30 Years of recognizing excellence in Newfoundland & Labrador’s heritage
Congratulations to our 2024 Award winners
HSA Manning Award winners
Outstanding Heritage Project
St Mary’s Battery Restoration
In 1779, a coastal defence battery consisting of four large cannons was established by the British Navy at a location known as "The Point" in the community of St. Mary’s. It was one of seven batteries built on the Avalon Peninsula in the 18th century, with others located at Bay Bulls, Ferryland, Fermeuse, Renews, Trepassey and Petty Harbour. Research shows that the St. Mary’s Battery was the only one to have been actively engaged during the American Revolution, playing a key role in the capture of an American privateer in 1782.
Over time, all evidence of the site was lost, with the exception of one cannon which had been relocated to the grounds of St. Mary’s Town Hall. The site itself had become an overgrown grassy field. Few locals were aware of the site’s existence and historical significance, but in 2018, local resident Mr. David Fagan succeeded in gathering a small group of like-minded individuals to form the St. Mary's Battery Restoration Committee. Its goal was to promote awareness of and engagement in local history by restoring the Battery to its original state.
Two years of extensive historical research and and archaeological excavation ensued. Financial support was secured from both the federal and provincial governments, and with local participation, the St. Mary’s Queen’s Battery Park was created. Today, exterior interpretation presents the history of the site. This includes a scale silhouette of the HMS Proteus - a British naval vessel that was the original source of the Battery’s 4 nine pounder guns.
Benches, picnic tables and a children’s playground encourage visitors and locals to linger. Today, the park and its organizing committee have become a hub for community activities throughout the St. Mary’s region.
A milepost sign has been erected and earlier this spring, distance markers were created for Mexico and the Philippines to acknowledge and welcome foreign workers to the community.The Battery Park has become a focal point for community events including barbecues, picnics and last September’s “Invasion of St. Mary’s” - a day-long pirate themed event.
In recognition of its sustained community involvement and engagement, and demonstrated ability to use heritage as a vehicle for inclusive community-building, the HSA awards committee is please to recognize the St. Mary’s Battery Restoration as an Outstanding Heritage Project.
Punk Rock Pearl
Punk Rock Pearl was a crowd-sourced, documentary history project and temporary exhibition that explored the history of Mount Pearl's punk music scene and its impact on local music, community, and culture. In the words of its creators, Punk Rock Pearl - and punk rock in Mount Pearl in general - is about what kids can accomplish when they come together under a common passion.
Created and hosted by the Admiralty House Museum in partnership with the Mount Pearl Public Library and Secret East, it ran from June 3 through November 21, 2022. Display objects were crowd-sourced from current and former members of the local punk scene and included T-shirts, CDs, buttons, instruments and personal artifacts. Many of these objects had been tucked away in shoeboxes and drawers. The exhibit also featured a breakdown of local music history on wall-hung panels and interactive activities, including screen-printing T-shirts and ripping mixed tapes.A web version of the exhibit was also developed and is still available on-line. Punk Rock Pearl attracted more than 1,100 visitors in person and online.
It introduced a whole new demographic to Admiralty House the impact of which continued to be seen after the exhibit had completed its run. The overwhelmingly positive visitor response to the exhibit’s interactive programming led to a decision to emphasize hands-on interpretive elements and programming in future exhibitions. And the project generated significant earned media for Admiralty house and its partners including a 9-minute CBC mini-documentary.
In recognition of it’s impressive level of community involvement and engagement, strategic partnerships, measurable organizational impact, and for challenging traditional notions of “heritage”, HSA’s awards committee is pleased to declare Punk Rock Pearl an Outstanding Heritage Project.
Outstanding Heritage Organization
The Mummers’ Festival
Since 2009, the Mummers Festival has been breathing new life into a centuries old tradition. Launched as a joint initiative of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland & Labrador and Memorial University’s Folklore Department, the Mummers Festival quickly transformed into a community-led, private nonprofit. Guided by a goal to see traditions live, each year the Festival creates new opportunities to pass along traditional skills and knowledge. Through workshops, presentations and online events, a school-touring program, and a parade, the Mummers Festival educates, reminds and treasures the mummering traditions of this province.
Free events and an emphasis on inclusivity encourages everyone to join in. An active School Touring Program currently sends resource instructors to 16 schools across the province, with plans to double that number in 2024. Since the Festival's beginning in St. John’s in 2009, 12 other NL communities have started their own mummers parades or walks. Annual participation has grown from 300 in 2009 to more than 20,000 in 2023. The Festival now attracts visitors from across the globe with 2023 participants traveling from across Canada, France, Germany and south-east Asia.
The event has attracted local, national and international attention, including feature articles in the Globe and Mail, National Post, and Atlas Obscura, along with an hour-long CBC Land & Sea documentary.
In recognition of its sustained growth, grassroots engagement, inclusive approach and significant measurable impact, the HSA awards committee is pleased to recognize the Mummers Festival as our 2024 Outstanding Heritage Organization.
Outstanding Heritage Supporter
Alistair Rice
Conception Bay resident and retired Queen Elizabeth Regional High School teacher Alistair Rice has dedicated more than two decades to the research and documentation of the more than 1800 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who died in action or in service during the First World War.
On his own time and dime, he has travelled throughout France, Great Britain, Germany, Poland and Turkey to research individual soldier’s stories, and locate and document grave markers and cemeteries.
His research to date consists of approximately 30,000 pages used to create illustrated biographies of more than 1300 fallen Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who served with the Newfoundland Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force, British Army and Australian Imperial Force.
In 2014, Mr. Rice donated his complete body of work to the Provincial Archives at the Rooms, allowing free, public access. Today, this material is available online as the Died in Service database. Through his sustained effort, dedication and generosity, Alistair Rice has created an invaluable resource for historians, genealogists, students and all present-day Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Mr. Rice continues his research, adding to the database as new information is uncovered and collected.
In recognition of his immense contribution to our understanding of Newfoundland and Labrador’s participation in the First World War, it is with great pleasure that we announce the judges’ unanimous choice for the 2024 Outstanding Heritage Supporter is Mr. Alistair Rice.
Paul O’Neil Scholarship
Heather Tough
The Honourable Edward Roberts History Book Award winner
Devilfish: When Giant Squid Ruled the Northern Sea
By Jenny Higgins. Published by Boulder Books
A richly illustrated history the North Atlantic Giant Squid with particular emphasis on sightings and landings in and around Newfoundland. Thoroughly researched and including more more than 130 images and pull-out facsimile documents, the result is a book that, in equal parts, informs and delights
The Manning Awards
Background
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of HSA’s Manning Awards for Excellence in the Public Presentation of Historic Places. The awards were created in 1993 to recognize and celebrate the work of individuals, communities and organizations in preserving and presenting Newfoundland and Labradors history and heritage.
The awards are named for the late Bill Manning, a former Parks Canada Superintendent of NL’s National Historic Sites, who strengthened and expanded the sites in the province, with a vision of greater community involvement.
The Manning Awards are held biannually in May under the patronage of the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bill Manning
This biannual award was renamed The Honourable Edward Roberts History Book Award in 2022 in honour of Edward Roberts QC and recognizes authors publishing written works that exemplify excellence in the interpretation of the heritage and history of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is administered by the HSA and overseen by a committee comprised of volunteers from the Association’s Board of Directors and Emeritus Members.
The Honourable Edward Roberts History Book Award
Edward Roberts
Awards are presented in 3 categories:
Outstanding Heritage Project Award
Recognizes an outstanding work in the presentation of history and/or heritage..
Outstanding Heritage Organization
Recognizes an organization’s long-term impact and leadership in the presentation of NL’s history and/or heritage.
Outstanding Heritage Supporter
Recognizes significant contributions by an individual to NL’s heritage sector through the course of their professional and/or volunteer careers.
This award recognizes authors publishing written works that exemplify excellence in the interpretation of the heritage and history of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Heritage and History Book Award Committee compiles the shortlist and carefully considers each selection before choosing the final recipient. The committee is comprised of dedicated heritage volunteers, historians, historical authors, history educators, and specialists in Newfoundland and Labrador studies. From 2004 to 2016 the Heritage and History Book Award was a joint initiative of the HSA and the Writer’s Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL). Seventeen outstanding literary works in the genres of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children/young adult were previously recognized with the award. The award is now specifically for non-fiction works and is awarded biannually by the HSA.
The Dr. Paul O’Neill Scholarship
The Historic Sites Association established the Dr. Paul O’Neill Scholarship in 2003 to recognize his contributions to the study and promotion of Newfoundland and Labrador culture and history. The scholarship is valued at $1,000.00 and is awarded biannually to an undergraduate student at Memorial University enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program. There is no restriction by major or minor, but students must show academic excellence, enthusiasm, and interest in some area of Newfoundland Studies as part of their degree program. The scholarship is awarded based on the recommendation of the Dean, Faculty of Arts.
Born in 1928 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Paul O’Neill graduated from the National Academy of Theatre Arts in New York in 1948. He was a professional actor in the U.S. and England until 1954. He returned to Newfoundland and became a CBC producer, retiring in 1986. He is the author of The Oldest City – The Story of St. John’s, considered the definitive history of the city.
Dr. Paul O’Neill
2022 Manning Awards Ceremony
The 2022 Manning Awards ceremony took place on June 9th to celebrate 4 Manning Awards, an Outstanding Heritage Supporter, The Honourable Edward Roberts History Book Award, and The Dr. Paul O’Neill Scholarship.