Looking back at Shelburne County history

FROM 1984

Cape Sable Island residents were calling for the province to address poor road conditions in their community. In a presentation to Barrington municipal council, a spokesperson for the residents said the sand that was being applied to the road not only was less effective than salt but also was dangerous, given that it contained gravel, even rocks. There had been accidents and cracked windshields, she said. A local principal expressed concern about the safety of school buses and a local fire department spokesman said the road situation was impacting emergency response times.

The Town of Shelburne again had been denied assistance from the federal government to help pay for improvements to the town’s water system, but Bill Cox, Shelburne’s mayor at the time, said the town wasn’t giving up, that he hoped a recent request to Nova Scotia Premier John Buchanan would result in some assistance. In a letter denying the Town of Shelburne’s federal application, Don Johnston – the federal minister of state for economic and regional development – said while he appreciated the need for the town’s water project, federal funds for such work were “fully committed.”

Efforts to arrange a meeting between Shelburne County municipal leaders and Nova Scotia’s education minister so far had been unsuccessful and, as a result, local mayors and wardens reportedly were hoping to meet with a senior official in the education department instead. The municipal government leaders had wanted to talk to the minister – Terence Donahoe – about why some areas of the province had received more funding for education and Shelburne had not. Expressing frustration, one local warden said the funding issue was the “tip of the iceberg ... We’ve been neglected (at) this end of the province for years.”

Also in the news in the winter of 1984:

• A byelection for the Town of Shelburne was scheduled for March 10 to replace council member Carmine Ferretti, who had resigned from council for personal reasons. The nomination deadline for those interested in filling the vacant seat was Feb. 20.

• The Municipality of Barrington was looking to team up with municipal units in Yarmouth County in forming a new planning commission. The new body reportedly was being established in part because a provincially sponsored planning office in Yarmouth would be closing in March.

• Annie Bower had been honoured by the Nova Scotia Association of Exhibitions by being presented with its award for “fair person of the year” for 1983. The association noted Bower’s involvement with the Shelburne County Exhibition and said she also had contributed at the provincial level.

FROM 1997

Shelburne’s Martin Fudge had a stellar showing at the Special Olympics World Games in Ontario, winning three silver medals and a bronze, and the snowshoe competitor received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Nova Scotia. “Oh the joy, I’m so proud of him,” said Fudge’s mother, Jane.

“He had a big smile on his face when he came through the doors. When he (saw) us, he started crying. It is something that will stay in our hearts.” The 1997 world games were hosted by Toronto and Collingwood, where Fudge was said to have impressed everyone more with his friendly, outgoing manner and his attitude towards fellow athletes than with his medal-winning performances.

Fishing industry representatives from Shelburne County were among those slated to appear before the federal government’s Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans in Ottawa. They were to give testimony on the cumulative impact of user fees on the commercial fishery. Derek Wells, the MP at the time for South Shore, had been lobbying the prime minister and senior cabinet members to review the effect of new or increased fees on the economy of south shore communities. “They recognize there’s a problem,” Wells said. “Now we have to find a solution.”

The idea of establishing a ferry service between Shelburne and Gloucester, Massachusetts, had been well received during a visit to Gloucester by P.G. Comeau, Shelburne’s mayor at the time, but whether the proposed service would happen – or was feasible – remained to be seen. One suggestion was that a vessel be chartered and the service offered on a trial basis.