Labrador StraitsLabrador Straits Lifestyle
THE SEASON determines the activity in the Labrador Straits. Summer and fall months are traditionally the fishing season. Fishermen in small boats and longliners spend long days in pursuit of salmon, cod and other commercial species.
In August the bakeapples ripen on the marshes and are picked by all ages to make wonderful jams and pies. The Pinware, Forteau and L'Anse au Loup rivers provide superb sport fishing as the Atlantic salmon make their annual runs upstream to spawn.
In the fall, before the onset of frost, the roadside vegetable gardens are harvested. On the barrens the partridgeberries turn deep purple as they ripen and are picked to make more delectable preserves. Late in the fall and on through early winter the men are in the woods, cutting spruce, fir and birch for firewood and timber and hauling it to the highway with snowmobile and komatik.
Winter nights are warmed also by friendly competition amongst the men's and women's dart teams. Late winter and spring are also times for recreation, with snowmobile expeditions "in the country" for a few days at the cabin and some ice-fishing on the ponds. Residents travel the winter highway - a marked snowmobile trail - to visit friends and relations in communities to the north.
In August the bakeapples ripen on the marshes and are picked by all ages to make wonderful jams and pies. The Pinware, Forteau and L'Anse au Loup rivers provide superb sport fishing as the Atlantic salmon make their annual runs upstream to spawn.
In the fall, before the onset of frost, the roadside vegetable gardens are harvested. On the barrens the partridgeberries turn deep purple as they ripen and are picked to make more delectable preserves. Late in the fall and on through early winter the men are in the woods, cutting spruce, fir and birch for firewood and timber and hauling it to the highway with snowmobile and komatik.
Winter nights are warmed also by friendly competition amongst the men's and women's dart teams. Late winter and spring are also times for recreation, with snowmobile expeditions "in the country" for a few days at the cabin and some ice-fishing on the ponds. Residents travel the winter highway - a marked snowmobile trail - to visit friends and relations in communities to the north.
Crafts
Residents of the Labrador Straits still practise numerous crafts with great skill and originality.
Made popular by the Grenfell Mission in the early 20th century, the art of mat-hooking is still preserved. Traditional knitted and embroidered items are also produced. Exquisite boots and other items of clothing are fashioned from sealskin in styles similar to those of the first permanent settlers. Some of the materials used in making handicrafts have changed over the years, but the skill, invention and love of the crafts has not.
Handicrafts may be purchased in our region's craft shops.
Made popular by the Grenfell Mission in the early 20th century, the art of mat-hooking is still preserved. Traditional knitted and embroidered items are also produced. Exquisite boots and other items of clothing are fashioned from sealskin in styles similar to those of the first permanent settlers. Some of the materials used in making handicrafts have changed over the years, but the skill, invention and love of the crafts has not.
Handicrafts may be purchased in our region's craft shops.
Language and Accent
Although many of the settlements in the Labrador Straits have French names, the language spoken by the majority of people in the area is English.
Many of today's occupants have a strong accent derived mainly from the English West Country: Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. There are lesser influences from the Channel Islands.
The local speech can be very fast, with words that are often cut short and run together to form complex (and sometimes difficult to understand!) sentences. Other quirks of the accent include: dropping H's (e.g., 'arry = Harry); inserting H's before words starting with vowels (e.g., Hann = Ann); and adding S's to the end of finite verbs in the present tense (e.g., I thinks I needs more information).
Many more examples of the grammatical features and unique vocabulary of the local speech can be found in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.
Many of today's occupants have a strong accent derived mainly from the English West Country: Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. There are lesser influences from the Channel Islands.
The local speech can be very fast, with words that are often cut short and run together to form complex (and sometimes difficult to understand!) sentences. Other quirks of the accent include: dropping H's (e.g., 'arry = Harry); inserting H's before words starting with vowels (e.g., Hann = Ann); and adding S's to the end of finite verbs in the present tense (e.g., I thinks I needs more information).
Many more examples of the grammatical features and unique vocabulary of the local speech can be found in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.
Religion
Christianity is the only religion formally practised in the Straits, with Anglican, United, Brethren, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic places of worship.
Religion has played a major role in the settlement of the Labrador Straits, with large influxes of each religious group settling in individual communities. The Anglican and United denominations were established by settlers from Britain and Newfoundland, and the Roman Catholic by settlers from France. The Brethren and Pentecostal denominations arrived in the Labrador Straits region in the 20th century.
Religion has played a major role in the settlement of the Labrador Straits, with large influxes of each religious group settling in individual communities. The Anglican and United denominations were established by settlers from Britain and Newfoundland, and the Roman Catholic by settlers from France. The Brethren and Pentecostal denominations arrived in the Labrador Straits region in the 20th century.