Hanson dies suddenly
Former councillor leaves ‘extremely large void’ at Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd.
A man who used his “forwardthinking” vision at a seafood processor and his considerable knowledge of government policy to wade through complicated subjects in areas of the fishery, agriculture and tourism was in the thoughts of many this weekend following his untimely death on Thursday morning. Dannie Hanson had worked at Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd. for nearly two decades and served as the company’s vice-president of sustainability. He was also a former Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillor, serving one-term from 1995 to 1997.
Jim Kennedy knew Hanson, who he described as a “quiet fellow” with a low-key private life, did have a heart condition.
It ran in Hanson’s family, said Kennedy, the owner of Louisbourg Seafoods.
“I think he’s the fifth of his brothers to have passed and I think most of them passed away with heart trouble,” Kennedy said.
Hanson was 62.
As his company bio suggested, Hanson handled “community development” and “strategic planning” and lobbied the federal, provincial and municipal governments on behalf of Louisbourg Seafoods.
His connections were unmatched, according to Kennedy, meaning there’s an “extremely large void” now in the organization.
“It’s a void that will never be filled. To hire someone with that much know-how with every part of government … you could probably hire somebody who knew one part of it but not all three parts of it,” he said.
“Any government work that was out there that Dannie could find for us or if it was a new business. Dannie was always looking for new business for us to start up. That was his end of it … (to) find something new for us to invest in.”
Louisbourg Seafoods made sustained efforts in lobbying for about 8,000 tonnes of the surf clam quota, which had been controlled by Halifax-based Clearwater Seafoods Inc.’s monopoly.
Hanson had been pushing for the fishery to be opened up for about 10 years.
When it became clear Louisbourg Seafoods could not compete for its own share of the surf clam quota, the company turned its focus to other species that will “help us fill in that gap,” Hanson said in an interview with The Canadian Press last November when it was announced the monopoly would be broken up.
Hanson said he fully supported the Mi’kmaq and believed they made a “solid management decision” in order to “make revenue the quickest.”
“They are to be congratulated ... but I am appalled that we fought so hard and here’s the monopoly coming in the back door,” he said.
The federal government announced in February a 25 per cent share of the allowable catch would be awarded to Five Nations Clam Corp., based in New Brunswick, in partnership with Premium Seafoods of Arichat.
The decision ended the monopoly by Clearwater, which supported the initiative but had also called for a review. Clearwater had submitted a proposal that included a partnership with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs.
The controversy over the decision to hand one quarter of the quota to Five Nations remains because then-federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc gave the quota to a company that is run by the brother of Nova Scotia Liberal MP Darrell Samson.
LeBlanc, who was moved to Intergovernmental Affairs from the Fisheries portfolio in a cabinet shuffle last week, is reportedly under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner over the matter.
Kennedy looks back on the situation saying Hanson played a major part in a tough fight to secure a quota.
Although Louisbourg Seafoods did not compete against much larger players in the industry, he said it still meant the “monopoly was taken off the table anyway.”
On the personal side, Hanson was considered a “quiet” colleague who “kept to himself” and spent much of his time on the family farm in Mira, said Kennedy.
Hanson, who never married nor had children, was often in the company of friends and extended family.
Known for his culinary skills that would regularly end in Hanson inviting friends over for a dinner party, he had hoped to take a cooking tour of Italy, according to friend and former colleague Claire Detheridge.
“He was making arrangements for (a trip to Italy) and he said, ‘I’m going there when I’m feeling better.’ But it just didn’t happen,” she said.
Detheridge served alongside Hanson as a Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillor when he was elected to council upon municipal amalgamation in 1995.
He would serve only one term as councillor, opting not to reoffer in the 1997 election.
“He had a forward-thinking vision, he always had that,” Detheridge recalled.
“He just found that there was so much red-tape all the time when you’re trying to get something done … sometimes it’s a year or more before you can get it done. It really frustrated him.”
Hanson was the biggest promoter of Cape Breton that you could find — anywhere, she said.
Among his chief concerns in the role of councillor were finding jobs for young people and ensuring adequate mental health services for the public.
Detheridge said she recalled him saying a municipal councillor’s job was the most stressful position he had ever taken on.
Despite the serious issues he tackled, Hanson always came across with a positive attitude, she said.
“He always wanted to attack the big issues. There’s going to be truly large shoes to fill.”
The flags outside CBRM city hall have been lowered to halfmast.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been released publicly.