CBC | Land and Sea

Jul 5, 2009 When I Was in The San

In Newfoundland and Labrador today it's very rare to hear of someone diagnosed with tuberculosis. But it's quite common to hear of someone who had it. TB attacked and killed people in this province long after the rest of the western world had it under control.

By the early 1950's, it had killed 30,000 Newfoundlanders......and in the space of only 50 years. Nfld was behind the rest of the world due to its isolated outports, its poor standard of living, and lack of proper medical attention. When it was at its worst, the average age of those who died from TB was only 33. They were fishermen and loggers who were in the prime of their lives and young mothers who would leave behind several children.

Against the backdrop of that terrible disease, there are many stories of personal victories; stories of people who spent months and sometimes years in the sanatorium in Corner Brook or the one in St. John's.

Producer Fred Greening caught up with some of them, and tells their stories.

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For more than thirty years Land and Sea has brought you stories from people who live off the land and the sea. We cover issues that affect people in rural communities which ultimately affect those in cities as well.

We bring you stories from those who celebrate life living close to nature, who promote and protect their culture and traditional ways of doing things. There are stories of success and sometime failures that portray the unique way Atlantic Canadians deal with the challenges and pleasures of living on the east coast.

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