Lectures & Gatherings

Greetings from the Wessex Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Welcome to the 2024-2025 season of interesting and entertaining lectures, held on the second Wednesday of each month from October to April. We plan to return to some in-person lectures during the coming season. However, these arrangements are not yet completed so we look forward to greeting you all online in October.

Message from the President - November 2024!

TO: Wessex Society Members and Friends

For many years our monthly lectures were given at the Hampton Hall, Marine Institute. This all changed quickly when the onset of COVID cancelled our lectures at the end of our season in March 2020. Since then we have been bringing our presentations to the public through the use of Webex and Zoom. We began this online programming in the Fall of 2020 and have continued to offer our lectures through this online service up until now. Several of our Wessex members have contacted our Executive requesting that we explore the possibility of a return to in-person lectures. We have indeed explored this and are happy to announce that we will return to in-person presentations on a trial basis beginning with our next one scheduled for November 13. We may not be able to offer in-person for the whole season. In some cases, if our speaker is from outside the city, the lecture will be by Zoom only. If in-person lectures are scheduled, but stormy weather is forecasted, then we will use Zoom only. Details will be forwarded to you prior to each lecture date.

We are pleased to announce that our next lecture, November 13, will be held in the newly renovated and recently named CNA Paul L. Pope Centre for TV & Film, which is located on Strawberry Marsh Road, St. John’s, and is the former Brinton Memorial Elementary School, and later known as the District School and Conference Centre. The Centre, which is now a state-of-the-art facility, has provided us with a meeting room with capability to livestream our lectures. Plenty of parking space is available. We will continue to offer our lectures online as we have had new members join us from various parts of the province, as well as other Canadian provinces, who watch our lectures regularly.

As we make this significant change beginning with our November lecture, we look forward to seeing those of you who live in the St. John’s area in person, and we hope our members in other areas will continue to join us online.

A schedule of lectures for 2024-2025 follows:

09 October 2024 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Helen C. Escott, Award-winning Canadian Author
Topic: “We Will Meet Again, the title of her eighth novel, a tribute to the strength of women”
Abstract: Set in St. John’s, it tells the story of four generations of women and how they healed their past to protect their future.

13 November 2024 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Karen Lundy, Author
Topic: “A Love Story Told Through 92 WWII Letters”
Abstract: On January 27th, 1943, Vern Ploughman of Bay Roberts, NL, wrote a letter to Billie Wenman. It would be the first of ninety-two written over the course of the next two and a half years. From that beginning would bloom a relationship carried on from a distance. Vern and Billie only met in person twice before he shipped to England with the Canadian Army. From Vern’s letters, we learn that Billie was as dedicated in her correspondence as he was. The letters, which are included in their entirety in Dear Billie: A World War II Love Story, weave a tapestry of that time in our history and demonstrate the perseverance required to keep a romance alive during uncertain times. Karen will present the story of her parents’ unfolding relationship (that would endure a lifetime) accompanied by photographs and excerpts from some of the letters which are now safely preserved at The Archives at The Rooms.

11 December 2024 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Joyce Morgan, Program Manager, Port de Grave Heritage Society
Topic: “The Port de Grave Boat Lighting Celebrating 26 Years”
Abstract: In the fall of 1999, Port de Grave was selected to become the last port of call for the Viking Ship, the Islendingur, in the summer of 2000. A committee was formed which consisted of 35 people, it had two Co-Chairs Wayne Harbin and Joyce Morgan. Port de Grave would host a celebration like it never had seen before. That fall the Government of Newfoundland sponsored the Festival of Lights, whereby any community that was willing to participate by lighting up their community for Christmas would receive a grant in the amount of $500.00. The Committee decided “what a way to celebrate Christmas by lighting up the Harbour”, and so the story begins. Today the Port de Grave Boat Lighting is known around the world. It has been showcased on CBC, CBC National with Peter Mansbridge, Global National, and locally NTV has been a major player participating in the opening ceremonies, and thousands of people have been coming to Port de Grave to view the lights.
Download a recording of this lecture.

08 January 2025 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Peter Bull, Executive Director of the Battle Harbour National Historic Site
Topic: “Recent Developments in the Battle Harbour Historic District”
Abstract: Peter Bull will take you on a virtual walking tour of Battle Harbour, Labrador using existing video and stories from historical residents. Using these videos, you will be lead through the development of the salt cod fishery in the 18th and 19th centuries when Battle Harbour was considered the "Saltfish capital of Labrador" to the cod moratorium of 1992 to the reimagination of the island as a National Historic District of Canada. Journal entry readings by voice actors will provide a sense of the hardships of being in Battle Harbour in the early days, the development of church, schools and hospitals to the eventual resettlement of the people who called the island home. Attendees will go away with an understanding of the challenges of living on this harsh but beautiful Island in the Labrador Sea and hopefully consider a trip to see it first hand.
Download a recording of this lecture.

12 February 2025 at 7:30 pm
Speakers: Heather MacLellan and John Fitzgerald
Topic: “The Historic and  Cultural Significance of the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District National Historic Site  of Canada”
Abstract: The talk will demonstrate that the District dates to at least the 1600s. This is a time when France and England were fighting for control of Newfoundland’s rich fishery. It is also a time  when St. John’s was emerging as the commercial and administrative centre of the Island.  The talk also presents information about some of the people and institutions, associated with the District, that were integral to our nation building including our political, military, social, educational, economic and spiritual development.
Download a recording of this lecture.

12 March 2025 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Alex Hickey, Arts educator, Author, blogger of All Things St. Jacques, researcher and storyteller
Bio: His lifelong passion is learning about the history, people, events, and places of Fortune Bay
Topic: “A presentation on his novel, Misfortune Bay: The Loss of the Albatross”
Abstract: The lecture examines life at home in Newfoundland during World War I, a tragedy at sea, the nuances and intricacy of relationships in a small community, the unintended consequences of government policy, and the heroism that those people exhibited when faced with danger and adversity. You’ll meet a beloved British doctor, Conrad Fitz-Gerald, Customs/Welfare Officer Harry Clinton, light keeper Isaac Burke, Anglo-American Telegraph Operator Philip Ryan, their families and friends as we take a look at the backgrounds of these people through the eyes of British naturalist and explorer, John Millais, who pulls together his observations of what happened, why it happened ,and why there was no investigation into the tragedy.
How to Attend: Click here.
Audience members can begin connecting online at 7:15 pm

09 April 2025 at 7:30 pm - THIS MEETING IS CANCELLED
Speaker: Ray Fennelly, Campus Manager CNA Paul L. Pope Centre for Film and Television
Topic: “The film and television industry in Newfoundland and Labrador”
Abstract: The film and television industry in Newfoundland and Labrador has evolved from modest beginnings into a vibrant sector that significantly contributes to the province's cultural and economic landscape. This presentation will explore its history, highlight key pioneers, delve into the contributions of Paul L. Pope and the College of the North Atlantic's new TV and film centre, and offer insights into the industry's future.

Archived recordings of previous lectures can be found here.