In 1992 in Newfoundland and Labrador, the cod moratorium put some thirty thousand fishers out of work: the largest mass layoff in Canadian history. Journalist Jenn Verma blends memoir and research in this gripping account of the enduring legacy of the largest mass layoff in Canadian history. Tracing the early history of the fishery to the present, Verma considers what lies ahead and what was lost along the way.

DuringJennifer Thornhill Verma is a proud Newfoundlander descended from fishers. She has a background in radio and works in the non-profit health sector. Jenn holds a Master of Science in Medicine, a Bachelor of Journalism/Biology, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction. She has written about her fishing roots in such publications as Maisonneuve, Downhome, Saltscapes, Newfoundland Quarterly, Explore and The Telegram (St. John’s). In her spare time, Jenn paints landscapes. a long newspaper career, Lois Legge covered everything from politics to the Swissair Flight 111 crash and investigation. She’s also written hundreds of feature stories, including profiles of Holocaust survivors, war veterans, and famed photographer Robert Frank. Lois has won three Atlantic Journalism Awards and been nominated ten times. She’s a two-time National Newspaper Award finalist. Lois lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with her husband, Richard. They have one daughter, Chelsea.

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