features

18 - OECKS AWASH
the area tod a y
Howley
Settling down to the job in hand
f you visit Howley these days
I and ask who can tell you
what's going on in the community,
chances are you will be
directed across the railway
tracks to the mobile home where
Gar land and Eileen Winsor live.
Garland, 52, works for Newfoundland
Light and Power, and
Eileen is involved in just about
everything that is happening in
town, including the council, youth
groups, and growing flowers and
potted plants. With so much on
their hands, it sometimes takes a
day or two to track the Winsors
down, but we're lucky and catch
them both late one afternoon.
"It can be pretty hectic,"
Gar land admits with a smile,
"my job requires me to be on call
for just about anything that
comes up. I was born a fisherman's
son in Little Bay Islands
and fished for four or five summers
until I went on the
freighters with the Northern
Canada Power Commission up in
the Yukon. I lived in Springdale
for awhile and worked in the Tilt
Cove mine. I was one of the first
to start there in 1953 and then I
moved to the Whalesback copper
mine and lived in Springdale for
six years. I met my wife at Tilt
Cove in 1956, she's from Round
Harbour and the two generating
stations I look after are situated
three miles either side of Round
Harbour.
"In order to take this job I had
to live in the area and I moved
here in July 1979. That was the
last of 17 moves in the last 23
years with only two employers.
In my working lifetime I've had
a lot of different jobs, but all my
moves have been because I
wanted to. I went to Churchill
Falls for four years, then
Whitehorse in the Yukon, back to
Goose Bay and then to Howley. I
left Little Bay Islands for good in
1962 to work with Brinex and I
may have made one overnight
visit since. I wasn't driven out,
but I was the last of the family
and there has been no reason to
Eileen and Garland Winsor
Switching station at Howley
go back."
Since their arrival in Howley,
Garland and Eileen have become
very active in the community.
"When we came here there
were already people involved
with the development association
and they were nearing the end of
their term," Garland recalls.
"One day we came home and
there were tickets to the annual
dinner. By going there we ended
up as directors. Now we're near
the end of our term, but it's hard
to find someone else to take it on.
It's a similar situation with the
council which changes in
November. We've got our names
down for that. I like to get things
done right and I'll give it a try.
Eileen really enjoys the development
association work, but I
don't really have the time. I've
had to miss the last four
meetings.
"Without Marilyn Goodridge,
the organization wouldhave been
I on the rocks. She has a way of