Giant Squids and Clowning Around in St. John’s, Newfoundland at Bunchland

Bunchland loves to hop on our imaginary jet plane and take imaginary trips to amazing places all over the world. Sometimes the families who live there even show us around. How cool is that?

CITY: St. John’s, Newfoundland
OUR BUNCH: Kevin, 41, substitute teacher, event organizer, arts educator. Cara, 32, textile artist, toy maker, clothing designer. Llewellyn, 4, inventor who dances like a crazy bear. Aloysius, 21 months, alligator.

Kevin Hehir came to Newfoundland ten years ago to go to grad school and never left and doesn’t plan to. Cab drivers still ask him if he’s enjoying his stay. His wife, Cara, is a native Newfoundlander. Their bunch currently resides in a neighbourhood that was once a busy commercial area. Many of the businesses have since shuttered, but there is a renaissance happening, and every spring brings out more and more strollers.

Where would you take a newcomer to your hometown and why?

I’d just take them for a walk on Harvey Road as St. John’s is a great city for creative ambling. The downtown slopes up from the harbour like the side of a cereal bowl; we live just over the rim. I like to watch the cranes unload massive cargo ships. You feel above it and in the middle of it at the same time. It’s my favourite walk in the city and there’s even a fence to thwack a stick against as you go.

If your family could spend a day together doing anything you wanted in your hometown, what would you do?

We’d probably spend a day at The Rooms, which is the provincial art gallery, museum and archives. There are interactive displays, dioramas featuring birds, and an amazingly well-preserved giant squid. Once you convince the security guards that your kid won’t tag a Pratt they’re actually quite helpful and informative.

Your family is given $1,000 to spend on local products and entertainment. How do you spend it?

We would buy a round of custom-made hula hoops from one of the local artisans who make them. Wonderbolt runs a circus arts school that would be fun to sign up for. There’s a great local toy line called Play by Rosalind Ford. We’ve got one of her hand-screened puffins.We’d buy a flock of them to hang them around the house, and a maybe a set of her dragon hand puppets.

What is your family’s favourite local event/tradition?

The afternoon sessions at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival. This festival is great because the kids can go mad at the front of the stage.

What is the most beautiful thing about where your family calls home?

The people. We have an incredible little community. Not a lot of money sometimes, but no one is ever made to feel left out. They say that every baby brings its own loaf of bread. We love this city and we aren’t going anywhere.