As noted in one of my recent blog posts – we have a deep appreciation and a great deal of respect for our guides here at McCarthy’s Party. Our guides are truly the face of our company and we rely on them to ensure our guests enjoyment, comfort, knowledge base, and entertainment. Quite the responsibility – and while we do our best to train our tour leaders there is really no substitute for the varied life experiences they possess as born and bred Newfoundlander’s. As a well-known hotel chain often reminds their guests – “We don’t train our people to be friendly, we find friendly people!”
While this is certainly true for McCarthy’s I was reminded of just how dedicated our guides are when I received the following note from Eugene (Gene) Flynn last week. Gene is an outrageous character who, as my Brother Mark likes to point out, has done just about everything imaginable. From his role as a college professor to a communications tower installment specialist in Northern Canada, Gene never fails to amaze us with us off season endeavours. Gene is currently working in Iqualuit and despite the cold weather and what I am certain is an extraordinarily demanding work schedule – he is already thinking about the upcoming season, his fellow guides, future guests and the company itself. Here are the thoughts he shared during a rare moment of reprieve, down for a blizzard snow day.
“I’ve got a Blizzard day so I thought I’d send off a few notes re the PD days and guide meetings.
Perhaps there are few jobs more knowledge based than guiding and having made a few trips, here is an outline of the kind of “knowledge” that I find valuable as a guide for McCarthy’s:
- Natural history of the province; reasonable knowledge of plants, animals , birds, etc.
- Intertidal Zone: Tourists love this area at low tide; GMNP activity re Intertidal Zone always booked /full. The seaweeds….extracts…Agar, Carrageenan, …different groups of seaweeds: Alaria, Laminaria, etc/Invertebrates/ Vertebrates of Intertidal Zone
- Cultural/ Human History/ Pre-Historic Groups: Maritime Archaic/ Paleo-Eskimo/Dorset/Beothuk/ Micmac/ European history.
- Knowledge of Historic Sites; knowledge of communities visited.
- Knowledge of Fishery/Salt Fish Trade/ Life cycle of the Cod/ Life cycle of Salmon/etc
- Geology..I need more of this one
- Forest Industry/ types of trees in province
- Oil Industry/Economy/etc
- Knowledge of food services/Restaurants/best places to eat
- Communication Skills/PD/ People Skills
- Oceanography/currents/ice movement/Labrador Current/ connection to ice flows/seals. Life Cycle of Harp Seal, etc
- Labrador.. Geology/ Mining/History/plants / animals/politics/native groups:Inuit/Naskapi Montagnais/
- Computer Skills
I’m sure there are others?
Take care and see you this summer.
Gene Flynn
PS: Please note the international significance of the L’Anse Aux Meadows Archaeological Site…as one of the most important finds in the history of the human race!!! “
Now that’s what I call a walking encyclopedia! Pretty certain he’s covered every base and more importantly, is capable of rounding the diamond a couple of times every inning. Many thanks to Gene and all our guides. We are so terribly proud of their work and look forward to hearing more of their fascinating stories and experiences this summer.
All our best
Andrew, Gene and all hands here at McCarthy’s Party
[Meet the Team]
