Sonny Don’t Go Away: A Tribute to Ron Hynes

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…

In Your Words: The Truth is Past

By Ivan J. White, proud Mi’kmaw, Flat Bayer and father I will start with an appropriate introduction, one that connects me to both the people that claim me and the land that sustains me. My name is Ivan Joseph White (Ivan J). I am the son of Ivan and Joanann White; grandson of Gus and…

Reviewed: The Good Women of Safe Harbour

By Denise Flint House cleaner Frances Delaney has a brain tumour and will die if it isn’t treated. But Frances believes that treatment won’t save her and so refuses any medical intervention. Instead, with the help of a young friend, Edie, who sees her as a second mother, she develops a bucket list to enjoy…

Reviewed: New Short Stories from Bridget Canning

By Denise Flint No One Knows About Us is Bridget Canning’s first foray into short story writing after two novels. The stories concern the everyday lives of everyday people, and the setting goes back and forth between St. John’s and Toronto. Many of the characters from different stories intersect in interesting and unexpected ways, and…

Why is June such a popular month for weddings?

By Linda Browne “Oh, they say when you marry in June you’re a bride all your life, and the bridegroom who marries in June gets a sweetheart for a wife. Winter weddings can be gay like a Christmas holiday, but the June bride hears the song of a spring that lasts all summer long.” So…

Why do we “knock wood” to avoid bad luck?

By Linda Browne April is here, the month of pranks, hoaxes (which seem to get more elaborate every year) and all kinds of fun foolery. If you’re a superstitious type, you might be knocking on wood a bit more heartily this time of year to protect yourself from becoming prey to pranksters and to keep…

Spring Trouting Ban: Any Need of It?

By Gord Follett The one-month closure of the trout fishing season in Newfoundland from mid-April to mid-May is never a completely dead issue, but every now and then something or somebody sparks a lengthy debate on the pros and cons of this federal regulation. This year, well-known angler and conservationist Paul Smith of Spaniard’s Bay…

New Music from Fortunate Ones

New music talk with Wendy Rose Long-time folk/pop music fans, especially those on the west coast of Newfoundland, may be fortunate enough to remember Andrew James O’Brien and Catherine Allan from a previous band, Andrew James O’Brien and The Searchers. As Fortunate Ones, Andrew and Catherine released their debut album, The Bliss, in 2015, followed…

Youngtree & The Blooms

Fresh Tracks – New Music Talk with Wendy Rose As I sit down to write a review of Youngtree & The Blooms new self-titled album, I’m wondering exactly what Peter Willie Youngtree is up to right now. Last time we chatted, Peter was on the way to a silent retreat – a seemingly unlikely place…

Making Ends Meet

Where does the expression “make ends meet” come from?by Linda Browne From gas to groceries to, well, pretty much everything – being alive is an expensive endeavour these days! And while some may be feeling the financial pinch more than others, most would likely agree that the ability to “make ends meet” is becoming increasingly…