Man of many talents among those recognized with special medal

By Olivia Bradbury/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Eric Jerrett, 81, of Bay Roberts was one of 10 individuals to be presented with an Inaugural Premier’s Medal for Heritage by Premier Andrew Furey during a special ceremony on December 9.

“It’s an honour to accept this, and I accept it with great humility on behalf of the many wonderful, committed people that I worked with over the years,” said Jerrett. “Most notably would be my wife, Betty, who is just as deserving of the award as I am.”

Jerrett grew up in Clarke’s Beach, and left home at the age of 15 to attend university, where he earned an engineering degree. Later he settled in Bay Roberts, his wife’s hometown. Though they grew up only four miles apart, the two did not meet until Eric’s third year of university. The couple married after four and a half years of dating, and have now been together for over 64 years. Jarrett started his own engineering firm in 1971 and, until he retired, was the only person in Canada licensed to practice three professions – engineering, architecture and land surveying – in addition to acting as a notary public.

Jerrett always had an interest in history and culture, especially that of Newfoundland. In university he had summer jobs with what is now the Coast Guard, travelling around the island surveying lighthouse sites.

“In all those communities, they all had particular culture, and heritage, and stories,” said Jerrett. “I got very much intrigued by some of that.”

In various places he witnessed a phenomenon that troubled him – people coming from outside the province to buy up antiques at low cost. His wife observed the same in Bay Roberts, and also noticed people replacing their classical furniture with modern equivalents, as well as old buildings being torn down and replaced with modern ones. As a result, Betty created the Bay Roberts Heritage Society in 1989.

One of the first big projects undertaken by the Society was the Shoreline Heritage Walk, completed from scratch with no funding from the town. Jerrett explained that, after the cod moratorium, one could apply to get money for green projects, the condition being that they hire fishermen and train them to do the work. The committee did just that. By the end, Jerrett said, one of the project’s best workers was a woman who had previously worked at a fish plant. Another trainee went on to work with the Johnson Foundation, making a career of it. The Society later added outhouses at locations along the trail, which Betty would supply with materials and clean herself.

In 2002, the Society received the Manning Award of Excellence for the Shoreline Heritage Walk, and in 2010 turned the trail over to the town. Signs noting the trail was established by the Bay Roberts Heritage Society have since been removed.

Jerrett said he once came across a book written by an Australian author, who listed a thousand trails a person should walk in their lifetime. Three Canadian trails were listed, with one being the Shoreline Heritage Walk.

Another big project undertaken by the Bay Roberts Heritage Society was the restoration of the Cable Building. The building was built in 1912 and served as the Western Union Company Headquarters. As a telegraph station, it was protected in both World Wars by three different forces. Cable lines were private and therefore more secure than radios. There was a direct line between the president of the United States and Winston Churchill, as well as one between the Ottawa headquarters and the Canadian command in Europe. The Western Union had its operations there until the 60s, by which point new technology had rendered telegraphs obsolete.

Over the years, the building fell into disrepair. A real estate company put it up for sale for a quarter of a million dollars, but there were no offers. Jerrett met with the three partners who owned the building, warning them that if they continued to wait for a buyer eventually the building would have to be demolished, which would be costly. The partners agreed, and handed it over to the Society for a tax receipt.

The Society would alter receive a green project grant to restore the Cable Building, hiring and training more fishermen. While there were some professionals on the job, including an electrician and plumber, the rest of the workers were these trainees. The Society received an award for the building’s restoration, and the building was eventually designated by the National Historic Sites & Monuments Board of Canada—though not without some elbow grease.

“The application was rejected on the basis that the Board had already designated some ‘communication’ sites,” he explained. “I did some research on these site and then showed why our site was more deserving. The Board then engaged a consultant to do a report on the building for consideration by the Board. Lastly, I was given the opportunity to argue my case to the Board. The end result was an approval by the Board which then  had to be ratified by the Minister. The plaquing ceremony took place on August 2, 2010, five years after the initial application.”

The Society also operates the Road to Yesterday Museum, which depicts the commercial history of the town of Bay Roberts at the turn of the century twentieth century. It has been visited by people from all over the world, and Jerrett says some experts have told Society members it is the best community museum they have ever seen.

Betty was chair of the Bay Roberts Heritage Society for twelve years, after which Eric was chair for twenty-one years. Last year, Eric was succeeded by former Bay Roberts mayor Philip Wood. The couple is still involved in the Society, with Eric acting immediate past chair and Betty acting as a director.

Engineer and historian Eric Jerrett, left, receiving his Heritage Medal from Premier Andrew Furey