"… Fogo Island, a 90-square-mile patchwork of 10 minuscule fishing villages where clapboard houses the color of jelly beans cling to rock 400 million years old. Among its quirks, Newfoundland has its own time zone, half an hour ahead of the mainland. But wander through Fogo Island's villages and you might as well set your watch back to the 18th century."
This is how Jon Wertheim of 60 Minutes described this island, which is north northeast of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The story is about Fogo Island as well as Zita Cobb, who came back to the region where she grew up. The economic idea was to build a $40 million, luxury inn, a plan to diversify the economy in the remote part of a remote province.
Microloans were also part of the plan to enrich local business: furniture and quilts for the inn, hydroponics, even a local coffee shop.
The story also mentions cod, or as they call it in that part of the world, fish. Crab and shrimp are now more prominent than cod. Cod is back with limits.
Cobb noted that the idea is growth but not too much growth: "less market share." "We're optimizing for place. We're optimizing for community."
Wertheim tells the backstory of the cod industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Most readers of our blog know that backstory but we remind ourselves that most people who watch 60 Minutes may not know or remember.
There was lots of talk about hospitality, as in "love of a stranger" and "come from away." There was a lovely scene where the people gather with a lot of Newfoundland music. The top photo comes from that place, a nice nod to the distinct time zone, the only one of its kind in North America.
That photo came from what Wertheim said the locals dubbed a "shed party," which seems like a kitchen party in a shed.
Canada only gets mentioned in terms of the cod fishing industry.
Canadians and Americans can travel to fancier places for cheaper than traveling to the Rock. You do get a very different perspective traveling to such a place that you wouldn't get from travel spots your friends are more likely to recognize.
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CanadianCrossing.com Newfoundland and Labrador coverage
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CanadianCrossing.com television coverage
You can follow more of the 60 Minutes coverage of Fogo Island. 60 Minutes runs on CBS in the United States and Global in Canada.
photos credit: 60 Minutes/CBS
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