A Community Voices story by Gladys Thomas.

In February 1995 my daughter Cindy decided to take a job teaching school at Harrington Harbour on the Quebec North Shore. She had been teaching with the school board for a few years before that filling in for teachers. In 1995 along with twin babies Kelly and Korey, who were five months old, we left for Harrington Harbour. I went along with her to help out with the babies. Her husband Daniel was working at Blanc Sablon at the time so he could not go.

We went from Blanc Sablon to Chevery by plane it was a very small plane. I can remember the plane was so small with the kids in our arms. People could not get up the isle of the plane!

From Chevery we went to Harrington Harbour by helicopter. A skidoo picked us up and took us to our house for the winter, the Anglican rectory which was built of logs. I have lots of memories of that rectory. It was VERY cold….there was a cistern in the basement which stored water for some of the people in the community. They would come and connect the hoses to get water for their houses.

I especially remember the big rock in the basement. The rock was so big they had to build the basement around it. We used to go down and do the laundry in the basement and there'd be a big rock over there on the other end of the basement.

Harrington is a very unique village. It is an island and it is a very big rock... all rock it has no roads only board walks... wide enough for two four wheeler bikes to pass. If you don't have a bike you have to walk everywhere.

Every evening after school we would go for a walk or go to the store. Sometimes in the winter we went for a ride on skidoo. Cindy would drive the Indy 500 and I would be on the back with a kid in each arm.

I was in Harrington for five months. This was my first trip but not my last .My daughter Cindy was there for four or five years and I made many trips to visit . It is very isolated but a very beautiful and friendly village.