Pauline Thornhill retires after 29-year run at CBC's Land & Sea

Pauline Thornhill, the longtime host of CBC Newfoundland and Labrador's iconic Land & Sea TV series, is hanging up her headphones after almost three decades of documenting rural communities and the people who live there.

Thornhill, who has been the show's host and producer since 1993, will be turning over the reins to Jane Adey, who will lead the show starting with a new season next fall.

Thornhill said she was wistful as she finished typing her final script a few days ago.

"It was bittersweet," said Thornhill, who started her career with CBC as a reporter at Here & Now in 1986.

"But I've done my bit. It's time to hand the torch over to somebody else, and Jane is going to be fabulous — she will throw herself into it, heart and soul."

Thornhill's final episodes will air over the coming weeks, with that final episode — the 250th she will have written and hosted — set to air on April 20. Land & Sea airs each Sunday at 11:30 a.m. NT, and is available for free streaming on CBC Gem.

Thornhill's work at the show has been as much about adventure and discovery as journalism. The show took her to pretty much every corner in the province, from the majesty of the Torngat Mountains in northern Labrador to the fjord-like outports of coastal Newfoundland to the heartland of inland community.

At the end of the day, Thornhill said, Land & Sea is about people.

"It's all about us. It's Newfoundland and Labrador's own — people are learning about people from their own province and meeting people through these shows," she said.

"The people that Land & Sea has historically focused on are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and sometimes they don't even know it's extraordinary. It's just their life, and they're living it."

Asked to identify favourite episodes or moments, Thornhill said there were too many to choose from. She did say, though, that she formed a strong relationship with communities along Labrador's coast.

Land & Sea's fan base has always been strong. Thornhill links the affection for the show to the mix of qualities found in most episodes.

"People get to see places in Newfoundland and Labrador they otherwise would never see," she said. "But it's also documenting a way of life. It really does showcase our culture, right down to the way we eat and the way we talk. It's all there. It's all rolled up in the Land & Sea bundle."

Thornhill said the show also offers something uplifting to its audience, particularly during tough times.