If By Chance…
Newfoundlanders are superstitious, so it goes without saying that we have always believed in chance.
It was a series of serendipitous events that led to the founding of Cape Race, and now we specialize in linking chance encounters, with both nature and people, to create award-winning eco-cultural adventures among the best rustic-luxe settings of Newfoundland.
Our Crew
These are the townies and baymen (and baywomen) who keep Cape Race ticking and call Newfoundland home.
Ken Sooley
Founder
Ken got utterly lost in Mumbai one day, and RELISHED it. That giddy, invigorating encounter spurred a lifelong love of digging out the good bits in far-flung locales; when the IT management circuit looped him around the globe for 20 years, he added “love of high-thread count sheets” to his travel must-haves. Ken promises to get you giddily lost in the cultural quirk and natural splendour of NFLD, but with a carefully choreographed daily plan and luxe hideaways to accompany the adventure.
Sharon Nisbet
Operations
Sharon is the grand-daughter of Edward John Sooley and exactly who you want to sit on the porch of EJ Sooley House with. Having always been the researcher of the family, she’s an extraordinary storyteller and logistical maverick with a soft spot for the history of Newfoundlanders and their family trees. If you have roots here, Sharon can likely unravel them.
Sharen Cain
Trip Design
Our resident tinkerer is Sharen. She’s adept at sniffing out extraordinary experiences, maybe because she “comes from away” and sees Newfoundland through a particularly exploratory lens. This, combined with her knack for knitting together the details make her the ideal travel architect. And she’s some piece of gear too!
Jerry Burton
Property Manager
Jerry is a real-life renaissance man: he does detailed historic home restoration work by day (everything from soup to nuts) and throws a wicked kitchen party by night (there isn’t usually soup, but sometimes, nuts). On top of that, he’s spent a lot of time flying in helicopters and is an all-around good guy.
Elizabeth Burton
Ship-shaper, Heart’s Delight
Elizabeth is also a grand-daughter of Edward John Sooley and grew up in the WB Sooley House in Heart's Delight. Baked goods are her love language, so if she offers you cookies or a freshly baked loaf, you are in for some treat. She takes care of our houses in Heart’s Delight and makes sure everything is on the up-and-up.
Hazel Russell
Ship-shaper, Bonavista & Elliston
Having lived in Bonavista all her life, Hazel is the unofficial archivist of all the goings-on in Mockbeggar. If it happened, Hazel knows it, and it’s given her an uncanny intuition. Her weather predictions are spot on, and you won’t ever run out of dish soap at our Elliston or Mockbeggar houses, because Hazel is ON it before it even happens.
Lorinda White
Ship-Shaper, St. John’s
A razor-sharp wit and a quarter decade-long career in sales means Lorinda is one tough cookie, but really she’s a more like a Jam Jam: a real softie at heart. That’s what makes her the perfect manager for the St. John’s properties. She’s also a vanguard in the local Miꞌkmaq First Nations community and is currently learning to speak in the mother tongue.
Lloyd Russell
Carpenter, Bonavista
Being the son of a window maker, Lloyd was born to frame. He custom-built all our windows from scratch, and with the same detailed eye and deft skill as his dad. “Measure fourteen times, cut once”, he always says. Lloyd works with a heritage restoration program, and has single handedly saved many a home from the woodstove.
Fred Sooley
The Skipper
Fred is the son of Edward John Sooley and the original explorer. He grew up in the EJ Sooley house in Heart's Delight, before Newfoundland became a Canadian province. His tales of small village shenanigans are alive with the real characters of the island, and even at 94 years of age, Fred still loves a good scuff and a scoff.
Home is Newfoundland
We can’t wait for you to meet her!
The most prolific member of our crew is the island of Newfoundland. She is a rugged lady with character and true grit—bold as brass. Do not underestimate the racy, exotic allure that has enthralled explorers and engulfed men at sea. Her memory is long and her wit is sharp; yet although she is as wild as a deer, her embrace is warm and sweet like strong tea with milk and sugar, and her magnetism is inescapable.
