Dear Editor,
In the Labradorian's May 7th issue is a column by our ex-Lt.Governor, Ed Roberts. He discusses the myth around
the Pink,White & Green flag of Newfoundland. There are numerous myths in our history, and ironically another one is perpetuated
on the very front page of the same issue of your newspaper.
Describing the 2012 plans being made to travel parts of the 1903 Hubbard canoe trek, your reporter has been informed that Hubbard
and his companions followed "a misinformed map", which led to their disaster 109 years ago. This is a continued repeat of the phoney explanation of Hubbard's choice of river at the head of Grand Lake.
The map in question was made by the Canadian geologist A.P. Low, who travelled the Grand (Hamilton) River from Ashuanipi to Lake Melville for the Canadian Government in 1895. It was the first of its kind, and was drawn with a steady line where Low actually travelled, but in the surrounding country of which he was uncertain, Low used a broken line. He clearly states on his map that "rivers and lakes shown in dotted lines are from sketch-maps of Hudson Bay Co." Only one river was sketched at the head of Grand Lake, which turned out to be incorrect. Had they read the advisory at the foot of the map, ironically labelled "Sources of Information", the Hubbard trio might been more cautious.
There are three rivers at the head of the lake: the Susan, the Nascapie and the Crooked (which may carry other local names today.) Unfortunately Hubbard and friends did not learn this from local enquiry before heading out from North West River on the trek. Maybe no one thought to tell them of the difference. So they took the Susan, shallow and difficult. The other two rivers are not easily visible around the shoreline. and that was their big mistake. The accuracy of the river systems is shown in the
1904 map, drawn by Hubbard's surviving companion, Wallace, after his return.
Labrador is full of myths and false theories. This is one of them, and it's worth setting the record straight.
Susan Felsberg
