Looking back at Shelburne County history
From 1982
The need for wharf improvements in Shelburne County was a big issue in a number of communities, and local officials were planning to discuss the matter when they travelled to Ottawa to meet with Romeo LeBlanc, the federal fisheries minister at the time. Slated to make the trip to the nation’s capital were Elmer Nickerson (Shelburne warden), Mac Huskilson ( Lockeport mayor) and Harold Huskilson (Shelburne MLA). A local newspaper story cited wharves in Sandy Point and Ingomar as ex- amples of facilities that needed work.
The word from National Sea Products was that a new plant under construction in Lockeport was expected to be finished in August but that it likely wouldn’t open its doors until late September. A company spokesman said he expected the facility would be running at peak efficiency by late fall, depending on the availability of fish. The new plant, which was to replace one that had been destroyed by fire in the summer of 1980, could employ 300 people or more, depending on fishing quotas, the spokesman said.
Nova Scotia’s health minister said the province had no plans to build a satellite medical clinic in Shelburne County. Gerald Sheehy was visiting Shelburne in February 1982 when he acknow- ledged that there was strong support for this type of clinic in the local area but said the province didn’t have the money for such a project. Moreover, he said similar clinics elsewhere in Nova Scotia were sitting empty.
Shelburne town council had approved the establishment of a downtown business improvement commission. The idea was that the commission would work towards revitalizing the downtown district, including commercial properties and the waterfront.
Plans were in the works for a special 25th- anniversary yearbook for Barrington Municipal High School for 1983. The goal was to produce a yearbook that would feature people and events from the past quarter-century of the school’s history, going back to the late 1950s.
From 1995
The province was looking to amalgamate school boards – reducing the number of boards in Nova Scotia from 22 to seven, possibly five – as part of a longawaited white paper on education restructuring. The proposed changes would result in more money being invested in the classroom, the government said. However, a Shelburne County school board spokesperson said the white paper raised more questions than it answered and that her board would be consulting extensively before preparing a response.
Plans were underway for an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the surrender of German U- boat 889 to the Royal Canadian Navy and the ship’s arrival in Shelburne harbour on May 13, 1945. A committee change, to private and public dialogue that will reduce the chance of such tragedy happening again. You have to be sensitive to those who are grieving and there are legal considerations, but you believe the public — especially parents and decision-makers — need to know when tragedies happen heading up the effort had held a meeting in early February to discuss activities that could be organized to commemorate the anniversary.
On Feb. 14 in Upper Woods Harbour, a group of students waiting for a school bus noticed a deer stuck in the icy water behind the Wesleyan Church, about 100 yards from shore. Four local residents came to the animal’s rescue. The effort took about three hours and the animal – dubbed by locals the “Valentine deer” – reportedly looked like it was going to be okay.
In sports, Barrington Pizza Delight was leading the south shore men’s basketball league with a 10-0 record, one of their latest wins coming against Shelburne Gosbee’s (7-2), who held second place in the seven-team league.
In my day, the bully was limited to picking on you in or after school. Today, technology — text messaging and social media — has given bullies access to their victims 24 hours a day. It’s a dangerous and unpredictable situation.
and something needs to be done.
I don’t have the solution to this, although encouraging and welcoming open communication —Let’s Talk, as the Bell campaign suggests — must play a role.
One of the teen’s friends offered a great piece of advice on Facebook.
It’s something we all need to remember to make this a better place.
“What some people are capable of saying to one is so sickening,” her post said. “How much does it take to be a decent human being? Just please everyone, please, be kind.”