'Carving is what turned my world around,' says Labrador man

A whalebone carving donated in the memory of loved ones raised thousands of dollars this holiday season.

John Neville, a carver and musician in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, created the carving and donated it to the Canadian Cancer Society. It was sold at the Festival of Trees Gala in St. John’s for $8,100 with the money going to support the Daffodil Place, which offers accommodation for clients and caregivers travelling to the city for cancer treatment.

Neville’s personal experience of losing loved ones to cancer influenced his decision to give. His brother died of leukemia over 30 years ago and can still recall the moment he was told about the diagnosis.

“He called me and he said ‘John, one day,’ he said, ‘I’m going to tell you I'm not going home, not the way you'd like to see me,’” he said.

“I always said that I was going to do something in remembrance of him. And I'm really proud of myself for what I’ve done, you know.”

Neville said he struggled with alcohol earlier in his life and it was his brother who encouraged him to get sober.

“He said, 'John,  I want you to make me promise,' he said, 'I want you to give up drinking,'” Neville said.

After his brother’s death, Neville threw himself into carving.

“The carving is what turned my world around," he said. "I got no desire to be around alcohol or have anything to do with that. No more."

Though this particular carving is whalebone, Neville says he carves from all kinds of materials, from granite to labradorite.

The whalebone carving donated to the gala isn’t the first time Neville has given away his carvings for a good cause. Neville said he’s also given his carvings for causes like heart disease and cancer in the past.

“It's a wonderful life to know how to carve," said Neville.

“You got nothing on your mind. You're out there for 16 or 17 hours, the dust is flying crazy over your head and you, you don't care about nothing.”

He said the giving spirit is something he learned from his mother, who created boots for those who needed them.

“When people would come to get them boots, she wouldn't take one five cents from she'd say, ‘As long as you keep your feet warm, that’ll do my heart good,’” Neville said.

“We were raised up with a wonderful mother. I tell you, she was an angel.”

Carving for years to come

Donating carvings to the Canadian Cancer Society is something Neville hopes to continue in the future.

“I got my foot in the door there now, so I’ll be doing it for the rest of it,” Neville said.

He already has plans in the works for what he might carve next year.

“God bless everybody in the whole world, and anyone that got cancer — bless them 100 times over."

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