|
CURRENT ISSUE VOLUME 19 NO. 3 MAY/JUNE 2008
 Lure of the Ancients
Children of the Ice Age reap reverence, respect and revenue - and rightly so.
By Denise Flint
Icebergs. Older than civilization itself and born in a place where few people have ventured, they trundle inexorably south every year past the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, bringing prosperity to some, danger to others and wonder to everyone privileged enough to witness their journey. The path they travel on their spring migration is called 'Iceberg Alley' and people come from across Canada and around the world to witness the parade.
"When people come to the province, they come for the entire experience," explains Minister of Tourism Clyde Jackman. "But...they have a (particular) sense of awe about icebergs. There's something remarkable about them."
Perhaps it's their sheer improbability. Appearing when spring has finally brought some relief to the battered shores of the North Atlantic, they are otherworldly - shining with a blinding purity that transcends the fact that they are composed of the snow and ice which northern people are so happily kissing good-bye and good riddance by this time of year. Their purity comes from another age. The glaciers of Greenland, from which icebergs calve, formed over 15,000 years ago. Free of minerals and contaminants, melted iceberg water is purer than any other kind of water found in the world today.
And that's the hook for Canadian Iceberg Vodka Corporation. According to senior vice president David Hood, Iceberg vodka is the most successful non-resource based export in the province. In a coup comparable to selling ice cubes to Inuit, the private company has sold vodka to Russia - among other customers around the globe. Local enthusiasm for the drink is such that Iceberg vodka is number one in Newfoundland, the only market in North America that doesn't award the crown to Smirnoff. Nor are they the only company to capitalize on icebergs' mystique.
The above excerpt was taken from the most recent issue of Atlantic Business Magazine. Our complete editorial content is available in print form only. To receive a free subscription to Atlantic Business Magazine,
click HERE.
|
