The Big Land
"In June 2005 I had the opportunity for the first time in my life to go to Texas in USA.I have heard a lot about this "bigness" of this state and that everything in Texas is "bigger" and so forth.I met wonderful people and enjoyed the state, however, no offense to Texans, but I have to say, the "big sky" of Texas has nothing on our "Big Land" Labrador and for me to go away to see another place only makes me appreciate even more our awesome land of Labrador!"
"The nickname "The Big Land" for Labrador came to my mind on board a single engine "Beaver" airplane, which was on skiis, landing on the harbour ice at my home town of Nain.With Labrador pilot Ian Massie, I had just done the three hour flight from Goose Bay to Nain, and it was day of blue sky, light northwest breeze and from an altitude of 3 thousand feet, I it seemed I could see forever in any direction.As I looked down and out across, the feeling came over me that our place is a big Land! That was about 1975 and was the moment when I created this nickname for Labrador.A year earlier, I had taken my first trip to Europe and it was after coming back from Europe that I was really struck with the fact that we are really blessed to be living in such a beautiful land with the freedom to have space and movement. Following the airplane experience, I also took much more focus on the immensity of our land when I stood on mountain ridges and scanned the land to the horizon.You can even get a feel for it in Goose Bay when you drive toward the Valley.Next time you drive past Midway Restaurant going toward Happy Valley, start looking at the distant hills before you go down over the hill toward and you will experience what I see. It was then that I started using the nickname "The Big Land" on a casual basis while I worked on air with the CBC during afternoon live broadcasts and evening shows. In 1976 I first wrote the saying "The Big Land" when I wrote a song about Labrador, its people, places and of new people coming to live here.Then I started using my creation at the end of news hightlights from across the Province during afternoon news headlines on the radio program "On The Go" with St. John's host Peter Miller.Many people, including Labrador CBC radio listener Susan Felberg, recall my introduction of the catchy and fitting name for Labrador. Nowtoday, I hear people from Churchill Falls, Labrador West and other communities on radio talk shows using the word and it is a good feeling to hear it in use. It is also used by several community based events such as the dog team race "The Big Land Challenge" and "The Big Land Fair each fall. I wonder though if they know where it came from?Like anyone else who creates something, this is my intellectual creativity and intellectual property and ask that it be enjoyed and used without gain or profit.Take a case of one couple in Labrador City, the Webbers, who began a tee-shirt and cap business, called me and asked me for permission to use the term in their business.Another broadcaster in the Province was using my creativity in the mid-1990's and because they were a private for profit business, I wrote them and they stopped using the term as part of their program names.Now, the term has grown to be a popular reference to Labrador and it is good to see that people get proud feeling about being in this most awesome part of Canada.Waylon,to you and Bonnie McLean and other volunteers on the web site and information, I send my appreciation and congratulations on a first class job!It is convenient to be able to get the most recent and up to date info. Thanks. "I'm Winston White and that's it from "The Big Land"!
"The nickname "The Big Land" for Labrador came to my mind on board a single engine "Beaver" airplane, which was on skiis, landing on the harbour ice at my home town of Nain.With Labrador pilot Ian Massie, I had just done the three hour flight from Goose Bay to Nain, and it was day of blue sky, light northwest breeze and from an altitude of 3 thousand feet, I it seemed I could see forever in any direction.As I looked down and out across, the feeling came over me that our place is a big Land! That was about 1975 and was the moment when I created this nickname for Labrador.A year earlier, I had taken my first trip to Europe and it was after coming back from Europe that I was really struck with the fact that we are really blessed to be living in such a beautiful land with the freedom to have space and movement. Following the airplane experience, I also took much more focus on the immensity of our land when I stood on mountain ridges and scanned the land to the horizon.You can even get a feel for it in Goose Bay when you drive toward the Valley.Next time you drive past Midway Restaurant going toward Happy Valley, start looking at the distant hills before you go down over the hill toward and you will experience what I see. It was then that I started using the nickname "The Big Land" on a casual basis while I worked on air with the CBC during afternoon live broadcasts and evening shows. In 1976 I first wrote the saying "The Big Land" when I wrote a song about Labrador, its people, places and of new people coming to live here.Then I started using my creation at the end of news hightlights from across the Province during afternoon news headlines on the radio program "On The Go" with St. John's host Peter Miller.Many people, including Labrador CBC radio listener Susan Felberg, recall my introduction of the catchy and fitting name for Labrador. Nowtoday, I hear people from Churchill Falls, Labrador West and other communities on radio talk shows using the word and it is a good feeling to hear it in use. It is also used by several community based events such as the dog team race "The Big Land Challenge" and "The Big Land Fair each fall. I wonder though if they know where it came from?Like anyone else who creates something, this is my intellectual creativity and intellectual property and ask that it be enjoyed and used without gain or profit.Take a case of one couple in Labrador City, the Webbers, who began a tee-shirt and cap business, called me and asked me for permission to use the term in their business.Another broadcaster in the Province was using my creativity in the mid-1990's and because they were a private for profit business, I wrote them and they stopped using the term as part of their program names.Now, the term has grown to be a popular reference to Labrador and it is good to see that people get proud feeling about being in this most awesome part of Canada.Waylon,to you and Bonnie McLean and other volunteers on the web site and information, I send my appreciation and congratulations on a first class job!It is convenient to be able to get the most recent and up to date info. Thanks. "I'm Winston White and that's it from "The Big Land"!
