Ode to Newfoundland

I just suddenly realized that I barely know the words to this song....

"Ode to Newfoundland"

When sun rays crown thy pine-clad hills,
And summer spreads her hand;
When silvern voices tune thy rills,
We love thee, smiling land;
We love thee, we love thee,We love thee, smiling land.

When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,
And wild waves lash thy strand;
Thro' spindrift swirl and tempest roar,
We love thee windswept land;
We love thee, we love thee,We love thee windswept land.

When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,
At winter's stern command;
Thro' shortened day and starlit night,
We love thee, frozen land;
We love thee, we love thee,We love thee, frozen land.

As loved our fathers, so we love,
Where once they stood, we stand;
Their prayer we raise to heav'n above,
God guard thee, Newfoundland;
God guard thee, God guard thee,God guard thee, Newfoundland.

The National Anthem of Newfoundland, written by SirCavendish Boyle (1849-1916) while he was Britain's Governor of Newfoundland between 1901 and 1904. Music by C. Hubert H. Parry {1848-1918}. Arranged by Henry Coleman. First public performance on January 21st, 1902.

It's sad but I have to say that I know little about the history of my home province. It's embarrassing to be so ignorant. And as usual, when I want to educate myself, I do research on the internet. Here are a few sites:
http://www.newfoundland.com/content/about/history.html
http://www.durham.net/~kburt/NewfoundlandHistory.html#History
http://www2.marianopolis.edu/nfldhistory/
http://www.newfie.com/pages/newfoundlandhistory.html

My favourite bit of Newfoundland history? (In all the information provided, this tidbit of info really stuck out to me):

In 1497, John Cabot, an English explorer, sailed from England to
Newfoundland. When he returned to England he reported that the codfish on the
Newfoundland Grand Bank’s were so thick that he could scoop them up in baskets
from the sides of the ship.

I am so affected, probably because the opposite is true today. It's very sad, particularly for the old fisherman. They know no other way of life and now it is a life not legally available to them.

Grandfather Bishop must surely be rolling over in his grave. Christa has a picture on her blog of our grandfather. It is a wonderful photo...so reminiscent of days long past. A photo...the only way my children may ever know that this way of life ever existed in my great province.