Board landing mural needs a good facelift
I don’t know why, but every time I do my banking lately I can’t help but admire the large mural on the retaining wall behind the Bank of Nova Scotia on Havelock Street, Truro.
The painting is of a group of hardworking 18th century souls trying to unload lumber from sailing boats at the board landing bridge in Lower Onslow during the tidal bore. The painting has seen better days and needs to be restored.
There’s not much information available regarding the mural or the events it tries to depict. I’ll bet there are some of our older generation who could shed some light on this risky method of transferring lumber from sailboat to shore.
I invite readers with a penchant for local folklore, to make a visit to this site, stand back, and let his or her mind wander. Try to imagine the noise of the rushing water and the shouts and curses of the lumbermen as they heave those heavy boards ashore — while trying to stay afloat!
What a beautiful scene to be re-enacted by some young college students on summer break. No doubt visiting tourists would be drawn off the highways in flocks far exceeding the numbers now waiting to see the tidal bore.
In my opinion, this mural should become the centrepiece of the proposed Fundy Gateway project.
Ken Kennedy
Truro