thought I could possibly be killed on the show,” says Rick Mercer, reflecting on 15 seasons of “The Rick Mercer Report” on CBC TV. It’s one of many insights readers will get while going down memory lane with Rick in his…
By Nicola Ryan When the Majestic Theatre in downtown St. John’s, NL, first threw open its doors on March 3, 1919, a crowd of 1,600 had gathered on Duckworth Street to check out the finest, most up-to-date venue in all of Newfoundland. It’s been many years since the theatre’s original heyday, but the Majestic has…
Why do some people write “Xmas” instead of “Christmas”? By Linda Browne It’s that holly jolly time of year once again! The festive tunes are ringing like bells, children eagerly wait (at least, some of them) to get their picture taken with Santa, and folks are spreading that holiday cheer by sending cards wishing each…
We asked our readers on social media for their advice to anyone making a traditional cooked dinner for the first time. We’ve included some of the best tips here, beginning with this sage advice from Robin Tetford: “Biggest tip is relax and enjoy the process! Cooked dinner is meant to be enjoyed and bring back…
By Nicola Ryan In 1944, when Harold and Margaret Tucker borrowed $2,000 from the NL Savings Company to purchase a piece of property in Topsail, they had big ideas. A little confectionary stood on the site, but Harold remodelled it into a successful family-run restaurant. The Dew Drop Inn served up the best fries in…
By Kim Ploughman You won’t catch the salty whiff of the Atlantic Ocean upalong in Ontario. But if Jody Oram has his way, locals won’t have to go far to taste the bounty of his Atlantic Canadian home. As owner and operator of Jiggin’ Jody’s Seafood, Jody has been on a near one-man mission the…
By Dale Jarvis Fogo Island, off Newfoundland’s northeast coast, has always had a strong storytelling tradition. Stories were often told in the winter, in the fishing sheds where gear and nets were mended, and where punts were repaired and built. At times, storytelling took on an almost competitive quality, with one man telling a tale…
Enjoy these morsels of information about traditional NL food. Jiggs Dinner This classic menu item got its name from a British comic strip character. “Bringing Up Father” (later called “Jiggs and Maggie”) was a cartoon created in 1913 by George McManus. It ran globally in syndication until 2000. The main character was an Irishman named…
By Nicola Ryan For almost a century, the Spirit of Newfoundland has held a flaming torch of bronze in her hand high atop Newfoundland and Labrador’s National War Memorial in downtown St. John’s, NL. Through all winds and all weather, she’s stood sentinel over the memory of those who offered their freedom and their lives…
New music talk with Wendy Rose If you’re going to buy just one more Newfoundland and Labrador record this year, you can’t go wrong with Sonny Don’t Go Away: A Tribute to Ron Hynes. Produced by Alan Doyle and Cory Tetford, this compilation album features the best of the best of Newfoundland and Labrador’s music…
