Friday, June 9, 2023

GIANT MURALS, SQUID & LOBSTER.

Day 51 – Warmer inland, it was 42 degrees this morning. Cloudy and overcast, there was no wind and the sun wasn’t out. We went for a drive, leaving at 9:30 a.m., and were gone all day.

We drove west on the TCH and got off at exit 22. The fog rolled in and we couldn’t see much at all. Just south of the exit was the town of Bishop’s Falls. We took a drive on Main Street through town looking for Fallsview Municipal Park. We have reservations to stay there later in the trip, and we’d never been there before. We wanted to take a look at the campground. It was nothing special, but it was right by the dam and the waterfalls. The waterfalls were spectacular. And the fog had lifted.

We headed north on Route 350 to the end of the road. We drove thru Peterview, Botwood, Northern Arm, Point Leamington, and Leading Tickles at the end of the road. Then we turned around and headed back to the TCH, after taking a side road to Glover’s Harbour.

We stopped first in Botwood. From the Botwood Heritage flyer: “Botwood’s rich history dates back over 150 years. In its beginnings, Botwood was part of the seasonal waterway used by the Beothuk peoples for hunting and fishing. It was also lucrative business for salmon & fur for pioneers. From its inception as a logging town to 100 years as a seaport for the newsprint and minerals industry, Botwood’s part in world history is a unique as its beauty. It was vital to the success of the first Trans-Atlantic passenger flights aboard the giant flying boats and became a highly-militarized RCAF coastal defense base during WWII.”

Botwood sits on the Bay of Exploits and is a nice little town. It is called the “Mural Capitol of Newfoundland & Labrador”. We soon found out where they got that title. Throughout the town, many buildings’ exterior walls were covered with wonderful murals, some quite large in size. They depicted historical events in the town. Wanting more information, we stopped at the Botwood Heritage Center to see if they might have some information on the murals. We got a brochure and after visiting the gift store, we drove around to view most of the murals. Rob also got a picture of the “Flying Boat” on display by the harbor.

Pictures of the murals we saw and each mural’s brief historical story is posted below:

Sceviour’s Sawmill

A legacy of Botwood’s thriving logging and pulpwood industry, Sceviour’s Sawmill – owned and operated by Donald Scott Sceviour – played a vital role in helping Botwood become a major provider of lumber and pulpwood to local and international industries.

Botwood, WWII (1939-1945)

The military history in Botwood is one of defense and training involving land, sea, and air. The community’s year-round open seaport and involvement in early intercontinental air services lead to many key roles during World War II.

Twilight of Airmail

Sidney Cotton established the province’s first airmail delivery in 1921, serving Fogo Island and Hawkes Bay. In this mural, paintings show the dawn of future airmail service, including mail delivery via transatlantic air passenger carriers through Botwood.

Pulse of the Community

A military hospital erected by the Canadian Army, the provincial government re-established the Botwood Cottage Hospital in 1946 bringing acute care, maternity, and surgical services to Botwood and outlying areas.

The Water Nipper

WWII veteran Douglas Martin – who served in Botwood with the Victoria Rifles of Canada – took a photograph in June 1941 of a boy whose job was to deliver water to workers. This reproduction was the first mural completed for the Botwood Mural Arts Society.

Clash of Cultures

A tragic period in Central Newfoundland’s history involves the indigenous Beothuk – namely Demasduit (shown here) – and early European settlers whose rampant mistrust and hatred resulted in the extinction of an entire culture and its peoples.

Coming Home

In 1893, the railway reached the banks of the Exploits River, changing lives of the local people. For years, the railway system was the main means by which many locals left and longingly returned to their families.

There are a total of 16 murals in Botwood; we only saw nine of them. The following two murals are new and were not described in the brochure. They are two of our favorites.

Kraken World

Botwood Flying Boat

The next time we come to Newfoundland, we’ll come to Botwood and see the rest of the murals.

We spent a lot of time in Botwood. It was getting towards lunchtime and nothing was open (too early in the season). We continued driving north on Route 350. As we got close to the end of the road at Leading Tickles, we could see a large iceberg. We followed a dirt road through Oceanview Park and Voila!: Iceberg Heaven. An incredibly beautiful spot right on the ocean, surrounded by tall rocky headlands, and several large icebergs were right there.

We then drove thru the village of Leading Tickles. We’d been here in 2019. It was charming then, and it’s still charming now, just less crowded due to being off-season. No restaurants were open; we ate protein bars for lunch instead. Always carry a snack, LOL!

Soon after leaving Leading Tickles, we took a side road to Glover’s Harbor. It was worth the additional drive. Glover’s Harbor was a small, working fishing village. We really liked it. Remote and very pretty, it is probably passed by when the tourists come to town. Except maybe for the Giant Squid….

We returned to the TCH (Trans Canada Highway, for anyone that doesn’t know that by now), via Route 350, then headed east to Exit 23, getting off the Highway and going north on Route 340 to Lewisporte. We were hungry, so we went to Chelsea’s Fish ‘n Chips for an early dinner. In 2019 we ate lunch there and we remembered how good it was. They haven’t changed. Right on the bay, there is a building where you can buy freshly-caught fish (various kinds in season). We bought some fresh Cod. An indoor dining room is attached to the fish market. You order your meal from Chelsea’s food truck, then you can eat in the dining room or outside on the patio overlooking the water. A giant lobster lurks in front of the restaurant & market. It’s a beautiful spot and they stay busy; they are very popular, and rightfully so.

We were planning to drive to the larger city of Gander tomorrow to do some grocery shopping. Gander is not exactly close to the campground. But while in Lewisporte, we decided to stop at the smaller grocery store they had in town to see if we could possibly complete our shopping today rather than going out tomorrow. It’s supposed to rain again all day Saturday thru Monday. We did find what we needed, so we finally drove back to the RV. It was a long, but quite interesting day. The high today was 57 degrees with lots of clouds and spots of fog.