Uncovering Gander: Public Archaeology in the Former Town Site of Gander, Newfoundland Lisa M. Daly & Eric J. Guiry Department of Archaeology, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland As part of a larger PhD project, the Globe Theatre was excavated to provide information about the social lives of Canadian and American servicemen and the Newfoundland workers at Gander that will complement aircraft crash site survey work in the area. The Globe Theatre and surrounding old town of Gander [1] Goff, R.B. 2005. Crossroads of the World: Recollections from and Airport Town. Flanker Press Ltd., St. John’s. [2] Tibbo, F. 1997. The Best of Aviation: 101 Tales of Fliers and Flying as Published in The Gander Beacon. Robinson-Blackmore Printing & Publishing, Limited, Halifax. [3] Warren, C.F. 1988. Life at the Crossroads of the World: A History of Gander, Newfoundland, 1936-1988. The Gander Seniors Club and Dicks & Co., St. John’s. [4] Deal, M., and D. Hillier. 2007. Newfoundland and Labrador Aviation Resource Inventory. Ms. on file Provincial Archaeology Office, St. John’s. Signs were posted around the Former Town site and public archaeology days were announced at community meetings and on CBC radio (fig. 3 & 4). Many site visitors had been in the area to use the trails and stopped to ask questions and look at artifacts. Some visitors came out specifically to visit this site; few joined in the excavation. One gentleman brought his grandsons out to see the work and to talk about the history of Gander. Most of the older visitors to the site – those who had attended the theatre – shared stories about the Globe. Through this dialogue we confirmed the location of the entrance, stage and powder rooms, and learned about the outer appearance of the building. Gander is rich in folklore and many visitors were happy to share stories. Towards the end of the excavation it became clear that we were learning as much, or more, from site visitors as they were learning from us. This poster explores the challenges and rewards of public archaeology at the Globe Theatre site in the former town of Gander NL (Fig. 1 and 2). The theatre was an important part of the local community during WWII but was abandoned between 1952 and 1956 when Gander was moved from the edge of the airport to its current location 1,2,3 . Since this time, the old town has been bulldozed, filled in, and converted to green space frequented by walkers, tourists, and youth groups. The theatre was excavated in July 2011 as part of an ongoing Aviation Archaeology project to record and assess World War II resources in the province 4 . During the height of the summer, the public were invited to visit the site to observe excavations and join in. Introduction Project Goals References Public Aviation Archaeology Acknowledgments 7. 1. 2. 6. 3. Moving Forward 5. The problem of low visitation and participation might be approached by increasing public awareness of, and attention to, excavation activities. Additional radio and print advertisements might improve turnouts, such as an ad in The Gander Beacon. Furthermore, future excavations might benefit from a mid-season and post-season presentation to detail interesting finds and developments (fig. 6 &7). Gander is a difficult area in which to build trust, and encouraging visitation throughout the season creates a more open dialogue between archaeologists and the community. The relatively low volume of visitors was probably experienced due to variable weather and weekend vacationing. This contributed to a low rate of visitor participation. Fortunately, unlike similar public archaeology excavations in NL 5 , the low volume of visitation may have contributed to the absence of site vandalism. Furthermore, although the excavation Challenges 4. We would like to thank our wonderful, hard working volunteers: Kathleen Ellwood, Mike Deal, Shannon Green, Chelsee Arbour, Maryanne Baird and Matthew Brake. Thanks to the Gander International Airport Authority for allowing excavations, and the Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest for presentation space and promotion. Thank you to the Provincial Archaeology Office of NL and T&M Associates for funding and logistics. Army/American Side Canadian Side Globe Theatre Fig. 1. Map 6 of Newfoundland and Labrador showing relative position of Gander Fig. 2. Below. War era air photo 7 of the Gander Base showing location of the Globe Theater were abandoned relatively recently and many local residents spent their childhood living there. The public was invited to help excavate and share in uncovering their past in order to provide an opportunity to gain a better understanding how archaeology is practiced and what can be learned. Figures 3 and 4. Above and below. Signage advertizing public archeology days at the Globe Theater excavation. Fig. 5. Above. Maryanne Baird volunteering at the excavation. Fig. 6. Above. Newfoundland 50 cent piece. One of several coins found near the Globe Theater ‘s entrance. Fig. 7. Right. Fragment of a KEEP COOL soft drink bottle from a Newfoundland soda pop manufacturer, Gaden. staff was limited in number, low traffic meant that each visitor could expect ample attention from our crew (fig. 5). Gander [5] Crompton, A., & Guiry, E., (2010) Digging on the hill: Memorial University’s archaeology field school at Signal Hill National Historic Site, Newfoundland. Poster presented at 43 rd Annual Chacmool Conference., Calgary, 11-14 Nov [6] MacLeod, M. 1986. Peace of the Continent: The Impact of Second World War Canadian and American Bases in Newfoundland. Harry Cuff Publications Ltd., St. John’s. [7] Cardoulis, J.N. 1990. A Friendly Invasion: The American Military in Newfoundland 1940-1990. Breakwater, St. John’s.