This past Saturday, we took advantage of the Doors Open Days by visiting the Supreme Court and the Masonic Temple!
The Masonic Temple
Luke was off sick last week but luckily the antivirals, combined with antibiotics, kicked it up a notch and he felt well enough to do a low-key Something Saturday. We followed in our own footsteps from last year and checked out a few of the sites that were open for the annual Door Open Days in St. John’s. Every year it seems like a few new sites are added to the lists of places open to the public, so there’s usually something new to see!
Since Elizabeth was tied up for most of the weekend, we got our Doors Open fix on Saturday morning. We started off at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador just after it opened for the day, making us the first visitors. We were taken around the facility on a private tour by two people who work there – a clerk who has been working there for 30+ years and a security officer.
Since Elizabeth was tied up for most of the weekend, we got our Doors Open fix on Saturday morning. We started off at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador just after it opened for the day, making us the first visitors. We were taken around the facility on a private tour by two people who work there – a clerk who has been working there for 30+ years and a security officer.
The Supreme Court opened in 1904 and handles the trials for serious offenses in the province. There are multiple courtrooms in the building but only a couple of them are equipped for a judge and jury. During our tour, we were brought into Courtrooms 1, 2 and 7 and our guides gave us the basics of how everything works during a trial, as well as how the court system works in general. They weren’t supposed to be tour guides, but that made it even better because they were simply telling us anything that came to mind and were open to all of our questions. One interesting anecdote they told was that there is usually confusion when the fire alarm goes off because there are often multiple trials going on. When everyone musters outside, the jury needs to stay together as well as stay away from everyone else, while the accused needs to remain in custody, and the media needs to be kept at bay - the more you know!
In Courtroom 7, the former law library, old probates were laid out for viewing as well as a book of shorthand notes written by a clerk during a trial in the 1970s or 1980s. The wooden ceiling of the library is still open to the courtroom and gives it a rustic feel. Not to mention that the entire building is fascinating because it is a designated heritage building.
In Courtroom 7, the former law library, old probates were laid out for viewing as well as a book of shorthand notes written by a clerk during a trial in the 1970s or 1980s. The wooden ceiling of the library is still open to the courtroom and gives it a rustic feel. Not to mention that the entire building is fascinating because it is a designated heritage building.
After finishing up at the courthouse, we walked up the hill to the Masonic Temple. Opened in 1897, this building was the home of the local Freemasons before being purchased by a dinner theatre company, The Spirit of Newfoundland. We joined in a tour lead by a Freemason, dressed in a top hat and tails, who had spent a significant amount of time in the Temple over the years. He told us bits and pieces about Freemasonry, and made it clear that “it is not a secret society, but a society with secrets”. We visited the Blue Room with the all-seeing eye, the capital G, and the expensive musical organ, as well as the Red Room next door. Unfortunately, the rooms are being renovated now and there are dinner theatre props everywhere, but we could still get the general idea.
Our tour guide also shared countless ghost stories as we walked through the building, especially about things that had happened to him in the building. It was slightly spooky, but we both found the entire experience a bit hard to comprehend. The tour got especially unusual when we were shown a trap door in the floor and were told that it is part of a ceremony where someone goes down the steps into the dark and needs to find some things down there. Our guide opened the trap door so people could look down into it, but a few seconds after opening the door, his cane slipped out of his hand and fell through the hatch. Luckily someone else went down there to get it because we were a little bit creeped out, especially when the guide made it clear that these trap doors are no longer permitted in buildings as they are not up to code.
The two buildings (and tours) were completely different but we were lucky to have the opportunity to take part in the tours that we did; they added to the overall experience and gave us a better understanding of the places were were visiting.
That evening, we continued visiting new places by trying out the new(ish) restaurant Eat Clean – Healthy Grill and Juice Bar. Just as the name would suggest, they have lots of healthy options for people of varying dietary requirements. We really liked the atmosphere of the place and the food was tasty. Plus, with Luke trying to recover from his illness, we can imagine that his body wanted all of the nutrients it could get!
Here are some photos from last Saturday:
That evening, we continued visiting new places by trying out the new(ish) restaurant Eat Clean – Healthy Grill and Juice Bar. Just as the name would suggest, they have lots of healthy options for people of varying dietary requirements. We really liked the atmosphere of the place and the food was tasty. Plus, with Luke trying to recover from his illness, we can imagine that his body wanted all of the nutrients it could get!
Here are some photos from last Saturday:
