Land Acknowledgement
The Cupids Trails Committee respectfully acknowledges the territory in which we live as the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk, and the island of Newfoundland as the ancestral homelands of the Mi'kmaq and Beothuk. We also acknowledge Inuit of Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut, as well as the Innu of Nitassinan, and their ancestors, as the original peoples of Labrador. We acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures of the Indigenous People in Newfoundland and Labrador, and strive for respectful relationships with all the peoples of this province.
How to De-Code Our Trail!
I am told that the little gravel road winding down to the sea is now overgrown with grass. I suppose that in another decade or two, folks will stroll down this old road, will notice the indications that people once lived there and will wonder how and what kind of people lived there.
– John Morgan, former resident. Recollections of Burnt Head, John Morgan, n.d., Collection of Yvonne Akerman Reid.
A project of the Cupids Trails Committee, this website was created to host historical, folkloric, and geological information about the abandoned communities that once existed along the Burnt Head and Spectacle Head trails in Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Each location on the trail maps below relates to a specific trail sign and offers an opportunity to learn more about the communities, what they were like when they thrived, the reasons they were eventually abandoned, and their natural environment. You will be introduced to some of the families who lived in the area, and hear their stories and learn about their lives. We hope this website will evolve—that it will be added to as we learn more stories to include.
To See Our Trails ...
If you cannot get out to the trails, you can navigate this site as if you were walking along them using the links below. At the bottom of each page click the Virtual Tour link to return to this page.
On The Trails ...
Each sign on the trails has a QR code. Scan with your phone's camera and it'll take you to the blog.
The stories are in three general categories which, on the trail signs, are indicated by one of these icons:
Burnt Head Trail: Virtual Tour
Click links below the maps to visit each location...
Click links to visit the location...
