I have always been fascinated by abandoned fishing settlements on the island of Newfoundland where I am staying right now. Whenever I have the chance, I visit these mysterious locations: the shores where fishermen conquered the ocean in their small boats, the homes of large families who often had a tough life, the churches where the people prayed for better times.
On the Canadian island of Newfoundland, approximately 300 isolated fishing communities were abandoned in the years 1954 to 1975. Many of them can still be reached and explored on foot or by boat. Together with my friend Leslie, I recently hiked three hours across the tundra in Northern Newfoundland to the bay where the hamlet of Fortune once stood.
There is only one house left in Fortune today, still standing but badly damaged by the wind, the elements and time. Part of the church tower is buried in the grass. A few years ago, I was still able to enter the house, climb up the stairs to the bedrooms where the beds could still be seen. This is not possible anymore. Decay is taking its toll.
Many of these remote settlements were abandoned because the governement encouraged the people to resettle to other places. The province of Newfoundland could not afford to build power lines and roads to all these communities. The inhabitants received some money so they could move to more populated areas. Almost 30000 people moved away from their tiny villages. However these places are not forgotten: would-be-explorers like me are irresistibly drawn to them.
