GLOVERTOWN, N.L. — The former Glovertown mill site rises above the tree line and pierces the sky above it.
A monolith of concrete and steel, the former site of the Terra Nove Sulphite Co. mill was built in the early 1920s and has stood for almost 100 years.
In that time, it's been tagged by graffiti artists and photographed by urban explorers attracted to the parts of Newfoundland’s past that have become hidden.
The mill might be something the Town of Glovertown can latch on to as the province begins to look inward for its vacation options.
Glovertown Mayor Doug Churchill says the town is looking at the mill property in two ways. For the safety of the public, the town is looking to install fencing around the building. Pieces have fallen off in recent years — the town has posted signs warning of this — and it is the best way to keep the public safe.
The town also started an assessment into putting in a hiking trail that would run alongside the mill and incorporate the remains of a small dam that is also in the area.
“It is a landmark. You can see it from the Trans-Canada (Highway), you can see it from Spencer’s Bridge and all over here,” Churchill said. “It would be a great asset if we could do it safely … and do something worthwhile with it.”
Old structures, like the Glovertown mill, are found across the province. They’re on the main roads and at the end of trails and they’re often covered with graffiti.
They exist as callbacks to a town’s history and serve as a form of the living history of the people who lived there.
Hidden gems
Corner Brook native Scott Osmond operates Hidden Newfoundland, a website that catalogues sites and informs visitors about hidden locations, shipwrecks, plane crashes and resettled communities, amongst other things.
Osmond applauded the idea of installing a trail around the mill property in Glovertown while also limiting access to the structure through fencing.
Safety should always be paramount in urban exploration. Enjoy the history you’re seeing, but do so with safety in mind.
“They should be seen as the built heritage of these communities,” Osmond said of the structures. “They are important and they are incredibly exciting to visit.
"There is the potential there (for tourism) and it is worthwhile."
He points to the Second World War gun battery at the end of a trail system in Phillip’s Head as a town that has incorporated an abandoned building into its identity.
The battery, as well as one in nearby Wiseman’s Cove, was installed at the start of the war to help defend the Royal Air Force base in Botwood. Both overlook the Bay of Exploits from opposite shores.
“There is an excitement about being able to explore those areas,” said Osmond. “They represent a strong piece of history.”
Lots to explore
Stephenville Mayor Tom Rose says there is merit in promoting the places in a town that would appeal to urban explorers, especially as people turn to staycations instead of leaving the province to visit other places.
“It is a great idea,” he said. “From a staycation perspective, we have to keep people in the province.”
While Stephenville is known more for its Acadian heritage and its deep Mi’kmaq roots, it has a contribution to make to urban exploration.
That contribution is the Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, an American installation that dates back to the 1940s. There are old hangars and bunkers that are still accessible.
While privately owned, a building called the Mole Hole on the Stephenville base would be an asset to the town should someone want to use it for that.
Whether Stephenville promotes itself as an exploration destination or as a jumping-off point for abandoned places in nearby Kippens (a radar station) or Aquathuna (an abandoned limestone mine), Rose sees exploration as a way the town and others can draw people in.
“We have lots to do and we have to get creative,” said Rose.
Nicholas Mercer is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Central Newfoundland for Saltwire Network.
