Doors Open at the Logy Bay-Middle Cove- Outer Cove Museum

Photo by Annemarie Christie

The museum took part in the St. John’s Doors Open event again this year, as it did in 2013. It is a wonderful event to take part in; it is advertised all over the city and reaches a wide audience. The turn out at the museum this year was great, especially in the afternoon! For a lot of people it was a first-time visit, and the visitors consisted of a nice mix of locals and people from the city; a more diverse group than visits the museum, generally speaking, children and adults both.

Photo by Annemarie Christie

 People really liked the new Outer Cove Plane Crash exhibit. A few of the return visitors had come specifically to see it! People loved hearing an embellishment on the exhibit: I passed on the story I had heard from Robert Angus who heard the story from Mike O’Rourke. Mike’s father was one of the men who went out in a boat to try to save the pilot. The pilot had not survived, but they brought him back in. One of the men held onto the pilot, off the side of the boat. He was still in his seat. They could not haul him into the boat, as this would have upset them into the sea…

 I had an interesting chat in the afternoon with a woman who is a pilot. She had shared the link about the upcoming exhibit on the plane crash and her friend, Pete Barfoot, shared it with the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA 97) Facebook page! Pete also attended Doors Open. The pilot offered an explanation as to why the pilot was in his seat still, and his head was injured.  Her thought was that even though he had apparently not ejected, she thinks he tried, and the cockpit roof did not have time to open and let him out before crashing into the sea (where of
course, it could not open)-- and thus was he fatally injured. 

Photo by Annemarie Christie

People enjoyed other exhibits as well, especially the ever popular women’s and children’s artifacts: the beautiful gold teacup, the tiny, handcrafted leather baby shoes, the dolls and the antique treadle sewing machines!

 Members of the LBMCOC Heritage Committee volunteered for the day, which allowed for the museum’s participation in Doors Open. Besides myself, Julie Pomeroy, Michelle Hickey, Craig Power and Laurie Roche-Lawrence (in the above photo!) helped out by talking with and guiding visitors, as well as opening and closing the museum. It was a great day. Many thanks to Katie Harvey, the Museum’s Coordinator, who arranged for the museum to take part in Doors Open 2015!

 See you at the next one!
-- Annemarie Christie

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