Land And Sea

Heartbeat

2013-07-07T17:52:26Z

It's a music as old as the North itself. The beat of skin drums...the throat songs of nature.

Drumming and throat singing are ancient Inuit traditions. But they're traditions that skipped the generation of the Blake sisters of Rigolet. Even though the sisters were raised on the Labrador coast, they didn't truly discover their musical culture until they moved to the city.

Now, they embrace it, As a family. They drum to the rhythm of the heartbeat.

Wool Whisperers

2013-06-30T17:50:24Z

The art of knitting is a Newfoundland tradition. But every year, in communities all over the province, traditional knitters are lost. There are those doing their best to preserve the skill. They've made a business from woolen handknits and they employ an army of needle wielding women and men across the province. Their enthusiasm might just motivate you to take up a ball of yarn and join them in their craft crusade!

Merasheen Magic

2013-06-23T17:48:37Z

The last family left Merasheen Island on October 10th, 1968. The island was resettled, like so many others in Placentia Bay. The provincial government of the day enticed people to move to larger centers...to places connected by roads.

Merasheen may have been resettled, but it was never truly abandoned. Former Merasheeners have never lost their community spirit...their island has never lost its magic. And every year, that magic pulls people home.

In this show, we celebrate the Merasheeners who refuse to let their island go, and honour the memories of those who came before them. We experience the magic of Merasheen, first hand.

Hunting the Hunter

2013-06-16T17:46:36Z

Since the mid eighties, coyotes have slowly settled in Newfoundland. These villains of the woods are considered to be vermin by sheep farmers. To some hunters though, they represent the ultimate challenge.

Joe Fleming killed the largest coyote in the province last year. Or so he thought. Turns out, that coyote was a wolf. We'll meet Joe and find out more about the clever coyote and what it takes to hunt a hunter.

Frank and Mary

2013-06-09T17:43:29Z

Frank Harvey was 10 years old when he fell in love with motorcycles. But it would be more than 50 years later before he owned his first bike.

When Frank retired from his machine shop, he bought and repaired a little banged-up Honda. Something to keep him occupied, he said. The next thing Frank's wife Mary knew, he had his licence. He was 67 then...an age when most bikers are thinking of hanging up their helmets, not just starting out.

These days, Frank rides the biggest Honda you can buy. A Gold Wing. And his motorcycle mama Mary rides with him...despite the fact that she's 84 and he's 87. Together, they're an inspiration to all who know them in the motorcycle community. In this show, you'll see why.

Archival Special - Living Near Gros Morne

2013-06-02T17:41:51Z

Forty years ago, Gros Morne National Park was born. With the park came new rules and regulations...rules many locals found hard to accept.

Patersons' Rural Resolve

2013-05-26T17:35:47Z

Quiet living in rural Newfoundland has lots to offer those looking to escape the rat race of big cities. The Paterson family has made the choice that rural life is the life for them. They've laid the ground work for their kids to be able to choose that life too. See how they're all pulling together to make life AND business work in a tiny town on the Bonavista Peninsula.

The Sky's the Limit

2013-05-19T18:38:18Z

He started his career in the offshore, as a petroleum geologist. But one day in the early '80's, Ben Ploughman burned his resumes, went home to Port au Choix, and built himself a little studio.

These days, Ben is a folk artist. An artist who isn't afraid to think outside the box. An artist inspired by, of all things, lobster pots. Specifically, the old weather-beaten wooden laths. Ben has taken the lobster pot lath to high levels, in his own special brand of art. His lobster pot lath driven works of Newfoundland culture.

One Last Schooner

2013-05-12T14:50:36Z

The idea came to him in a dream. Master wooden boat builder Henry Vokey dreamed of building one last schooner.

This summer, Henry Vokey launched his dream boat in the waters of Trinity Bay. The Leah Caroline. His 44-foot, 2-masted schooner. A vessel from the past...from the days of iron men and wooden boats.

Land and Sea was there for the launch, and was on board for the Leah Caroline's maiden voyage. Henry sailed his schooner to Little Harbour, the abandoned community where he was born. He sailed her back home, in full glory.

Archival Special -- The Avalon Herd

2013-05-05T14:48:36Z

In the late '50's, few people would have put much faith in the survival of the Avalon caribou herd. At one point it was down to less than 100 animals.

But local wildlife officer Mike Nolan had faith...and was key to pulling the herd back from the brink of extinction. Mike's job was to protect the herd, and it was a job he took very seriously.

In this archival special filmed back in 1980, former Land and Sea host Dave Quinton tells Mike's story...and the story of the Avalon herd.

Chef Jeremy

2013-04-28T14:43:37Z

Savoury parsnip soup, mouth watering moose pasta and a bakeapple creme brulee. These are just a few of the gourmet dishes prepared by Newfoundland chef, Jeremy Charles. His culinary talents have won him awards and brought him praise from foodies all over the country. But, this king of the kitchen has never strayed far from his roots in rural Newfoundland and the simple pleasures outport life can offer.

Start with simple rural food, give it a modern twist, add fancy silverware and linens and you've got fine dining Newfoundland style. It's a winning recipe that has led to a successful career for chef Jeremy Charles.

Lynda's Life

2013-04-21T14:26:10Z

She's a painter, she's a musician...she's a quilter and a hunter. Lynda Empy is all these things, despite the fact that she was born with Cervical Dystonia, a constant twitch in her head and hands.

Lynda's twitch has never limited her in life. Just the opposite in fact. Her condition makes her more determined to succeed. Lynda has battled her twitch for as long as she can remember..but it's a battle she always wins.

Archival Special - Aunt Lydia

2013-04-14T14:13:33Z

She was born in Labrador in the early 1800's...the daughter of an English settler and an Inuit woman. She would become known as Aunt Lydia, one of history's most famous Labrador women.

Aunt Lydia Campbell was taught how to read and write...a rare thing at that time. And she took advantage of the gift. She wrote about her life and the land around her. Aunt Lydia was writing of these things when no other native Labradorian was, and her stories have been passed down through the generations.

In this archival special, we meet Aunt Lydia through the impressions of two of her decendants...two women also determined to preserve the legacy of Aunt Lydia, and the stories of the land that was so dear to her.

The Shepherd

2013-04-07T14:03:11Z

Flocks of sheep once covered the fields of rural Newfoundland. These days they're a rare sight. Howard Morry has watched big changes in the sheep farming industry since he was a boy. He's been farming sheep for more than 70 years. And now, the tradition he loves so much continues with his children and grandchildren.

Howard Morry must sleep well. He's been counting sheep his whole life. Ever since he was six years old, Howard knew he was born to be a Shepherd. In this program, Howard's family takes us back to an island on the Southern Shore where his flocks graze all spring and summer...just like they used to, years ago.

The Women Who Crossed an Ocean

2013-03-31T13:46:33Z

Most came from Scotland...others from England. Close to 800 of them. The war brides. The women who fell in love with Newfoundland servicemen during the Great Wars...the women who crossed an ocean to be with their husbands. For better or for worse.

For some of these young women, the shock of outport Newfoundland was just too great. Many of them caught the next boat back home. But others stayed. And in this program, we'll meet three of the war brides who did. Three women who built new lives in Newfoundland's Trinity Bay.