Excellent new video - Marble Zip Tours

Turn your volume up, and then enjoy ...

My Newfoundland Adventures ... Solicitor says "you're on your own mate!"

We have been seeking the return of our snowmobile gear (14xsuits, 15xhelmets, boots etc), and unpaid monies from MY NEWFOUNDLAND ADVENTURES for the last 15 months.  It's been hard work and cost ... despite us clearly owning the gear, (having the receipts etc) and coutless emails from him and his local "business mentor" Mike J, confirming the agreements between us.  The company and its owner, director, and only real employee, Martin (aka Marty) Hanzalek has refused to talk to us, or respond in any sensible manner.

When I visited the shop (in December 2009) to ask for the gear face-to-face, he called the police using 911, (aka 999 in the UK, can you believe it????!!!!) and pretended that I was threatening staff and scaring customers. Unfortunately for him I had recorded the whole situation and the police were very interested to hear the recording, and the fact that there were NO staff, and NO customers in the shop at the time - and all the claims of his were false and lies! They were looking at prosecuting him for wasting police time and false accusation.  I was told by the police that they've experienced similar previously from him ...

So after 15 months ... we finally have gone through the legal process and swapped evidence prior to "discoveries" (which is the stage before court, allowing both parties to face-up and be clear on their position).  Unfortunately, the My Newfoundland Adventures solicitor did not send their evidence against us, or defending them.  Why?  Because he wasn't getting paid!

Just after Christmas the MY NEWFOUNDLAND ADVENTURES solicitor went to the Supereme Court to request authority to be removed from the case he had previously been defending, on the grounds of not being paid by his client (MNA aka My Newfoundland Adventures)!!!!

Our claim against MY NEWFOUNDLAND ADVENTURES is over $20,000 and the return of our  snowmobile gear. (This is all public domain information).

Now he feels he can carry on without response to our attempts (over the last 18 months) to find an amicable solution ...   strange behaviour! ... its so unlike real Newfoundlanders ...

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Six things you must do in... Newfoundland

Newfoundland is the closest point in Canada to Britain, a five-hour flight away.

Gareth Huw Davies's list of things you shouldn't miss during a visit to this stress-free island includes mountain walks, whale-watching, icebergs and Viking remains, seriously fresh and tasty fish dinners - and a welcome that is second to none . . .

1: COLOURFUL HISTORY

We landed in the provincial capital St John's, a pretty little city of brightly coloured wooden houses built on steep streets spilling down towards the harbour. It is the oldest English-founded settlement in North America.

There are lively bars, good restaurants - the young waitress in Ches's Fish and Chips in Freshwater Road was one of the most helpful I have ever met - and homely guesthouses.

The big attraction in St John's is Signal Hill Historic Park. This is where, in 1901, Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message - three dots sent from Cornwall.
At the new Johnson Geo Centre (www.geocentre.ca), there is an exhibition on the Titanic, which sank 350 miles off the Newfoundland coast in 1912.

2: WHALE WATCH

Out of the calm, grey water at Cape Spear came one of the most exciting sounds in the animal world - a whale spouting only yards offshore.

In Africa and elsewhere you usually have to go deep into the wild to encounter great beasts. In Newfoundland, you find awesome creatures within walking distance of the main city.

On another occasion we saw whales breaching - flipping out of the water - as we ate at the Lighthouse Restaurant, on a promontory above St Anthony in the far northwest.

The sun was also glinting on an iceberg. They drift past majestically all summer long.

3: THE OTHER IRELAND

Set aside a week to drive around Newfoundland in a rough triangle with sides 250 miles long (visit www. frontier-travel.co.uk for fly-drive ideas).

Easiest to reach, on empty roads south of St John's, is the Avalon Peninsula, where people such as Rita (she runs the Hagan's Hospitality Home in Aquaforte) speak with an accent fresh-minted in Limerick.

This is said to be the most Irish place in the world outside the Emerald Isle itself. Immigrants first came for the teeming shoals of cod on the Grand Banks, now tragically depleted.

When we checked out of Rita's hotel, she handed us gifts of home-made chowder and a jar of jam, made from the abundant local cloudberry.

We took a whale-watching boat trip at Bay Bulls and counted the puffins hurtling across our bows.

4: ONE TO CATCH

On our first visit to Fishers' Loft, a handsome and comfortable small hotel in Port Rexton, Dame Judi Dench and Kevin Spacey had just checked out after shooting The Shipping News.

We heard a wonderful story about Spacey sending his bodyguards home because there was nobody to guard against.

The movie, set on the east coast of the Bonavista Peninsula, makes this area look bleak and eccentric when in fact during the summer it's a pleasant stretch of little bays, inlets and headlands.

And you are guaranteed a welcome that humbles you. 'How have all you folks been today?' was a normal enquiry from complete strangers we met on a footpath.

Fishers' Loft (www.fishers loft.com), which has an excellent restaurant, is run by Englishman John Fisher and his Canadian wife.

5: VIKINGS'BRAVE NEW WORLD

We flew from St John's to St Anthony to see positive proof that the Vikings set foot in North America around 1003.

On the flat coast at L'Anse-aux-Meadows is the continent's only authenticated Viking settlement site, discovered in 1960.

We toured rebuilt turf-walled longhouses and a replica Viking furnace and collected pebbles on which 11th Century explorer Leif Ericson might have stubbed his toe.

At the southern end of Newfoundland we made our oddest day-trip ever. The tiny islands of St Pierre and Miquelon (population 6,125), a 90-minute ferry journey from Fortune, are an overseas French territory.

Islanders use the euro, gendarmes protect them and Nicolas Sarkozy is their President. During the Prohibition era, Al Capone trafficked illicit liquor through here.

6: MOODY AND MAGNIFICENT

You don't have to take the long haul to Calgary or Vancouver to experience Canada's mountain wilds.

Newfoundland offers an accessible wilderness in the Gros Morne ('Big Gloomy') National Park, 420 miles west of St John's.

Geologists drool over this big upsurge of rust-coloured mountains, lonely fjords and forest. Around 570million years ago, two land masses, driving at each other like rugby forwards, forced part of the Earth's mantle to the surface.

An area known as The Tablelands is the centre-piece of this Unesco World Heritage Site.

Take in the spectacular terrain by car, on foot, by bike or by kayak. Boats take you into the heart of this untamed place.

There is a good choice of hotels and inns in the area (see www.grosmorne adventures.com or www.newfound landlabrador.com).
__________________________________________________

By Gareth Huw Davies - 27th September 2009
Original article from DailyMail.co.uk 
www.crazyaboutnewfoundland.ca/newfoundland

Humber Valley Resort - Holiday Chalets

Humber Valley Resort is very much still open for business! The summer, whilst of course quieter than previously, partly due to the lack of direct flights and the current uncertainty, is actually busier than one might expect.

Visitors are still blessed a beautiful landscape, culture and authentic experience. It still all about the people - and there are plenty of opportunities and activities to try out.

Humber Valley Resort chalet owners are now working with a variety of partner companies to promote their chalet vacation rental. The challenge for everyone involved with the resort is the need to maintain the standards that are expected.

The HVR Chalet Owners are now promoting their chalet and their partner company via the CrazyAboutNewfoundland.ca website.

Check out www.hvrowners.com/rental to see what is available.


There are also a growing number of local families now living on the resort, and there is a lot of interest regarding real estate opportunities, looking for owners with their chalet for sale ... again these are promoted direct by owners at www.hvrowners.com/forsale


Everyone involved is CrazyAboutNewfoundland.ca ... Are you?

HVRC to file for bankruptcy

The end of Humber Valley Resort (as we know it today) ...

With sadness I have to blog that today Humber Valley Resort Corporation (HVRC) announced that it is to file for bankruptcy. See below for their announcement email.

We can only hope that when everyone including creditors, owners and the local community (& its economy) have got through the next stages of the ongoing process ... what's left of the resort and everyone directly and indirectly involved with it, can grow into that vision and belief that we all had, and mostly still have.

We all share the passion of, & belief in, Western Newfoundland & its people. In fact We're Crazy About Newfoundland.com ... Are you?




Announcement email from Newfound NV:

December 2nd, 2008
Humber Valley Resort Corporation

Dear Owner,
You may recall from our presentation and earlier correspondence that, during the time Newfound has been financing the CCAA process, we also formulated a draft preliminary plan of arrangement that, in our view, gave the interested parties i.e. the creditors and the chalet owners the best result in the unhappy circumstances that Humber Valley Resort Corporation found itself in.

The plan that we had put forward asked the Government of Newfoundland to support it in 3 areas, namely;

* To assist in bringing flights into Newfoundland from the UK

* To work with the local Municipality in their takeover of running essential services on the resort

* Transferring into freehold, the amount of leasehold land that HVRC had already paid leasehold fees on, so that financing of new development could take place enabling the creditors to participate in the resultant profits.

It was not feasible to submit our proposed plan to the Court for approval, or to the creditors and chalet owners to vote on, unless we had some indication of support from the Government, in writing, to it. Conditional support would have been acceptable. The Government have had our proposal for consideration since 16 October. Whilst it is fair to say that we have had encouraging discussions, we have had no confirmation of the Government position, either verbally or in writing. Our initial requested deadline for a decision was 14 November. I was promised on Monday 24 November that, after the Cabinet meeting of 27 November I would be informed of the decision, either way, in writing. I explained during that conversation that we had run out of time as our CCAA protection was due to expire and if I could not submit the plan then I would have no choice other than to withdraw our proposal, which would mean imminent bankruptcy for HVRC. The alternative would be for Newfound to risk a great deal more money as a creditor to HVRC and I do not have Board authority to do so. I was very careful to stress to the Government on Monday 24 November, that I wanted to and was able to continue, but was clear that close of business on Friday 28 November was our absolute deadline for a Government reply. This was, sadly, not forthcoming. I understand, from a third party, that the proposition was discussed as cabinet but there was no resolution. Despite our best efforts, there is nothing further we can do. I am deeply disappointed, as I still believe our ideas were the best possible result in the circumstances.

In these circumstances, I am afraid that we join you all as another creditor, and confirm that HVRC will have to file an Assignment in Bankruptcy, and that bankruptcy is now imminent. I am so sorry not to bring you better news. Should you have any questions, you may, with immediate effect, address them to Mat Harris and his team at Ernst and Young. Derrick White will no longer be in a position to formally help you.

Yours sincerely,
Jayne McGivern
CEO Newfound NV

HVR News - But is it good or bad news?

Newfound's new CEO Jane McGiven has visited Humber Valley Resort, and announced the company's re-focused direction and mission statement. An email to owners gave an outline of what's to come - and those wanting change - have got it!

The first question is, is it good or bad news?

Key initial points
* Newfound wants to retain the operation of the resort within the company
* The primary focus will be to build high-end chalets
* Tennis courts are among the new services to be added
* Focus on completion of the road system, cycle paths and verge landscaping
* Reduce the property sales activity - to create a more controlled build plan

All of which seems good news. But the email went on ... to announce, with effect at the end of the next winter season, the closure of the resorts rental pool and vacation business. Not in the email, but clearly by inference, this also means the UK to Deer Lake charter flights also stop at Easter 2009.

The email then invites owners to make their own arrangements for renting their chalets, and re-states that Newfound's core business should be the development of great chalets in a well run and attractive wilderness resort.

"A well run resort" ... with no holiday makers? and no way to get there?

The announced changes leave a lot of questions, and will effect a lot of people including resort staff. Is it good news or bad? It certainly seems bad news (at this time) for most owners and many of the staff. However so would have been "no change" ... and time will tell, as the story will continue to unfold.

As a postscript - Jayne McGiven also met Tom Marshall the provisional finance minister and local MHA representative, and apparently made it clear that the company would not continue to fund the only tourism flights from Europe, and reinforced that if tourism is to succeed the provisional government needs to take a much more active role. I also hear that her suggested solution is the resumption of the London to St Johns route. (Not that great for Western Newfoundland in my opinion).

There will no doubt be more news (good & bad) and thoughts in the near future!


We're (still) CrazyAboutNewfoundland.com ... Are you?

Newfound results and re-structuring announcements

Newfound NV released their annual results today, and at the same time announced major changes to the management structure, and corporate financing.

The following is the Humber Valley part of the Chairmans statement:
"At the beginning of the year the sales strategy was altered to attract high net worth purchasers to Humber Valley Resort in Newfoundland, Canada. This strategy has taken longer to deliver results than originally envisaged with new sales of US$ 4.7million which was below expectations, although in addition there were a number of re-sales.

We believe that there is a market for our product at Humber Valley at the US$ 750,000 level as evidenced by the re-sale market and from early 2008 this is where we have been concentrating our marketing efforts.

Since the autumn we have focused on vacation marketing to Humber Valley. This is an important aspect of the business as it gives a momentum throughout the year, increases our operational revenues and some of our vacationers have gone on to purchase property. We have now signed agreements with a number of Tour Operators who can sell vacations to the resort. Most of these Tour Operators are based in Europe and Canada, but due to the time lag in operators publishing their brochures and websites, we expect the main impact to be felt from the 2008/2009 ski season.

Humber Valley Resort's occupancy in 2007 rose by 18% over 2006 resulting in an increase in operational revenues in local currency of 16%. The first three months of 2008 showed further progress. Going forward, we are looking for further suitable agents for the North American markets and focussing on the conversion of vacation leads and enquiries into real bookings as well as enhancing our web based sales and marketing strategy.

Our current owners at Humber Valley are our best marketing avenue and we have been talking with many of them to see how we can improve the operations there. This has resulted in a review of the way the accommodation rental pool is operated to make it more simple and transparent. Priorities have been set for infrastructure capital spending that is required to benefit both owners and vacationers and improve the existing facilities.

As mentioned in my statement last year, we have been addressing the construction issues and although some still remain we did achieve our aim of accelerating the construction program during 2007 and we are making healthy margins on new build. During the year, we carried out significant construction work on over 60 chalets resulting in an increase in revenue in local currency from construction and furnishings of 66% to US$ 21.3 million. We have nearly completed the construction backlog inherited at the time of the Newfound acquisition in 2006 and, subject to suitable funding being in place, it is hoped that all of the remaining outstanding contracts will be started during 2008.

In 2007, the first full year of operation of the 18 hole golf course, we won four prestigious awards including Golf Magazine (golf.com) Best New International Course 2007 and ScoreGolf Magazine's Best Canadian New Golf Course 2007. The credit for this must go to our Golf manager and his team.

We have recently signed an agreement with Monarch Airlines to run a weekly Boeing 757 from Gatwick to Deer Lake to cover both the summer and winter seasons, thus supporting the expected increase in vacation traffic. Although the charter at present makes a financial loss until such time as vacation numbers increase, it is an important part of both the operations at Humber Valley Resort and its future development."

In addition todays annoucement included a new CEO, and a future new Chairman with Jeremy White standing down as Chairman when the right replacement is found.

Jayne McGivern, the former chief executive of Multiplex's UK arm, has taken over as head of a Newfound. McGivern, who left Multiplex in February in the wake of its takeover by Canada-based Brookfield last summer, was this morning appointed CEO of a new management team at Newfound.

Read the full statement - ShareCrazy or Newfoundresorts.com announcements
We're CrazyAboutNewfoundland.com - Are you?

Newfoundland iceberg spotting season

People have begun to flock to the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador on a hunt for icebergs, according to the Canadian Tourism Commission. The stretch of water between the northern tip of Labrador and the eastern shores of the Avalon Peninsula is known as iceberg alley at this time of year, when the sea carries mountains of ice close to land.
Icebergs tens of thousands of years old, which were once part of the Greenland icecap, are buffeted by wind and tide, breaking into smaller chunks before melting in the warm waters south of Newfoundland and Labrador.
According to the International Ice Patrol, 2008 could be a highly active year for iceberg sightings. The agency has been monitoring the movement of the ice since February and has reported more than 500 icebergs moving south from Greenland, compared to only 50 last year. Newfoundland and Labrador rely on iceberg-spotting as part of their tourism industries and visitors can join organised kayak or boat tours, or can simply stand on the shoreline to watch the massive bodies of ice float by.
Story: Opodo

FOR SALE: Strawberry Hill Resort

"Every asset of most companies is for sale at the right price at the right time" ... and for Humber Valley Resort that includes its Strawberry Hill Resort. Strawberry Hill is up for sale for a cool £3.3M (approx $6.7M).

Its being marketed through "Country Life", as potential boutique hotel, corporate lodge, or even as a private home.

Being the only real fine dining restaurant in the area - we've all got to hope it remains a tourism commercial property - the valley is desperate for cafes and restaurants!

Country Life - web advert - The Western Star - Story

Evening Snowmobile Ride on Marble Mountain

We team up with local friend John and his wife Marilyn, and her two sisters - for a night time snowmobile ride. WOW - this was good. Its snowing, with a full moon, and of course freezing cold. The ride, starting from My Newfoundland Adventures shop at Steady Brook, goes up the side of Marble Mountain (due south) ... and is a clearly marked trail. (Its the one MNA use for their 2 hour ride for first timers.

Frustratingly for local snowmobilers, the trail is not groomed often enough ... but even so, its a good run, and after about 40 minutes we arrive at the Chill-Down-Shack.

From Snowmobiling-...

These shacks are maintained by the Trial Association - all local snowmobile owners buy a trial sticker (approx $75 pa) which helps support the grooming and shacks etc - its really an oversized garden shed ... but equally, a welcome sight when its cold and you're looking to warm up and have some lunch! Inside is a iron stove, a pile of wood and a picnic bench. Its clean, tidy and obviously cared for - despite the remoteness of its location ... (wouldn't last one night in the UK without being burnt down by some dim-wit youth!).

John connects a cable from the shack to his snowmobile and suddenly theres lights in the cabin. (How very unexpected, and civilised). He reappears in the shack with an axe (!!) and quickly dices up some logs, sets the fire, and breaks out the hot chocolate. We all share stories about our Dog Sledding experiences in Gros Morne - and general amusement about the snowmobile ride.

Interestingly, the three sisters keep referring to Cinderella - but we've not yet worked out which one is which (if you see what I mean).

We clear our mess, and fire up the sleds - and in 40 short minutes we're back down at the base of Marble Mountain. We're all very happy, smiling and generally feeling we've had another great evening - beats wasting a night watching Eastenders, or worst, spending the night flicking through the Canadian satellite channels ... and I thought Sky was poor ... not any more!

Joking apart ... we've had a great evening - you should try an "Evening Snowmobile Ride" - A lot of fun!

New-found-land - An Ideal Place For Winter Sports

"An Ideal Place For Winter Sports”

“The reality of Newfoundland is far different than my misguided perceptions. The province is farther south in latitude than England, and the climate is fairly temperate. The average winter temperature is minus-5 degrees Celsius (about 23 degrees Fahrenheit), and in late February and March, sunny days often outnumber any other climatic pattern. All this makes Newfoundland an ideal place for winter sports—from skiing to snowmobiling.”

By Peggy Shinn SkiSnowboard.com & MSNBC

As we kicked and glided along the frozen, snow-covered fjord, we weren’t really watching where our skis were going. The surrounding 2,500-foot snowy mountains, set against a cloudless blue sky with their ice-speckled cliff faces plunging into the fjord, kept our attention focused upward. We heard melt-water pouring off a snowfield high in a glacial cirque to our left and a raven cawing in a stubby spruce forest to our right. Far ahead, the fjord narrowed and vanished around a bend.

We stopped to drink from our water bottles and apply more sunscreen. Wearing two shirts, a fleece top, and a jacket, I was sweltering in the late February sun in a mountain landscape I thought only existed in the Alps or Alaska. Who knew Newfoundland was so warm? And so stunning? Where was the fog? The frigid arctic temperatures? The feeling that we were at the end of the earth, or at least close to it?

My perception of Newfoundland—garnered from reading “The Shipping News” by Anne Proulx (who called the island “six thousand miles of coast blind-wrapped in fog”), “The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float” by Canadian author Farley Mowat (who wrote, “most Southern Shore Newfoundlanders acquire a taste for rum soon after abandoning their mothers’ breasts”), a few Newfie jokes remembered from junior high school, and just looking at a map—was that it was a desolate, desperate, windswept place somewhere near Greenland and populated by drunken misfits. I half expected to be served Screech, the province’s unique form of rum, and cod tongue at every meal.

The reality of Newfoundland is far different than my misguided perceptions. The province is farther south in latitude than England, and the climate is fairly temperate. The average winter temperature is minus-5 degrees Celsius (about 23 degrees Fahrenheit), and in late February and March, sunny days often outnumber any other climatic pattern. Even more welcome news: Without the winter rains that often plague New England, Newfoundland’s prodigious snow-pack stays soft, similar to the snow in the Rockies. All this makes Newfoundland an ideal place for winter sports—from skiing to snowmobiling.

Our trip began with two beautiful days backcountry skiing in Gros Morne National Park, an isolated stretch of wilderness punctuated by dramatic land-locked fjords and tree-less mountains. The map had labeled the large land-locked fjords (which became land-locked after the glaciers retreated thousands of years ago) as “ponds”—and we soon learned that Newfoundlanders are prone to understatement. We kicked and glided for three hours until we reached Bakers Brook Pond, which was at least five miles long. After spending the night in park-service-maintained hut, we explored the stunning “pond,” making the only ski tracks that day across its snowy surface.

After our backcountry adventure, we headed south to Marble Mountain, Newfoundland’s major ski resort. Situated on an escarpment that plunges 1,700 vertical feet down to the shores of the salmon-filled Humber River, Marble has some serious skiing on gloriously soft snow. Locals claim that the lack of winter rain and freeze-thaw cycles keeps the snow softer than at Eastern ski resorts in the U.S. And with so few skiers and snowboarders, even on weekends, the place felt like our own.

Although Marble, with its 1,700 vertical feet and 35 trails, is small by destination resort standards, the entire region—Newfoundland’s central west coast—has a surprising number of amenities and activities. The resort itself has a modern 54,000-square-foot post-and-beam base lodge, and a small collection of ski-in/ski-out condominiums called Marble Villa. Ten minutes up the Trans Canada Highway, the Humber Valley Resort rents truly luxury homes. Families and friends can rent well-appointed 2,200-8,000 square-foot homes for the week for a fraction of the cost in the States or Europe. Three British friends sharing a Humber Valley chalet, as the homes are called, paid 1,200 Euros for the entire week. And they each had their own bedroom and bathroom.

The resort also offers a cruise-ship-style menu of activities—snowmobile tours, snowshoeing treks, helicopter skiing expeditions, or any other activity ever tried on snow. Humber Valley even has its own full-service spa. Yes, a pedicure in Newfoundland. Who would have thought?
Perhaps one of the best places to soak in the splendor of this remote island province is in the Blomidon (literally blow-me-down) Mountains, a 20-minute drive southwest of Marble Mountain. Blomidon Cat Skiing —the only snowcat skiing operation in the East—takes up to eight people and two guides in a Bombardier BR400 snowcat from the spruce and birch forests surrounding the Humber River Valley up to the treeless bowls and pistes of the Blomidons. From here, the views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence set against the barren Alpine slopes are worth the price of admission.

As we sat near an Alpine brook eating a picnic lunch, I picked up a rust-colored rock, one of many littering the brook’s bed. “That’s part of the earth’s mantle,” said our guide and Blomidon Cat Skiing owner Glenn Noel. He went on to say that this is one of the few places on earth where the mantle was thrust to the surface eons ago.

I looked up at the piste we had skied before lunch—a 25- to 30-degree face delineated by more rust-colored rock outcroppings. How many people can say they have skied the earth’s mantle, I wondered. Not many, I guessed. The Blomidons probably see as many skiers and snowboarders in a decade as more popular backcountry ski operations on the mainland see in a month.

Then it dawned on me. Maybe Newfoundlanders don’t want their secret out. Maybe they like the fact that mainlanders perceive the island as a desolate wasteland, that it’s not yet “found” by many people, except for them. For then they can keep the splendor all to themselves.

But I quickly backpedaled. Newfoundlanders not share? No way. They are far too generous not to share. They are the kind of folks who personally call you if your flight is delayed or share their stash of caribou sausage. As for the Screech and cod tongues, they shared those, too. But only when we asked.
By Peggy Shinn SkiSnowboard.com & MSNBC ... and credit to Gary Kelly

Deer Lake Airport - Astraeus out & Monarch in

After a number of years enabling flights between London and Deer Lake, Astraeus (Flystar) announced this week that they will be ending their charter flights with Humber Valley Resort as of April 18th 2008.

Its understood that Monarch will be taking over, and Humber Valley Resort will be making their formal annoucement shortly. Flights in summer 2008 will be on a Thursday.

Full story - Western Star or FlyStar.com & Monarch

Timberland Development On Hold - Injunction Permanent

We're CrazyAboutNewfoundland.com ... Are you?

The Town of Pasadena had put an injunction on Timberland Resort to stop the start of development work a year ago.

Brian Pike, the former mayor of Pasadena hoping to build an 18-hole golf course and more than 300 residential units, claimed Timberland was exempt from obtaining permits or signing a development agreement with the Town of Pasadena. However the Town, and then reconfirm recently by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, believe that the exemption is not transferable.

The Timberland Resort development looks like its either got to stop its "go it alone" approach and work in partnership with the Town of Pasadena, or declare itself dead.

Bob Mercer, the mayor of Pasadena, made it clear that the Town is not against developments, reminding people of the South Brook development. South Brook (at the eastern end of Boom Siding, and to the north west side of Pasadena) has got all its relevant permits, and they are due to start clearing work this spring.

Full story in Western Star or read the Injunction Paperwork PDF
Link Timberland Golf Resort or Town of Pasadena websites.

Newfoundland real estate market booming

Due to the increasing revenues from natural and non-renewable resource projects in development or about to get underway in the granite province, the inevitable has begun to happen in Canada's youngest province.The jobless rate is on the decline and the housing market is on the rise. As the price of oil remains high, the major

players in the industry are all trying to et a stake in the vast resources our province has to offer. This naturally has the effect of better paying jobs and a willingness from consumers to buy big ticket items such as houses.

A quick drive through any of the larger populated areas will no doubt surprise any visitor or former locals returning home. Houses are going up everywhere. All news reports point to the fact that there is not enough skilled trades to keep up with the demand for new housing. This is leading to increasing purchases of older homes that are move in ready and may need only minor work to convert it to be adequate accomodation.

In the area of Gander, it has been said that the cost of building new homes over the past 4 years has risen by an average of 15% per year. Will the boom end anytime soon? Probably not as the current government seems intent on developing the province as a major leader in the production of oil and hydroelctric generation.

The opportunity to invest is present for any savvy entrepeneur!
We're www.CrazyAboutNewfoundland.com ... Are you?

Video - Activities and Aventure in Humber Valley, Newfoundland

Fun video showing some of the adventure activities happening in Humber Valley Newfoundland.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kT6IfSu7VQM

More Newfoundland videos on MyNewfoundland Videos

Rafting down the Humber River ...

We met Marty of MyNewfoundland.ca today, and he encouraged us to try the river rafting sunset trip ... for which we were easily convinced and signed up for ... The trip leaves just west of Marble Mountain, and it was a pleasant surprise to find a picnic basket, cheese platter, and two bottles of champagne in an ice bucket! (Though it was shared across the whole crew!) Its about an hour and a half to two hour sedate cruise down to the edge of Corner Brook - then again the duration and sedateness can change depending on your athletic abilities or wants that day... lets just say, ours was sedate!

All the pictures and video clips are on our Webshot storage area

We're CrazyAboutNewfoundland.com ... are you?

The Provincial Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador

White is representative of snow and ice;
Blue represents the Sea,
Red represents human effort and
Gold, our confidence in ourselves.

Thirty years after joining the rest of Canada, the official flag still remained the Union Jack. England's official flag. It remained the Union Jack because Canada was a common wealth country of England.
In 1979 however, a commission was formed to select a new flag. One year later, one of six designs submitted by Newfie Christopher Pratt was chosen as the new provincial flag, and it was first flown on that years Discovery Day.

Visit & Blog - Sun 2nd Sept - A lovely day

The weather has cleared, and its a blue sky, perfect day - wow! We enjoy exploring the chalet and Kate completes her 6km run across the resort.

Then we're at the club house - Eagle Perch - and Daune sorts a good table near the window - that said all tables have excellent views, so theres no real stress. We enjoy the views (with the amazing 10th tee in the background). The Sunday Brunch spread was very impressive, and I initially I hadn't got to grips with the logic of return visits to try a range of dishes!

After the brunch we went across to Boom Siding, directly on the other side of the lake, opposite the Beach House. We checked out Dan & Kate's cabins - very rustic and perfectly positioned - why aren't they staying here? - The beach is good quality and has amazing views down the lake and across to the resort. We walk about a mile - a good way to spend the afternoon.

Then its back to chill out at the chalet, and later a light supper. The resort has a beach bonfire at 8pm, and we drop down to the Beach House, and take the wine down to the beach to join the party. The fire burns logs pulled earlier from the lake and is well made. They'd provided suitable long sticks and a few bags of marshmellows ... such great fun.

The first photo is just after the fire had claimed my marshmellow ... (more pics) Lots of fun, right next to the lake - and with so little light pollution, there were many more stars in the sky than you'd see in the UK.

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Day 1 - Flight & Arrival
Day 2 - A washout & shopping
Day 3 - Walk, Brunch & Bonfire
Day 4 - Tour & Tapas
Day 5 - Bay of Islands & Strawberry Hill
Day 6 - Gros Morne & a Moose
Day 7 - Quad Bike Tour
Day 7 - An honourary Newfie
Day 8 - Fishing & the 35lb cod !!!

Visit n Blog - 31st Aug - Flight and Arrival

Friday 31st Aug - flight and Arrival
Everything was easy at Gatwick, and we arrive in Deer Lake on time at 6pm, pick up the car from Thrifty - and get going down the Trans Canadian Highway (TCH) heading west towards to Humber Valley Resort.

Driving along the TCH with Deer Lake stretching out into the distance on our right, makes a beautiful scene. We briefly stop in Pasadena (a small town to the east of the resort) to pick up some food for breakfast, and then its off to the resort, and it's club house - called Eagles Perch - to check-in.

A lovely welcome- and we're met by Jonathan ("hes back!"), who tells us whats happening this week - and makes sure we're all sorted.

We drive up to the chalet, and have problems with the driveway steepness. (Daniel says they had similar problems with the snow in April). The front wheel drive rental car only gets half way up, so its down to Daniel to bring the cases up to the chalet. Speaking as his mother, his language wasn't good - but hes excused!

Not the arrival Dan & Kate had hoped for, but I get a quick tour round the chalet - wow its amazing, and looks fantastic, and has a view to die for - we then unpack, and get off to the Beach House for supper.

Dan & Kate seem to know a lot of the staff, and theres lots of catching up going on. We have a good supper and a few drinks. (The mussels need fine chopped onions and a lot more garlic!) We also meet a new resort senior manager Paul Shelly, who seems very genuine and up for making changes for the good. Seems to be planning an excellent New Years bash. Theres a nice buzz in the place. This is going to be fun!

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Day 1 - Flight & Arrival
Day 2 - A washout & shopping

Day 3 - Walk, Brunch & Bonfire
Day 4 - Tour & Tapas
Day 5 - Bay of Islands & Strawberry Hill
Day 6 - Gros Morne & a Moose
Day 7 - Quad Bike Tour
Day 7 - An honourary Newfie
Day 8 - Fishing & the 35lb cod !!!

Deal Restarts Newfoundland Oil Project

A 15-month standoff between the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and several major oil companies over an offshore oil project ended Wednesday, putting the $5.6 billion development back in motion.

Last year, the province’s premier, Danny Williams, walked away from talks with a consortium that includes Exxon Mobil and is led by Chevron Canada after the companies rejected his demands for an equity stake and additional royalties when oil prices are high. On Wednesday Mr. Williams, a Conservative and a multimillionaire, announced that he now had an agreement that would give his province a 4.9 percent stake in the Hebron oil project for 110 million Canadian dollars ($103.8 million).

“This is a happy day for the province,” Mr. Williams said by telephone from the provincial capital of St. John’s. “We’re entering into a whole new era.”
The deal largely fulfills Mr. Williams’s demands from 2006, with the exception of the addition of an oil-processing operation in the province.

The Hebron oil field contains an estimated 731 million barrels of oil. Some analysts estimate that construction may begin in 2010. Hebron will be Newfoundland’s fourth offshore oil project.

Newfoundland struggled economically even before joining Canada in 1949. The collapse of cod stocks in recent years devastated its main industry, fishing and fish packing. But Wade Locke, an economist said “Hebron, combined with everything else, will turn Newfoundland into a province of opportunity, like Alberta,”
Full story on NYTimes.com