All Around the Circle Foto Tunes 31 Days in Canada

Tom the backroads traveller hosts Foto Tunes

Reposting as part of my 2026 - 31 Days in Canada series and linking to Foto Tunes

September 2022 - Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, Bonavista

Everywhere you go in Newfoundland and Labrador, you will hear this song.

"I'se The B'y" (also I's The Bye) is a traditional Newfoundland folk song/ballad. "I's the B'y" is in the Newfoundland English dialect, and translates to standard English as "I'm the Boy" or "I'm the Guy". The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame decided to honour the song in 2005, officially accepting it as part of the Canadian Song Hall of Fame.

I'se The Boy

I'se The B'y that builds the boat and
I'se The B'y that sails her and
I'se The B'y that catches the fish and
Brings 'em home to Liza

I'm the boy that builds the boat, and I'm the boy that sails her. This song is about self-sufficient fishermen from Newfoundland, Canada.

Hip-yer-partner Sally Tibbo
Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown
Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton's Harbour,
All around the circle

This refers to three towns on the northeast coast of Newfoundland - a "circle" that would be navigated by the fishermen during fishing season.

Sods and rinds to cover your flake,
Cake and tea for supper
Cod fish in the spring of the year,
Fried in maggoty butter

Sods and rinds to cover your flake - The fishermen would dry the fish so they would last through the winter season. The fish would be sun-dried on platforms, covered with grass sod and tree bark.

"Cake" is hard tack.

Photo taken in Trinity.

I don't want your maggoty fish
They're no good for winter
Well I can buy as good as that,
Way down in Bonavista!

Bonavista is another coastal town on the east coast of Newfoundland, but is far away from the "circle" described above. The singer is haggling with someone over the quality of the fish, with someone claiming they could get that quality anywhere.

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1. Starts with "R"
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RIVER

Minden ON

FAVOURITE

RED

Dawson City Yukon

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INUVIK Northwest Territories Canada

FAVOURITE

IRISH INTERNET - Newfoundland

ICE CREAM

Skagway Alaska

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HILLY Georgian Bay ON

FAVOURITE

HEART HASHTAG

HOT

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PRESS GANG Halifax NS

FAVOURITE

GOOGLY eyes 

GREAT

Rogers Centre is GREAT for baseball!

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EGGCITEMENT Georgian Bay Ontario

FAVOURITE

EAGLE Bonne Bay Newfoundland

EARLY Bird - London ON

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DILDO Newfoundland

FAVOURITE

DARK

The Dark Tickle Company is located in St. Lunaire - Griquet, on the Great Northern Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Our name. A ‘tickle’ is a narrow saltwater channel. It is also the area in Griquet where we were originally located, as represented by the picture on our labels. In our case, it is 'dark' as it is surrounded by high hills.

T for Tuesday

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Some drinks I found around town.

Glass I bought in Newfoundland in September.

HAPPY CANADA DAY

 

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 WEIRD often spotted downtown.

FAVOURITE

North Sydney Nova Scotia

WATER

Colourful

  One Word Sunday

Bonavista, Newfoundland

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KILTS

FAVOURITE

KEEP

KOOKY

Signs

  Joining Tom at Signs2.

Random-osity

Wordless Wednesday Wordless Be There 2day

November 2022 - Toronto ON

Bathroom/toilet/restroom/WC sign in Wvrst at Union Station. I don't think it should be more inclusive.

RED

  One Word Sunday

Robin's, a coffee chain in Newfoundland - taken September 2022

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Newfoundland and Labrador

FAVOURITE

Fan EXPO  Front St. Toronto

EVERGREEN

Fir trees covered in snow

DOOR

 One Word Sunday

July 2022 - London ON Covent Garden Market

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Chang beer in Chinatown Bangkok Thailand

CROSSWORDS

COLOURFUL

St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador

Skyline

 One Word Sunday

Toronto ON

From our the club, 46th floor of our condo, looking east, towards downtown with a bank of fog.

Same day and time

From our condo, looking north.

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A saints in Quebec.

AMPLE

Las Vegas NV