King’s Point Hospitality
We are filled with memories of our visit as we raise the anchor and depart LBI at 9:00am on August 8th. Our time with Jackie and Rob gave us the opportunity to build on our friendship and to meet their family. We were pleased to be included in the opening of the Friendship Centre and we almost bought a cabin. Now we will head to our furthest western stop for this year, at King’s Point in Southwest Arm.
Through the narrows at LBI.
The journey is 22 nautical miles so we anticipate it will take us about four hours. The sun is shining and once again it is fairly warm on the water. With a southwest wind we hope to sail at least to Green Bay so Harald raises the mainsail before we leave Little Bay Islands. By 9:30 we are moving under full sail with the occasional gusts to 15 knots as we approach Three Arms.
It is “lumpy” and spray is washing over the bow as we turn south; the wind is on our nose so we drop the sails and motor the rest of the ten miles to the bottom of the arm. The shoreline is stunning and there are no cabins until we near Rattling Brook.
We approach the wharf at By The Sea Inn & Cafe and tie on without trouble. The expected southwest wind in coming days is right for our position - there will be no bumping or squeaking while we sleep. Memories of being here at the end of August last year when we rode out a gale, the tail of a hurricane. No hurricanes in the forecast this week. Sadly, unlike last year, there will be no friends visiting us from Ontario, either.
A welcome arrival at King’s Point
The cafe’s deck is calling so we have an early supper - sharing the grilled calamari, Harald has the liver and I order the pan-fried cod. Delicious!
Corey, the owner is on a floating barge repairing the front of the wharf ahead of us. When I see a young lady speaking with him I decide to call her over as she passes by. She explains she is the daughter of the owners. I ask if she knows of a way we can obtain some medical assistance, assuming we will need to travel to Deer Lake or even Corner Brook. My eye condition has worsened and is now very uncomfortable.
She explains there is a new hospital in Springdale, just twenty minutes away, and that she would be more than happy to drive us there herself. This is more than we could have asked for, as we were expecting a bus ride or to borrow a car. We run back to the boat where we pack a bag with some overnight essentials, books and water bottles and meet her at her car in the parking lot.
There is nothing but trees and rocks along the roadside once we leave town. But our driver, Taylor, is friendly and the drive is pleasant as we chat about her life here in King’s Point. She is equally interested in us and our journey. She used to work at the Inn and Cafe but now works at the small souvenir and craft shop nearby. Taylor delivers us to the emergency doors and asks me to text her when we have some idea how long we will be. Two ambulances have arrived just ahead of us so we are anticipating we will not be seeing her again for several hours.
The Green Bay Health Centre is only three years old. It is modern and spacious. After a difficult attempt to register a patient with an Ontario health card, we are asked to wait until the triage nurse calls us. That happens just after I settle with my book and the doctor calls me just another ten minutes later. I have told Taylor the registrar believes we will be at least two hours so she returns home, only to be called back about thirty minutes after she dropped us off. “Not a problem!”
The doctor doesn’t waste any time, concurring it was probably a bug that got under my eyelid. He prescribes three medications and tells me it will be good in a week. We wait ten minutes for Taylor who then takes us to the drug store and the largest Foodland we have ever shopped in. We “power shop” for the essentials (produce!) and some “good specials”, not wanting to keep her waiting.
Back at the wharf, so grateful for the generosity of our hosts, needed medicine and having already had our supper, we settle in, comfortable with our surroundings and the caring staff at By the Sea Inn and Cafe. Diners come by to say “hello” and to ask the usual questions of us. We are in no hurry and have been invited to stay as long as we would like. At $20 per night, groceries, laundry and hikes - our calendar is open.
The tide is high when we have our cockpit breakfast on Friday morning. We can see over the deck beside us. The sun is magnificent. It is going to be warm, though but a walk is in order. I do not have access to the laundry until mid-afternoon when housekeeping has finished with the machines.
A couple of gentlemen visit us at the dock after they finish their meal on the patio. One says he is from “near Toronto”….I push….”Peterborough and Lindsay actually”. I tell him I have family in Lindsay and he asks the name. He is also a retired teacher - doesn’t know my sister but used to play hockey with my brother-in-law. Another small world moment.
We find some information boards near the whale museum explaining the mining boom between 1876 and 1913. Five small-scale copper mines appeared in the hills east and south of King’s Point. The first, “Swatridge”, had several shafts constructed but only a few tons of ore were shipped out. The mine manager fell through the ice while throwing sticks to his dog. His death brought the end to the mine.
The other mining operations were also short lived but did provide needed employment through the Green Bay Area. Even though little ore was shipped out, major infrastructure was noted. At “Old English” an 800 foot double-track tramway was constructed which connected one of the shafts directly to a wharf.
In the 1870s King’s Point also had a telegraph office and services earlier than any other settlement on the northeast coast and central Newfoundland. During the First World War, the telegraph office was an instrumental part of the community, keeping families informed, sometimes with tragic news
In the early years, mail was sent and received once a week by dog team and later snowmobile in the winter and by coastal boat in the summer. This is not the first time we have read about these services in outport Newfoundland.
After walking along the shore, with a brief stop for ice cream, we climb the hill of Main Street to the grocery store.
It doesn’t take long to find what is on our list - all the things we did not purchase when in Springdale yesterday. At the counter, while packing our insulated backpack and grocery bag, the cashier/owner asks if someone in line would give us a ride back to the wharf. The first lady jumps right in with agreement. So does the man behind her - we recognize him as the man who “Screeched In” our friends here last August.
The lady wins the chance to drive us as she is first out the door. She is the principal of the local school. There are ninety children in the school, coming from King’s Point, Jackson’s Cove and Harry’s Harbour.
Expressing our gratitude, we say good-bye and carry our purchases to the boat. It is coming up to 6:00pm so I continue with the laundry. We know tomorrow will be a rain day and we’ve been told there will be a planned power outage on Sunday from 8am to 2pm.
Saturday is wet and windy. We putter at chores in the boat until lunch time and wander in to the dining room for today’s special - pea soup and dumplings. It is just as I remember my Grandmother Chevalier making - with carrots and turnip and chunks of salt beef. We linger over tea and partridge berry cheesecake. Some of the staff come to chat and to ask about my eye. So thoughtful.
Some photos are sent from home - my other sister and brother-in-law are visiting our son and his family near Cornwall. Their day at the fair, including pony rides, the ferris wheel, merry go round and sitting on tractors brings smiles to our faces. We send back virtual hugs.