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A youth group from St. Paul's United Church in Dundas prepares for a weeklong journey to Canada's East Coast on a mission of enlightenment and compassion. This is the story of six teenagers who travel to Newfoundland to explore the spiritual and financial hardships faced by fishermen and their families in the face of the cod moratorium.
The youth group is particularly concerned with issues of social justice in Canada and around the globe. With this trip to Newfoundland, they will connect with other United Church youth as well as people of all ages and learn firsthand about the alleged social injustices that have resulted in the loss of more than 30,000 jobs in the fishing industry.
The cod moratorium has effectively disabled Newfoundland's fishing industry, destroying the livelihoods of locals and wiping out generations of local tradition. The Canadian government says that the moratorium is a drastic but necessary step to preserving cod stocks for future generations and avoiding a full-blown ecological disaster.
To the fishermen of Newfoundland, there's much more to the story than just forward-thinking government regulation. Many Newfoundlanders feel that special interests and globalization have swayed the government into giving favourable treatment to the large commercial fisheries, some of which aren't even Canadian. This documentary explores the many sides of a complex issue.
Inspired with a passion for social justice, the St. Paul's United Church youth group is making the trip for one main purpose: to listen.
The stories that they hear will move, inspire, and change them forever.
Now it's their turn to share the stories of the Newfoundland people. Join the youth on their journey February 6 at 8:30pm (eastern) on VisionTV's Spirit Connection.
To see a clip from the program and to learn more about the show Spirit Connection, click here.
Produced and directed by Jeremy Major and Aaron Lam
Top: The youth group connects with local youth on New World Island.
2nd from top: Fishing boats sit quietly in St. John's harbour.
3rd from top: Leaders John McGonigle and Christina Paradela in Gros Morne National Park.
Bottom: Fillier's Cove, Englee, was once a thriving fishing community. Today, the town struggles to even survive.
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