Looking back at Shelburne County history
From 1982
On an October evening in 1982, longtime Lockeport mayor Mac Huskilson presided over his last Lockeport town council meeting. He would be handing the reins to Gordon Weddleton, who had defeated him in the recent municipal election. The 72-year-old Huskilson had spent 36 years as a public official, the last 18 as mayor. In an interview with the Coast Guard newspaper, Huskilson said he felt Lockeport town council had been very active over the years and he cited the importance of municipal units working together. He was optimistic about what was ahead for Lockeport, saying, “It looks like a great future.”
*** A Barrington-area ambulance service was turning to the Municipality of Barrington for assistance after being told by Nova Scotia’s health department the province could not help them. The service, which had been in financial difficulty for the past year, initially was slated to cease operating at the end of October, but – thanks to donations and salary cuts – the service was expected to continue at least until the end of 1982. Barrington municipal council had expressed a willingness to help, but there reportedly were some legal or bureaucratic steps that needed to be taken first.
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Dredging at the West Green Harbour wharf was expected to start by about the third week of October and the work was expected to be done by the start of the lobster season in late November. Fishermen had long waited for the work to be carried out and a spokesman for them said they were happy to see movement from the federal government on the matter.
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Bill Gullickson of the Montreal Expos was the guest speaker at a minor baseball banquet in Clark’s Harbour. The Expos had reached the National League championship series the previous year (1981) but had taken a step back in ’82, finishing third in the NL east. “We had all the talent,” Gullickson said, referring to the ’82 Expos. “We had guys like Al Oliver and Steve Rogers, but for some reason we didn’t win.” Gullickson joked about his status with the Expos at the time, telling his audience, “Right now I am unemployed. My contract is up for this year, so if any of you guys need a pitcher ...”
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When is Halloween? Oct. 31 would fall on a Sunday in 1982, but two of the three towns in Shelburne County – Shelburne and Lockeport – had said they would recognize Saturday, Oct. 30, as the day for trick-or-treaters to be out. The Town of Clark’s Harbour had decided to let Halloween be observed on Oct. 31, rather than moving it ahead by a day.
From 1995
There was talk again of political amalgamation for eastern Shelburne County. At a recent meeting, Shelburne municipal council had decided to ask the towns of Shelburne and Lockeport to enter negotiations about possible amalgamation of the three units. A couple of years earlier, in 1993, the previous Shelburne municipal council had expressed interest in potential county-wide amalgamation, but the other four Shelburne County units were against it. Meanwhile, the new Shelburne town council was more willing to discuss amalgamation than its predecessor had been. ***
Fishing industry organizations across Nova Scotia were sounding the alarm about the future of the fishery, saying parts of the federal government’s proposed Oceans Act – as well as proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act – would lead to the corporate takeover of the industry. Environmentalists were concerned too. “Coastal communities need to speak out loudly” about Ottawa’s approach to fisheries management, said marine biologist Irene Novaczek, chairwoman of the Oceans Caucus, a network of environmental groups.
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It was a milestone year for Stoney Island United Baptist Church, which celebrated its 100th anniversary with several special services. Members of the congregation donned period costumes as a way to help mark the occasion. Past and interim pastors took turns leading the anniversary services. The centenary activities included skits, displays of photos and artifacts and a banquet.