Awards of the Foundation

Walter Torraville's Fishing Stage, Wharf and Boardwalk

Walter Torraville's fishing stage, built on Change Islands in the late 1800's, is a beautiful example of traditional inshore fishermen’s premises. The stage is centrally located close to the Change Islands bridge linking the north and south islands of the town. Today it is a clearly visible landmark to both residents and tourists who cross the bridge and travel on the roads and lanes of the town.

From such buildings a variety of fishing activities were carried out - fishing for cod with traps, jigging, or using hook and line. and catching herring with nets. Inshore sealing 4 to 5 miles out on the drift ice and associated support bait-fishing were additional activities.

This particular stage is also of significant heritage merit because it also functioned as the first ferry terminal on Change Islands. From 1968 to 1979 a ferry ran from these premises between Cobb’s Arm, New World Island and Change Islands. But with the relocation of the ferry and the demise of the fishery, the stage fell into dis-use.

By 2002, when Stages and Stores Inc. bought Walter Torraville's fishing stage, it had fallen into a rather dilapidated state, and the ferry wharf had been destroyed. Under the guidance of the Stages and Stores’ board of directors - Herbert Bown, Maureen Woodrow and Wallace Bown - the stage was restored and the ferry wharf rebuilt. The stage will be used as headquarters for the Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation and the Stages and Stores Corporation. The new wharf will also provide a central docking facility for sailing and power boats visiting the community. One of the first tasks in restoring the stage was to raise it two-and-a-half feet as the surrounding land had been elevated by rock fill during the construction of the town bridge in the mid-sixties. The stage was jacked up with four hydraulic jacks and a large supply of six-inch timber for cribbing. Wooden posts were installed in the foundation to stabilize the structure and an access bridge was constructed around the building. General repairs to the windows, doors, roof, siding and flashing, all in keeping with the basic design and local tradition, were carried out, as well as a fresh paint job. The top floor, impregnated over many years with cod liver oil and otherwise damaged, was completely replaced. Finally, the ferry wharf was reconstructed.

For their thorough and dedicated restoration of Walter Torraville's Fishing Stage and Ferry Terminal the Newfoundland Historic Trust presents a Southcott Award to Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation, represented by Maureen Woodrow and Herbert Bown.

Lara Maynard, Manager
Newfoundland Historic Trust &
Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site
PO Box 2403,
St. John's NL
A1C 6E7
Tel: 709-739-7870;
Fax: 709-739-5413
Email: trust@historictrust.com
URL: www.historictrust.com

The Newfoundland Historic Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of our province's built heritage.

For further information about Walter Torraville's Fishing Stage, Wharf and Boardwalk please see The Burgundy Squid Cafe & Craft Shoppe and the Restoration sections of our website.

The Walter Torraville Property (Cottage and Fishing Stage), Change Islands was designated a Registered Heritage Structure on May 2nd, 2004 by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. Please see below for more information.

The Torraville Property (Cottage and Fishing Stage), Change Islands was designated a Registered Heritage Structure on May 2nd, 2004 by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also listed as one of Canada's Historic Places at www.historicplaces.ca.

Built early 1934 by Walter Torraville and Raymond Torraville of Change Islands, the Torraville cottage is centrally located on the main tickle of Change Islands just north west of the bridge-causeway that separates the North and South islands of Change Islands. The main two-story Torraville home is located just to the east of the cottage. The cottage has a commanding view of the Main Tickle and is approximately 100' from the shoreline (land wash).

The building is a wooden structure approximately 24' by 34' with one story 8' high, a round roof about 6' high and a sun porch design that is quite unique and beautiful in its simplicity. The "round" roof is unique and is one of only two left standing in the community. The other building is a two-storey house located in Puncheon Cove, a small deserted fishing village just one kilometer southeast of the Town of Change Islands. The cottage will be restores in the spring of 2004 by Stages and Stores, Inc. and the Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation.

Built ~ 1900s by Walter Torraville of Change Islands, the Torraville fishing stage and wharf is centrally located on the main tickle of Change Islands on the northwest shore of the North Island. It is situated about 100 feet east of the Change Islands causeway/bridge that links the north and south islands of the town. It is clearly visible to residents and tourists that cross on the bride/causeway and travel on the main roads of the town. Walter Torraville's business/building was located just to the east of the stage (near the current slipway). The current E. S. Spencer causeway/bridge completed 4 November, 1965 runs between the stage/wharf on the west and the business/building on the east, which is no longer standing.

The second owners were Gerry and Pearl Kearley. Pearl still resides on Change Islands and lives in the adjacent house. The stage was purchased by Fred Chaffey in the late 1960's and he used it as the first Change Islands ferry terminal for a car ferry service that operated between Cobb's Arm on New World Island and Change Islands. This ferry service was discontinued when the Farwell/Change Islands/Fogo Island government service was introduced on December 9th, 1979.

The restored fishing stage is approximately 18' by 34' with one story 7' high and a round roof about 6' high. The re-constructed wharf is 50' by 12' and has been located in the same location as the previous structure. The building is a beautiful example of the traditional inshore fisherman premises where a variety of fishing activities was carried out - cod (traps, hook and line, and jigging); herring (nets); salmon (nets); lobster (traps); inshore sealing (4-5 miles on the drift ice); and associated support bait fishing.

The Newfoundland Historic Trust presented the Southcott Award to the Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation for the restoration of Walter Torraville's Fishing Stage and Ferry Terminal. See the Award item above for more information.

The Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador recognized John Whitt's Stage as an important part of the province's fisheries history in 2002. Funding was made available to the Change Islands Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation to restore the building. The Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation was established to help restore, preserve and maintain the traditional fishing structures (stages, stores, wharves, flakes, etc) within the community of Change Islands.

While the building was in stable condition, it did require considerable work, including the replacement of sills on the south and east side, the replacement of underpinning posts, and repairs to windows, doors and clapboard. The Change Islands Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation completed the restoration of the John Whitt Stage in the summer of 2002.

For further information about John Whitt's Stage please see the Restoration section of our website.

The following Stages and Stores Heritage Foundation restored structures have been added to the list of Newfoundland and Labrador's Provincial Register of Historic Places.