Donations would be gratefully accepted for the following ongoing projects on Battle Island and can be made online, using credit cards, through the CanadaHelps button found on the bottom of each BHHT Inc website page.

The existing metal towers were placed on Battle Island in 1930 to replace the original wooden towers (1904) destroyed by the same fire that destroyed the Grenfell Mission Hospital and General Store. The base of these twin towers is badly eroded and several lower level pieces of metal strapping have disappeared. Approximately $5,000 is required for materials (sand, stone, concrete, steel strapping) and labour to stablize and repair this important nagivation and telecommunications landmark on the escarpement hill top behind the community. Amateur radio operators still visit Battle Island to make connections using the call signs created when these towers were in daily use. There is an interesting article written by a visitor available on line as published in a recent newsletter issued by the The American Radio Relay League, the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA. See http://www.arrl.org/dxpedition-island-towers-included

The collection of buildings known as the William Smith Sr Properties was kindly donated to BHHT Inc in January 2009 by his daughers Mary and Doreen. The original owner and date of construction are unknown at this point but the structure is believed to date back to the early 1800s. Oral history has revealed that fisher Andy Day was likely the original owner/builder and images taken by Holloway in early 1900s show the dwelling in what is believed to be its original 1.5 story format. Mr. Day reportedly sold the house in 1830-50 to another fisher, Mr. Nathaniel Ash. Battle Harbour's Justice of the Peace and Marconi Station operator (1912 to 1949), Mr. Stan Brazil Sr.,purchased the house and outbuildings 1912 and added a second story porches (front and back). Mr. Brazil Sr. also maintained a "wind charger" installed by the Marconi Company in a generator outbuilding connected to the back porch of the house. This charger produced power required for the dedicated phone line that ran approximately 1,500 feet from the Brazil's house to the Marconi Station located up and over Battle Island's escarpment.

Postal service from Battle Harbour started in 1888 and was likely conducted without a separate postal facility. The "Old Post Office" may have been constructed by the island's Justice of the Peace, Mr. Stan Brazil Sr during his concurrent posting as Marconi Station radio operator. His daughter May, was Postmistress from 1946 through to 1956 during which time she became the wife to her father's successor at the Marconi Station, Mr. Hayward Pike (from Red Bay). William Smith Sr. purchased the house and other outbuildings in1958/59. The Smiths changed the building's use to a general store (Smith's Store) in the mid 1960s by adding an extension to the main building. The Smith family occupied the homestead, fished, and ran their general store business from Battle Harbour until the community was resettled in the fall of 1968. In the spring of1969 postal service was moved to the General Store owned by the fishing merchant in the community, Earle Freighting Services Ltd (Earles) of Carbonear.

Extensive work is required to stablize and restore the house and "old post office" buildings - the most historically significant structure in terms of primary and secondary key messages identified in commemorating Battle Harbour as a National Historic Site and District of Canada.

BHHT Inc has applied for "Registered Heritage Structure" designation for the house and "old post office" buildings as a first step to qualifying for government programs through which up to 50% of the funds required to stablize and restore the exterior of these two buildings. Matching funds of at least $30,000 will be required and donations of materials, goods, services and funds would be appreciated.

The harbour shoreline on Battle Island and Gunning Island, provided locations for the establishment of private fishing rooms for the livyers fishermen and the major waterfront components of the merchant's premises, while on Great Caribou Island, most of the steep shoreline facing the harbour was occupied by the changes and temporary residences of the stationers. The Butt Family Fishing Premises was one of the larger such livyers presences until the resettlement of Battle Island in the mid 1960s and the declined in activity over the next three decades until it fell into disuse shortly after the 1992 cod moratorium. The family donated their premised to BHHT Inc approximately six years ago with the hope that funds could be found to preserve the collection of stages, stores and sheds that were the mainstays of their livelihood for over 70 years.

The property consists of a 3 unit stage, a twin store and a small store used as combination of bunk quarters and by a crew member. All structures are constructed of a combination of recycled and purpose cut timbers collected, harvested and assembled by Butt family members. Parts of the stages came from the former Loran C station buildings dismantled on Great Caribou Island in the late 1980s. Parts of the bunk quarters/store consist of a former store of circa 1030s vintage relocated from the north end of the island and repurposed. Wood from the Battle Island School and Marconi Operators Station was recycled into the Twine Store. The original complex of buildings represents a fisherman room at Battle Harbour built in the 1930s era and continuously being repaired and modified based on seasonal ice and sea damage and changes in the fishery focus as the mercantile focused changed with resource and market conditions – i.e. salt cod, salmon, and seals. As an independent livyers, Mr Butt caught cod and used his premises to process as light salted for resale to Battle Harbour's merchant.

The wooden structures are part of the vernacular architecture of the National Historic District of Battle Harbour and highly visible to visitors arriving by passenger ferry as well as those who participate in the guided walking tours. Donations towards this project would be sincerely appreciated as the structures are at risk.