A Stroke Back In Time: Southwest Coast of Newfoundland

August-September 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Kevin Redmond

The harbor at Roncontre Island, southwest of Burgeo.

Referred to by leading experts as the best paddling in Eastern Canada, Newfoundland’s southwest coast is a pearl among the province’s many paddling jewels. The great paddling here, along with the natural and cultural history, make this area a destination of choice.

Ferry travel is a necessary part of paddling the coast, but the cost of ferries is not a limiting factor. On a recent trip with three friends, paddling a double and two singles, I thought one of our friends was doing us all a big favor when he insisted on paying for the return ferry trip from Grand Bruit to Rose Blanche (approximately two hours). Including all four people, three kayaks and gear, the cost was about twenty bucks—what a deal!

THE START—HARBOUR LE COU

Arriving in Harbour Le Cou, the weather was overcast and foggy with a light drizzle. The water in the bay was smooth—a positive sign. “Water looks good,” I commented as we milled about. “Maybe I’ll skip the drysuit.” After unloading the vehicles and completing the shuttle, Ed and I went to gear up in the privacy of a fisherman’s shed over the water. Where else in the world can you walk into a fisherman’s shed uninvited but still feel welcome? The door facing the water was open. The sound of breaking surf in the distance took hold of my senses and I called out, “It’s a drysuit day!” After listening and discussing the commotion in the distance we all agreed, it was a day for gearing up.

As we paddled out of Harbour Le Cou, rising out of the fog was a granite dome locally known as Sugarloaf, similar to the limestone dome islands found off the coast of Thailand. On this day the dome attracted little attention, however, because of the peril that lay in our path—breaking surf with reflective waves. The breakers concerning us most were those wrapping the Calapoose rocks. These rocks, approximately 200 meters offshore, were invisible in the dense fog. We moved further offshore keeping the sound of the surf to our left. The noise of the breakers served as a good navigational aid, reinforcing our compass heading to our first destination—Petites.

PETITES

The ‘suburbs’ of Burgeo, west side of the community.

For anyone taking the Port aux Basque ferry in or out of Newfoundland, Petites offers an ideal half to full day paddling excursion less than five kilometers east of Harbour Le Cou. Protecting the mouth of Petites Harbour is a small archipelago of ten islands. My first time entering Petites Harbour was surreal—dark, flat, calm water broken only by three silent boat wakes, quiet except for the paddle drips, and the complete stillness of a community frozen in time, a ghost community rising out of the water through a tattered veil of fog. Although there were a couple of boats tied up to stage heads, only our own voices echoed back from hills in reply to our calls.

In 2003, this isolated fishing community, accessible only by boat or chopper, which held a total population of 18, was resettled. The provincial government paid the residents (on average $75,000) to move to larger centers, thereby absolving its responsibility to service the community. This was done on a large scale in Newfoundland, with over 300 communities resettled in the 1960s, causing much heartache to the inhabitants. The many abandoned communities along the coast are now highlights for paddlers.

HONEYMOON HILTON AND NIGHT OF THE BIG RAIN

Two of our party, Gary and Jennifer, were married only a few years ago and their wedding gifts included a tent and other camping paraphernalia from co- workers. They used their tent for their honeymoon in Belize so it became the Honeymoon Hilton. One night of our trip, the Honeymoon Hilton was put to the test when approximately 70 millimeters of rain bombarded our campsite. Worst of all, the sound of all that running water added to the urge to relieve one’s bladder. Under the cover of darkness, dressed in underwear, jacket and rubber boots, I made the foray to a quiet corner of our campsite.

Next day, the rain showed no sign of letting up. It was noon before we finally emerged from our tents. But during the rain there was little wind. Typical of the coast, when the weather finally broke, a stiffening land breeze swept dark clouds away, revealing pockets of blue sky and warming rays to dry our gear.

DESPERATION PADDLING

Place names are often a good reflection of natural history and phenomena. For instance, Slammer Point is the point of impact for unfettered winds funneling out of Little Garia Bay or for incoming ocean swells from the south. By the time we reached Duck Island (every region seems to have one) in Little La Poile Bay, the ocean appeared to be settling for the evening.

We discussed camping at West Point but decided to push on into La Poile Bay and hopefully camp in La Poile Harbour, only six or seven kilometers away. We figured on a little over an hour.

A ‘tickle’ bisecting West Point offered a shortcut into La Poile Bay. The tickle was quiet, calm and intimate. Entering La Poile Bay, the quiet, calm and intimacy disappeared among long, rolling, incoming swells, reflective waves and a strong headwind. Moving towards shore was not an option after watching a swell break on the west corner of an island, catapulting a huge, breaking wave 300 feet to the mainland shore. Waves and water appeared to be coming from all sides, and to avoid the bigger reflective waves, we had to paddle against jets of wind in the middle of the bay, making progress hard work and dismally slow. Complicating matters, Jennifer’s old shoulder injury was acting up and my right groin muscle shrieked every time I braced my right thigh up against the boat’s coaming.

By the time we landed safely on shore across from Misery Point at least three hours later, daylight was rapidly fading. On talking to the fisherfolk in the community of La Poile the following day, we found out that the wind had blown up to 40 knots, and the tide flushing out the 20-kilometer bay was multiplied by the run-off of the previous night’s rain. Later we would also find out that two fishermen drowned off Rose Blanche at the very time we were making our run.

REMNANTS FROM RESETTLEMENT

Although much of this coast is exposed, there is an abundance of enchanting coves, harbors, saltwater ponds, tickles and vistas. One warm day of our trip, while stretched out upon a granite basin radiating history and heat, having a brunch of bacon, eggs, pancakes, toast, tea and coffee, someone commented, “Life’s tough. Wonder what the rich folks are doing in Toronto now? Likely in rush hour traffic.”

In the granite was a series of pockets, uniformly spaced holes, forming a pattern consistent with the posts of a traditional stage or flake—a wharf-like structure for drying fish. Nearby, terraced walls of layered rock revealed the final remnants of home and root cellar foundations surrounded by non-native foliage, offering further evidence of a thriving homestead community some 50 to 100 years ago.

LA POILE AND GRAND BRUIT

La Poile and Grand Bruit are similar must-see destinations along this coast. Isolated communities accessible only by chopper or boat, they are anomalies in our modern world. There are no cars in either community and the roads consist of a concrete ribbon slightly wider than a four wheeler, while modern satellite dishes adorn many housetops. Despite the wilderness surrounding the communities, houses are packed together like an inner city.

The primary catalyst for our trip was a slide show given by Ken Campbell of Tacoma, Washington who had just finished circumnavigating Newfoundland (see Ken’s book Around the Rock, Little Bay Press 2004). It wasn’t the paddling so much as the destinations that I yearned for. Ken spoke passionately of the ‘Cramalotin’ (as in ‘cram a lot in’), the local hangout in Grand Bruit—the fact that he got engaged there likely enhanced his passion for the place. This twelve foot-square shed welcomes all comers, byob, and outdoor plumbing flushed twice a day with the tides. A unique watering hole for locals and visitors alike, noted for its social interaction; it’s a place that must be experienced for oneself and leaves a lifelong impression.

Other notable attractions include the Grand Bruit Highlands, the community school with its two students and one teacher, the local museum, a weekly visit by nurse arriving by chopper with an instant line-up at the local medical clinic. Ironically, while the nurse did the clinic, I was there with three doctors—but we were on holiday.

Big Barasway, west of Burgeo .

BURGEO AND AREA

Paddling destinations out of Burgeo are threefold: east is the face of Bay du Loup, south is an archipelago of over 100 islands, and northwest is Aaron’s Arm, Big Barasway. The Barasway is a large saltwater pond connected to the sea. The richness of the ecosystem provides refuge and a staging area for a wide variety of both land and sea creatures. Sightings of caribou and seals are not uncommon during the paddling season.

The man-made canal between Aaron’s Arm and the estuary of Grandy’s River is dredged on a regular basis. It was the untimely drowning of three telegraph operators in the mid-1800s that led to the first dredging of the canal in 1859. They had been on a fishing excursion to the Grandy’s River and, in those days, it was necessary to travel the outside, exposed coastline to or from the river. On their return voyage, their boat capsized.

Paddlers should time the majority of their paddling in this area with high tide, as at low tide the water is shallow with a sticky, sandy bottom. And be wary of the confluence of the canal, Grandy’s and the ocean. Here, river current collides with running ocean tides, causing frothing havoc. Waves coming from opposing directions are capable of challenging the most competent boater.

The two main attractions east of Burgeo are Aldridge’s Pond and the Man in the Mountain in Bay du Loup. The Man in the Mountain is the most impressive rock face I have ever seen. Bay du Loup is a deep, fjord-like bay whose steep walls are an ideal nesting site for birds of prey such as the bald eagle and osprey.

Farley Mowat’s book A Whale for the Killing comes alive when you paddle in Aldridge’s Pond at night. The rhythmical wash of the surf on the beach is reminiscent of a whale breathing. The true story of the whale goes something like this: a large humpback whale swam into the pond at high tide via the narrow neck of water connecting the pond and the ocean. Unable to find its way out of the pond, it eventually succumbed, likely to starvation. (Editor's note: See "Feedback" below for more on this aspect).

Mercer's Reach, West of Burgeo

South of Burgeo is an archipelago of over 100 islands, some of which were once settled, but today only fragments of their history remain. Roncontre Island shows evidence of Aboriginal settlement from thousands of years ago. More recent cultural linkages to Roncontre Island are tied to its protected harbor. The harbor was the final resting site for the whale that died in Aldridge’s Pond and a sunken trawler can be seen ten feet below today.

Paddling the Burgeo area offers plenty of options, from short day paddles using the community (or Sandbanks Provincial Park) as a base, to extended outings with wilderness camping.

ROSE BLANCHE

Taking the ferry back to Rose Blanche does not end your exploration. A trip to the restored Rose Blanche lighthouse offers a fitting finish to any paddle along Newfoundland’s southwest coast.

During our visit, boats were combing the water, searching for the second body of the two fishermen who drowned the frightful night we paddled from West Point to La Poile Harbour. It was a humbling lesson in appreciating what nature has to offer, while respecting the ultimate power of the sea.

© Kevin Redmond received a National Award of Merit by the Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association in 1995 in recognition of his contribution to paddling in Canada. An award-winning photographer, his images have appeared throughout the world. Along with Dan Murphy, he authored A Guide to Sea Kayaking in Newfoundland and Labrador published by Nimbus Publishing of Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2003 (ISBN 1-55109-434-7). His most recent publication is Landscapes & Legacies: Parks, Natural Areas and Historic Sites of Newfoundland and Labrador published by Creative Books / Transcontinental 2004. He’s now working on a book of Iceberg images.

Editor’s Note: Eastern Outdoors (est. 1979) offers kayak tours in Newfoundland, as well as tours on the Bay of Fundy from St. Andrews and Dipper Harbour, New Brunswick. www.easternoutdoors.com. 1-800-56-KAYAK. Eastern Outdoors Paddlefest, Aug. 12-14. Ramea, Newfoundland. 709-625-2522.

Feedback: "I wish to notify of a website error. In the article a Step back in time -Newfoundland, 2005, it might interest you to know Farley Mowat's TRUE tale of a trapped whale in Aldridge's Pond, Burgeo, NewFoundland is about a Fin Whale (not Humpback), that did not die (solely) of starvation, but of of massive infections brought on by locals who made a sport of her unfortunate captivity and shot the whale with any gun available to them. After searching on Google for images of Aldridges' Pond, I came across this article and its lack of accuracy. Just thought someone would want to get this tiny piece of NewFoundland history accurate. Thank you for your time, Claudia"