the Assistant Superintendent, the first at the Salmonier Correctional Institution to be bestowed this relatively new title.

If it is possible, Mr. Petten’s thumb became greener at Newfoundland’s only farm prison camp. From 1970 to 1980 harvests were excellent In an average year the carrot yield alone would fall somewhere between 50 and 80,000lbs. In an exceptional year the yield for carrots exceeded 100,000lbs. Although it did not happen often, some vegetables, due to storage problems, would simply be plowed under. Local people from the area were encouraged to come to the farm prison and were given bags of vegetables. Many charitable organizations would be given vegetables for harvest sales, soup suppers, etc. Every year seemed to be a good year with plenty of fresh vegetables.

Mr. Petten’s time at SCI was memorable. He recalls the time when the prison camp got its first vehicle, an old Ford dump truck Condemned by the Department of Highways out of Clarenville it came to SCI in 1957. He remembers using a motor boat to carry loads of seed across Gull Pond to Kennedy’s point The seed would be unloaded and loaded into a cart pulled by a horse. The horse and cart would then have to travel out Deer Park Road, a track about 8 miles long, to the field where it would be again unloaded.

"Summer evenings were very relaxing at Salmonier," recalls Mr. Petten. "We would take the motor boat and about 20 inmates. We would drop inmates all over the place around the ponds and we would all spend the evenings trouting. Near dusk all inmates along with their catch would be returned to the camp. Combined, we would have enough trout for a really good fry."

The IWA strike (1960’s) was a memorable time for Mr. Petten. "The prison camp was full. We had 125 inmates here then, many were loggers from Central Newfoundland. In those days it wasn’t difficult to get work done."

"Staffs wise, I worked with the finest people you could meet. I enjoyed working here but when it came time to leave, I had to go. I will never regret working here; it was a wonderful job with wonderful people and wonderful times."