Bernadette Calonego's Blog: Eventful - Posts Tagged "barren"

Our snowmobile broke down a few days ago and it needs to be repaired. The parts - if we can buy them - will cost around 3000 Canadian dollars. We hope to find used parts but it is uncertain. A new snowmobile can cost up to 30000 Canadian dollars, more than a decent car. One cannot really live without a snowmobile in northern Newfoundland in winter. My fisherman needs to go over the barrens to cut down trees for firewood. There are places that cannot be reached on the road when there is lots of snow. We will have to make a big decision how to proceed.
Sometimes people ask me if the costs of living are way higher in remote places in Canada's North than for instance in Vancouver. My usual answer is: "It depends." I don't find food much more expensive in our isolated area than in Vancouver (the Arctic is a different story). But in my tiny Newfoundland village, there is no supermarket chain like Costco within reach. (There is no IKEA store either on the entire island of Newfoundland.) On the other hand, I am not tempted to buy the latest fashion or exquisite furniture for our modest fisherman's house. I own a second-hand car with a battered windshield because the salty air and the salt on the roads in winter make a vehicle rust out in no time.
There is no opportunity to splurge on entertainment in winter: I pay ten dollars to participate in a competitive card game or bingo. The last concert I went to was several years ago (very few concerts come to our depopulated area). During the Iceberg Festival, I went to Trivia Night in the local pub which I really enjoyed (I even won a t-shirt!).
With Netflix, it is not so bad not to have a movie theatre in town - nor a book store. I do appreciate Amazon for book deliveries.
When I started to spend time in remote northern Newfoundland, I worried that I would be bored and not stimulated enough. It turned out that I am busier than ever. Writing mystery thrillers, but also meeting people, going on hikes, trying new handicrafts, training a dog, helping a cat rescue group as a volunteer, zooming with friends. And hey, if push comes to shove - the temptations of New York and Vancouver are just two flights away!