I was born in the old hospital in Battle Harbour. There was only one nurse there at that time. One year me and the old man built a small shack up at Riverhead. Those were hard times. We had only a small bit of flour to eat, that's all. After that I went to work in the woods. Sometimes I'd get a half cord of wood and sometimes I wouldn't get any. I was only 13 years old then. So I used to muck away at it as best I could. There was six of us in the family: me, Lloyd, Marj, Florrie, poor Liz and poor Tom. One time I went in the woods and killed a squirrel, brought it home, mom cooked it up and made gravy on it. That's all we had, not a slice of bread or anything. We used to get social services from the Rangers sometimes. They's give us a note and we'd go to Fox Harbour and get some grub. We'd have to walk down to Fox Harbour with our snowshoes on, about 21 miles or so. More than once I had the rope prints in my back from hauling the komatic. Another time I had the two boots froze on my feet and the old woman had to cut them off when I got home. There was only skin boots then, no ski-doo boots or rubbers. If it wasn't for the rabbits and porcupine that we'd get in the woods, we would have starved to death. In the summer, we'd have fish and salmon. I was only thirteen or fourteen when my father died. I had to take over all the responsibilities. We never had no fishing gear. I had to get my own gear and my own boat. It was hard times. But I always got away in the clear when I'd straighten up in Battle Harbour.

I used to travel in the country when I was up the bay. I used to travel right up across Pinware waters. That's where I used to camp at. It would take me a nice while to get there. It was fifteen days the first time I went in there. That was the first year me and Charlotte started going together. She was outside living with Dad and them. I left as soon as it was daylight. When I was leaving poor Mom said, "Now my son, only 15 days left from tomorrow is Christmas Eve." "Mom," I said, "I'll never remember that. I'll be gone that length for sure." So I said to Mom, "I want you to do something. Get a piece of paper and black lead pencil and give it to me. I'll put it where it won't get wet and every time I comes in for the day I'll take my pencil and make a mark and that will be one day gone, just the same as talleying fish." She said, "That is a nice idea." So every time I came in the camp door I'd mark it and that would be another day gone. I never missed a day. When I thought it was getting handy to Christmas I turned back towards home then. I got home Christmas Eve 9 o'clock in the night!