Worthy of note is the fact that the governing party had chosen to sit on the left side of the House of Assembly as opposed to the traditional right side of the speaker. This tradition dates back to the 1850s because the heaters in the Colonial Building were located on the left side, and it was the warmest part of the house. Thus, the government chose to sit in the heat, and leave the opposition sitting in the cold. To this day the ruling party of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly continue to sit on the left side of the speaker of the house.
