Hon. Fabian Manning: Honourable senators, as a young boy growing up under the careful eye of my dear mother, I was the recipient of her sage advice many times. One tidbit of advice she gave me was, “Fabian, stay on the high road, there is way too much traffic on the low road.” Another offering was one I am sure many of you have heard before, and that was, “In a world where you can be anything you want to be, be kind.”

With those thoughts in mind, I am pleased to present Chapter 72 of “Telling Our Story.” If you find my stories interesting, thank you, and if for some reason or other you do not, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Friends, many people who visit Newfoundland and Labrador are struck by the rugged beauty of our land, the scent of the salt water that surrounds us and the warmth and hospitality of the people who live there.

Many remark about the colourful houses, especially those located on the hills surrounding the harbour in St. John’s. They are a popular background used by many photographers, movie directors and wedding parties — the list is endless. We fondly refer to them as “Jellybean Row.” They are a major tourism attraction with their vibrant colours of red, blue, yellow, green, orange and all the many beautiful and bright colours of the rainbow.

In 1863, a hardware store called Templeton’s opened in downtown St. John’s, and about 50 years later the then-owner John Templeton and his brother David came across a set of old paint chips in the basement of their store. They knew right away that they had to do something with their discovery, so they contacted the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

That somewhat surprising collaboration marked the birth of the Heritage Paint Colours of Newfoundland and Labrador. The plan was straightforward — these paint chips needed a name befitting of the place we call home. Lara Maynard of the Heritage Foundation was tasked with the job, and said she wanted to select names that would best celebrate not only the landscape but our language as well. With names like Little Heart’s Ease, Charmer, Mussels in the Corner and Bristol’s Hope, she captured our history, culture and unique way of life very well.

Another piece of folklore tells a different story of the creation of “Jellybean Row” — a more romantic version, I do believe. Legend has it that in the early days, fishermen flocked to our shores to reap the bounty of the ocean, which John Cabot said was teeming with fish. That was before the crowd here in Ottawa took control of the fishery, but that’s a story for another day.

As you would understand, the fishermen would have to spend long, hard days out at sea, and upon their return home they would often be met with a heavy veil of fog hanging over the harbour, which was not necessarily the best condition in order to see their houses up on the hill. Therefore, the fishermen would paint their homes in these bright and vibrant colours to make them more visible. The houses then would pop out and shine against the cool grey backdrop of the fog. I like that story best.

Whatever reason for the creation of “Jellybean Row” you choose to believe, I will leave that up to you to decide, but I do encourage you to come and see it for yourself. The fact is many people love to visit there, see and experience this visual phenomenon and enjoy its unique character. I guarantee you that a walk along the streets of these bold and unusually matched coloured houses will lift your spirits on even the dullest of days, and we could all benefit from that.