Battle Harbour started as a seasonal
fishing station that eventually grew into Labrador’s oldest and at one point, largest
permanent settlement. The area thrived and supported a community of 200 people until
a devastating fire and the decline of fishing finally convinced the majority of
Battle Harbour families to relocate under the government’s resettlement program
in 1966. Many of them choose to move to Mary’s Harbour just 11 kilometers away.
Today Battle Harbour is a National Historic Site owned and managed by the
Battle Harbour Historic Trust, it is a place were one can step back in time and
explore an important part of Labrador’s history.
Everyone we met in Labrador told us we
must stop at Battle Harbour, the only problem was it had just closed for the
season. On the assurance of the Battle Harbour ferry office in Mary’s Harbour that
a work crew was still there and would welcome us; we decided to check it out
anyway. With the short distance to Battle Harbour, 12 knots of northwest wind
and flat water, we didn’t bother with a mainsail and just rolled out the jib. Furling
the sail and starting the engine just before entering the harbour’s narrow but
more sheltered north entrance.
Cod Drying, North Entrance To Battle Harbour
Strong winds were expected that
evening and the following day and we were relieved when a group of men waved us
over to the perfect spot where Snow Dragon would be blown off the high wharf. After
helping secure Snow Dragon’s lines and warmly welcoming us to Battle Harbour; they
reiterated that they were officially closed for the season but there was no
problem with us being there especially since our presence doubled the female
population in Battle Harbour, something the 7 men on the island were happy
about.
They kindly left the buildings open
for us to wander through. While we were in the old flour store admiring the
heavy timber construction with naturally curved braces and reading the
information detailing the Harbour’s history. Lloyd who we had met earlier on
the dock, came by to tell us more about what it was like when it was a
functional fishing station as he had grown up in Battle Harbour. While we were
talking about the resettlement program he mentioned that the government was
still trying to move people out of smaller settlements and is offering $200,000
convince people to move from places like Williams Harbour and Norman Bay. The government
might be trying to save money by not having to continue supporting smaller
settlements but the reality is that $200,000 isn’t enough for a family to start
their life over in a different location and the people we met in those small communities
didn’t show any intention of leaving.
It was such a glorious day that after
talking to Lloyd, we decided to cut our tour of the historic buildings short
and explore the island. Peter, the project manager, stopped to tell us about a trail
that looped around the back of the island and gave us a tour of some of the
restoration work they were doing. Though it’s a site of historic importance to
Labrador, the government expects it to be self-funding. Peter explained that
the Battler Harbour Trust has had financial difficulty but is now under the
guidance of a new chair who has the right connections to promote the site. He
also mentioned the ferry to Battle Harbour is scheduled so visitors can spend
the night in either the historic doctor’s cottage or the simpler bunk house. Time
will tell if they can get enough visitors to cover expenses but from what we
saw, they are doing a fantastic job restoring buildings with a mix of modern
comfort and traditional simplicity.
Though the trail Peter guided us to was
fairly easy walking between glistening granite boulders and colorful plants,
there was the occasional wet patch that
was difficult to get around. The views to the outer shore of the island were
wonderful and well worth risking getting our socks wet for. We could see waves
breaking over the various under water hazards, a reminder that navigating in
Labrador takes a careful eye. The trail took us out to the site of a plane
crash that happened while the settlement was still inhabited No one had
realized it had happened until a boy from Battle Harbour came upon the wreckage
a few days later. There were no survivors, the accident site is marked by a
memorial plaque and the wreckage of the plane has been left in place.
In the evening, Krystina was walking
back to Snow Dragon enjoying the beautiful moonlight when she passed Lloyd. As
they greeted each other he commented with a smile “a lot of traffic tonight”.
And they both continued on their way without seeing another person except the
life sized photographic cut out people on the dock, who were most alarmingly
life like in the moonlight.
As promised by the weather report,
strong southwest wind filled in overnight tuning into strong west-north-west by
morning. Definitely not the right conditions to transit the Strait of Belle Isle
and we were happy to be weather bound in such a glorious location. Frances
braved the rain, wind and cold to look for more wild cranberries and it took a
lot of searching before she found some patches worth picking. Then returned to
Snow Dragon to make wild cranberry chutney.
While out for an evening wander we stopped
to chat with Lloyd and Minnie who were also out enjoying the beautiful evening.
They return frequently to spent time in their summer cabin near the house where
Lloyd grew up. They invited us over for tea and wanted to hear all about our
journey. When we told Minnie how surprised we where that people in Labrador were
so shocked by the idea that two women could handle a boat, she explained that
in Labrador women don’t have a history with boats, their role has always been
shore based.
Krystina At Lloyd And Minnie's Cabin
Krystina thought she left her mittens
at Lloyd and Minnie’s and Frances kindly offered to go back and check. Before
she left, Krystina suggested that we give them a jar of Snow Dragon jam to
thank them for their generous hospitality. We wanted to give them something
unusual for the area and decided on kumquat marmalade made when we were in
Portugal last April. We also gave a jar of cranberry chutney to Peter as a
thank you for his generosity in letting Krystina use the WIFI in his office.
After 2 nights at Battle Harbour the
weather forecast showed favorable conditions for moving around to Red Bay on
Labrador’s south coast. We had planned on going out through the narrow south
entrance but in the morning there were still waves crashing across the tickle
and decided to play it safe and go out through the more sheltered north entrance.
The sun was just coming up as we motored out of the harbour, taking in the
fresh color of the morning as we hoisted the mainsail and began making our way
to the Strait of Belle Isle.
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