Letter to the editor

A7

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In this society today where all we hear about are the negative aspects of everything from people to nature, it would be totally refreshing to seriously consider something very positive in regards to our community. The loss of jobs complicated by the loss of our skilled work force to western Canada and elsewhere has resulted in many changes within our culture and society. Non-profit and service organizations are suffering from a lack of volunteers, causing them to start depending on each other. This may not be such a bad thing because out of stressful and depressing situations comes the resilience of mankind and innovative solutions.

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That is what makes it simply great to be a human being. What make us even greater is when we can step outside the box and lend assistance to our neighbors in their time of need. That is exactly what happened when over 100 years ago the Miramichi caught and shipped four moose to the now Province of Newfoundland/Labrador, which by the way was a British Colony then, not a part of Canada. The shipment of the moose was an attempt to provide needed resources when their fishery suffered a complete break down and depletion (similar to today). The result of that gesture was the Miramichi moose has thrived and grown beyond everyone's dreams, becoming one of the healthiest and most prosperous businesses in the world.

In 2004, the small town of Howley, NL, established a small memorial park to celebrate the release of the Miramichi moose 100 years ago. Howley is situated approximately 32 kilometres east of Deer Lake, just off the Trans Canada Highway.

The town has named the street going into the park Miramichi Avenue. Within the park is a flagpole upon which flies our provincial flag and usually the Newfoundland flag. On the day my wife and I visited, the Newfoundland flag was missing, but the New Brunswick one was up there as proud as could be.

There are a couple of picnic tables and benches, however in the center of it all stands a small statue of a moose. Next to the moose is a granite slab telling the story of how the moose was brought there from the Miramichi and released into the wild.

This letter is an official request to establish a similiar memorial to celebrate this historical event in our history. I had made a similar request several years ago of our past City Council and it fell upon deaf ears. I am hoping that the newly elected Council will see fit to pursue this matter. It would be nice to reconsider twinning with the small Town of Howley as well.

As you can plainly see, what we have done for Newfoundland has not been forgotten by Newfoundlanders, because it is in their nature to be grateful for any kindness shown to them. I guess that is why they are such great people, quite similar to Miramichers, dependant upon the forest and waterways to make their living.

Tim Hoban