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True North Charters & Tours

Fishing has never been so easy

"Our outposts are good for what ails ya”, sings Tony Oxford, the harmonica and guitar-playing captain of the 45-foot boat named Pilgrim Chapter 2 during a fishing and sightseeing tour. Oxford and his wife named the boat after their camper that in turn was named after a Kris Kristofferson song. After retiring from the school system where he was an administrator, Oxford fulfilled his dream of owning a boat coupled with his wife’s dream of running a business. The result is True North Charters & Tours.

Now the couple, with help from their two sons, runs tours out of Cox’s Cove which is just under an hour from Corner Brook.  The hook doesn’t even need to break the water’s surface before the fish start biting. It’s unreal. Guests can choose from a variety of trips including sightseeing, fishing, whale watching, geological and historical. Or a mixture. There is even a Cook Up at Sea package where you they’ll cook up what you catch on the water. 

Common catches are mackerel, herring and perch. And if you are lucky enough, you’ll be there during the special times of the year when you are allowed to keep a certain number of cod you catch instead of throwing them back to freedom. Besides the fish that almost jump in the boat, you’re sure to see ospreys, bald eagles, cormorants, moose, caribou, minke and humpback whales. 

As well, the Oxfords are well-versed in the area’s resettlement history. In the 1950s and 60s the government decided to resettle some of the 900 communities in Canada’s newest province down to around 300 to consolidate services. Parts of the tour go by remnants of some of the old communities. Joan Oxford was resettled herself and can share first hand stories as to effects the program had on her family and the area. 

Tours run from June to September; $40 for adults and $25 for children under 12.