Our day in Red Bay, Labrador began with the morning sun turning the fog a striking cotton candy pink and ended with a sunset casting the flat ocean a rich ochre. Once a 16th-century Basque whaling hub, Red Bay is now a small community that is as welcoming as it is remote. We explored two museums, one showcasing the archeological discoveries of the Basque whaling history, and the other dedicated to the whales whose precious oil once lit European lanterns.
On Saddle Island, we saw the remains of whale-processing sites, and walked along the "Boney Shore," still scattered with centuries-old whale bones. A hike up Tracey Hill rewarded us with breathtaking views of Labrador’s rugged landscape. A highlight was a moving performance by the Sandwich Bay Residential School Drummers, a group formed by senior Inuit women who use traditional drums to soothe the trauma caused by Canada’s infamous residential schools. It was a powerful and moving reminder to not forget the errors of the past while simultaneously offering a path to healing and reconciliation.
