Please find a written submission (file attached) on behalf of my grandfather, Charles Howse. It would mean so much for my grandfather to have his story printed in Downhome magazine. He's been talking about it for years. Thanks so much, Christie Pike Downhome Memories The Way We Were - Memories From Gooseberry Island & Glovertown By - Charles Howse The Dirty Thirties were upon us and the world was in a deep depression. European countries were in turmoil and the looming powers of Adolf Hitler not only threatened the livelihood of our neighbours overseas, but that of North Americans as well. With the world's salvation on the brink of chaos, a small island off the coast of Newfoundland called Gooseberry Island, sat unoticed, battered not by the foils of of war, but by the harsh, unforgiving waters of the North Atlantic ocean. Although it seemed that this remote island served as a very minute part of the world, for me Gooseberry Island was the only world I knew. Gooseberry Island - The Landscape and Geography Located at the north side of Bonavista Bay, Gooseberry Island is surrounded by a chain of Islands including Braggs Island, Deer Island, Flat Island, and Green Pond Island, which lies north, about eight to ten miles from Gooseberry Island. On a clear day, you can see the outline of Cape Bonavista in the distance. In theory, Gooseberry Island is actually two separate islands divided by a short span of water, often referred to as a tickle, which divides the land into an upper and lower section. In order to journey from one portion or the island to another, you had to cross by boat with ropes tied to either end. The ropes were used in winter when you had no choice but to haul the boat across heavy, thick pans of ice that encapsulated the island during the winter months. Gooseberry Island hosts craggy, windblown landscapes, with no woods, mostly rock, grass and small shrubs. In years gone by, the island was a safe haven for schoooners and small fishing boats. My uncle, Martin Parsons owned a small schooner or "bully" as they called it in those days. My father, Alpheaus Howse owned a warf with stages and a store. Near the premise was our two story house and adjacent to that was the government wharf. Day to Day Life on the Island Most ot the upper and lower portion of the Gooseberry Island was occupied by fisherman and their families. There were about 20-25 familes that called this rugged island home during the 1930s. The winters were always long, ruthless and seemed to drag on forever. Gooseberry island was surrounded by pack ice from December to April and beyond. Wild ducks and turrs served as our main diet during those desolate winter months. My father was a fisherman during the summer and a woodsman during the winter. In the Fall after the fishing season was over, he spent most of his time with my three oldest brothers, Mart, Doug and Lloyd cutting firewood along the coastlines of Rocky Bay and Lake Mans, Newfoundland. After the trees were cut down, the lumber had to be towed back to Gooseberry Island. The towing was done by a draft of wood which took a full day, and that was only if the weather cooperated. Earing an income as a logger in those days wasn't for the faint of heart. Not only was the work dirty, dangerous and labour intensive, it offered s meager wage for the gruling work. Life on a small island during the great depression was difficult and the opportunities for education and employment were limited. With five sons and two daughters, my father was uncertain of what kind of future Gooseberry Island offered our family. On October 10, 1936 my father decided to pull up the stakes and move our family to Glovertown. I was eight years old at the time and I remember it being a heartbreaking situation for all of us. We packed our belongings in my uncle Mart's schooner and left our life on Gooseberry island behind. This was one of the saddest days of my life. A New Life In Glovertown, Newfoundland In the beginning, Glovertown for me was a strange, unfamilar place. I felt very much alone with no friends or relatives (other than my immediate family). I was devastated at the fact that I'd left behind all of my playmates on Gooseberry island. I remember feeling like my world had come to an abrupt end and I felt uneasy and uncertain about what was to come. As a young boy of eight, I'd become accustomed to my simple and sheltered existance on Gooseberry Island. To me, Glovertown felt like a bustling town, filled with bustling activity, big buildings and large stores. I specifically remember Gray Stores in Angle Brook were we settled. I even recall the moment I saw my first car, it was a taxi owned by a local resident named Ken Diamond. I also recall a gentleman named Caleb Ackerman who owned a taxi and a hotel. The Terra Nova River flowed near by my home in Angle Brook and a bridge spanned from one side of the river to the other. This bridge was built in the year 1936 (the same year my family moved from Gooseberry Island). It was not long before I settled into my new life in Glovertown. I soon made friends and adjusted to my new surroundings. My first school days started in a one room school house at an Anglican School at Angle Brook. I can remember a Mr. H.M Batten, who taught school and also conducted church services in the same room. Another Fresh Start in Corner Brook With time, came change as it always does. My school years passed by and I grew older in years and experience. When I reached my mid twenties I eventually married and started a family of my own. In 1966, I was offered a job in Corner Brook. I was relunctant to leave behind the life I'd built in Glovertown, but like my father before me, I jumped at the opportunity to move somewhere that offered the best possible future for my family. And so, exactly 30 years after I left Gooseberry Island, I moved to Corner Brook with my wife and four children. I am content to say that made a happy life on the west coast of Newfoundland, but I will always fondly remember my days on Gooseberry Island "the land where I was born and the very first place that I called home.   Submitted By: Christie Pike