Fall on Fogo Island
When Berry Season descends on Fogo Island in the late summer and early fall, you'd have to go out of your way not to go berry picking.
"In the fall, our provincial pastime is berry picking," says Lorie Penton, the Outdoor Lead Activity Coordinator at the Fogo Island Inn.
"In the summertime, it is all about fishing, talking about fishing and talking about the wind because the wind is important for fishing. But now fishing is starting to slow down and people have a bit more free time so the chat turns to 'What is this berry in season' and 'Have you been out berry picking?'"
Photo: Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador
Photo: Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador
As a lifelong Fogo Islander, Lorie is well-versed in all things berry and says that the fall is an incredibly special time to visit the island.
"We have about 30 edible berries on the island in the fall time," she says. "It's kind of wild. I take guests out on the trail and I say, 'Stop. Now look down at your foot,' and I can point out about six different berries just around their feet."
Fogo Island which sits off the eastern coast of Newfoundland, faces the bracing North Atlantic. It is famous for the spectacular Fogo Island Inn, which is a model of regenerative tourism and the brainchild of Fogo Islander Zita Cobb.
Locals say the island has seven distinct seasons and one of the favourites is Berry Season, which can run all the way until the end of November.
"A lot of the berries are fall berries so they need a little bit of frost to ripen up," Lorie says.
Bakeapple berries. Photo: Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador
Bakeapple berries. Photo: Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador
Fall is very unique on the island due to its low-lying vegetation. Nothing really grows tall on Fogo Island but that doesn't mean there aren't spectacular autumnal colours to take in.
"In most places in Canada, you look up and you’re seeing deciduous trees, your birches and everything, turn fall colours," Lorie says. "Well, we get all those colour changes here, wonderful colours, all the colours of fall but it's on the ground. So you look down on the ground and we have these wonderful, beautiful carpets of colours.
The blueberry bushes turn this vibrant red, and we get these oranges and yellows but yeah you got to look down, you don’t look up for fall."
Photo: Megan McLellan
Photo: Megan McLellan
Photo: Destination Canada
Photo: Destination Canada
Photo: Destination Canada
Photo: Destination Canada
The Fogo Island Inn prides itself on creating meaningful connections between guests and the community. Each guest is assigned a community host whose job it is to help guide visitors around the island, introduce them to new friends, and share stories about life on the island.
"Everyone is super proud and excited to share their stories," Lorie says. "Our stories are getting heard again about our culture. All these cultural elements like the boat building and the quilt making, the accordion playing, the music, and the art. Through stories, it's coming back again."
Berry Season is an excellent time for that interaction as the slow activity of berry picking is a great time to socialize.
"I'm always thinking about my grandma and bringing partridge berries to her. She'd put me up on a stool to the kitchen table and we'd make molasses jam tarts with the berries. Molasses jam tarts are the iconic Newfoundland dessert made with partridge berries. It is all tied to memories. As a guest, you want to make that connection."
