The Cold Plunge: Chasing Fairies in Conception Bay

On Saturday Cyril and Madeline drove me to Cupids, a small town in Conception Bay South, and a staple location in the folklore culture of Newfoundland. I had one attraction I was keen to visit, the Cupids Legacy Centre. Specifically, its fairy garden.

On the way, we stopped in at Holyrood, where Cyril moored his beloved sailboat. He took me on a tour of the vessel, and Madeline and I left him to tinker with his pride and joy. Madeline and I then continued on to Cupids.

Madeline had a writing group meeting in the village of Quidi Vidi back in the city centre that afternoon, so she had offered to drop me in Cupids with the suggestion I stay the night. I had booked accommodation at Skipper Ben’s, a restaurant and traditional BnB. We dropped my bags at the accommodation, and then Madeline dropped me at the Legacy Centre and continued on her way.

According to tradition, reclusive little people with supernatural powers have lived alongside human beings in Newfoundland and Labrador from time immemorial.

The Innu of Nitassinan have stories of the Apci’lnic, or Little Ones, a race of knee-high beings who live in thickets or under the earth. They are no sooner seen than vanish in an instant.

In Inuit culture, the little folk wear clothing trimmed with white fur and carry tiny ice chisels and scoops, like miniature versions of human beings.

The Wiklatmu’j, or Stone People, speak Mi’kmaq and dress like the Mi’kmaq people did before the arrival of Europeans. While only the size of toddlers, they’re swifter than lightning and stronger than a human adult. When they speak their voices are high-pitched as birdsong.

Settlers from Celtic cultures, too, encountered diminutive human-like beings in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the stories they told about them drew on the traditions of their ancestral homes in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. They called these wee folk fairies.

Cupids was the first English colony in Canada (and the second in North America). John Guy and his backers brought a boatload of settlers to the area in 1610, and established a plantation in what was then known as Cuper’s Cove. The colonists cleared the land, fished, farmed, explored for minerals, and tried to establish fur trading with the now extinct Indigenous people, the Beothuk.

Around the year 1700, settlers abandoned the original plantation site, and the secret of its exact location was lost for more than 250 years. Today, you can watch archaeologists at work at the Cupids Cove Plantation Provincial Historic Site.

I bought my entry ticket and spent an hour looking through the museum on the first floor of the Legacy Centre, learning all about the first European settlement of North America. I was keen to move onto the fairy garden, but when I asked how to access it, I was informed by the staff that it was closed for renovations ahead of the summer tourist season. The website hadn’t mentioned this closure, and I wished they had informed me about it before I’d bought my ticket.

I messaged Madeline and shared my disappointment about the closure of the fairy garden. She asked me if I wanted to stay in Cupids overnight, and I replied honestly that I did not. The fairy garden had been my main point of interest. I didn’t want to pay $120 for the night’s accommodation and dinner when I hadn’t been able to do the one thing I came to Cupids to do. I had considered going for a hike up to Spectacle Head, but the drizzling rain outside was not letting up. And I personally didn’t have an interest in archaeology, so I could ass on the historical site. And although the BnB was quaint, there was no space to do any writing. I had only out my bags in the room, so promptly removed them and apologised to the lady of the house and explained I wouldn’t be staying. She was not bothered- she didn’t have any other bookings, so even though she had lost a paying customer, I hadn’t stopped anyone else from taking a room. She was expecting a large tour group for supper the next day. She offered me a cup of tea and a slice of freshly made lemon meringue pie while I waited for Cyril to come and pick me up.

I felt bad for not staying the night, and for having Cyril drive to Cupids twice in one day. I wished I had just gone with Madeline to Quidi Vidi and explored the village while she was in her writing group.

Cyril picked me up, and I apologised profusely for the inconvenience. We stopped for a soft-serve ice cream, and Cyril took us through the neighbouring fishing village of Brigus, where he often pulled in his boat on sailing trips. We also visited The Tunnel.

Brigus was a busy port back in its heyday, and Capt Abram Bartlett needed a new deepwater berth. Brigus was ideal, but the surrounding cliffs made docking difficult, so he blasted a hole through the rock, creating the 80ft long passageway.

The second blow of the day would be dealt when I realised, after arriving back in Goulds, that I had left my Australian wattle-patterned water bottle in the dining room at Skipper Ben’s. I was scared I was going to start losing valuables.

I needed to blow off steam, so once we were back in Goulds I took a walk around the local neighbourhood, to the sports ground and skate park.

After Saturday’s double-up to Cupids, a rest day was needed all round, and we spent most of the day at home. Madeline and Cyril pottered around the house, and I booked my accommodation for St. John’s for the following weekend. I had been interested in going to Bell Island, but it would be a costly taxi ride to the ferry and back. Plus, the sunset ghost tour I had been interested in going on apparently no longer existed. So I shelved the idea and decided to stay in the city a few days longer. In the afternoon I did some writing.

Madeline and I had tickets to a country and gospel concert at a local church that evening, and Madeline and Cyril had friends over for an early supper beforehand. Two of these friends were Isabelle and Jean, who would prove to be a great support to me, during my stay in St. John’s and beyond.

In an effort to help my book research, Madeline had been asking everyone she knew about their experiences with the Old Hag. When she introduced me to someone, she added the purpose of my visit. During the intermission of the concert, I got talking to a few Goulds locals, who shared with me their experiences with the Old Hag.

The next morning, Madeline took me up to Cape Spear, and she waited in the warm car while I braved the cold wind and spitting rain to explore the lighthouse and surrounds. Then we went for lunch at Jean’s place, a beautiful home just outside the city with spectacular views from the balcony. Jean had prepared a hot lunch for us, complete with dessert. I continued to be blown away by the hospitality of Newfoundlanders.

The generosity of the people I met in Newfoundland helped me immensely during my two week stay. If you would like to help me along on this adventure too, please consider donating below. There are preset amounts, or you can customise an amount too. Whatever you choose, your contribution is deeply appreciated.