The other House of Commons: Talking to voters in Heart's Content
Undecided heads to William Piercey's store to learn what people in rural communities want in this election
There is no lock on the House of Commons, just a piece of twine to tie the door shut.
The Sears stove is missing a leg, propped up now on a junk of wood. An unlikely rig, but it seems to work just fine. The fire is so warm it's uncomfortable to sit alongside.
Above the stove hangs a bundle of kindling, more than 100 years old, passed down through generations of Piercey men.
The stove. The kindling. The wall-mounted jigger. The invitation to Will and Kate's wedding (fake). The dangling rabbit's foot (real). Everything here has a story.
The House of Commons is, technically, a fish store. A place built in 1956 by William Piercey, who needed somewhere to keep his gear.
But like so many other sheds, stores and coffee shops around Newfoundland and Labrador, it quickly became a meeting spot for the men of Heart's Content, where they'd take on topics like the 12-mile fishing limit, the new birth control pill, and who had the first colour TV in town.
(That was William's son Frank, by the way. He won it in a raffle at a gas station when he was about 20.)
Meet the parliamentarians of the Heart's Content House of Commons
In 2009, the House of Commons was near total ruin and had been shuttered for some years. Frank Piercey enlisted his own son, Doug, and grandson, Kyle, to rebuild the hallowed hall.
Not long after, men started showing up again.
Don't presume rural needs
Despite the influx of townies, jokes "member of parliament" John Warren, life is pretty good in Heart's Content. Sure, it's not as busy as it once was, but there are still fishermen.
And there's a new industry, too.
"We get a lot of tourists coming to the area," Warren said, listing the town's attractions: the historic cable station museum, the lighthouse — and the House of Commons itself.
"If I talk to a politician, or any politician, I think that's what I'd like to know: what can they do … to increase the tourists coming here to Heart's Content?" he said.
It is easy to assume the needs of rural communities like Heart's Content. Health care is important to the aging population. Good roads make it possible to get to clinics, supermarkets and friends in neighbouring towns.
Yes, there are other priorities, but I certainly think this type of thing is a priority, too- Ed Arnott
But Ed Arnott believes there's more to life than just surviving, and more to this community than just a cluster of houses.
He and Warren are both part of the local heritage group, which converted the old United Church into a performing arts centre.
"We've had about 15 concerts now over the past year and a half and we have a monthly coffee house. All of that entertainment would not be here if it wasn't for that arts centre," Arnott said.
"So I think provincial government, federal government funding for the arts is very, very important."
But wait just a minute. Newfoundland and Labrador is overwhelmed with debt. Can we really afford to invest in outport art centres?
"What value do you place on pride?" Arnott argued.
"The pride that you might feel when a Newfoundlander writes a song and has it become an important anthem, or a hit, even … ask yourself how important that is. Yes, there are other priorities, but I certainly think this type of thing is a priority, too."
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