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"I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster

In March 1914, the Newfoundland set sail from Wesleyville, taking 132 men out sealing. Miles from shore, the ship got stuck in the ice so the men went over the side to walk to the sealing ground. When a terrible storm struck, they were stranded. It took rescuers 3 days to arrive; by then, 78 men were dead and another 9 missing. This tragic story is told through the words of men who were there and the haunting prints of David Blackwood.
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In March 1914, the Newfoundland set sail from Wesleyville, taking 132 men out sealing. Miles from shore, the ship got stuck in the ice so the men went over the side to walk to the sealing ground. When a terrible storm struck, they were stranded. It took rescuers 3 days to arrive; by then, 78 men were dead and another 9 missing. This tragic story is told through the words of men who were there and the haunting prints of David Blackwood.

History - Canada - 1867-1919 Safety Fishing and Hunting Industries All subjects
  • director
    Joe MacDonald
  • producer
    Floyd Elliott
  • executive producer
    Douglas MacDonald
  • animation camera
    Raymond Dumas
    Pierre Landry
  • sound editing
    Diane Normandeau
  • re-recording
    Roger Lamoureux
  • narrator
    Timothy Webber

Education

Ages 15 to 18
School subjects
Geography - Environmental Issues Geography - Human Geography Social Studies - Labour Studies

Compare the SS Newfoundland with the SS Southern Cross tragedy. Why did the Newfoundland sealing disaster of 1914 result in such an intense public reaction? Identify some of the hardships that sealers encountered when they were out on one of these excursions. Describe the environmental conditions that resulted in the deaths of sealers from this event. What is the historical significance of the SS Newfoundland disaster? Address the cause and consequences of this situation. 

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"I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
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