Society

Today Upper Island Cove is a very prosperous community. It is also a very active community. There are various organizations and groups such as the Kinsmen, Anglican Church Assistants Associations, Orange Lodge, Knights of Columbus and the Recreation Commission, to name only a few. There are also many youth oriented organizations in the town such as the Church Lads Brigade, The Boy's and Girl's Club of Canada, Army Cadets and Minor Hockey. These various organizations unify the members and families of the community. Each of the groups work individually to better the overall life of the people of Upper Island Cove. They raise funds with various efforts and give right back to the town in such areas as educational resources, sports and recreational facilities, and youth programs.

(The New Recreation Center)

The annual Christmas parade is one of the many traditions still carried on today in Upper Island Cove. Another Christmas-time tradition is 'mummering'. People dress up in old clothes and pull a stocking or a mask over their face. These individuals traveling in groups go door to door into people's kitchens and drink whatever is given to them while the people try to guess who they are. They then take out their guitars, fiddles and accordions and sing and play some songs before heading off to the next house. Some mummers even sneak into someone's house and move around the furniture and surprise whoever is home. This was done every Christmas until some years ago but it is starting to make a comeback.

Another tradition occurred on Easter Monday. Children would gather at a friends house with cookies and eggs. The owner of the house would boil the eggs and lay out cookies and cake for a party. It was also traditional for the adults to have eggs for supper on Easter Monday, which used to be as festive as Christmas Day.

Another tradition in Upper Island Cove, while it may not look to be much of anything, is going out in the woods. The woodsmen get up in the early hours of the morning to go hunting, fishing or trouting, or cutting wood. Even though it is cheaper to buy your wood, these people do it to get out in the woods. While in the woods they would boil the kettle on a small open fire and have a cup of tea with 'lassie bread'.

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