The song that expresses the bitterness of our modern history, the icon of what we have had to endure. The dreams of our fathers all died in their sleep, what an expression of the tragedy of post Confederation Newfoundland.
This is an excellent variant of J P Cormier's ballad about the displacement of a small outport community on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland that was only accessible by water or bush plane. The federal government cut funding to the town after the cod moratorium and spent millions to relocate the last residents. Shortly after that a logging company built a road into the area to harvest the trees. Originally recorded by musician, singer-songwriter, J P Cormier [b.1969] with Ron Hynes (The Messenger - J P Cormier Sings, 2008 CD, trk#12, recorded at J P Cormier's studio and produced by Andre Bourgeois, Flash/Fontana North Distribution, Universal Music Group).
Visited there in the summer of 2016 by sail boat. A beautiful place and learned a lot from the people who still return for the summer to fish or to live as they did before. One can only imagine how hard it must have been to be uprooted and moved. There was a vote to take part in this relocation. Obviously the people knew the writing was on the wall and this was their opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their offspring. Thanks for the great song and video.
lovely job there guys.... sad,but true story... this goes to show how much "bull$^*T"that Newfoundlanders has to to content with on this resettlement ordeal and nightmare.ty for post
in response to GDJEST- you are mistaken, there is no road to anywhere near Harbour deep,the nearest road is over kilometers from the town, and it's another 60 Kilometers again to the highway.
Good point, Adam, but I didn't make it up. Logging roads come and go as quickly as the trees are harvested. Since logging was/is prevalent in the area, the first logging road about 2003 may have been long overgrown with fast-growing softwood lumber. I found a google satellite map of the area and can see many areas to the west and southwest with faint lines with what looks like old trails. Perhaps they are just buggy trails today, but once carried logging equipment, vehicles, and lumbermen. A lot can happen in 17 or 18 years. I'll let my comment stand here and at GEST Songs: gestsongs.com/35/great.htm
