The Markland Saga Dear Downhome: I am aware of the Markland experiment from articles I have read on the NL Heritage website and also a contribution by Frank E. Clarke on the Newfoundland’s Grand Banks website. The experiment carried out in 1934 by the Commission Government in N.L. attempted to set up an experimental farming community at Markland, but due to the harsh conditions it failed. I recently read an article in the Halifax Herald newspaper about a similar project carried out by the Government of Nova Scotia back in 1874, also named Markland, to settle 30 farmers from Iceland in the Mooseland area of N.S. This experiment also failed, and after 14 years those involved moved on to greener pastures in Manitoba. These attempts to resettle routinely failed because of the extreme hardships encountered by the settlers. I wonder whether the N.L. experiment was modeled after the N.S. one, as the Markland name was used in both cases. Maybe your readers can shed some light on this subject.   Submitted By: John Cornick