Lookingg back at Shelburne County history
From 1982
Politicians at the provincial and federal level were pushing for government help for south shore lobster fishermen who had lost lobster gear due to stormy weather. Harold Huskilson, Shelburne’s MLA at the time, had raised the issue in the Nova Scotia legislature and Lloyd Crouse, the MP for South Shore, had done likewise in the House of Commons. The 1981-82 lobster season had gotten off to a good start, with catches up and the market strong, but high winds and rough seas had since taken their toll. “There’s still lobster out there for us to catch,” one fisherman had said, “but we just don’t have enough fish- ing gear left that’s in good enough condition to go.”
*** Shelburne’s all-male fire department would remain just that – allmale – at least for the time being, after a majority of the department’s members had voted to reject an application from a 27-year-old woman to join the department. The result of the vote, which had been carried out by secret ballot, was 28 against and 12 for. The unsuccessful applicant – reportedly the first female ever to apply to become a firefighter in Shelburne – said she was disappointed with the outcome of the vote but said she now was thinking of joining the department’s women’s auxiliary and that she later might re-apply to become a firefighter.
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With the growing use of computers in the workplace, more businesses were looking to take advantage of the new technology. Schools, meanwhile, were trying to prepare students for the computer age and the potential job opportunities awaiting them. Shelburne’s vocational school had been the first of the Shelburne area’s schools to get a computer. That was in 1977. Considered relatively advanced at that time, the device now – in 1982 – was deemed “old-fashioned” in its speed and capabilities. Indeed, according to a local newspaper item at the time, keeping up with the emerging technology could be a challenge, given how rapidly it was evolving.
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In sports, Lockeport’s senior high school girls basketball team were Nova Scotia champions, having defeated Cabot High School 35-33 in the title game of the provincial tournament for their division. Ruth MacLeod, who was playing her last high school game, scored the winning basket. In junior boys action, Lockeport had captured the western regional title, but Lockeport’s junior girls – despite an outstanding regular season – had come up short in their regionals, falling to West Kings in the final.
From 1995
About 120 inshore fishermen, boat owners and plant workers marched through the streets of Shelburne, calling for more of a say in the way the fishing industry was run. The protestors said priority was being given to the offshore fleet and big companies at the expense of the inshore sector. One of the fishermen cited the importance of the inshore fleet to the area’s economy, given the money paid to local crew members which, in turn, was spent in the local community. As a show of support for the fishermen, students from Shelburne County’s three high schools held protest walks of their own.
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Three of Shelburne County’s five municipal units were interested in amalgamation, but the two others were not. At the invitation of the Town of Shelburne, both the Municipality of Shelburne and the Town of Lockeport had agreed to enter into discussions on potential amalgamation, but the Municipality of Barrington and Town of Clark’s Harbour had said no thanks. Representatives of the Shelburne town and municipality and from Lockeport were scheduled to hold their first meeting to talk about amalgamation March 14.
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As part of a restructuring of Nova Scotia’s courts and justice department, the province was planning to close court offices in 11 locations, including Shelburne and Barrington. The plan was to move some services and staff from Shelburne and Barrington to Yarmouth, where the province intended to build a new justice centre. New facilities also were to be constructed in other parts of Nova Scotia.