Mention Newfoundland, Canada’s easternmost province, and the first thing most people think of is fishermen. And yet, despite lacking windswept prairies, the island is currently producing cowboys — iceberg cowboys, that is.
Because of climate change, increasing numbers of icebergs are breaking off the glaciers of western Greenland and floating down to the so-called Iceberg Alley, from the coast of Labrador to the south-east coast of Newfoundland. Iceberg water is reputed to be particularly pure, which makes harvesting those icebergs a profitable new industry.
During the month-long spring iceberg season, cowboys like Captain Ed Kean and his crew use a tugboat to search for icebergs. After throwing a rope around it, they use a winch to bring the iceberg close to the boat. Kean then operates a backhoe with a mechanical claw to break off pieces of ice, which is crushed and placed in holding tanks.
Six companies are currently licensed to harvest icebergs, according to Maclean’s magazine. The water is used for vodka, craft beer and bottled water, which can sell for as much as $33 (€29) a bottle.
For people living in Newfoundland outports, where jobs are hard to find, iceberg harvesting has replaced cod fishing. “It’s the way to make a living,” Kean says. “That’s it.”