COLLIERS, CONCEPTION BAY
Since the downturn in the fishery and the Cod Moratorium,
more and more houses around the province have reluctantly been abandoned and left to the
uncaring elements of nature. I sometimes think I am addicted to photographing these
buildings ... I can't seem to stop myself. Every time I see an abandoned house I feel a
sadness within, not only for the people who once lived there, but also for the slow decay
of our culture. I have literally thousands of photos of abandoned houses which once were
alive with families. Each house could tell thousands of stories. I leave it up to the
viewer to take (or make) stories from the following photos.
The photos on this page were all taken in
Colliers, a small town in
Conception Bay. They capture my walk among the two buildings and show a little of what I
saw. Nature has nearly defeated these buildings and they are but skeletons of their former
existence.
In January, 2000 I
received an email from a person who thought he recognised the house shown in this photo
essay. Shortly afterwards, I received emails from the entire family including two from the
mother, who grew up here when she was a little girl.
To read the emails
and stories about the house,
click here.
All photos on this page were shot with
one of the first digital cameras.
