06/19/2026
With Father’s Day around the corner, this throwback is for my dad and the quiet but essential role he has always played in the business.
When Mom opened Campbell House in 1992, our family was still living in St. John’s. At first, the plan was simple: Mom would take us kids to Trinity during our summer holidays.
Dad continued working for the university in St. John’s and made the occasional supply run to Trinity. Back then, the tourist season in Trinity was only about six weeks. As the years went on, the season started earlier, lasted longer, and eventually began to overlap with the school year.
For many women, that might have limited the growth of the business. But our family adapted. Mom would pack up and head to Trinity on her own in the spring, while the five of us stayed behind in St. John’s. Dad was responsible for getting the four of us girls to and from four different schools, making sure we got to our extracurricular activities, keeping us well fed, and working full time.
Once summer break started, my sisters and I would all relocate to Trinity for the season. Dad would stay behind to teach and research while also balancing his other role as the inn’s procurement manager for the majority of our groceries and supplies.
Dad retired from MUN in 2007, but instead of slowing down, he took on painting the exterior of our Victorian family home as a project that ended up occupying the better part of a decade.
Between the upkeep of the St. John’s house and doing the St. John’s shopping for the business, Dad’s summers are pretty tied up. And when he does come out to Trinity, he always finds a lawn to mow or a garden in need of weeding.
For my parents, summer has always been the season of hard work. Winter is when they can finally relax together.
2026 is the first year in 35 years that Mom will be enjoying the summer season in St. John’s with Dad, while my husband Jon and I run operations in Trinity.
A very happy Father’s Day to Dad, and to the behind-the-scenes parents who make family businesses possible.
— Marieke Gow
Co-Owner, Artisan Inn & Twine Loft