Newfoundland towns light up harbours to honour fishers and pray for their safety

The opening ceremony of the 26th Annual Boat Lighting at Port de Grave, N.L., took place, Dec. 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

PORT DE GRAVE, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR -

On a twinkling wharf in a small Newfoundland town, a crowd of about 100 people stopped singing and chatting on Friday night to bow their heads in a moment of silence for local fish harvesters.

Now in its 26th year, the boat lighting in Port de Grave, N.L., draws visitors from all over the province, but organizers have kept the town's fishers at the heart of the ceremony.

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The event kicks off with Christmas carols and hot chocolate, but it includes a solemn prayer for the fishers -- those who died in the past year in the community from any cause, and those who continue to make it home safe while doing one of the deadliest jobs in Canada.

"Any time the fishery is on the go, you have people losing their lives," said organizer Joyce Morgan. "And we're so very thankful that (while) there have been a number of accidents on the water ... everyone has come home safely."

Atlantic Canada is knit together by the fisheries and, as a consequence, by a shared grief wrought by tragedy at sea. An average of 12 fishers were killed on the job each year between 1999 and 2021, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

All of Newfoundland and Labrador celebrated this summer when seven men made it home to New-Wes-Valley, N.L., after a fire aboard their fishing vessel more than 220 kilometres from shore forced them to jump into the sea. They spent three days adrift in a life raft before being found.

Port de Grave's boat-lighting is perhaps the most well-known in the province, but other towns have similar events.

In the eastern Newfoundland town of Branch, many of the 200 residents will gather on the wharf for their own annual boat-lighting ceremony on Dec. 21, Mayor Kelly Power said in an interview.

Branch's boat-lighting tradition began in 2014, in an effort to lift community spirits following a particularly hard year. Four fishermen, including a young man, had died in the community from various causes -- none on the job, Power said -- and people were devastated.

So fishers draped their boats in Christmas lights, transforming the harbour into a glimmering refuge against the dark North Atlantic Ocean. The Branch boat-lighting ceremony is now a cherished event.

"We pay tribute to today's fishermen, and we offer prayers for protection and safety to our fishermen today," Power said. "And at our service, we'll light candles in a moment of silence for those who have gone before the fishermen."

Ninety-six-year-old Denis Nash, Branch's oldest resident and a lifelong fisherman, has the yearly honour of flicking the switch to turn on all the lights, Power added.

Port de Grave is about 100 kilometres northeast of Branch, on the tiny Port de Grave peninsula. The area is home to about 875 people, many of whom deck out their houses in brilliant, blinking Christmas displays along with their boats. One couple build a pathway on their property every year lined by more than 500 illuminated candy canes. Their place was a popular spot for pictures on Friday night.

Port de Grave's event began with a single fisherman -- Eric Lear -- deciding to light up his boat on Christmas. It has since grown and now requires volunteers to direct cars from out of town into designated parking areas.

About 50 boats were lit up on Friday, and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey was even on hand -- though he politely declined requests to sing carols with the band. It was the first time a premier had attended the event, organizers said.

Visitors posed for pictures in front of a towering Christmas tree made of lobster traps. Others took selfies by an inflatable Santa strapped to the back of a fishing boat. The figure looked like it was waving and laughing as it was shaken by the ferocious wind.

"This site has become an annual Christmas event for many and a beacon of hope and strength to all that visit," fisherman Ivan Lear told the crowd as they lifted their heads from the moment of silence. "Preparing our vessels for the boat lighting is a way for all of us to give back and to brighten up the season."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.