Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 30

SPRING SUMMER
2017
CANADA
NL 1949
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
A HOMECOMING
WORTH THE WAIT
BY DR. SUSAN DYER KNIGHT
The first female Chancellor of Memorial University, Dr. Knight is an inductee of
the Order of Newfoundland and the Order of Canada. A choral conductor and
music educator of international repute, she advocates for the power of song as
an engine for individual human health and enrichment, and for the creation of
empathic communities.
28 six star magazine
My parents’ families both came to Newfoundland from Ireland
in the early 1800s. I was born in St. John’s and my parents, who
were both very forward thinking, enriched my upbringing. My
father instilled a value of intellect and education in us. And my
mother, a visual artist, brought to us an appreciation for the arts.
Both of my parents fostered the value of our stories, traditions
and a strong sense of belonging to Newfoundland. We were
taught to understand how lucky we were to have landed here
and to call this place our home. I would only later come to fully
appreciate this lesson.
Our roots run deep here. We are storytellers with a rich history
of observing, remembering and sharing. For hundreds of years,
we practised, perfected and passed on the skills of storytelling.
Literacy came later. There is this strength of character in
Newfoundlanders that is genuine and grounded. Maybe it comes
from fighting a threatening ocean in order to have a life. Or
being forced to develop skills and creativity in order to survive.
But there is a true sense of knowing where we belong, knowing
who we are and understanding our connection to each other.
It is critical to love and value where we come from. This
foundation makes us compassionate, so that when we see others
displaced or in need of a home, we are welcoming. This is about
Newfoundland and it’s about Canada. And that’s what makes us
so special because, well, you don’t come here for the weather!
When you do visit Newfoundland, all of your senses will be
stimulated. From the rich sea air that fills your lungs as you step
off the plane, to the music that is just about everywhere you turn.
Foods that are local, fresh and fantastic await all palettes, from
old cuisine to new.
There are theatre productions, museums and literary festivals
galore. Visit one or even all four of our UNESCO World Heritage
Sites, including an ancient Viking settlement. If the means are
there, you can stay in one of the top five hotels in the world, Fogo
Island Inn, a proud story of ours we love to share.
Whatever you want to dig into, you can in Newfoundland and
Labrador. You can ski, dive, climb mountains, hunt, deep sea
fish or fly fish. And if you just like to walk, then you’ve found a
haven here.