The
      Rock
      Rocks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Jim-Beaux
      Lieyeah
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cape
      Spear
      Na-
     
     
      tional
      Historic
      Site:
     
     
      As
      any
      traveller
     
     
      does,
      I
      have
      referred
     
     
      to
      my
      trusty
      Travel
     
     
      Guide
      to
      help
      me
     
     
      seek
      out
      Newfound-
     
     
      land’s
      treasures.
     
     
      Today,
      I
      have
      come
     
     
      here
      with
      a
      head
     
     
      foggier
      than
      most
     
     
      mornings
      on
      this
     
     
      province’s
      coast.
     
     
      But
      things
      have
     
     
      cleared
      quickly
      as
      I
     
     
      stand
      at
      the
      “Far
     
     
      East
      of
      the
      Western
     
     
      World.”
      From
      here
     
     
      there
      is
      nothing
      but
     
     
      the
      sea
      to
      the
      east.
     
     
      To
      the
      west
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      prosperous
      conti-
     
     
      nent
      has
      developed
     
     
      over
      the
      last
      500
     
     
      years.
      Around
      me
     
     
      lies
      a
      barren
      land-
     
     
      scape
      that
      has
     
     
      rightly
      earned
      the
     
     
      name
      “The
      Rock.”
     
     
      From
      here
      I
      can
      see
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Signal
      Hill...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cabot
      Tower
      sits
     
     
      perched
      on
      the
      top
     
     
      of
      Signal
      Hill,
      one
     
     
      of
      two
      hills
      guard-
     
     
      ing
      the
      port
      and
      city
     
     
      of
      St.John’s.
      From
     
     
      there,
      one
      can
      look
     
     
      down
      inland
      and
      see
     
     
      the
      city
      spread
      out
     
     
      in
      front
      of
      them.
     
     
      Looking
      out
      east,
     
     
      one
      is
      faced
      with
      the
     
     
      great
      navy
      blue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      expanse
      known
      as
     
     
      the
      Atlantic
      Ocean.
     
     
      The
      tower
      was
      built
     
     
      in
      1897,
      to
      com-
     
     
      memorate
      the
      400"
     
     
      anniversary
      of
      John
     
     
      Cabot’s
      discovery
      of
     
     
      the
      New
      World.
     
     
      Thanks
      to
      those
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sent
      out
      the
      first
     
     
      transatlantic
      wireless
     
     
      communication.
     
     
      The
      ramifications
      of
     
     
      that
      discovery
      are
     
     
      still
      being
      felt
      today
     
     
      with
      things
      like
      cell
     
     
      phones,
      television
     
     
      remotes,
      and
      garage
     
    
   
   
    
     
      POD
      Es
     
     
      ACA
      Ue
     
     
      head
      foggier
      than
     
     
      most
      mornings
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      USC
      Te
      ks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      coast.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Heritage
      Canada
     
     
      moments
      (the
     
     
      federal
      government
     
     
      and
      Sheila
      Copps
     
     
      beams
      at
      us)
      this
     
     
      spot
      is
      better
      known
     
     
      for
      Marconi’s
     
     
      experiment.
      The
     
     
      Italian
      inventor
      was
     
     
      looking
      for
      a
      place
     
     
      to
      test
      his
      new
     
     
      invention:
      wireless
     
     
      communication.
     
     
      Initially,
      he
      had
     
     
      opted
      for
      Cape
      Cod
     
     
      as
      his
      North
      Ameri-
     
     
      can
      site
      but
      prob-
      _
     
     
      lems
      and
      distance
      to
     
     
      Europe
      brought
      him
     
     
      to
      St.John’s.
      On
     
     
      that
      eventful
      day,
      he
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      door
      openers
      to
     
     
      name
      a
      few.
      But
     
     
      time
      has
      frozen
     
     
      here.
      The
      city
      has
     
     
      grown
      and
      modern-
     
     
      ized
      but
      here
      things
     
     
      seem
      the
      same
      as
     
     
      over
      100
      years
      ago.
      I
     
     
      certainly
      hope
      this
     
     
      National
      Historic
     
     
      Site
      remains
      un-
     
     
      touched
      for
      all
      its’
     
     
      visitors
      imaginations
     
     
      to
      enjoy...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ...As
      I
      walk
      through
     
     
      the
      park,
      my
      gaze
     
     
      keeps
      returning
      to
     
     
      the
      sea.
      Below
      me
     
     
      lies
      the
      jagged
     
    
   
   
    
     
      coastline,
      defiant
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      face
      of
      the
     
    

    
     
      oceans
      remorseless
     
    

    
     
      attack.
      At
      its
     
    

    
     
      furthest
      corner
      the
     
    

    
     
      ocean
      heaves.
      The
     
    

    
     
      rocks
      are
      swal-
     
     
      lowed
      and
      the
      waves
     
     
      roll
      over
      them.
      It
      is
     
     
      something
      to
      be-
     
     
      hold
      when
      nature
     
     
      rolls
      these
      waves
     
     
      over
      the
      coast.
      Each
     
     
      heave
      builds
      to
      over
     
     
      six
      foot
      peaks
      today
     
     
      before
      it
      crashes
     
     
      down
      on
      the
      edge
      of
     
     
      the
      continent.
      The
     
     
      sea
      colour
      trans-
     
     
      forms
      along
      a
      blue
     
     
      spectrum,
      from
     
     
      navy
      to
      teal,
      to
     
     
      green,
      and
      finally
      to
     
     
      the
      white
      of
      the
     
     
      foam
      as
      it
      drifts
      out
     
     
      to
      sea
      again...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      drifted
      out
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Corner
      Brook
      early
     
     
      yesterday.
      We
      got
      a
     
     
      first
      hand
      taste
      of
     
     
      the
      town’s
      curious
     
     
      statistical
      claim
      to
     
     
      Canadian
      fame.
     
     
      This
      area,
      that
      lies
     
     
      nestled
      in
      a
      valley
     
     
      with
      the
      Humber
     
     
      River
      on
      its
      side,
     
     
      gets
      the
      most
      snow-
     
     
      fall
      anywhere
      in
     
     
      Canada.
      Usually,
      I
     
     
      would
      dispute
      this,
     
     
      however
      all
      evidence
     
     
      seems
      to
      confirm
     
     
      this.
      Marble
      Moun-
     
     
      tain
      lies
      a
      five
     
     
      minute
      ride
      out
      of
     
     
      town
      and
      claims
      to
     
     
      have
      the
      best
      skiing
     
     
      east
      of
      the
      Rockies
     
     
      (which
      my
      brother
     
     
      Nic-oh-lie-yeah
      has
     
     
      confirmed).
      This
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      can
      not
      validate
      but
     
     
      I
      can
      say
      that
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~Nov.12th
      there
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      enough
      snow
      to
      ski!!
     
     
      Corner
      Brook
      is
     
     
      Newfoundland’s
     
     
      darling
      town.
      Their
     
     
      economic
      policy
      of
     
     
      aggressive
      promo-
     
     
      tion
      to
      lure
      compa-
     
     
      nies
      in,
      has
      paid
      off.
     
     
      The
      bustling
      town
     
     
      sprawled
      over
      the
     
     
      valley
      is
      certainly
      a
     
     
      site
      to
      behold
      after
     
     
      200+
      km
      drive
      from
     
     
      the
      ferry.
      The
      world
     
     
      class
      salmon
      fishing
     
     
      here
      has
      also
      served
     
     
      to
      justify
      its
      pres-
     
     
      ence
      on
      many
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1]
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      small
      opening
     
     
      around
      a
      concrete
     
     
      frame.
      Upon
      closer
     
     
      inspection
      and
      entry
     
     
      one
      realizes
      they
      are
      p
     
     
      in
      the
      concrete
      maze
      r
     
     
      of
      a
      WW
      II
      coastal
      (a
     
     
      gun
      battery.
      Huge
     
    

    
     
      guns
      still
      sit
      in
      their
     
     
      sidings.
      It
      is
      not
     
    

    
     
      hard
      to
      imagine
     
    

    
     
      their
      arrival
      from
     
    

    
     
      the
      US
      in
      1941
      and
     
    

    
     
      the
      first
      shells
      (250
     
    

    
     
      pounds
      a
      piece)
     
    

    
     
      being
      fired
      out
      to
     
    

    
     
      sea.
      Any
      entry
     
    

    
     
      towards
      the
      harbour
     
    

    
     
      must
      pass
      through
     
    

    
     
      these
      guns
      sight.
     
    

    
     
      One
      can’t
      help
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TTA
     
     
      WOU
      CTE
      Le
     
     
      STC
      eR
      UTE
     
     
      when
      they
      sawa
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ee
      Ca
     
     
      a
      huge
      ice
      herg
     
     
      inch
      its
      way
      past.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      surveys
      of
      the
      top
     
     
      10
      places
      to
      live
      in
     
     
      Canada.
      Year
      round
     
     
      world
      class
      facilities
     
     
      (thanks
      in
      part
      to
     
     
      the
      Canada
      Games
     
     
      that
      were
      held
      here)
     
     
      and
      resources
     
     
      should
      keep
      this
     
     
      town
      on
      the
      list
      for
     
     
      awhile
      to
      come...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ..One
      comes
      upon
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wonder
      what
      the
     
     
      soldiers
      thought
     
     
      when
      they
      saw
      a
     
     
      whale
      glide
      by
      or
      a
     
     
      huge
      ice
      berg
      inch
     
     
      its
      way
      past
      (person-
     
     
      ally
      I
      can’t
      help
      but
     
     
      speculate
      that
      these
     
     
      guys
      took
      shots
      at
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      fun).
      The
      con-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
     
     
      page
      12