CCN Back Issues Vol 7 Issue 2

Long Island is a beautifully situated, thin sliver of land at the end of Digby Neck. Never more than a couple miles wide and about twelve miles long, it separates the Bay of Fundy from Saint Mary's Bay. Its two main communities are Tiverton at the northeast tip and Freeport at the southwest. To get there, you drive to East Ferry, where the Joe Casey takes cars and passengers across the roiling waters of narrow Petit Passage to Tiverton. At Freeport, another ferry, the Joshua Slocum, connects to Westport on Brier Island.

Less than 1,000 people call Long Island home, and the fishery and tourism are the major industries. Its relative isolation makes community development a special challenge for the people of Long Island, but they are blessed with more than one community "spark-plug," key people who make good things happen in their communities. Perhaps the Island's best known such people are Tiverton residents Eunice and Woodrow Outhouse. Earlier this year, at the Coastal Communities Network's Annual General Meeting in Tatamagouche, the Outhouses walked away with CCN's 2001 Proud Community Award in the "Seniors" category. One day this past summer, I dropped by to visit with the Outhouses to see what makes them tick and to explore at least a few of the ways they have helped their community.

It's just before lunchtime when I drop into the Tiverton Tourism Information Centre, where Woodrow has spent the morning ready to answer any and all questions visitors might have about the area. He shows me around a museum, filled with artifacts and images of the area's past, that is included in the Centre. He and Eunice, it soon becomes apparent, have some plans for me. After making a phone call that brings his grandson, Chad, over to hold the fort at the Information Centre, I follow Wood-row up the road to meet Eunice at home. Then, it's off to the local restaurant, The Tiny Tattler, where the couple insists on treating me to lunch.

Over fish and chips (highly recommended), I make an effort to piece together the story of the Outhouses' lives and their relation to their community. Woodrow was born in Tiverton in 1926, and at the age of fifteen he began fishing. Eunice's mother was from Tiverton, but at the end of World War I, she, like thousands of other Nova Scotians at the time, emigrated to Massachusetts to find work. She went to work in a shoe and box factory in Marblehead where, after graduating from high school, Eunice went to work in a local laundry. She first met Woodrow as a child, during one of the family's annual visits back home.

In 1950, the couple got married in Marblehead, then moved to Tiverton, where Woodrow worked in the local fish plant. On getting word that Eunice's Mom was ill in 1956, they moved to Marblehead, where Woodrow laid sewage and water lines and did similar contracting work. Then, as Woodrow recalls, "On the day after Christmas in 1961, we decided we needed to get home again. So, we packed up our belongings in a trailer, loaded the two kids into the car, and had a wild drive back home to Tiverton."

As people come into The Tiny Tattler, Eunice and Woodrow have a word or two to exchange with each one, but I'm not content to leave the Outhouse story back in 1961. "Woodrow went back to work in the fish plant when we got back here," Eunice tells me over after-lunch coffee. Then, in 1964, he went to work on the East Ferry-Tiverton ferry. "The pay was probably a fair bit less than a lot of fishermen around here might get in a given period," Woodrow remembers, "but I liked the fact that it was there every week, rain or shine." He served as shop steward for his union local for many years, until he retired from the provincially run ferry service in 1990.

Through all their years in Tiverton, through fish-plant and ferry work to home-making, the Outhouses have always tried to do what they could for their community. In 1980, Dianne Hankinson-LeGard was Executive Manager of the Annapolis Valley Affiliated Boards of Trade, and she noted that the Digby Neck and Islands area lacked any such community organization. "Dianne called me out of the blue," Woodrow tells me, "and asked whether I might get some people together to start a Tiverton Board of Trade. I got some bodies together, and Dianne came down to talk to us."

Dianne now owns the Falcourt Inn, just south of Middleton. "When it came to the Digby Neck and Islands area," she tells me, "Wood-row was well known as a 'mover and shaker' in the community. So, it seemed only natural at the time that he was the guy to call in order to get things moving." The rest, as they say, is history.

Over the past two decades, the Outhouses have been involved in the local Board of Trade and other community organizations. In addition to serving as the President of the Tiverton Board of Trade, Woodrow is Chair of the local Village Commission, which takes care of street lighting, maintains the community cemetery, helps with the volunteer fire department, and deals with other local issues as they arise.

One of the first projects the newly formed Board of Trade tackled was a Tourism Information Centre in Tiverton. "We started it in the fire hall," Woodrow says, "but it was far from ideal. A friend owned a three-acre plot right across the road, so I asked him whether he might sell it to us. 'Why would you that old swamp?' he asked." It turned out, there was very good reason. After getting the entire community together for local dinners and other fund-raisers, the land was bought and the present-day Information Centre was built. Visitors now have a resource to help them learn all there is to know about Tiverton and the rest of Long Island.

In the 1920s, the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) got the people of Tiverton together to build a community hall. By the early '90s, however, the IOOF Hall was getting pretty run down. More community fund-raising. The result: a refurbished community hall that plays host to local activities several times a week throughout the year.

Brier Island, at the southwest tip of Long Island, is an ecological gem, renowned for whale-watching, its hiking trails, and the tens of thousands of birds of all descriptions that migrate through there every spring and fall. But the beauty of Brier Island created something of a problem for the communities of Long Island. Visitors were experiencing Long Island by simply driving off one ferry and onto another. In doing so they were passing by a little-known natural gem: about halfway along the Island's spectacular Saint Mary's shore is a tall, basalt column of rock that seems to defy gravity. In 1995, the Tiverton Board of Trade began development of The Balancing Rock Trail. Improvements to the Trail have been made every year since, and almost 10,000 people now pause on Long Island to hike the trail and enjoy its beauty every year.

How do we know that 10,000 people enjoy the Balancing Rock Trail? Well, because, in 1997, Woodrow and Eunice counted them. "In order to help us with funding, people in the Tourism Department in Halifax wanted to know how much it was used," Woodrow explains. "So, between Eunice, myself, and a summer student, we'd sit in the parking lot every day from eight o'clock in the morning to dusk and keep track of the people using the trail. Sure, it got a bit boring sometimes, but I really enjoyed it because I love talking to visitors who come to this area."

If you want to find dedication to community, you need look no farther than Woodrow and Eunice. They've counted noggins at the trailhead, they answer visitors' questions at the Tiverton Tourism Information Centre, and they do everything in between and beyond for the community of Tiverton, and for Long Island as a whole. "Woodrow has established so much for his community," says Dianne Hankinson-LeGard, "and Eunice has always been a great support to him in his work. In some places it might seem a bit of a contradiction that someone who spent so many years as a shop steward in a trade union would also be active in a Board of Trade. But, when you get down the grassroots in our small communities, it really isn't a contradiction at all. It's all about people working together for the good of all."

The Sheep Was Onto Something

In 1604, Frenchmen Samuel de Champlain and Sieur deMonts were exploring along the coast of Nova Scotia's South Shore. While sailing in one harbour, a sheep on deck decided it liked what it saw: it jumped overboard and swam to shore. Nothing was ever again heard of that animal, but its antics prompted the party of adventurers to name the place "Sheep's Port," or, in French, Port au Mouton. Today, the Queens County community a few miles west of Liverpool is known simply as Port Mouton.

That four-legged ball of wool was hardly the first on legs to be attracted to the area. For generations before and after, Mi'Kmaq who wintered in the interior of the province would come down the Mersey River and spend summers along the coast to fish and dig clams. Evidence of their temporary camps, in the form of large piles of ancient clam shells, have been found along all the area's beautiful white-sand beaches. In the 1760s, a few families from New England and Northern Ireland were attracted to the area by the rich fishing grounds. Then, in 1783, well over 100 Loyalist veterans of the American War of Independence, known as Tarleton's Legion, and their families settled in Port Mouton. They called their community Guysborough, but it was to be short-lived. A fire the year after the settlers arrived destroyed the community, and most of the surviving Loyalists relocated to what we call Guysborough today. Not until after the War of 1812 did most of the descendents of people now living in the Port Mouton area arrive here.

Port Mouton, which includes the community of that name as well as the adjoining Central Port Mouton and Southwest Port Mouton, has always depended on the fishery. Bud McLeod, who is now retired in Central Port Mouton, devoted most of his working life to the fishing business. "I was born in Somerville, near Boston, but my Dad was from here, where he ran a fish business. Port Mouton always felt like home," he tells me as we sit around the kitchen table of his rambling bungalow, "and when he died suddenly in 1947, I came back to take over the business."

The fishery in 1947 was, of course, much different than the fishery of today. "Back then, there was lots of groundfish," Bud recalls, "and we salted cod, hake, and cusk for the West Indies market, and also sold herring fillets in the States. Today, though there are herring and tuna boats out of Port Mouton, it's the lobster fishery that pretty much occupies the inshore sector."

At one time, 200 to 300 people worked in Bud's plant, which he incorporated as C. W. McLeod Fisheries. In 1985, he sold it to Clearwater, and the following years saw the unravelling of the groundfishery. Today, the plant, now named Blue Wave Seafoods, is owned by a former Clearwater manager, and it employs fifteen or more year-round and, seasonally, up to triple figures. Another operation, Canus Fisheries, operates a steelhead trout aquaculture operation near the mouth of the wide harbour that employs up to fifteen more local people.

The community of Port Mouton, like its fishery, has changed much over the years. "This used to be a poor community," Buds says, "but today, it's better than it's ever been. Lobster fishermen have done pretty well in recent years, and there's a great sense of community here." The West Queens Recreation Association, formed in the late '80s, runs a community hall that hosts local activities almost every night.

As with many of our scenic coastal and rural communities, tourism is a major growth industry. The area around Port Mouton can boast of some of the finest white-sand beaches in the province, and people visit the area to enjoy its natural beauty. There is a provincial park just a stone's throw down the road at Summerville Beach, while in the other direction along the shore is Saint Catherine's River Beach, which makes up a good portion of The Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct. (Saint Catherine's River Beach is more than a two-mile stretch of unspoiled nature, and is well worth the 30 to 45-minute hike required to reach it. From my own personal experience, it is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen.)

Howie and Charlotte Callahan operate Charlotte 'N Aye Boat Tours out from the wharf at Central Port Mouton, and I drop in to visit them in their cozy cottage on Burgess Road in Southwest Port Mouton. Though they spend winters in the Ottawa area, to hear them talk it's obvious that Port Mouton is in their hearts. "My Mom grew up here, one of ten kids," Howie tells me. "Back then, Port Mouton was poor, so she went to Halifax as a girl and met and married a graphic artist who worked for the Halifax Herald. In the late 1940s, there was a strike at the paper, and the family then moved to the Ottawa area where Dad found work with another daily."

As a kid, Howie's family would return to Port Mouton most every summer, and when he and Charlotte were married in 1969 the pair came down and began building their Burgess Road cottage. Through the 1970s, Howie worked in Ottawa for the Defence Department, but in the spring of 1980, encouraged by Charlotte, he quit, came to Port Mouton, bought a hand-line licence, and went fishing. When school was over for the year, Charlotte, who is originally from Toronto, would bring their two children to Port Mouton and she would go out and help Howie with his hand-lining. Inevitably, as the 1990s unfolded, catches fell, and in 1994 the Callahans decided to build a boat and started taking people out on tours of the area. Says Charlotte of the downturn in the groundfishery: "People who say that 'there were too many fishermen chasing too few fish' have it wrong. Hand-lining was never going to destroy that fishery. It was the new technologies that did it. People should know that it was 'too much technology chasing too few fish.'"

The boat tour business seems to fit the couple nicely. "I love this area so much," says Howie, "that I'd take people out for free if Charlotte would let me." In fact, they charge $35 per hour, so with ten people this can work out to just $3.00 per hour per person. When I remark that this is a more than fair price, especially given that the boat is rigged up with radar and a global-positioning system, Charlotte explains, "We have pretty good business sense, but we just don't use it. People have told us that we could charge more, that we could expand, add two or three more boats, and hire a staff. But we don't want that. I guess our motto is 'We May Not Be Big, But We're Small.'"

Howie and Charlotte will take people out fishing, or just to enjoy the unspoiled nature and wildlife that abounds along this stretch of coastline. "I usually start by sailing by the fish plant," Howie explains. "I tell people how at one time there were so many more people working there than today. I try to give a little social history of the area along with the rest of it."

The couple then tells me about one particularly touching tour they did recently. "It was a mother's last wish," Charlotte recalls, "to have her ashes strewn in the waters off Summerville Beach. It was an Ontario couple, and they had been divorced, though they had remained on good terms. So, we took the ex-husband and grown kids out and they fulfilled her last wish, and threw roses on the water as well. The ex- gave me a flower, and at the end of the trip he gave Howie a big tip and told him it was to be spent on something special for me. I found that very touching."

Howie proudly shows me the guest book he asks everyone he takes out to sign, and I see that the comments are unanimously positive. "Howie always lets the kids steer the boat, and they get such a kick out of that," Charlotte tells me, as Howie shows me a thank-you letter and a jig sent by a fourteen-year-old boy in Florida who was out on the boat with his family earlier in the year.

I spent part of several summers at Hunt's Point, just a few miles from Port Mouton, as a very young boy. Some of my very earliest memories are of frolicking on the sand dunes and in the warm, brackish waters at Carter's Beach, which is at the end of a side road between Port Mouton and Southwest Port Mouton. After my visits with the Callahans and Bud McLeod, I pause to walk again at Carter's Beach. The dunes don't look quite as high as they did when I first saw them at the age of seven, but the beauty of the place is even greater than I remembered it. As I walk along the white sand back toward my car and home, I reflect that there are few places in Nova Scotia with a richer history and as much natural beauty as Port Mouton and area.

Special thanks to Armand Wigglesworth. To contact the West Queens Recreation Association, call 683-2228. Charlotte 'N Aye Tours can be reached at 683-2752 (June-October).

Got Lemons? Make Lemonade!

The Coastal Communities Network meets every month in Truro to discuss the concerns of rural and coastal communities. Members come from all parts of Nova Scotia, but we often gather just minutes before the meeting and hurry home the moment we've adjourned. Truro is a beautiful little town located in the central part of Nova Scotia, and it offers a wonderful experience to all visitors.

Some years ago, many of Truro's stately elm trees became infected with Dutch Elm Disease. It took a creative spirit to make the best of a bad situation. Don Cameron, Chair of the Truro Tree Committee, began a long-range plan to salvage something of these landmarks. With the support of Town Council, sculptor Albert Deveau of Edmundston was commissioned to create a series of tree sculptures that would be a celebration of Truro's heritage. In the spirit of community, organizers looked to its people and its history, and the first sculpture was a likeness of Sir Adams G. Archibald, Truro's own Father of Confederation. Folks were pleased with that first effort and, due to overwhelming popular support, the project has become a focus of the town's unique nature.

Visitors can view a sculpture of early entrepreneur Hiram Hyde, contralto Portia White, an RCMP officer in full dress uniform, volunteer leader Jack Glassey, and Truro golfer A. J. Campbell. There is imagery of a Scottish bagpiper and dancer, friends of the forest, a graduate and child, a Big and Little Brother, a railway conductor, and the Virgin Mary. Add to these soldier Jeremiah Jones, drummer Frank Yould, Charles Archibald (the town's first Mayor), and other prominent citizens past and present. In the nearby Mi'Kmaq community of Millbrook there are four magnificent creations that reflect the heritage of its rich culture and history. There are more sculptures in progress, and they are a good reason to return to Truro.

Several businesses became involved in this project that has seen the production of 27 sculptures throughout the town, which brings tourists to see these delightful creations. A guidebook that tells the stories of each of the images and the project overall has been produced by the Truro Business Improvement District Program, the Truro Tourism Committee, and the Truro Tree Committee. Each sculpture is pictured and its location, sponsor, artist, and background are detailed. It's a wonderful book that allows visitors to enjoy a self-guided tour. This information is available at no cost and is a great keepsake of a Truro visit.

I recently took friends from South Africa on a tour of Truro and they were fascinated with the project, for many reasons. Firstly, the creative idea speaks to the town's innovative spirit. Secondly, we learned interesting facts about Truro and its rich heritage. Thirdly, it gave us a reason to tour the town and we stayed long enough to enjoy lunch. Artists Ralph Bigney, Albert Deveau, and Bruce Wood have done a wonderful job. Congratulations to the Town of Truro and its citizens for a job well done!

River Hebert resident Pam Harrison is Vice-Chair of the Coastal Communities Network. For more information on the Truro Elms project, visit www.town.truro.ns.ca.

Remembering Lillian Benham

Lillian Benham passed away in September. She was a remarkable woman and a dear friend who will be sorely missed by all those who knew her. None of us who knew Lillian will ever forget her tireless work and selfless devotion to the betterment of not only her own community of Lockeport, but of communities everywhere.

Whether Lillian was participating in a meeting, chairing a board, administrating a project, or meeting with women around a kitchen table, she did so with absolute integrity, clarity, honesty, commitment, and compassion. Lillian did not pick and choose these qualities as one might choose a certain dress for a particular occasion. They were the very fibres of the threads that wove the fabric that was her life.

Lillian was deeply committed to the Coastal Communities Network (CCN) from the early days of its inception. She eagerly encouraged other women from the South Shore to become involved with CCN, often offering to drive as many as would fit into her little blue car. She distributed Coastal Communities News from one end of Shelburne County to the other. Receipt of my copy of the magazine was more often than not followed by instruction to be sure to read a certain article... or two... or three. I sometimes wanted to ask Lillian if there would maybe be a snap quiz the next day, but I'm quite sure the answer would have been a resounding "Yes!"

Lillian would not want to be profoundly praised or endlessly eulogized for a life's work that came as naturally to her as waking up in the morning. She asked for no reward: the successes of those organizations she held dear to her heart were reward enough. Yet, maybe she would give a wee smile and allow me to say that seldom will we gather at tables in our boardrooms or kitchens without remembering all she brought to these tables in the past, and saying in our hearts...

Of Gravol and Bone-Tired Admiration

When I was a Marine Biology student at the University of Guelph, I planted trees in Northern Ontario for three summers to help pay my way through school. The toughest working days of my life were spent planting trees. I tell you this because lobster fishing reminds me a lot of those tree-planting days. Let me explain...

Thursday, July 26
2:00 p.m.
I call my friend Gerry Field, a lobster fisherman in Advocate Harbour, Cumberland County. I ask him if he's interested in having a volunteer on his boat the following day as a part of the Fundy Forum's Faces of Fundy project (see sidebar, page 13, for details). Gerry agrees to have me aboard, and tells me that I'll have to be at the boat by 5:45 a.m. I silently groan as I mentally calculate that this means I must wake up at 4:15 to make the drive from Parrsboro the following morning. Gerry adds that I should "dress like it's fall," which instantly shatters my image of being on the boat in my tank top and shorts, catching a tan and some summer rays...

Friday, July 27
4:15 a.m.
The alarm sounds and I groggily fumble to turn it off. It's still dark out. My husband immediately says, "You know, you don't have to go." My thoughts exactly, but as early as it is and as tired as I am, my excitement about going lobster fishing for the day pulls me out of bed.

I make a strong cup of coffee and pack all the essentials of lobster fishing (which are re-markably similar to those of tree planting) – sunscreen, lip balm, warm clothes, waterproof pants and coat, rubber boots, food, baseball hat, water, and toilet paper.

5:35 a.m.
We manage to leave Parrsboro on time and I get dropped off at the wharf with ten minutes to spare, where I find Gerry and Mark, his deckhand, waiting for me on board the Chignecto Mariner. Custom built in 1995, Gerry's boat is in her seventh year of fishing. Born and raised in Advocate Harbour, Gerry's been fishing for himself in the area since 1988. On and off before that, he worked with others as a deckhand. Mark has been fishing with Gerry for nine years, and was also born and raised in the area. When he's not lobstering you'll find him on a local scallop boat or in a blueberry field.

5:45 a.m.
Gerry starts up the engine and we head out to our first set of lines. (Lobster traps are set in rows, called lines, which makes them easy to find on foggy and rough days.) Advocate Harbour is calm and peaceful this time of day, and the sun is gently peeking over Cape d'Or. I can't imagine a more beautiful place to go to work.

As we leave the harbour the water gets a little rougher. Gerry turns to his Global Positioning System (GPS) plotter and sets the boat on autopilot for our first line, just over three miles offshore. We're travelling at a steady and fast pace to the traps: we're "steaming."

While we're steaming, Gerry gives me a tour of his control panel. The main piece of equipment he uses is the GPS plotter. All of Gerry's lines and traps are programmed into this machine, so he knows exactly where all of them are and can use the autopilot for steaming. He also has a depth sounder and a radar system. The depth sounder tells him how deep his traps are, and the deepest ones we we'll hit today are in about 40 fathoms, or 240 feet, of water. The technical equipment for any fishing boat is a large investment.

6:20 a.m.
We reach the first line, and Gerry asks that I stay in the cabin for the first few lines. They are racing the tide right now, and he'll let me help out later. The first line is pretty far offshore, and Gerry has about a 45-minute window to get these traps. They have to be hauled during the turn of the tide, when the water flow is at a minimum. Before or after that, the tidal flow is so strong that the buoys are hauled underwater and they can't be seen. We manage to haul all but a few.

I watch in fascination as Gerry steers the boat beside a buoy (his are marked with yellow and orange), quickly grabs the gaff (a wooden pole with a metal hook on it), reaches it over the side of the boat, and pulls it up with the hooked trap line. Mark grabs it and attaches it to the winch as Gerry starts the winch motor. As the trap surfaces, they each grab a side and lever it on to a plywood platform. At 95 pounds each, these traps take some muscle to manoeuvre.

The trap is opened and Mark grabs the old bait bags and tosses them into a bucket. Gerry takes any lobsters and throws them back if they're too small. (He can pretty much tell just by looking at them, he's been doing it for so long.) If he's not sure about the size, he uses a specialized instrument to measure it.

If the lobster is a legal size, the first thing to do is look for eggs, which would mark it as a "berried" female. Berried females are illegal to have aboard the boat, and they're thrown back immediately. If there are no eggs, the lobster is put onto a wooden tray where it quietly waits to be banded.

As Gerry takes care of the lobsters, Mark puts new bait bags in the traps, which hold mackerel caught in a weir in Five Islands. Then the trap is shut and Mark waits as Gerry repositions the boat and gives him the signal to drop it overboard.

This whole process takes about two minutes, after which it's on to the next trap...

7:30 a.m.
While we're steaming to some coastal lines, Mark separates the old bait from the nylon bags and dumps the rotting bait into the water, which is just what the swarms of seagulls had been waiting for. The bait bags are hosed off and re-stuffed with fresh bait, to be used during the next spurt of trap hauling. I seize this opportunity to help Mark by making myself useful. I'm having fun and enjoying the scenery of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park from a new perspective.

8:00 a.m.
As we haul the next few lines of traps, I stand by the banding station. I measure and get a lesson in banding. There is a definite finesse, one that I don't have, to putting a small rubber band on large lobster claws, but I manage to wrestle them on and avoid being pinched.

9:00 a.m.
We're steaming to yet another set of lines, and as we round Cape Chignecto I can see the New Brunswick coast. Given the wind direction, it is much rougher on this side, and my "stomach of steel" is beginning to have doubts about its tolerance for the boat's movement.

Gerry is kind enough to offer me a Gravol and then sends me to the back of the boat into the fresh air, where Mark has made a seat for me. I am incredibly appreciative, but manage to only muster a weak smile. I look at my watch and cannot believe that I'm trapped on this boat for another eight hours.

While I sit on the sidelines fighting the Gravol's drowsiness, Gerry and Mark are hard at work hauling trap after trap. They pull up a lobster that has shed its shell in the trap and they call me over. It's a truly amazing feat of nature: a lobster can wriggle itself though only a single crack in its shell down its back. I stare in awe and wonder how the huge claws get through their elbow joints...

11:00 a.m.
I am joyous that there is Gravol in the world and I'm feeling great. Not great enough to help out just yet, but good enough to watch from the cabin and take some photos as Gerry and Mark haul traps. It's amazing what comes up in those traps besides lobster – sculpin, dogfish (northern sand sharks), hermit crabs, seaweed, and scallop weed (also known as lemon weed).

I ask about the lemon weed (scientifically, a leafy bryozoan ) and comment that I have never smelled the lemon scent it's reported to have. Gerry grabs a fistful, twists it around and holds it out for me to smell. Lemon Pledge is the first thing that comes to mind, and I'm pleased to finally smell it. Then I realize that the only time I've ever picked it up is on the beach, where it's been dried out. Gerry comments that this stuff makes the best pot scrubbers around.

2:00 p.m.
Gerry asks if I want to steer the boat. I'm a bit reluctant, but figure I should try as much as I can while I'm here. Now, I'm not talking about steering in a straight line, but about steering while gaffing traps – two very different things. To gaff a trap, you need to come at it against the tide so you can create some slack on the line. Otherwise, the gaff will be ripped from your hand. You have to come at the trap on its left side and swing around it at the last minute. This lets you create that slack and gets the buoy nice and close.

Usually, the person at the helm gaffs the trap, but I'm rather short so I decide to just steer. I'm pleased that Gerry manages to gaff four out of the five traps I steer to, and chalk it up to beginner's luck.

5:00 p.m.
At the wharf at last, we load crates full of lobster onto Gerry's pickup truck and drive out to the weighing station. Gerry and one other lobster fishermen in Advocate Harbour sell to this particular buyer, so the three meet to weigh the catches and make the transactions.

7:00 p.m.
Gerry drives me back to Parrsboro and I crawl out of the truck, exhausted and reeking of bait. I'm told that we had an easy day (twelve hours), only hauling about 200 traps or so, and I'm both thankful and amazed.

I say my thanks, wave goodbye, and watch in admiration as Gerry pulls his truck away and heads back to Advocate Harbour for another day of fishing tomorrow. I am as tired as I ever was planting trees in my university days, and I imagine that Gerry's love of the water is what energizes him during the season. Like tree planting, lobster fishing lets you work with and learn from the environment. In my view, there's no better way to earn a living.

Max Westhead is a Marine Biologist eager to experience more Bay of Fundy livelihoods. If you'd like to share your connection to the Bay with her and the Fundy Forum, please contact her at 426-4215 or e-mail info@fundyforum. All rights reserved by the author.

The Fundy Forum - www.fundyforum.com - is all about communication, education, raising awareness, and working together for the health of the Bay of Fundy. We are a "Bay of Fundy community," and we are interested in maintaining or enhancing the health of the Bay of Fundy ecosystem. Our cultures, livelihoods, businesses, and coastal communities depend on it.

And yet this large Bay of Fundy community is made up of smaller, more intimate communities. These smaller communities don't always see eye to eye and often have different working practices, different cultures, and even different languages. No one is "better" than another – they are simply different. A lack of understanding and communication, though, can often be an invisible barrier to working cooperatively.

It is the intent of the "Faces of Fundy" project to give these diverse Bay of Fundy communities better insight into one another. With a greater understanding of the way in which we all work – whether we are tourism operators, fishermen, government employees, university researchers, or non-profit groups – we hope that the barriers between communities will begin to dissolve.

Fundy Forum staff will be visiting folks around the Bay to document "A day in the life of..." for different professions. We'll be on hand to volunteer our labour for a day in return for letting us take photos, ask questions, and write up a documentary of our experiences. If you'd like to take part, see the end of the accompanying article to see how to get in touch.

Creativity, Connections, Communications

The Halifax Regional Development Agency (HRDA) offers a full range of technical and advisory services designed to help business ideas and community projects succeed. Its mission is to create, facilitate, and strengthen community economic development in the rural and suburban areas of Halifax Regional Municipality. The HRDA has a committed, professional team of staff and volunteers who deliver various services and programs to people and communities throughout the area. The HRDA is proud of its accomplishments in our communities. Here are some recent success stories.

Creative Kids Clubhouse
Pam and Graham Streeter are long-time residents of Hammonds Plains on the western side of Halifax Regional Municipality. For several years they have operated a very popular school-age and pre-primary program called Creative Kids Clubhouse in a church on the Hammonds Plains Road. Dedicated educators and parents, the Streeters have been interested for some time in building an "affordable as possible" private school dedicated to quality, early elementary education, and care for children in Grades Primary to Four.

This past winter, Pam and Graham began a financing odyssey with counselling support from the HRDA. Their odyssey is very illustrative of the challenges faced by all entrepreneurs, but especially those pursuing social goals more than simply business objectives. Fortunately, their project has been a success, which is a testament not only to Pam and Graham's vision and dedication, but also to the commitment of a community to support projects it truly cares about. The first phase of the development of the new school, which is near completion, opened to students in early October.

In response to widespread and enthusiastic community support for this project, the HRDA is now working with parents and children in the area to establish a Community Economic Development Investment Fund in support of the future development of the Creative Kids Clubhouse.

Community Access Program (CAP Sites)
The network of community-owned computers for public use (CAP sites) in the Municipality has expanded considerably over the past year, growing from nine to over sixty locations. Nineteen of these are in rural communities. In Lucasville, Upper Hammonds Plains, and East Preston, the HRDA has provided technical support, enabling these communities to come "online" and begin providing local people with internet access. The network of CAP sites has benefited from the support HRDA staff has provided. The Halifax Regional CAP Association has been maturing under the guidance of HRDA advice on matters relating to governance and process.

The non-profit HRDA is playing an integral role in trail development in the Municipality. It provides community economic development services to the Halifax Regional Trails Advisory Team through contract administration and trail information workshops on board development, planning and design, and communication. The HRDA has also helped in the formation of several key partnerships with contributing funders, such as the Municipality, Human Resource Development Canada, and Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation. Now under the direction of the Halifax Regional Trails Advisory Team, the Halifax Regional Trails System is in its fifth year of a conceptual plan to link a multi-use trails system across the region.

The goal is to link communities all the way from Hubbards to Ecum Secum. So far, the Musquodoboit Trailways System has completed fourteen kilometres of the Trans-Canada Trail and has formally opened back-country trails at Admiral Lake and Gilbraltar Rock. The Cole Harbour Trails Team has opened about seven kilometres across the Cole Harbour Salt Marsh. The Bedford/Sackville Trails Team has completed Phase I of an urban trail linking Bedford to Sackville. Next summer, the Margaret's Bay Rails to Trails organization will open a portion of a trail linking Tantallon to the Head of Saint Margaret's Bay. These trails, as well as many others in the region, involve major infrastructural development including bridges, safety features, and boardwalk improvements.

CHCN Radio (106.9 FM)
The Cole Harbour Radio Society was formed after racial violence and community conflict closed the local high school for a week in the fall of 1998. Community members, politicians, students, teachers, and school board officials all came together to search for constructive ways to deal with some deep-rooted social problems. One of the biggest challenges that faced the area was the need to open lines of communication among communities that are geographically separate and also different in racial and cultural backgrounds.

The idea of a community radio station has motivated many in the communities involved. Many volunteers from all backgrounds have been working shoulder to shoulder to put this project together. Last June at the official Opening Ceremonies for the station, HRDA Chair Bill Gard received an award from Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman, in recognition of the Agency's contributions to this project.

Elaine MacFadyen is Communications Officer with the HRDA. To find out more about these and other success stories, call the HRDA office at 869-4040 or 1-800-650-0039, or e-mail to hrda@chebucto.ns.ca.

HRDA staff and volunteers offer the following services to businesses and community groups in rural and suburban areas of Halifax Regional Municipality:
Business Development Services:
Business Counselling Services
Business Networking
Sourcing Business Financing
Information and Referral
Workshops and Seminars
CED Services
Strategic Planning
Project Development Funding
Organizational Development
Project Management
Community Enterprise Development
Human Resource Development Services
Resource Library
CED Network
Other Technical and Advisory Services
Information Services
Trail Development

Setting Anchor on the Waterfront

Local residents in Guysborough are the driving force behind a new project that has revitalized the community's historic downtown waterfront this summer. But it didn't just happen overnight. The Guysborough Waterfront Development Society came into being in November 1999 when businessman Ben Barthe, owner of the Chedabucto Bay Trading Company, issued a challenge. He dared the community to match his plans for a $1.5-million private-sector investment in Guysborough's downtown waterfront.

One of the first stops Barthe made to move his ideas forward was the Guysborough County Regional Development Authority (GCRDA). He looked to it for information on previous studies done on the waterfront, the demographics of the region, potential financial assistance programs, and direction on how to get the community involved. GCRDA Executive Director Dan Gillis says, "Having private-sector commitment has been the key to the development of the Guysborough waterfront. These historic buildings have undergone three separate studies over the years, but a private-sector contribution was needed to make any development go forward."

The GCRDA was well prepared to assist Barthe with his plan. It arranged a meeting with a small steering committee to get feedback on the plan. The group agreed it was a great idea and formed a registered non-profit society. To launch the community's efforts, Barthe's Chedabucto Bay Trading Company donated two historic buildings on the lower part of the waterfront to the society. With this valuable contribution in hand, the group then turned to the larger community for additional membership. The GCRDA arranged several community meetings to get feedback and offered support to the new volunteer-based Society.

After months of planning and community consultation, the GCRDA helped the Development Society develop a business plan. The group realized at an early stage that municipal support would be a great asset. Armed with a prepared business plan, the Society held several meetings with municipal officials and came away a $250,000 financial and in-kind contribution from the Municipality of the District of Guysborough. This contribution also included funding for new sidewalks and heritage lighting for the community. Municipal funding proved to be a catalyst for federal support from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC).

The business plan was next submitted to both ACOA and HRDC, and both Federal Departments offered support. HRDC committed $236,238 from its Job Creation Partnership program, while ACOA contributed $500,000 through the economic development component of its Fisheries Restructuring and Adjustment Measures program. Within a year, the Development Society had secured the financial capital necessary to proceed. Construction began on the site in September of 2000.

"The GCRDA has a great working relationship with both HRDC and ACOA," says Dan Gillis. "We helped work with all our partners to move this dynamic project forward." With all the funding in place, the Waterfront Development Society and the Chedabucto Bay Trading Company celebrated its official opening this past June. If you visit Guysborough today, you will find the Jost Wharf Building, designed to be open-ended enough to accommodate a range of needs and wants within the community. Society Chairman Paul Long says, "The Jost Wharf Building can accommodate year-round activities, from a farmers market to interpretive and cultural activities." There's also a fully serviced marina that offers fuel, water, and pump-out services, as well as showers, and a laundry. In the Marina Building is the Chedabucto Chandlery, which sells boating supplies and rents small boats. Also on site is the Chedabucto Bay Trading Company's Dreamer's Pub and Micro-Brewery. This pub is gaining a reputation for hosting such international talent as the Irish band Danu and Canadian folk legend Valdy.

Rose's Garden of Gifts is located in the Chedabucto Bay Mercantile Building. This gorgeously restored building is also home to an assortment of local artisans and antique dealers. Lyghtsome East Gallery, which features the works of various Maritime artists, can be found on the upper floor of the Mercantile Building.

"The waterfront project, along with the activities of the Chedabucto Bay Trading Company, have definitely raised the tourism and economic profile of Guysborough," says Paul Long. "We've needed a tourism and community anchor in this area of Guysborough County for a long time – and restoring the waterfront is the first step to accomplishing this. The Waterfront Society is grateful for the direction and guidance offered by the GCRDA. It provided our community with professional advice, support, and knowledge that would have been difficult to come by for a group of volunteers. Utilizing the various partnerships and strong community input created a sound blueprint for tourism growth in our community."

For more information on goings-on in Guysborough County, contact the GCRDA at 533-3731.

Putting the Jobs Back in the Plant

Yarmouth has been fortunate over its history to be located on a good harbour that continues to provide wharfage for ships plying waters off the Nova Scotia coast. Our position as an international seaport led in the 1880s to the establishment of a sail-making operation named the Duck and Yarn Company, which eventually became Dominion Textile Incorporated. In 1991, after 110 years of operation, the plant closed, putting 375 people out of work and leaving a facility that would prove difficult to sell.

Efforts since 1993 by the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission have focussed on adapting the former Dominion Textile plant to a mixed-use facility to create long-term jobs. The total floor space of the three-story plant is approximately 270,000 square feet.

Between 1993 and 1996, the federal and provincial governments provided support to complete necessary improvements to make this well-constructed building appropriate to today's standards. Upgrades were made to the electrical and sprinkler systems, the roof was repaired, access roads and parking areas were improved, and unstable sections of the property were removed.

The promotion of any area as a good place for industry is a competitive business. Today, very few large companies move their entire operations to a new community. The Domtex facility allows southwestern Nova Scotia to offer a location with reasonable costs, good transportation infrastructure, and a stable workforce. The facility has changed the landscape for industrial development.

Novatec Braids, a rope manufacturer, occupies the southern section of the plant. Local contracting company Hurlburt Construction combined its operations in another part of the plant, while Germain Mechanical and Electrical occupies yet another area of the plant. All three of these firms bought their space from the Commission. As well, several companies are now leasing space, including H & H Recovery for its recycling operation and an Enviro Centre, Image Conscious to manufacture picture frames for the wholesale market, Atlantic Candles to manufacture specialty candles for world markets, Electrobraid to manufacture electrified fencing for animals, and, more recently, a specialized clothing manufacturer.

As it became obvious that the level of interest in the area was growing, the Industrial Commission, administered by the South West Shore Development Authority, began negotiations with Dominion Textile's sales agent on the purchase of the remaining building on the east side of Water Street. The former weaving mill, with a total of 90,000 square feet of space, was purchased and renovated to house two new businesses: Tech Pak Canada has a manufacturing operation that will produce specialized molded packaging along with several other products, while Warp Tech is producing netting products for such activities as sports and the commercial fishery. Also, the former office building has been leased to a health-related organization.

This effort has been accomplished by hard work, a cooperative attitude on the part of all three levels of government, and because of its prime location. The loss of 375 well-paid, full-time jobs in 1991 had a negative impact on the community's outlook for the future. The Domtex Revitalization Project, organized through the South West Shore Development Authority, has meant the maintenance and creation of more than 430 full-time jobs in fifteen small businesses, and has refreshed the long-standing manufacturing base along Yarmouth's waterfront.

For more information about the South West Shore Development Authority, call 742-3210.

A Word of Thanks

The Coastal Communities Network (CCN) would like to thank the Nova Scotia Association of Regional Development Authorities (NSARDA) for its sponsorship of this issue of Coastal Communities News . By sponsoring this issue, NSARDA has shown, in a concrete way, its support for our coastal and rural communities.

CCN has provided space in this issue (see pages 2 and 3) for NSARDA to get word of its programs to coastal and rural Nova Scotians. Responsibility for editorial content, however, remains the sole responsibility of CCN.

Collectively formed in 1999, the Nova Scotia Association of Regional Development Authorities (NSARDA) works collaboratively to identify key provincial economic issues and coordinate regional development initiatives to create an overall environment conducive to economic growth and business support.

Consisting of 13 regional development authorities (RDAs) across the province, the NSARDA is governed by a community-based board of directors and funded by municipal, provincial and federal government departments.

The NSARDA's approach to regional economic leadership combines community economic development, community enterprise development, human resource development, and communications development.

The Nova Scotia RDA model is recognized as a leader in Canada. It boasts a unique three-level-of-government partnership that is closely tied to the community. In the future, the NSARDA will continue to work on the challenges that face them and will work with funding partners to improve their process.

Women, Martians, and Equality

I recently attended a Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), consultation in Moncton about fisheries management in Atlantic Canada. I was there with Mary DesRoches, representing the Nova Scotia Women's FishNet. Our presentation covered issues in a DFO discussion document that would affect women in coastal communities and women employed in the fishery. After our presentation and many others, a representative of a New Brunswick draggers' association delivered a heated stream of negative comments. He ended with an outburst of anger that was apparently brought on by our presentation: "And then," he sputtered, while a woman's voice in our headphones politely attempted to simultaneously translate his frustration, "And then, there are some people who think that women – women! – should sit at the decision-making table. Well, if this is the case, we might as well invite the Martians to have a seat as well!"

Later in the discussion, we were talking about the economic and social viability of the fishery and how the term "stakeholders" should be defined. Mary and I both said that anyone who is directly or indirectly affected by the fishery, or who has a historical attachment to the fishery, should be involved in policy decisions. We added that this would obviously include women, who are key stakeholders in the sustainability of coastal communities and fishing families, and who have always participated in many aspects of the fishery. We were then told by a member of DFO's Policy Review Committee that he was now aware of our opinions, but that DFO was proposing something different in its discussion document.

At that point, I seriously considered leaving the room to take a quick drive down to the local costume shop for a "Martian" outfit. I would then return to ask the same question, as a Martian representing Martians, and suggesting that Martians are also stakeholders and so they should have a say in fisheries policy. After all, I'd tell the meeting, Martians could have a lot to gain if the fishery continues to be privatized and professionalized. In future, when inter-planetary travel becomes easier, Martians might well want to buy some boats and quota, enroll in some training and safety workshops, and head out to make some money. We might even give the Martians some seed money, if they promised to buy a lot of quota and hire a small percentage of local earthlings for a few months to show them the ropes.

Needless to say, I didn't leave and then return as a Martian. But I do think that within this consultation framework, a Martian might quite rightly have been given the same response Mary and I received: "Thank you for your opinion, but we are not proposing that Martians have a significant role at this point in time." Which leads me to the question: Are women and Martians, in fact, similar? I know that I don't think we are, and I know that most women, and many friends and families of women, don't think we are, but what about the general opinion, the status quo, the majority, the – "average Joe"? What about the average politician or bureaucrat?

This question only becomes really interesting when we consider what the answer's consequences are. I suppose that if women are like Martians, we might not need to be treated as humans or be given similar opportunities to men. This could save the government a lot of money. We, as a nation, could certainly save on Employment Insurance, training, salaries, health care, and education. We could simply ensure that every woman/Martian got paired off with a husband, and as long as he was well looked after, she/it wouldn't starve, and might even have a nice life. On the other hand, if women are humans, we might want jobs and training, and we would probably want to make some decisions about what's best for our families, our communities, and ourselves. We might even get together and brainstorm about how we could influence policies that were unfair to women and fishing families, or that were detrimental to community sustainability. Now and then, you might even see a woman presenting some of these ideas at a policy consultation.

But before I get too far ahead of myself, getting into details about how women in coastal communities are affected by fisheries policies, Employment Insurance regulations, or the accessibility of training programs – and before I outline any of the ideas or solutions that women have proposed to build community sustainability and social and economic development – we need to ensure that the framework exists for women to be acknowledged as full and equal participants and decision makers in our communities. What is frightfully depressing is that we don't yet seem to be in agreement about the basic fact that needs to be understood before we can go any further – the fact that women are not like Martians.

Perhaps, if we can all agree to this, we'll start to see the need for some changes. In Nova Scotia's coastal communities today, many women are not given the same opportunities as men. Many women are unfairly excluded from benefits such as Employment Insurance and training opportunities, and from participation in key policy decisions that affect our lives. Women's work, both paid and unpaid, must be recognized as contributing to the economic stability of our communities. Women's voices must be considered as relevant and important when we are exploring solutions to the many challenges our communities face.

Because it was at a DFO policy consultation that I was forced to question my identity as a human being, I will end by throwing the resulting questions back out for the consideration of our government representatives: Who are you representing? Are you representing equally both men's and women's concerns? What is guiding you to represent an industry as a closed circuit of "professionals" and corporations rather than as environments, communities, and the people really affected by the fisheries? Also, who are you willing to discuss these questions with, and how will you consider all the different points of view seriously? I hope we can answer some of these most basic questions soon, so we can start working together to discover solutions to some of the more interesting and meaningful challenges facing our coastal communities.

The Nova Scotia Women's FishNet was established in 1995 as a provincial network of women and women's groups concerned about the sustainability of coastal communities and the impact of recent changes in the fisheries on women, on their families, and on their communities. Ariella Pahlke is the Coordinator of the FishNet's "Strategies for Action Project," which is working to identify policy issues affecting women's economic stability and independence, and to advocate for change. To find out more about the Nova Scotia Women's FishNet or about the Strategies for Action Project, contact us at (902) 425-4525 or at 2099 Gottingen Street, Halifax, N.S., B3K 3B2.

Coastal Communities News is published bi-monthly by the Coastal Communities Network, a non-profit society registered in the province of Nova Scotia.

Coastal Communities News is made possible by the generous efforts of many volunteers, and by financial contributions from Human Resources Development Canada, and by donations and in-kind contributions from the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Culture, as well as from member groups and organizations.

We welcome all articles and submissions, from individuals and groups, with content in keeping with the role and nature of this magazine. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Except where additional credit has been given, all articles are prepared by the Editor and Editorial Board.

Our Mission Statement

The Coastal Communities Network is a volunteer association of organizations whose mission is to provide a forum to encourage dialogue, share information, and create strategies and actions that promote the survival and development of Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities.

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

CCN is made up of organizations rooted in Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities, and it is the diversity of its membership that gives it strength. Your organization, and your community, can help CCN determine its direction and strengthen its voice still further. Join the Coastal Communities Network today.

— by participating in regular monthly meetings of the CCN membership. These are held in Truro (usually on the first Tuesday of each month), and allow representatives from member organizations to review what is happening in coastal communities across the province, plan actions on issues of common concern, and review progress on CCN-sponsored projects;

— by getting on our mailing list to receive regular copies of Coastal Communities News. Send us your name and address by mail or fax, or call us directly;

— by contributing written articles to Coastal Communities News, and so letting everyone know what's happening in your community;

— by taking part in CCN workshops and information sessions. Special events like this are held on topics of importance to coastal communities (for example, community economic development, co- management in the fishery, etc);

— by inquiring about CCN's resource library, which includes information, reports, and studies on topics that affect the future and sustainability of coastal communities.

CCN Coordinator:
PO Box 1613
Pictou, N.S. B0K 1H0
Phone:(902)485-4754 Fax:(902)445-7134
e-mail:coastalnet@ns.sympatico.ca

CCN Communications Office:
Phone: (902) 445-7168
Fax: (902) 445-7134
e-mail:ccnews@ns.sympatico.ca

"Working Together For the Good of All"

The Sheep Was Onto Something

Got Lemons? Make Lemonade!

Remembering Lillian Benham

Of Gravol and Bone-Tired Admiration

Creativity, Connections, Communications

Setting Anchor on the Waterfront

Putting the Jobs Back in the Plant

A Word of Thanks

Women, Martians, and Equality

Coastal Communities News

Join the Coastal Communities Network

Our Mission Statement

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

How to Become Involved
in the Coastal Communities Network

"Working Together For the Good of All"

The Sheep Was Onto Something

Got Lemons? Make Lemonade!

Remembering Lillian Benham

Of Gravol and Bone-Tired Admiration

Creativity, Connections, Communications

Setting Anchor on the Waterfront

Putting the Jobs Back in the Plant

A Word of Thanks

Women, Martians, and Equality

Coastal Communities News

Join the Coastal Communities Network

Our Mission Statement

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

How to Become Involved in the Coastal Communities Network

How to Become Involved
in the Coastal Communities Network