My Olympus digital 50/50 zoom camera is starting to go on the fritz. Some months ago the zoom function was not showing up in the eye piece viewer but did in the LCD screen. As I use the eye piece for 80% of picture taking this caused some problems, like having the subject only half in the frame or some times not in the frame at all. So I have had to revert to using the LCD screen for all shots.
This is a bother as I have to have my glasses on for one thing, another bother is bright days it is hard to see the image even with my glasses.

Then a couple weeks ago the locking mechanism for the battery compartment would not lock properly. Turned out one of the plastic ridges that ensure that the thing locks securely has broken off. The only way I can lock the darn thing so I can still take pictures is to put a rubber band around the end of the camera.
It makes it awkward for picture taking especially doing anything quickly. The rubber band interferes with the on/off function and the zoom function.

Meantime I salvaged the trusty Olympus Om2 out of retirement for ‘just in case’. It still works after the battery sitting for some years, and after some getting used to the weight and the metal feel it soon felt good, especially when using the 85 to 210 zoom lens. The down side is getting the film developed; I have become so used to instant images that I can not see me not having to look at a new camera, like a DSL maybe………hint.

Truth is I have been doing a lot of ‘looking’, I always come back to either the Olympus Evolt-520 of 620 but leaning heavily on the 520 price being the contributing factor.
A lot of other brands and models look attractive but once I buy a brand and it seems to be OK I tend to stick to them.

Mean time I took some shots around the waters edge yesterday, it was overcast so the fall colors in the distance are not as prominent as real life.

I think at times we all feel a little like the graffiti written on the stern. But then it goes away and life is good, relatively speaking.

It was a nice weekend for being outside, except for the black flies, or sand flies, or whatever the hell they are called, combination of both plus others I would guess.
On Sunday I did relent to Fran’s subtle badgering about going to pick some berries. We tried two locations with good breezes blowing, still the little buggers got in your face and up orifices, both times we made a strategic withdrawal.

I managed to get 2 cups of red and Fran about a cup of blue before the retreat.

Fran has her blue on cereal, I made up some muffins. The recipe calls for 3 cups berries so I added a cup of grated zucchini to make up the difference. Tuned out a nice combo, retained the tartness of the berry with added moister from the zucchini. I share my muffins, someone gets cranky if anyone eats the blue, except if there grandkids.

This is from the “what the hell were they thinking” files. As soon as I read about this new name for a vegemite product I thought of the ‘new coke’ fiasco, looks like history is repeating itself.
Not so much for the name but for the product itself, Christ, if I want cheese with my vegemite I will add it myself, not that I would mind you……….OK I do add cheese slices at times.
I am a happy little vegemite.........


Some links to provincial MSM stories that are of interest to and of Labrador, one more personal than the other.

The fire that destroyed some contractor’s machinery in Hopedale was working on an extension to the water and sewer service for the town.

This story is more on the personal side. I, and I am sure others, are hoping that the victim is not made into the guilty again. Typical of the man to blame others and events for his own personality traits.

Huston AOK for lift off

We have sun and Mr. Frosty this AM.

I do not have any opinions on why ol Trevor abruptly resign from the Danny cabinet yesterday and from his seat next week.
One piece of advice I would have is; if ol Moammar does happen to pitch his tent in Sin John’s then maybe Trevor could grab a couple of goats as peace offerings and seek Moammars advice on facial hair cultivation.

Trevor’s time as minister for transport was a non event from a Labrador North perspective. There was no movement, in a forward direction, on any of the files covered under his portfolio.
No forward motion on the new air strip, at least nothing in the public domain. And as far as marine transport, well she has been in a steady as she goes reverse motion since ol John Hickey was given the heave ho.

Huston we have snow!

In the land of the red dawn they do openness and accountability the way it was meant to be done, open and accountable.
Announcing politicians pay raises before the fact, the raise is below the average yearly annual increase and it was assessed by an independent body, amazing in it?

Danny Boy could lean a thing or two down there, is it time for a fact finding mission or is he too busy handing out our money to corporate welfare bums.

Nice to see the fog and drizzle back, Siutik may recover from her lethargy now that it is cooling down.

There are bear sightings around town again, early in the week one attached the cloths dryer vent at the side of one house and there was one minding its own business up the back of here on Nain Hill.

The humans are restless too, the warm weather maybe, or drugs and or booze. Early Monday morning there was a commotion at the back and side of our house. I thought maybe dogs or even a bear. No, it was Homo Sapiens in all its basic forms.
If the barstards want to play silly buggers with each other then I don’t know why they can’t do it near their own homes instead of interfering with others people’s space and peace.

The irony is that if Ursus Americanus behaved in a way that Homo Sapiens are they would be shot. I don't want them shot, just maybe injected with some common sense and respect for others.


Finely some news [all be it from the other side of the country] on the review of the Food Mail Program.

It would be great if any changes to be implemented could be put in place before the end of the summer shipping season but Government being what it is I won’t hand by the short and curlys waiting.

In one of the comments there was a link to this supplier in Quebec. To my mind that model would maybe work in Labrador through the Terrington Consumers Co Op.

At the moment I am not a strong advocate for any retail, wholesaler or shipper, I could even see my way to support the status quo if there was openness, transparency and accountability involved. Until there is I am not willing to contemplate the status quo.

Officials from INAC should make a visit to Nain before the marine shipping ends to do a base line study of what is in the stores at the moment then came back around February for a follow up.

The fresh foods departments have taken a nose dive in the variety and quility. The worst section is the frozen meats departments, it is pitiful to go in and see what is available.
I sure hope that we do not see a repeat of last year where the stores flew in untold amounts of frozen meats under the subsidy, the way things are going I suspect that is what the intentions are.

Our former member of the House of Assembly has plead guilty to uttering forged documents and breach of trust.

Some would say, and have said “Least ya all forget the Good that Wally has done for the people of Labrador. This man would give you the shirt off his back. I have seen miracles that this man has performed. Perhaps the people who run the government should get the stiffer penalty. They abused the system knowingly” Then this one. “In Wally's defense, he is, overall, a good man. He genuinely cared for his constituents. I am pleased to have met him and to have seen first hand how he did his best to care for those that elected him”.

Wow, lets blame the system again shall we, just like Jim Walsh has. I agree Wally WAS/is a good man in many respects, but I have a problem with people saying that he would “give the shirt off his back”. You see the truth of the matter is that at best he was giving the people the shirt off their own backs.

For all intentions and purposes Wally was a good constituency man, maybe that led him to do what he did, I just do not know.
I always had trouble with that term, constituency man, getting Wally to deal with the bigger issues that faced us all up here on the North Coast was no easy thing, though he did come through at times. Ironically one of those times that he did come through concerned transportation issues, it also involved Jim Walsh who was Transportation Minister at the time. Little did we know that we were sitting at the table with one future felon and one alleged felon 'the system made me do it".

Late ol summer or what? Up to 21 yesterday and a balmy 18 overnight, is there hope for a berry crop yet?

Alas on the down side; when walking to wind ward [and the wind was stiff] the black flies hovered around your exposed skin, there was little relief against the wind either, for as soon as you took a dip in the road or were in the lee of a structure they would be all over you.

We chowed down into the first of the frozen section of the new food order last evening.

A nice medium rare prime rib roast served with fresh asparagus [relatively speaking], garlic mashed potatoes, yam chips, horseradish sauce with a beer reduction. No way can purchase meat of that quality or that price in any store locally, that’s a shame alas that is the reality. Way to go Terrington Consumers Co Op.

Not exactly omophagists are we?

Can you believe the effrontery of these oink oink politicians? OK you can.

While the House of Assembly Members Compensation Review Committee goes through the sham of holding public consultations as to member’s salaries they quietly, and assumedly to all their surprises, received an 8% increase in July.
Turns out the MHA’s are entitled to the same increase as public servants, some thing like “we are entitled to our entitlements” in it?
This reeks of hypocrisy, MHA’s riding on the backs of union workers, who have to fight tooth and nail and go on strike and be the receiver of all the rhetoric and hyperbole from the same government and their leader who did not know they had received the 8% increase.

Maybe it’s just me but it sort of has similarities with Jim Walsh claiming, in court, that he did not know what all those multi thousand dollar cheques were for but he deposited them into his personal bank account anyway.

For some strange reason this photograph [taken yesterday] reminds me of a little anecdote that I may have mentioned before, none the less.

A couple of years ago Fran was in Ottawa and was invited over to a friends place for dinner. Fran mentioned to the friends that she would like to buy some wine glasses as a Christmas gift for me.

No problem says the hosts; “we will help you find some before you leave Ottawa, the newest thing in wine glasses is stem-less”.

Later on in the evening after much eating and libations the female hosts said to the male hosts; let’s not forget that we have to help Fran look for those wine-less stem-glasses.

So these roof-less houses have been sitting like this for a couple of weeks. Some sort of problem getting the roof trusses in apparently. Not only is the food supply chain broken but apparently so is the construction supply chain.
Most store operators have been complaining that the marine shipping operators have been concentrating on construction supplies to the detriment of all others who have to use the service. There are [reportedly] two ship loads of general cargo sitting around waiting to be brought up the coast. It is the same old same old only that it is getting worse every year.

It only got up to like 14 yesterday with a nice breeze. None the less the black flies were at their murderous best, drive you to distraction those little buggers.

The Ranger docked at 3; our food order was on board and off loaded by about 4.30. We had it all but put away by 7. Most was in order excepting one large boo boo by some one at the Co OP.

I think in most of the developed world when you say you want BUTTER you get the stuff that is made out of cow’s milk.
Not so in Newfoundland & Labrador. When you ask for BUTTER here you [usually] get MARGARINE. Now I know this and have had many discussions about the anomaly.

Any way when we were in the Co Op doing up our order there was clearly lots of Co Op brand BUTTER in there freezers.
So we order 2 cases of Co Op BUTTER….Guess what arrives with or order?.... Yep… 2 cases of Co Op MARGARINE.

We do not use MARGARINE, I grew up with butter and many people here, including Fran, have become accustomed to the ‘different’ taste of butter and prefer it.

I guess I could say “if I wanted MARGARINE I would have asked for MARGARINE”. All will be worked out in the wash one would hope.


Butter update:

The issue of the wrong BUTTER being sent has been settled amicably.

I called the Co Op, and for awhile it was looking like I was churning away and the butter might go sour.
But after pointing out my position in a stern but friendly way the Co Op man realized that it is not good policy to have unhappy customers.
It worked out so no one is losing and the MARGARINE found a nice home locally, all arranged by the man at the Co Op.

I have to wait a couple of weeks for my BUTTER, but that’s what we get for living on the Labrador Coast as the PR people from Canada Post are want to say, but that is another story.

When all was settled we did have a protracted discussion as to the local ‘proper word’ to use when ordering BUTTER and MARGARINE. For me I am more confused than ever.

BUTTER is MARGARINE and if you want BUTTER you should ask for real BUTTER, unless your are in Nain where you ask for creamery BUTTER, but then at the Co Op to avoid confusion you should ask for Co Op gold BUTTER.
I wonder what would happen if there is a Co Op gold MARGARINE.

Me myself and I!

There is a lot going on around town that deserves writing about, alas I can’t seem to get my thoughts together or get up the necessary energy to put fingers to the key board.
Hence the photos of my culinary endeavors [as bland as they may be] over the last little while.

I have some whole chickens to use up before the freezer order arrives [soon I hope]. This one I used half for spicy/herbed deep fried chicken, then last night this very hardy chicken, vegetable, rice and noodle soup/stewy thingy.
It was most welcome after being out in that nasty old bone chilling wind.

The Northern Ranger is again behind schedule [after catching up last week] due to winds preventing her docking in a couple of towns on the way up. She is due in 2.30 today, 26 hours behind.

The shelves in the stores are depleting at a faster rate, one could be forgiven in thinking that it being mid September the summer stocks would have arrived and on the shelves, leave alone the fact winter is fast approaching and one would be forgiven in thinking that the winter stocks would be arriving any time soon, if that makes any sense.

It was that a long long time ago that the stores had a summer order arrive late July early August, then come late fall the larger winter orders would start arriving.

Modern times sees the shelves with the same old stuff left over from last winter and very little new [in the fresh sense and different items sense of the word new] stock, excepting fresh and perishables that is.

After reasonable weather over the weekend the winds have hit with a vengeance. We have had some sleet but it was not as bad as the folks in the CBC studios in St. John’s made out, we did get smidgens of wet snow on Monday, no big deal though.
Winds were up to 65 from the north last night.

If there is such a thing as a healthy hamburger than the one pictured would go close to it.



After a walk in the chilling wind I felt like something hardy, but not too heavy, to warm me up.

So an open hamburger was quick and healthy. I used toasted home made rye/whole wheat for the base. Big red lettuce from the garden. Two small burger patties. Home made sweet ketchup sauce. Mustard. Fried egg. Sautéed onions.

I am listening to the Provincial Minister of health trying to rationalize the latest balls up with health, specifically the closures of certain health services in Lewisport and Flowers Cove and the subsequent way Government released information late on Friday evening.

Just when you think these incompetents cant sink any lower then down they go another several feet.

You know you are in Labrador when one morning the temperature is+15 and the next morning it is +3.
After reaching 17 at 1 pm things quickly cooled off yesterday, the house staid nice and warm right through the night though.

Even with the warm trend it has not stopped the ever increasing color change in the landscape.
The reds of the berry bushes and the yellows of the deciduous trees are sweeping the hills with increasing urgency.

Last week sometime I caught a cooking segment on the cooking channel by a new personality chef whose name escapes me. She was blond and moved her
arms and hands a lot while explaining her cooking techniques. She had also spent time in Tuscany where she learnt this Italian method of preparing spaghetti Bolognese.

I made a mental note to give her recipe a try, so yesterday I did just that.
Mind you I had to improvise and change ingredients in some cases; it also takes time and needs paying attention and stirring a lot, but the result I think was worth it.

Basically you pout some carrots/onions/celery in a blender and finely chop them.
In a large pre heated heavy sauce pan you add some olive oil, add the vegetables and cook on medium to low, stirring and attending until brown bits form on the bottom of the pan. This brown bit forming is the secret to this recipe according the blond chef.

Next you add lean ground beef stirring and cooking slowly again until brown bits form on the bottom of the pan.

Then you add a large can of tomato past going through same process as above.

Then comes time to add liquid; in the absence of red wine I added a can of beer and water with chicken bullion cube.
You also add some aromatic ingredients, in the absence of fresh herbs I added dried herbs in a tea infuser, also added was some chopped garlic and several bay leaves.

Cook on low heat adding more liquid as the sauce thickens to a time when the smell overwhelms you and you have to get into it.

Cook spaghetti to just undercooked, drain and in the same pot add some of the sauce to finish of the cooking process.

Serve with fresh grated parmesan and red wine, in the absence of wine beer.

Greeting from the Caribbean of the north, got up to 24 yesterday and already to 18 today. I won’t bother wasting any wax on my body board though, I am sure it will be more useful for the skis in short order.

Pathfinder asked in comments about the situation with the CKOK transmitter. I thought I would answer here.

CKOK piggy backs on the CBC AM antenna which is a low power job [40 watts] hung between two 35 foot cedar poles 300 feet apart.
The original aim was to buy a 400 watt transmitter and bodgy the power output so the antenna could handle it. Unfortunately no one makes anything lower that 1Kw in Am transmitters now days. A 1kw would not only damage the existing antenna wiring it would also over power the CBC signal.

So the plan now is to go FM and still maintain the AM until such time as they no longer are able to be repaired.

Going FM will mean that the cabins in outlaying areas will not be able to receive CKOK as they do now, that is why maintaining the AM as long as possible is recommended.

Going FM is also not cheap, the transmitter will not be the biggest expense, that will be the antenna and all the inspections of the tower [CBC again] and getting riggers in to install the antenna.
Preliminary work was done prior to the previous Executive Director leaving. It would be prudent for OK to follow up ASAP as the old AM jobs could go any time. Then they could last for who knows how long.

We could go with a 1 kw AM using a whip antenna, but again, that would over power the low output of the CBC antenna.

It is expected to get up to a temperature of +19 degrees Celsius today, kawabunga!

After reading and listening to reports of the fire up at Hebron this is what I have garnered to date: The fire started in a chimney of one of the temporary workers cabins at the restoration site. These cabins were of all wood construction and were located about 100 meters from the historical Moravian church.
The fire started Tuesday morning and high winds quickly spread the fire to 2 adjacent cabins destroying all.
A Nain family who was stationed in Hebron as caretakers, and were the only occupants of the cabins at the time of the fire, have been airlifted back to their home town.

After the fire the family re located to a privately owned cabin and then a group of people hunting and gathering in the vicinity used their satellite phone to alert authorities of the situation.

Little François is back at the grindstone on a temporary basis.

Okalakatiget Society asked Fran to fill the role of orientation person for the new Program Director and as temporary Executive Director.
This came about due to the former Ex Dir leaving and the Program Director starting in a new position this past Tuesday and the society being unsuccessful in recruiting a replacement permanent Ex Dir to date.
The former Ex Dir replaced Little François when she abruptly left the society early in 2008.

We have had some fairly high winds of late, temperatures are nice getting up to 17 on Sunday but the average is around 10 to low teens.

School starts today; the big school is still undergoing its outside renovations. Replacement of the brick face with a metal face and all new windows has a ways to go yet.
Two units of the teacher housing quadruplex are still boarded up, there was a serious break/enter and vandalism during the summer, I guess repair work is still being carried out.

Preliminary reports are that three temporary cabins at Hebron were destroyed by fire Tuesday morning.
Speaking to a German couple at the dock last evening they confirmed the fire. On arriving at Hebron on their boat they said the sight of three burnt cabins was disquieting.

The local Family who have been ‘care taking’ at the site for the summer were all OK and were expecting to be picked up by helicopter and brought back to Nain.
Someone from NG was supposed to go up and inspect the damage and hopefully file a report as to what happened.

Also thankfully the historic buildings were not harmed including the rental cottages.

Further to the aforementioned German Couple:

Here is their boat/home “Gypsy Life” moored at the dock this morning.

In two brief encounters which resulted in intense question and answer sessions [me the answerer] I managed to garner that the Paul’s are contemplating maybe wintering around Nain.
A lot of logistical work has to be done before the final decision is made.
One may wonder why they would want to do that; reading through their web site might help understand. Rough translation is here.

My bad ol cold kept me inside and resting all day yesterday, only Fran and the dog did not go unnoticed.

My intent was not to blog again until Tuesday but while reading the online version of the Labradorian I came across this letter to the editor.

The letter is very moving for me and much more poignant for many of the Hebron relocatees and decedents I would think.

It is also relevant to the posting of last week, maybe it will help Tom and others understand that it is not only this 28 year resident of Nain who has feelings and many doubts about what is happening to the Inuit and their culture and language.

I link to the letter here.

Addendum to the post above:
I would just like to add that to my mind it is not just the Hebronimiut and their descendants that are the victims of this assimilation that is going on. It is all Inuit, no matter what town or region of Labrador you are from.

Rhubarb/peach/cherry cobbler. Not arf bad if I do say so myself. Alas the royal seal of approval was not bestowed.

Apropos of indigenous communities.

Apropos of giving.

Apropos of NG dealing with issues.

Postscript or wrap or whatever!

I have had a cold for the past few days, first cold for many a year, must have been all the bragging to people with colds about me/us taking Echinacea.
It seems to be breaking, now for the worst part, all that coughing and blowing the nose.

Besides racking my brain and searching for info on religious zealots I have been busy in the kitchen. Made a small batch of bread Wednesday, shame I could not smell the result.
I also made up a batch of rhubarb chutney and a double batch of rhubarb relish yesterday. I over cooked the relish a bit but it must taste OK, it received the royal seal of approval last night, Fran had ¼ of a jar with the meat pie, Fran is very fussy about condiments. Or perhaps that was a statement on the meat pie.

I had harvested our one rhubarb plant, about 3 pies worth I figure and had just taken the bread out of the oven when Stephanie dropped in some more rhubarb harvested up north some place, hence the making of the condiments.
On dropping the rhubarb off Steph said, “nice smell in here”, then, “see you” and left the building. 90 seconds later Steph re entered the building waving a $5 note and said “can I have one of those loafs of bread?” Kids!

The Northern Ranger docked at 5 pm yesterday, 281/2 hours behind schedule, mainly due to bad weather last trip south. She had at least a handful of tourists on board as well as a good contingent from Natuashish who came over for some shopping, pity the store shelves have not been re stocked adequately.

Now to wrap the SLM, TNA, BPCT and the many more associates and affiliates whoever they may be.

I have tried my hardest to be rational and understanding about these people and groups.

I feel there is a need, small as it may be, for a food bank. Maybe the people at NG will take note. There is most likely a need for people to access second hand cloths and furniture and the like, it is bloody expensive to buy those things new here and Canada Post charges makes it almost impossible for many people to receive many items by mail, another note for NG.

In any community there are always people on the margins financially. Nain and the Labrador Coast are no different than any other place I have seen first hand.
Actually people in general are better off here than many big city neighborhoods and it sure is better off than many African, Asian and South American areas we see and hear about in the media daily.

I see not evidence of malnutrition; no one is perishing in the streets.

Many kids who wear inadequate winter clothing has more to do with fashion in many cases. Kids hanging out around the waters edge or in the woods or around the streets have more to do with JUST BEEING KIDS than anything else. Some kids [and adults] being arse holes and vandalizing has more to do with being modern day kids than not having a home to go home to.
Sure there are exceptions, same as anywhere else. I see many kids who do not receive much love and caring, you can see it in their eyes and how they carry themselves.

But there are programs and there are people who care and there are places for them to go, and you do not have to swear allegiance to idols or shamans or Jesus or god or Mohammad etc.

Nunatsiavut and the Nunatsiavut Government are in the early stages of development.

Nunatsiavut was formed as a self governing land for the Inuit of Labrador.

One of the mandates of NG is to protect and enhance the language and culture of the Inuit of Nunatsiavut.

Whether one agrees with it or not the Moravian Church and it’s Lutheran based beliefs have become part and parcel of the Inuit culture over many centuries of exposure to it.

NG receives criticism from time to time for what seems to be slowness in dealing with many day to day issues, me being one of the critics. Yet this criticism is more in line with getting people to act faster and in line with the mandates that NG have, at least it is from my perspective.

Now if you look through the writings and web sites of those afore mentioned Zealots you will find many things, some strange and some quite weird.
What you won’t find is any empathy or thoughts or enthusiasm about preserving Inuit culture and language.
It is all about bringing in outside influences to convert under the guise of helping out the poor and disenfranchised.

No mention of the centuries of Inuit culture, ways of life unique to harsh northern climates.

No nothing like that, just get in there and convert as many as possible starting with the children using any means possible. Any means possible with these people means material things and money thrown around like a drunken sailor with a hole in his pocket.

Shinning Light Ministries of Nain seems to be a creation of the Whalen’s. I understand they have a BOD but I do not know who or how many are on this board.
If one Google SLM you get a lot of info about an international ministry with affiliations all over the world.
I was wondering if SLM Nain was affiliated with the bigger SLM. I e mailed the Canadian chapter and asked it SLM Nain and the alleged pastor here was affiliated. No cigar, never heard of the individuals or the ministry in Nain was the reply.
This is not to imply any sinister intentions by anyone; it is just for information purposes.

There does seem to be a pattern developing the more searches ones does though. Many of the ‘ministries’ and individuals that have been to Nain to see what the Whalen’s are doing all eventually end up back at Bill Prankard and his ministries one way or the other.

Now I have to get ready to go down to NG for a meeting with the VP. Not had one of those for many a year.

A little time later:

No meeting with the VP of NG eventuated, does not have the relevant info as yet.
If the truth were know it really was just a test to see if anything had changed, not yet apparently.

Continuing on from previous:

Arguably the problems for the Inuit started several decades ago, but for our purposes recent history will have to suffice.
My chronology will not be accurate and I will miss or am not aware of some events, but what follows will give an idea of what has transpired leading up to today’s controversy:

Some year’s back Ray & Juanita Whalen arrive in town, word soon was spread that they are here to help out with the starving half dressed children and to administer the gospel according to Jesus and all that sort of stuff.
There were some that thought maybe they were here at the auspices of the established Pentecostal church who already had a pastor here living in a home with a small chapel at the rear.
I am not aware of what relationship the Whalen’s had/have with the Pentecostal Assembly. I suspect it may have been one of mutual respect at first but may have soured in the interim. The Whalen’s are more likely to be considered “Independent” by the Pentecostal Assembly, but who knows for sure.

Next thing we know is that Bill Prankard is in town doing some video and taking pictures around town along with the Whalen’s. In the same time frame the Whalen’s announce that every home in town will receive a Xmas hamper for Christmas.

Same time frame; Bill Prankard is doing his spiel on his television show down south saying all this negative shit about Nain and how he needs people to donate money so these brave souls, the Whalen’s, can continue their Jesus given vocation in saving the lost souls of the north.

This fund raising by Prankard was supposed to buy much needed food and clothing and to purchase a home in town so the Whalen’s could continue the work of Jesus plus provide shelter for roaming missionary types in the summer months.

The negative way Nain was portrayed by Prankard down south caused quite a stir amongst some Nain natives. Angry letters were sent to the media.

Nonetheless money must have rolled in because the Whalen’s purchased the home [arguably the largest per sq ft in Nain] with a big lot of land and a view to die for.

So come that Christmas, and without doing a means test, the Whalen’s have their little local elves out dropping off these hampers to every home in town.
How bloody bold, conceited, disdainful, domineering, egotistic, forward, haughty, imperious, overbearing, pushy and rude are these people????
When the knock came at our door I told the elves NO THANKS. The elves looked scared and kept looking out the window where outside there were more people doing stuff, so I said OK leave it and thank you. At the first opportunity we gave the stuff away to people more in need.

Time passes, summer times see these small groups of people arrive doing activities with kids, parallel programs that the Nain Inuit Community Government [NICG] runs. Adds for AA meetings at the Whalen’s go up, another parallel program run by NG. According to various outside web sites and facebooks there are days where kids go to the house and are fed. There are spiritual gatherings at the house.

One summer several containers are landed loaded with used furniture, mattresses and clothing. From my observations some people with good jobs and vehicles were carting off some of the the loot, no means test applied here either, but it looks good for the suckers down south.
Other shipments of clothing and food arrive by plane.

The Whalen’s travel extensively during this time, they also have several vehicles for transport around town.

Next we know the Whalen’s have purchased the land, containing a shed type structure, next to their house.

Fast track to 2008/09. I do not know the order but all of a sudden the Whalen’s have applied for, and received approval from NICG, for a residential lot of land as well as a commercial lot of land up in the newest sub division.

NICG receives an application from "Shinning Light Ministries" for re zoning a section of land behind lot 106 Middlepath Road from ENVIRONMETALY PROTECTED to MIXED DEVELOPMENT.
Lot 106 is the land next to the house Whalen’s purchased.

Now it seems that "SLM" are the owners of lot 106 and the house next door.

Ray Whalen is the owner of the two lots up in the new subdivision. Materials for a warehouse on the commercial lot and for a house on the residential lot are already on site. So it would seem that NICG have given approval for these two structures to go up.

Meantime back at lot 106 things have hit a snag for the "SLM". "SLM" wants to reclaim about 30 feet x the width of lot 106 of ENVIRONMENTALY PROTECTED LAND to build a ‘community outreach center’.
Hearings have to take place undertaken by the NICG and conducted by their town planner. Consultations are planned both in private and public forums. Then a public meeting has to be held to provide community input.

So Bill and Rays presumptuous plans of having their proposed $1.2 million ‘community outreach center’ built on lot 106 post haste are not going so well.

That’s right folks, 1.2 million bucks.

Then there is the house and storage shed up in the newest sub division, and the house they live in now and they are off traveling for a month.

Are there any questions about where all the money for all this is coming from??? More importantly, how much money goes toward the starving half clothed children and how much goes to administration and housing and travel and the like????

In the mix we have the arrival in town recently of a lady from "TrueNorthAid". "TNA"" gets into trouble with some locals with her facebook page. "TNA" lady pulls all the critiques from the page saying it is a ‘fan page’ and if you want to contact her with concerns go to "TNA" web page, yeah right!

We then learn that the "TNA" lady is the granddaughter of ol Bill Prankard and that "TNA" received government funding to get started.

Several locals have expressed their disappointment with what is going on with "TNA" in another facebook page; you can add your two cents worth here if you like.

To be continued.

I am reluctant to draw attention to these religious zealots

who are using negative and misleading information about Nain to raise money.

Alas I feel I must write more about them so that at least some people know the truth. What is happening in Nain may not be a precedent on the global scale but it sure is new to us.

The Strategic Prayer Strategy is just one part of the story, the people who came in to spew that garbage are just one part of the picture, this would not have happened if not for the ensconced independent so called “ministry” here in Nain.

First off I have received a number of comments on the so called prayer, both on the blog and by e mail: see below.

"I can see it coming: Big tent. Brian and Fran go up front amidst applause, yells and the band playing. The preacher hits you each in the head and you are swooned by the love of Jesus, or whatever, and you are SAVED. And the whole town of Nain streams to the front of the tent to renounce Satan."

"I like the title: Strategic prayer strategy. I assume that the man who walked out disliked the stuff on idolatry and spirit worship? Reject all magic except our own!"

"I didn't quite understand the issue with the religious group that wants to put up a building in Nain. You are right about all the negative news about Nain and I always talk positive now that we have had a chance to experience the town."

"Just read your blog about these modern day colonizers. Phew!"

But my favorite is by someone at an esteemed English University

"Sinister shit man, stay vigilant! "

Hopefully more local input will follow to where it matters most, Nain Inuit Community Government or NG.

To be continued:

Some happy smiling stuff to break the negative heebeejeeby of the latest posts.

Fran’s old primary school buddy from Hopedale Hannie and her husband dropped in off the mv Orlova trip north in July.

Had a few brief hours of catching up and Hannie's husband took these photographs? To borrow Wayne’s caption, some pictures say a thousand words.

Picture credit to Jerry Fitzgerald.

Considering the Evangelical invasion of Nain this video seems appropriate. It was sent by a friend in the states, if it's sending is coincidental then it is a timely coincidence.


The mv Astron made a quick call to town Monday evening. Only four containers of general cargo and half a dozen or more of trailers with construction equipment. The good news is that a good part of the general cargo was beer.

The shelves on the stores are getting depleted and contain mainly aging stock with nothing new arriving, and here it is first week of September.

Asking why this is so is a bit like listening to that comedy skit “who’s on first”. Life here is one big deja vu all over again.

Here in are pages three and four of the Strategic prayer Strategy.




I do not know if anyone else feels sick to the stomach after reading these hateful pages but I sure do.

It is incredulous that people can come into a community they know nothing about, that is of a different culture and go into a church of a different denomination and con people into reading this stuff.
Shades of 50 bloody years ago, but it is much worse than when the Newfoundland Government and Moravians did it.

We are supposed to have moved on as society, learnt from passed miss deeds, society is supposed to be more enlightened and forward looking, not this backwardness closed minded mumbo jumbo.

Here endith today’s lesson.

Page two of Strategic prayer Strategy; continuation of sub heading Idolatry.