Who would think that Newfoundland and Labrador has a connection to a cloth that has been part of the clothing styles worn by many people throughout the world. For many Canadians, including Inuit, the cloth is most prominently used in parkas. Also, Amelia Earhart wore a flying suit made of this cloth when she flew from Harbour Grace in her Lockheed Vega to Culmore, Northern Ireland in 1932. I refer to Grenfell cloth. It all began when Dr. Wilfred Grenfell arrived on the Labrador coast from England in 1892 as a medical doctor and also a missionary under the auspices of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. He travelled the coast by whatever means available and was struck by the harsh conditions under which people lived. As a result, he decided to stay and built his first hospital in Battle Harbour before recruiting other medical professionals to assist him. Later in 1901 he established his headquarters and built a new hospital in St. Anthony. In order to raise funds, he sought out financially well-off individuals in New York, Boston, Canada and England. Eventually and on advice from donors, it was decided to establish his own entity and the International Grenfell Association (IGA) was incorporated in 1914 in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland. By this time, his work in northern Newfoundland and in Labrador was becoming internationally known. In 1981 The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador assumed responsibility for medical services formerly serviced by IGA, but the Association remains active to this day and awards grants and bursaries for medical training in the same area serviced by Dr. Grenfell. Meanwhile Thomas Haythornthwaite had opened his first mill in England along with his son Walter in 1908. On one of Dr. Grenfell's fundraising speeches in London England in 1922, he happened to meet with Walter and clothing was discussed. Dr. Grenfell relayed to him the vigorous conditions he faced while performing his medical services on the Labrador coast and expressed a desire to have clothing that was wind, rain and snow proof but could breathe. Walter accepted this challenge and set his sights on making a cloth that could meet the Doctor's requirements. This resulted in the development of a special cotton cloth with 600 threads per square inch that he sent to Dr. Grenfell as a present the following year. The Doctor later wrote to Walter indicating that the new cloth was performing well and it should be made available to the general public. He also suggested that it be called Grenfell cloth. Walter thought it could be a business opportunity and began making the cloth commercially; he also gave it the Grenfell name. My experience with Grenfell cloth goes back to 1960 when I was an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company in Iqaluit (then called Frobisher Bay). I arrived there in January and noticed that many people had Inuit parkas so I inquired about obtaining one to Gordon Rennie, our store manager. He spoke fluent Inuktitut and told me he knew a lady who made them and would ask her. A couple of days later an Inuk lady showed up to take my measurements for the parka. She proceeded to haul off about eight to ten feet of the wrapping twine that we used in the store and headed my way. She made a number of measures of my frame and each time a measurement was made she tied a knot in the twine. In less then five minutes she was out the door with this twine full of knots. I had grave doubts about the outcome for my new parka. In a little over a week the lady came back with a parka in her arms. It looked great and to my amazement, fitted perfectly, so she must have figured out the knots. The parka actually came in two parts with one fitting over the other. The inner part was made of duffle cloth for warmth while the outside part was made of Grenfell cloth for protection from cold winds, snow and rain. Both parts were adorned with bright red and yellow ribbon sewn into the material. It was also explained that she didn't have any wild fur for the hood so she used the fur from one of her huskies that had recently departed. It served me well while in Iqaluit and I have worn it occasionally in the sixty years since, including this year. It proves the wearability and durability of the famous Grenfell cloth that is still produced in England and turned into many different garments that are sold worldwide. An amazing story about a medical doctor practicing in Labrador and northern Newfoundland, who through a casual meeting, happened to have his name attached to a famous cloth manufactured in England. Dr. Grenfell had the idea while Walter Haythornthwaite had the means to bring it to fruition. Walter died in 1944 while Dr. Grenfell passed away in 1940 in Vermont, USA. - by Gordon Snow   Submitted By: NULL