While her ancestors didn’t actually live on Bell Island in the old days, Bonnie herself raised a family of seven on these very shores. Members of her family did work the mines however, commuting weekly by boat from Flatrock, near Carbonear, for many decades. On the island, they’d live in mesh shacks and boarding houses, working six days per week, returning home Saturday night and heading back Sunday evening.
One of Bonnie’s favourite stories is how during winter, the water between the island and the mainland would fill with ice, letting her family walk home across the floes. One such winter, her uncle Jim fell through the ice pans and went down into the water. Luckily, his brothers were able to fish him out, strip him down and share their clothes with him, saving his life. It took them nine hours to get to shore.
Another of her stories, and one of Bell Island’s saddest tales, is that of her great uncle who was killed in a mine explosion in 1908. He was 17. Bonnie is happy to share these stories, along with many others, to help keep the miners’ history alive for our many guests.
Bonnie Spracklin
