Author Nick Cranford Discusses His Book NL Snowmageddon 2020
Originally published in April 28, 2020, edition of The Newfoundland Herald.
It was the blizzard many want to forget, however, one local author reveals to us why Snowmageddon 2020 ought to be remembered — and celebrated.
By Jason Sheppard
It was just three weeks into the year 2020 when Newfoundlander's and Labradorians realized it would be one nobody would forget at any point in the near future.
On Friday, Jan. 17, the people of the province encountered a tempest like no other. 28 hours of overwhelming continuous snowfall shut the territory down as some neighbourhoods received a record-setting 93 cm of snow once it had (at long last) halted.
That weekend, 22-year-old Nick Cranford, a business administration student at the College of the North Atlantic in St. John’s, created the Facebook group “Snowmageddon 2020.” After just four days, his group had 100,000 members. “That was somewhat stunning,” says Cranford. “I figured it would get some footing, yet I didn’t think we’d get to 100,000. I thought possibly we’d get a couple of thousands and no more.”
Like A Party
Cranford began the Facebook group as a place where people could stay connected and help each other out during the eight-day-long province-wide state of emergency. However, it was clear to him early on that his creation was taking on a life of its own. “I realized pretty quick people were making the most of this. It was like a party,” Cranford said. “We weren’t all doom and gloom, and I think that’s what really defined the Newfoundlander. So I decided, why don’t we find a way to preserve the group and make it into an amazing book about our journey together?”
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Cranford’s archive of that legendary winter beast of a storm is now a pictorial book featuring a foreword by Eddie Sheerr, Chief Meteorologist of NTV News (“the single most intense weather event I’ve experienced,”) and an introduction by Paddy Daly, Host of VOCM Open Line.
NL Snowmageddon 2020 which Cranford depicts as the official photographic collection of Snowmageddon is separated into three sections; the first, “St. John's Metro” details the storm affecting St. John’s and surrounding areas. “It illustrates everybody’s houses snowed in, the doorways getting shut, the cars buried. All St. John’s relevant.” The second section, “Beyond the Overpass” showcases how people handled the blizzard outside of St. John’s. In this section, Cranford includes communities such as Bay Roberts, New Harbour, Petty Harbour–Maddox Cove and even as far as Elliston. The third section is “Have Fun Will Shovel” which Cranford says is more of a fun, creative part of his book. “This one deals with how everyone went to the grocery store, setting up the groups with the Army. Everybody was shovelling and making the most of it.”
‘Be Kind, Always’
Cranford’s book is loaded with vital photographs from cover to cover, and we asked the author if there is a specific image that resonated the most with him. “One of my favourite photos is one of the members of the Canadian Armed Forces meeting seven-year-old Matthew Sharpe. His dream was to meet the army, and the photo of that meeting really touched my heart. Likewise, another that truly stood apart to me is the photograph on the book’s cover — the image of Pitts Memorial covered in snow.”
There were certainly chuckles and laughs shared in the online group which is no surprise as Newfoundland and Labradorians are noted for our comical inclinations yet, similarly as, throughout everyday life, there were many enlightening posts. “One that truly stood apart to me was the image toward the finish of the book where somebody expressed, “Be kind, always” in the snowbank,” said Cranford. “I feel that truly resonates with the entire message of our community during how we handled this test.”
Indeed, the people of this province came together during the ordeal, and this was an aspect Cranford wanted to incorporate into his book. “It’s not just photos of people shovelling out,” he said. “There are photos of friends and family all doing their part. We as a whole met up, set our disparities aside and once we did that we started to see more good, and we created new connections and friends.”
So months or even years from now, when people pull this book down from their shelves, what would the author like readers to take away with them and remember? “I think we need to remember who we are,” Cranford answers. “There’s going to be a lot of stuff even years from now that’s going to sway the meaning of Newfoundlander's one and all. Even right now with the current COVID-19 situation. I want people to be reminded that we may have differences, we may have disagreements, but at the end of the day, we’re all Newfoundlanders. We live on the same island. We live in the same community, and I think that’s what people need to remember.
“We’ve known adversity for 500 years. We’re tough. We’ve passed tests before and rose up from it. Furthermore, we looked out for each other, and we put others ahead of ourselves, and that’s what people will continue to do. And that’s what defines the true Newfoundlander.”
For more on NL Snowmageddon 2020 visit www.flankerpress.com
