Random Passage is a novel written in 1992 by Newfoundland author Bernice Morgan. In 2002, a television mini-series was aired in both Canada and Ireland. The series starred Colm Meaney, who played Chief Engineer – Miles O’Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The story covers several years of history about a fictional fishing outport in colonial Newfoundland. A set was built for the mini-series near New Bonaventure on the Bonavista Peninsula. The site was selected because it was accessible by road. The site has no signs of modern life, like hydro lines or communication towers. The site is separated from New Bonaventure by a large hill. The site had been the resettled fishing outport of White Point prior to the 1960’s. Residents of White Point used the school and church in neighbouring New Bonaventure.
Drive south from Trinity to New Bonaventure. You arrive at a former school house, which is now a ticket office, tea room and gift shop. You buy tickets and they direct you to drive down a narrow road to the Cape Random set. You are greeted by an interpreter that gives you an excellent guided tour of the fictional town.
Great care was taken to replicate typical buildings in a Newfoundland outport. As the community developed and grew, houses were built with more comforts. A school room and a church were also added to the community. You’ll also find flakes for drying the cod catch, a garden, a root cellar and a cemetery.
We were able to buy the CD set from the gift store, because we had never seen the mini-series. You can still buy the book, using the link to the right. When you are at the gift store, you can also buy admission to Joe’s Place in New Bonaventure. This was a set for the comedy ‘The Grand Seduction’.
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