By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mistaken Point earned the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designation as a World Heritage Site a decade ago, a rare distinction shared by only 18 other sites in Canada, and as plans are finalized for a July 17 event to commemorate the anniversary, folks are reflecting on the work that went on behind the scenes to make it happen, and the impact that designation has had on the community.
Former Portugal Cove South mayor Clarence Molloy, who held office when the UNESCO designation was announced, still remembers the day he got the good news.
“It was a Sunday. I remember mentioning it to Father Peter (Golden) and I think he said something church. It was a big deal for us,” said Molloy. “We thought it would bring a lot of attention and draw lots of visitors. It’s had a big impact not just for us, but the whole southern shore.”
Carol Ann Devereaux said her son, John, bought the Edge of the Avalon Inn 11 years ago with the belief that the designation would be confirmed. The business has expanded from 15 beds and 13 rooms at that point to four buildings with 40 beds.
“The only reason it’s even operating right now - and doing so well - is because of that designation. It’s one of the biggest draws for the area, we get people from all over the world,” Devereaux said, adding that about 75 per cent of clients are drawn in by Mistaken Point.
She said that the tourist traffic has not only prompted growth in the Avalon Inn, but has also been the catalyst for the creation of at least 10 AirBnB locations nearby - all of which are booked solid from June through September.
She said while the impacts were immediate, there is one change in visitor inquiries 10 years later.
“At one point we would have to promote the fact that the Mistaken Point UNESCO site was nearby. Now most of the inquiries we get are calls where the first question from them is about Mistaken Point. The word is out there now, and it’s promoting itself,” Devereaux said.
The story of Mistaken Point’s designation begins with the discovery of fossil beds by geologist Shiva Balak Misra and field assistant Paul Thompson that were the first record of Ediacara-type fauna in the Western Hemisphere.
The fossils had been hidden in plain sight, with locals aware of ‘strange markings’ in the rock, but by the 1980s Mistaken Point had been recognized as housing the oldest metazoan fossils in North America and the world’s most ancient deep-water marine fossils.
A five km coastal stretch was provisionally established as a reserve by the provincial government in 1984 and then granted a permanent designation in 1987 as a fossil ecological reserve.
Molloy recalled how preserving and promoting the site became a labour of love for several dozen volunteers over the years.
“Originally, it was a lot of residents working to try to promote it,” Molloy said, adding that pursuing the bid for a UNESCO designation included scientists and the government. “There were so many people trying to get this underway.”
The Mistaken Point Cape Race Heritage Inc, a not-for-profit organization established in 1998, has been a driving force behind Mistaken Point. Their mandate focuses on preserving, protecting, developing, and promoting the natural, historic, and cultural resources in the area.
The push to earn the designation became official on July 17, 2016 - almost 50 years after the official discovery of fossils.
Mistaken Point remains an active research site and houses an interpretation centre with official tours every day from mid-May to mid-October.
The anniversary event will take place July 17 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Portugal Cove South Town Hall. The event will include official remarks, cultural presentations, musical performances and a light reception.
For the latest info on the anniversary celebration, please visit https://www.facebook.com/mistakenpointnl. To learn more about Mistaken Point, please visit https://mistakenpoint.ca/discover/
