It’s the little things that Don Collins will miss. Daily reminders of seclusion and isolation from his hometown in Tilt Cove, N.L.
Feeding birds on his front deck. Exploring the area in his recreational vehicle. Birds and seals catching their next meal. Life for the mayor of Tilt Cove is idyllic.
But that’s all about to change.
The people of Tilt Cove, all four of them, are relocating.
“I figured I was going to be here till the last of it — till the end,” Collins told CBC News. “But time takes a toll on everybody. And the older you get, the faster time goes on.”
Collins moved to Tilt Cove when he was six. And he hasn’t left. He’s been living in the same house for 45 years. It’s where he and Margaret raised their family. A home he practically rebuilt in the time he’s been there.
Only two couples — siblings who married siblings — live in the secluded community, nestled under the copper-stained hills, a constant reminder of the mine that once flourished.
Surrounded by hills on three sides, and the ocean on the other, there are only a dozen or so homes remaining in Tilt Cove. Some are old saltbox designs, some were dragged up to the pond from the nearby ocean decades ago, while others are modern bungalows, including the homes of the two remaining couples.
Newfoundland and Labrador is cutting the power to the homes once the move is complete. It’s a sore point for Collins, who figures the power should continue to the town given there are other part-time residents.
As part of the relocation, the two families received compensation, but the province wouldn’t say how much, citing privacy and confidentiality.
It’s not something Collins likes to talk about.
“It torments after a while, because it’s not something you want to do, but you’re going to do it because of health reasons. And winter, the winter is difficult,” he said.
The two families are moving to King’s Point, located in southwestern Green Bay, on the same coastline as the town they’re leaving behind. They chose the area to rent their new homes because of existing family connections, amenities and proximity to health care.
“We were lucky enough to strike on the place that we did get,” Collins said. “I got another brother-in-law coming home and sister, and they’re coming over to live in King’s Point. So that way we’d still be together.”
As long the road is passable, he says he’ll continue to come back.
“It’s out of the question not to be able to come back,” he said. “I want to be here. This is where my ashes is going to come.… This is where I wants to die.”
There are three graveyards in Tilt Cove. One sits on the mountain behind the Collins’ family home, high above the rest of the community. The people in those graves are something Collins thinks of often.
“Every now and then, some memory will come along and I’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s another one left behind.’ Memories is the hardest, that’s the hard part — the memories.”
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