Port Union Geek-out

Been doing too much to post regular updates, but here’s something at least.

All our NL trip photos will wind-up appearing HERE.

I knew nothing about the town or its history until I started doing a bit of research for an article I wrote for Our Times a while ago (read it HERE).  Pretty amazing and it might just be me but not well-known outside of NL, perhaps even just this bit of NL.  Tonnes of photos of the site HERE.

Just quickly: Coaker, the FPU’s founder, led a strike by St. John’s dockers (mostly boys) at age 13.  The city’s merchants had a lock on everything moving and ran the fishing industry as one big company town.  Coaker and Co couldn’t see a way to break the monopoly on fish and log exports and the import trade in everything else as a traditional trade union.  

The FPU was formed and found land and a harbor in what became Port Union and ran everything as either a co-op or with ethical pricing.  At its peak the union had 20,000 members and ran and elected about 10 (I think) MHA members, a daily newspaper and shops and banks and you name it.  It also owned the town and all the buildings in it and rented them at not-for-profit rates.  Into the 60’s it was a bustling town in a sea of economic downturn.  

The merchants and the Catholic Church got together and attacked the Union.  Priests threatened members with excommunication etc.  Changes in the seafood markets, the rise of frozen rather than salted fish preservation and the appearance of seafood multinationals and global pricing undermined its market share.  By the 1940’s it was in decline and Port Union was mostly abandoned by the 1970’s.

Our B&B hosts know the story of Coaker and the Fisherman’s Protective Union (To Each His Own) backwards and forwards and so were really helpful.  We even got an hour or so with the Executive Director of the foundation that’s slowly restoring the buildings that are left.  They also run a gift shop and tours in an effort to supplement the grants they get from various heritage agencies.

I’ve offered to try and connect them with unions that might either make a contribution or which would use the facilities for conferences etc. and pay for their rental, also generating some cash.

A couple of the row houses have been restored (the originals are on wooden foundations and so it’s no mean task) and are rented out.  Would make Geri and a great retirement home I think.  J  And Iceberg Vodka runs an iceberg capture and melt operation in what used to be the union’s fish salting factory.

Best B&B?

Shelly and Garry Blackmore’s Captain Blackmore’s Heritage Inn.

1.       Fab house that has been in one of the owners’ family for a long time.  Photo album of the restoration/rebuild after 26 years unoccupied.

2.       See the photos of it HERE.

3.       Geri’s back had her in bed a couple of afternoons and Shelly and Garry were offering to bring her tea and check on her if I went out.

4.       Laundry available.

5.       Lobster dinner at a stupidly reasonable price cooked and on the table on request.

6.       Chock full of advice on everything from organic food restaurants to where the iceberg hunting is best.

7.       Shelly on the board of the Port Union Historic Site so lots of background to the area.  That alone made staying here worthwhile.

8.       Great breakfast with lots of options, cooked to order and to your preferred timing.

9.       I give it a rave and when next we come back to see how the restoration work is coming along we’ll stay here.

The Area:

1.       Eat the Newfoundland specialties at The Mifflin Tea Room.

2.       The Bonavista Social Club is well worth either lunch or dinner.  Fun menu.  I recommend the mooseburgers.  :-)

3.       Iceberg hunting can be a lot of fun, even in the weather we’ve been having.

4.       Throw in the odd nap and some reading while it rains and there’s way more to do here than you would think.

Don’t forget when you visit to buy lots of stuff at the Historic Site gift shop and to make a donation.