I've long been a proponent of an empowered and emboldened Newfoundland and Labrador but I have to admit there are times when I question whether or not my words, and those of others, are falling on deaf ears. At times there seems to be strong movement afoot to re-take control of our destiny, but at others this sentiment seems almost non-existent, a figment of an overactive imagination if you will. It's at times like these, when frustrations run high and apathy creeps into the old bones, that a little dash of encouragement goes a long, long way.



Having lived just outside the city of St. John's for the past decade now, I sometimes wonder if the new economic reality in this area has been the catalyst spurring people here into thinking about alternatives to the status quo. Those thoughts, by their very nature, lead one to the suspicion that perhaps, as is the case with many other issues in these parts, that the rest of the Province might not give a rat's ass about examining our political future or the potential of a "made right here" NL. I wonder if perhaps keeping body and soul together and a roof over their heads might lead some to consider such thoughts to be little more than the musings of those in far better straits. I don't wonder anymore.

My travels over the past weeks have taken me to places as diverse as Clarenville, Gander, Lewisporte, Bishop's Falls, Deer Lake, Corner Brooke, Rocky Harbour, Cow Head, and into Southern Labrador. Without exception, in each and every town and community I visited, or even passed through along the way, I was met with a sight that caused my heart to swell and my mental load to lighten. The pink, white and green standard that so many people on the Avalon have embraced as an emblem of provincial pride is alive and flourishing across the land.

Throughout the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador the PWG flag can be seen flying from gate posts, flagpoles, rooftops and sign posts. I've seen it soaring over places of business like the Warehouse Theatre in Cow Head. I've seen it emblazoned on hats and shirts worn by everyone from teenagers on up and as much as some of my acquaintances in Labrador may claim that this "townie flag" has no presence in their portion of the Province, I've seen it with my own baby blues, flying from multiple homes in the big land. (I won't identify the specific communities in order to protect the innocent).

During my travels I've seen these beautiful colours adorning everything from license plates to slabs of rock, including one massive map of the island (in pink, white and green) painted on stone near the Fogo Island ferry.

In nearly every gift shop, to which I was dragged while on my sabbatical, I was afforded the opportunity to pick up some multi-coloured doodad or another, including fridge magnets, bumper stickers, patches and pins. There seems to be no end to the presence of the pink, white and green across this land and no limit to the number of people willing to proudly display their pride of place.

If anything could have brought home to me the belief that something new and exciting may actually be happening in this province, that perhaps the desire to shake things up is more than just a "townie fad", my recent travels did just that. Vacations are intended to re-charge the batteries and refocus one's sense of direction. I have to say that this is exactly what traveling around our beautiful homeland has done for at least one Newfoundlander this summer.

As a side note, if there was one thing that didn't sit well with me regarding our "new old" flag, it was the odd occasion when I witnessed the corruption of the PWG by a certain mainland firm. I'd like to pass along a quick comment to the Montreal based company, that I won't name here, which is currently flogging their version of the flag at local discount stores. Simply put, Pink is pink, it's not purple, it's not mauve and it's certainly not puce (I got that last one from my wife). Come on, if you are going to take advantage of our pride in order to turn a quick buck the least you can do is show us some respect by getting the colours right.