Last call for Little Bay Islands as the MV Hazel McIsaac departs for the final time
The Parsons dig in on a life of solitude
At 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve the last ferry left Little Bay Islands, N.L., for good.
The community, which was settled almost 200 years ago, turned off its lights for the last time.
Remaining behind are Mike and Georgina Parsons, who are now the only remaining full-time inhabitants of the small former fishing community. The couple is prepared to live off of the grid, including installing solar panels and wireless internet with preparation that began weeks ago.
Shortly after 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve the Parsons took to Facebook Live to wave farewell to friends and the MV Hazel McIsaac, the ferry that kept them and their community connected to mainland Newfoundland.
"Wait, I changed my mind," someone joked to the Parsons as they stood on the town's dock, watching the ferry slowly depart through the calm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
"The last, last. It's just us now," Georgina Parsons told viewers tuning into the final journey from Little Bay Islands.
"It's still a pretty surreal feeling. If you look at the beauty here you can really appreciate why we decided to stay."
The Parsons remain only a boat trip to the nearest community.
They expect friends to return in the spring after the ocean ice clears the way for travelling by water.