August 30, 2007

On August 15/2007, my husband, son and I decided to take a much-needed vacation back home. I am originally from Port Aux Basques, but my husband and son are from Ontario. I usually spend my whole vacation in Port Aux Basques, but decided I would take a trip to Pools Cove and Harbour Mille this year. My mother is originally from Lally Cove (now resettled), therefore I have many relatives in both towns. It has been 24 years since I have seen these relatives. It was very comforting to know that there is still the same sense of community pride and family as there was when last I was there. We drove to Pools Cove and received a very warm welcome from my cousins Ellen, Ada and Maisey. They put all of us up for the night and my husband got to try some of Newfoundland's best cuisine. Their husbands treated my husband like one of their own and he had a great time. We even had a good old-fashioned party in my cousin Ellen's "store" (known to my husband as a shed). From Pools Cove, we took the Northern Seal to Bay Largent, where we made our way to Harbour Mille. My Aunt Alma and Uncle Roy were waiting for us with open arms. Aunt Alma (the angel of Harbour Mille) and Uncle Roy amazed my husband with their traditional wall of salting fish, something he had never seen before. It was great to see my cousins, Aunts Martha Jane and Margaret. On night while in Harbour Mille we were startled awake by the sound of lightning. All of a sudden from down over the hill a car began to honk furiously to wake the community. My instincts told me it was a fire. Having lived in Ontario now for almost half my life, I was surprised not to hear sirens blaring. I am told the fire truck was out of commission. Imagine our amazement to see this very small community come together to help a neighbour in need. Lightning had struck a shed and it burnt to the ground. Thankfully the nearby house was spared. For those from Harbour Mille this was something you just did for one another. For my husband and I it was special to see such community love and spirit - something neither of us will ever forget. We walked away with such great admiration for the lifestyle of these small towns. I am sure they face many hardships with jobs and younger folks leaving to find work, but I don't imagine anywhere else on Earth that has such love for their community. Going to Pools Cove and Harbour Mille, although not my original home in Newfoundland, reminded me how Newfoundland was and still is. I am very proud to call myself a "Newfie." To my cousins, aunts and uncles in Pools Cove and Harbour Mille, thank you for bringing me "home" again. Of course, there were tears when we left, but I am happy to have my husband and son experience the life and people that make up this wonderful island we call Newfoundland.

Darlene Kearns (Farrell)

Formerly of Port Aux Basques
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