A Crowd of Jolly Trappers: Labrador Trapping Songs

TIM BORLASE has spent almost 30 years, experiencing and participating in the vast cultural mosaic which is Labrador. For 28 years he served as the Fine Arts Co-coordinator of the Labrador School Board travelling by bush plane from community to community trying to make connections between peoples of differing ethnic origins who all had one common passion - that of place. He is now Director of the Labrador Institute, Memorial University's presence in Labrador and continues to sponsor programs in the arts which he believes add hope and self-esteem to people's lives. He credits the honourary doctoral degree he received from Memorial University to the people who provided him with such a proud sense of place. The rich tradition of composing songs, by lone men in trapper's tilts hundreds of miles from home in a foreboding climate, is indicative of the power of self-expression. These and other indigenous songs are part of his collection entitled Songs of Labrador.