Product of Newfoundland
Trivia, Folklore & Assorted Nonsense
The yarns that knit ya. A blog about Newfoundland: Strange Truths, Tall Tales & Pop culture from a Foggy Island.
The Daring Days of Ann Harvey
Defying the tragic history of the Island of the Dead, 17 year-old Ann Harvey took on the impossible and rescued more than 150 shipwrecked immigrants from a windswept rock off southwestern Newfoundland.
The Terrible, Awful, Probably Preventable, Great Fire of 1892
On a hot summer day in 1892 a horrible fire swept through St. John’s. It left eleven-thousand people homeless and forever changed the face of the city.
Frightening Lightning and Horrific Hail in Lumsden
On June 26, 1930 a horrible storm with giant hail pelted the small town of Lumsden and wrecked havoc all along Newfoundland’s east coast.
The Blimp That Blew Away
“Everyone was harried with fear, but they could not take their eyes of the monster which seemed to have life.” That’s how the St. John’s Daily Star described the fateful visit of US blimp C-5 to the city in 1919.
Mermaids, Pirates and Propaganda
The story of pirate Peter Easton and the tale of Newfoundland’s most famous mermaid share one point of connection — Richard Whitbourne.
Francis Pickmore’s Worst Winter. Ever.
How bad can a Newfoundland winter get? How about snow drifts in the governor’s bedroom? Not that the governor complained much - he couldn’t, he ended up pickled in a barrel of rum.
How Did Dildo, Newfoundland Get Its Name?
Owing to its name, Dildo may be one of the best known communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. How the town got such an unusual name is a matter of debate.
John B. Garland and The Blood Book
John B. Garland, Newfoundland’s first speaker of the legislature, had an interesting hobby — making blood collages.