A year in quotes: A look back at some notables from 2014
We recorded thousands of interviews this past year. Here are some of the quotes that caught our attention over the past 12 months. We present them in no particular order.
"Because here, with these half retarded baymen management they think it’s cheaper to replace the employee than the equipment.” — Except from a Facebook post that got a 13-year veteran of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper fired from her job when her supervisors saw it.
"She said, 'We've got five more people that definitely are ahead of you. Can you go get some supper and come back?” — Carla Lamb, a woman with serious eating disorders, on what she was told by a nurse at a hospital in Clarenville when she went for help.
"I don't actually breathe when she's skating.” — Marystown resident Claudia Lambe, on what it’s like watching her granddaughter Kaetlyn Osmond compete in the Olympics.
“I was very disappointed when I saw it. What I saw in that assignment is precisely what Memorial University is not about." — Mark Abrahams, Dean of Science at Memorial University, on his reaction to an assignment given my a MUN professor asking students to develop a program to determine if a rape victim would kill herself.
"It is not economically viable to continue running this operation." — Gary Halverson, President of Cliffs Resources, which announced it was shutting down Wabush Mines in February.
"In a way, we're all guilty, because we kept our mouths shut.” — Audrey, a resident of Mary’s Harbour, Labrador, on how the town turned a blind eye to 10 years of sexual assaults against young girls by 52-year old Ralph Rumbolt.
"I guess it was just the truth. He did commit suicide ... and he did have a very long and difficult battle with mental illness, and he was very brave during it. We hoped that we could shed a little bit of light on the whole world of mental illness for the general public." — Andy Jones, on the decision to include the cause of death in their sons obituary following his suicide in February.
"They got right strict on that stuff, right? So I mean, drunk drivers get off with nothing, I got penalized for five years.” — Carson Tulk, a fisherman who was ordered to stay at least 50 metres away inland waters for five years, including his own backyard which is next to a brook.
“When you put a product in a school that looks and tastes like a product that is highly allergic to some children to the point that it could cause death, we put an extra burden of responsibility on our staff.” — Jeff Thompson, associate director of education for the NL School District, on the decision to keep Wowbutter and other peanut substitutes out of schools.
"We should think ourselves extremely lucky Sunday night that we didn't have people going to a different place than the hospital.” — Bert Blundon, secretary-treasurer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, on the danger faced by correctional officers following February’s violent prison riot.
“When you know your child is hurting inside and they won't communicate it to you, you don't know what to do.” — Doreen Layman, talking about her son Nicholas’s mental health after he allegedly stabbed a young boy at a soccer game in Topsail in September.
"Actually, the whole thing was to put the chair by the door and [for] him to just jump out over, but apparently it didn't happen — and it ended up being quite funny." — Maureen Horlick, on how the “Mudder, I’m Stuck” video, which went viral last winter, came to be.
"I'm feeling really uncomfortable and disgusted, one for the fact that there's no bathroom on this plane, and two that this man is urinating behind me with my six-year-old son just ahead of me.” — Karen Janes, on her reaction to a man having to urinate in a bag on an Air Canada flight from Deer Lake to Wabush due to the plane not having a working bathroom.
“As far as I'm concerned, what a woman wears doesn't give a guy a right to do anything to them, [or] say anything to them. If they can't control themselves, then there's something wrong with them, you know? It's just — it's just pathetic." — Gary Connors, a Labrador City man, on the decision made by Menihek High School to send his daughter home for exposing her bra straps under her tank top while at school.
"Who would have thought my big mouth would have gained me fans.” — Deanna King, on her newfound fame following a confrontation with a neighbour over a rat problem in CBS, which was caught on camera by CBC and quickly went viral online.
"I feel horrible about myself, and sometimes, I wonder if they're right. If I am all those things that they call me." — Terrance Collier, a black boy who claimed to be bullied at his Westport school with racist remarks and physical assaults.
“We didn't know when this truck was gonna blow, and not three, maybe four minutes after we got the casualty out, the whole vehicle exploded." — Ryan Folks, one of five vacationing soldiers who rescued a woman from a burning vehicle in central Newfoundland in July.
“You can talk with a lot of moms here in town and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't have a naked photo of their baby or small child." — Robin Walsh, a mother that had photos of her infant daughter withheld by Wal-Mart after they were flagged as ‘inappropriate’.
“I was kind of confused on why I did that. I was like, Oh, that's me doing weird things on the internet.” — Meghan Waterman, who posted an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video while under the influence of dental anaesthetic. The video went viral and currently has over three and a half million views on YouTube.
"I would argue with myself. What’s more important? A cheeseburger or staying alive? The cheeseburger lost every time." — Dave Sullivan, on deciding to kick fast food in one of his Downsizing columns for CBCNL.
"I feel you are the worst mother ever. I'm not going to be like you." — A child of the 33-year-old mother in Conception Bay that was sentenced to over 11 years in prison for torturing her children.
“If you took the word sex worker out of this report and you heard that there are mass sexual assaults happening in our community, people would be absolutely devastated.” — Jenny Wright, executive director of St. John’s Status of Women Council following reports of sexual assaults, including gang rape, against St. John’s sex workers.
More, anyone?
If you’d like to read the feature we ran a year ago on some of the top quotes of 2013, please click here.