Sealers Memorial - Home from The Sea — Attraction in Elliston

This is a really nice and very cool museum and definitely worth the visit. I only gave it a 4 because of its bias to only presenting the point of view of the sealers with little about the consequences of their actions of overhunting, not to mention their cruelty towards the animals themselves. But its tourism and who wants a downer. It was a big deal in the 60s and 70s. Still, it presents the history well, with artifacts, poignant stories, and uber cool old photos of the ice flows, the waves flowing through the ice flows in a video. It does present very well the hardships of the men engaged in this form of living. There are some lovely large paintings and a bronze sculpture (appropriately placed on the beach memorial). Remember, Elliston is the root cellar capital so don't miss...

Sealers Memorial in Elliston is one of the best designed memorials in the province. It memorialized all those Newfoundlanders who braved the sea, ice and weather to head out on the ice flows each spring for the Seal Hunt. While many talk badly of the hunt it was a major source of Income and food for many many NL's who would not have been able to support their family with out it.

The actual memorial is a statute of a father holding his sons as they froze to death on the ice when they were caught in a winter storm and could not get back to their ship.

By the statute are panels listing the names of sealers who died in several of these disasters... as you go through the names you will notice how many families lost several members to the Hunt.

Very...

Really well laid out exhibit and very knowledgeable staff, I do wish there was more information regarding the tragedy from the disaster of 1914 and how it changed the industry in a single section. The impact and artifacts were in two different rooms.

I also wanted to understand more why its considered sustainable, I think there was a quote on the wall. Is it because it's not really practiced anymore? I guess I could have asked too. Still...