Archive for 2010

4 Aug

MACINTOSH APPEALS CONVICTION

Posted by CAPER in Crime.

MacIntosh appeals conviction for molesting boys in 1970s

 

Ernest Fenwick MacIntosh is escorted into custody by RCMP officers at

Robert L. Stanfield International Airport in Halifax in this June 7 file photo.

 ( Courtesy of The Canadian Press)

HALIFAX — A 67-year-old Nova Scotia man convicted of sexually molesting two boys in the 1970s is appealing both sets of convictions.

Ernest Fenwick MacIntosh was found guilty last month on 13 charges of indecent assault and gross indecency.

Justice Simon MacDonald of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court rejected MacIntosh’s claims that the sex was consensual and occurred when the men —whose identities are protected by a publication ban — were in their late teens.

Defence lawyer Brian Casey, who filed the appeal Friday with the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, says motor vehicle records contradict the timelines described by the victims.

Several victims testified that the abuse occurred in the former businessman’s vehicles prior to 1974.

In his submission to the appeal court, Casey says the motor vehicle records submitted to the court show the cars were purchased after that date, and “raised a reasonable doubt about whether the offences occurred.”

The defence also argues that the judge gave too much weight to the testimony from the victims, despite rejecting some of their stories of abuse.

“In light of (the victim) remembering events ’which just didn’t happen’ the learned trial judge ought to have had a reasonable doubt about the reliability of (the victim’s) evidence as a whole,” Casey wrote in his submission.

MacIntosh is also arguing that his right to a fair trial was compromised because some motor vehicle records were lost due in the 30 years since the offences.

The charges against MacIntosh go back 15 years in a case that required extradition from India in 2007.

Three complainants testified last month that MacIntosh repeatedly fondled and performed oral sex on them when they were between 11 and 14 years old.

The judge rejected the testimony of one of the men, and found MacIntosh not guilty of the charges in that instance.

All of the men alleged the incidents occurred in the 1970s in various locations around northeastern Nova Scotia.

During his testimony, MacIntosh admitted performing oral sex on two of the complainants but said they were older than the age of consent at the time and that it was consensual.

The trial was the first of two MacIntosh is facing on a total of 36 charges of indecent assault and gross indecency. A date for his second trial has not been set.

4 Aug

JUDIQUE, CAPE BRETON

Posted by CAPER in General Interest.

St. Andrews (RC) Parish 

 

Judique is a small community located in Inverness County on the Ceilidh Trail (Trunk 19) on the western side of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Judique is on the edge of St. George’s Bay in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Judique is situated between Grahams on the Shore Road in the north, Beatons on Hwy 19, and the boundary between Long Point and Craigmore to the South. St. George’s Bay on the east and General Line Road to the west.

 

Early settlement

The first permanent European pioneers of Judique were mainly of Scots Highland descent and they moved to the west coast of Cape Breton Island from Prince Edward Island, Pictou, Guysborough, and some walked the distance from Parsborough. The ‘Judique Shores’ stretched from Long Point in the south to the Little Judique River just on the boundary of Port Hood, in the north.

Tradition has it that in 1775, poet and sea captain Michael mor MacDonald of South Uist/PEI, who attended the Glenaladale emigration to PEI, spent the winter near the Grand Judique River. He encountered Mi’kmaq during his stay. The ice came in before he had a chance to leave and he spent the winter there. His Gaelic song about the event, “O, Is Àlainn an t-Àite (pronounced: oh, iss ah-lin un t-ah-chuh) “O, Fair is the Place”, is thought by many to be the first Scots Gaelic song composed in North America.

Baxter’s Cove – Judique

Prior to 1787, Michael Mór MacDonald of South Uist frequently landed on the coast and partially explored it. He eventually became the mason, of Blair-Athole in Indian Point, at the north end of Judique, which is now a protected archeological site. Among the early Scottish settlers were MacDonald, Robert Innes, Hugh MacEachern, wife and family of Moidart, and Allan Ban MacDonnell of Glengarry. Michael, Robert, and Allan Ban married, about the same time, daughters of Hugh MacEachern, and became among the first settlers of Judique in 1787.

Natalie MacMaster – Fiddler

(Note: Natalie was on TV BRAVO last night – her show Natalie MacMaster and Cape Breton Friends everyone on the show was multi talented on instruments and step dancing. GTF)

Origins of the name

The origin of the name Judique is disputed. Many people in Judique believe it is a First Nations (Mi’kmaw) word meaning water. However, the name is also said to mean a river or stream where the water turns swiftly forming eddies, and is French in origin.

Quebec visitors to Judique have apparently said that a “jou-jeu” is a spinning top and used for a game named jou. “Dique,” they said, “ is ‘dike’ and could relate to the dike system in the area.

A rest from the Atlantic

 

Another possibility relates to Nicholas Denys, a local fisherman. One of Denys’s sea captains, on a return trip to Arichat, was reading Scripture from the Book of Judith. He was passing along the coast of what is now Judique, and was overcome by the rolling hills and greenery of the area. It is said that it was recorded in his log with the name “Judic” which may have eventually became written “Judique.”

The Community

Once an active farming-fishing community, Judique citizens also work in forestry, lumbering, and cultural industries or provide personal business services in the village. Many are employed in Port Hawkesbury.

Villages near Judique include Long Point, Craigmore and Creignish to the south, and northerly, Port Hood, Mabou, Inverness, Margaree and Cheticamp.

Judique is credited with spectacular sunsets. Christy’s Look-off is half-way between the Canso Causeway and Judique where there is a view of the waterway to the Strait of Canso. Waters are warm for swimming in July and August. In spring, lobster boats depart from three harbours in the area.

Places of Worship

  • St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, a large stone structure, was built in 1924 and the parish is the oldest Catholic parish developed by Highland Scots on Cape Breton Island.

Schools

  • Bayview, Port Hood (grade primary – 8)
  • Dalbrae, Mabou (grades 9–12)
  • Judique-Creignish High School (now closed)

Entertainment and recreation

  • Judique Recreation Grounds
  • Judique Flyer Trails Association
  • Judique Community Centre Development Association
  • Celtic Music Interpretive Centre Society
  • Storyteller’s Gallery
  • Suidaig air an Ular Society
  • 3 indoor, 2 outdoor stages

 

 

John Morris Rankin age 40 Jan 16, 2000 went over the cliff and was

killed as result of tragic auto accident – a great and terrible loss

Industry

Judique has wharves located at Baxter’s Cove, Pig Cove, and Little Judique Harbour.

Services

  • Judique and Area Development Association
  • Judique & District Volunteer Fire Department
  • Judique Men’s Club

Annual festivals and events

  • Judique on the Floor Days
  • Kintyre Farm Family Concert
  • Fall Fair
  • Buddy MacMaster School of Fiddling
  • Celtic Colours International Festival
  • Celtic Classic Golf Tournament
  • St.Andrew’s Parish Bazaar

Communications

  • iLand Television Community Cable Channel 3 out of Port Hood, partial coverage
  • Judique DOTCOM Society C@P Site

Main routes and backroads

Highway 19, Shore Rd, Baxter’s Cove Rd, Wlaker’s Cove Rd, Centennial Road, River Denys Rd, Campbell’s Rd, Hillsdale Rd, Gussieville Rd, MacLean’s Road, Chisholm Rd, Mabou Rd, Judique Intervale Rd, Beaton Rd, St. Ninian

A light breeze is all that is needed

Distances

Port Hawkesbury: 40 kilometers (25 mi) , Antigonish, 90 km ( 60 mi), Halifax, 300 km (180 mi); Sydney 200 km, (120 mi); Inverness 80 km (40 mi)

Notable people from Judique

Andrew MacDonald – NHL defenseman, New York Islanders

(Courtesy of the Internet – GTF)

4 Aug

OBITS – AUG 4, 2010

Posted by CAPER in Obituaries.

Obituaries for August 4th, 2010

3 Aug

DON CHERRY AND KEVIN WALKER

Posted by CAPER in Military.

Royal Canadian Artillery

 

Don “Grapes” Cherry and MWO Kevin Walker

 

This was a picture taken at CFB Petawawa in April, 2010 during “Deployment Ceremonies” and “Family Day”prior to departure of soldiers for Afghanistan. Don Cherry and Ron MacLean visited the troops for the occasion. MWO Kevin Walker is on his third deployment in Afghanistan. He is the son of Gloria and Gib Walker now residents of  Ottawa, ON. Gib was born and raised in Alder Point, Cape Breton and Gloria is an Ottawa girl.

3 Aug

OBITS – AUG 3, 2010

Posted by CAPER in Obituaries.

Obituaries for August 3rd, 2010

2 Aug

NORTH SYDNEY FIRE

Posted by CAPER in General Interest, Safety.

The blue three-story building located at 324 Commercial Street in North Sydney bore heavy interior damage as the result of a suspicious fire, Sunday.

 Greg MacVicar – Cape Breton Post

Published on August 1st, 2010

NORTH SYDNEY — A man was hanging by his fingers from the window ledge of a burning building located at 324 Commercial Street early Sunday evening when he was saved from a 30-foot fall by firefighters.

“When we arrived here there was one person basically hanging from the third floor by his fingertips really,” said North Sydney Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lloyd MacIntosh, who got the call just before 5 p.m.

“We took the ladder off the first arriving engine. We sent a fireman up and the fireman took him down and he was removed to hospital.”

The man, who lived on the top floor of the three-storey blue steel-clad building next to the Subway restaurant, suffered smoke inhalation and third-degree burns to his hands and feet, according to Staff Sgt. Max Sehl of the Cape Breton Regional Police.

The victim was listed in serious but stable condition at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital around 8 p.m. Sunday. The building’s two other residents, David Collier and Eric Organ, escaped uninjured.

“The fire is deemed to be suspicious,” said Sehl. “What will happen overnight is we’ll be putting security on the building and then sometime tomorrow our forensic unit and the fire marshall’s office will be going in to investigate the cause of the fire.”

A man at the scene, who didn’t want his name used, said someone deliberately set fire to an entertainment unit and a chair left behind in the second-floor hallway when residents moved out recently.

“I can’t comment on that,” said MacIntosh when asked the cause of the fire. “There’s a whole lot more that’s going to come out of this. There’s more to it than meets the eye.”

He said the building’s two street-level stores — The Hair Boutique and Georgia Lee’s Gifts — “suffered some water and smoke damage” while the second and third storeys bore “heavy fire damage.” The Subway building appeared unaffected.

Organ said fireman told him his apartment and possessions were in good shape. But Collier, who didn’t have any insurance, lost “everything” in the blaze because he didn’t have time to take anything.

“I could hear wood cracking,” said Collier. “I opened my door and it was nothing but flames. It started just outside my door. As soon as I saw the flames, I was out of there.”

Eight fire trucks responded. (Greg MacVicar – Cape Breton Post)

1 Aug

GLACE BAY – CAPE BRETON

Posted by CAPER in History.

GLACE BAY – BRIEF HISTORY

 

Glace Bay Harbour

Glace Bay – Glace Bay is a community with a rich and long history.

The growth and development of the town is linked to the coal
industry.  At its peak, the town had the world’s largest
underground coal mining operation with a number of active
mines scattered in different areas of the town.  Record of
people inhabiting the town and the region around it go back as
far as the 1720’s when the French mined coal in the Port
Morien area for fuel at the Fortress of Louisbourg.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Snug Harbour Indeed

This web site is intended to provide a brief history on certain
aspects of the town and is certainly not a thorough study of
the town’s rich history.  

Grade 8D class of Morrison
Junior High is responsible for the research and development
of this page with the assistance of Mr. McKinlay, grade 8
Social Studies Teacher.  We would like to acknowledge the
assistance of Mr. Howard MacKinnon of the Glace Bay
Historical Society, the staff of the Glace Bay Heritage
Museum, the Technical Department of the Cape Breton-
Victoria Regional School Board, and Mr. Spencer, principal
of Morrison Junior High School.

Glace Bay Harbour 1914 – Note the double lobster traps – man killers

The

 

Children working in the Coal Mines – Note the Pit Pony

 

 

As young as 10 and Girls were employed in Mines as well

 

Coal Mining – You cannot  talk about the history of Glace Bay

Without discussing the number of coal mines throughout the town.  

 

Another Idle Pit
Early mining was extremely difficult and dangerous with many miners
losing their lives in the depths of the mine.  Each mine in the mid
1880’s was independently owned with its own facilities to ship
coal.  All of the early mines were located close to the shoreline to
allow for transportation of the coal to other markets.  As the coal
mines developed, thousands of men and their families moved to
Glace Bay and the surrounding towns to work these mines.  The
following list gives an idea on the number of mines operating in
the Glace Bay area over the last century:
1857 – The first commercial coal mine was located on the north
side of present day Glace Bay Harbour.
1863 – The Glace Bay Mining Company was formed with the
opening of the Hub Pit and the Sterling Pit.
1865 – The Caledonia Mining Co. was formed and opened the
Caledonia Mine.
1890-1901 – The Dominion Coal Company was formed taking in
all other mining companies.  At this point there were 11 active
mines in the town including the No.1-B Colliery, the No. 3
Colliery in Passchendale, the No. 8 Colliery in Bridgeport, and
the No. 26 Colliery which operated until an explosion forced it to
close in 1984.
Sadly, the coal mining industry has come to an end with the last
working mine being closed in the year 2001.  It will always;
however, be a very important part of who we were and who we
are as a community.
 
 
 

 

 

Number 26 Mine

 Mayors of Glace  Bay
 

 

Since Glace Bay offically became a town in 1901 the following mayors have been in
office:
David M. Burchill 1901-1907
John C. Douglas 1907-1910
Henery MacDonald 1910-1912
Gordon S. Harrington 1912-1915
Dan Cameron 1915-1916
Angus J. MacDonald 1917
Alonzo O’Neil 1918-1920
E. MacK Forbes 1920-1921
Charles MacVicar 1933-1934
Dan W. Morrison 1934-1950
Dan A. MacDonald 1950-1970
Dan A. Munroe 1970-1981
Bruce A. Clark  1981-1988
Donald MacInnis 1988-1995         
 

 

Dan “Willie” Morrison was a cheif magistrate from Cape North to Cape Sable.
He became mayor of Glace Bay in 1921. He was the son of Angus Morrison.
They elected him president of District 23, the United Mine Workers of America.
For many years he was check- weightman, a functionary whose duty was to
record the output of each miner. He was also town councillor. When he was
elected as mayor he was sent to the Province House at Halifax in 1920.
D.M. Burchill was the first mayor of Glace Bay from 1901-1907. Burchill
doubled the current population to 8,000, coupled with an equal amount from
Reserve Mines and Dominion, added the 4,000 new miners the town would
eventually need, and spoke of Glace Bay as soon having 21,000 people. Burchill
was very proud that Glace Bay could boast one of the largest retail stores east of
Montreal and that all stores were stocked with an excellent quality of gold.In 1996, the town of Glace Bay was incorporated into the Cape Breton Regional
Municipality with a mayor and elected councilors that govern the entire industrial
region of Glace Bay.  The former mayors of Glace Bay all played an important
part in moving the town ahead to becoming what was once the largest town in the
country.        

 

 

 

 

John Bernard Croak V.C.

 

John Bernard Croak, Victoria Cross (V.C.) was born on May 18th, 1892.  He grew up on West Avenue, New Aberdeen and attented St. John’s School.  At age 14, Croak left school and started working at the the No. 2 Mine in
Dominion to help support his family.  In 1911, at age 19, he left the
mine to work out west in the wheat fields.  In 1915, he joined
the army. When WWI broke out in 1914, Croak went overseas to defend his country.  

Details

Croak was born in Little Bay, Newfoundland, on May 18, 1892 to James and

Cecelia Croak.[2] The family moved to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia when Croak

was two years old. He attended school there and then began work as a coal miner.

Croak enlisted in the military in 1915. He was a private in the

13th (Royal Highlanders of Canada) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

On August 8, 1918 at Amiens, France,

Croak performed a deed which earned him the Victoria Cross. He was wounded

 in the act, and died shortly thereafter at the age of only 26.

Citation

For most conspicuous bravery in attack when having become separated from his

 section he encountered a machine gun nest, which he bombed and silenced, taking

the gun and crew prisoners. Shortly afterwards he was severely wounded, but

 refused to desist. Having rejoined his platoon, a very strong point, containing

several machine guns, was encountered. Private Croak, however, seeing an

 opportunity, dashed forward alone and was almost immediately followed by

 the remainder of the platoon in a brilliant charge. He was the first to arrive at the

 trench line, into which he led his men, capturing three machine guns and bayonetting

 or capturing the entire garrison. The perseverance and valour of this gallant soldier,

who was again severely wounded, and died of his wounds, were an inspiring example

to all.

—The London Gazette, No. 30922, September 24, 1918
Croak was involved in many famous battles during WWI such
as The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Arras, Hill 70, Passchendale, and
Amiens.  Amiens was dubbed Canada’s 100 Days.  On August 8th,
1918, Croak breeched enemy lines. He captured an entire machine gun
crew single handedly. He was seriously injured and later died from
these injuries.  His mother was awarded the Victoria Cross for her
son’s acts of bravery.  To honour his memory there is a school  and
park bearing his name in Glace Bay.

 

HMCS GLACE BAY-A WORLD WAR II WARSHIPHMCS GLACE BAY – SHIPS COMPANY 
This is a picture of the new ship, HMCS Glace Bay. HMCS GLACE BAY (2010)

 

The HMCS Glace Bay was launched on April 26th, 1944 and commissioned at
Levis, Quebec, on September 2, 1944. The crew included 3 officers and 133 men
initially, which in time rose to 8 officers and about 150 men.Following her commissioning in September 1944, she sailed from Quebec City        

 to Sydney N.S., arriving on September 20. The following day an “Official Inspection
Day” for the people of the town of Glace Bay was proclaimed, and the ships log
notes that the same evening, September 21, the ‘Ships’ Company (personnel) went
into  Glace Bay for entertainment.
From Sydney she sailed for Halifax, arriving September 23. She carried out
workups in Bermuda in mid-October and on her return was assigned to EG, C 4
 (Escort Group), Londonderry, Ireland. She left St. John’s for that port on
November 17, escorting a number of U.S. built sub-chasers destined for the
Russian Navy. The Glace Bay was employed continuously on escort convoy duty
until VE-Day. In October, she made a round trip to Bermuda and on her return
was paid off on November 17, at Sydney. She lay in reserve at Shelbourne until
sold in 1946 to the Chilean Navy and renamed ESMERALDA and then, in 1952, BACQUEDANO. She was broken up in 1968.
Glace Bay Sports
Glace Bay has a long and rich history in sports.  Below are
some of the athletes and teams that have achieved success
over the years in sports.

Joey Mullins was an Olympian in the 1952 Summer Games. He
was from Glace Bay and was in track and field. He broke every Nova
Scotia High School record and was on the Bronze Medal Relay
Team.
The Caledonia Rugby Team in 1929, won the Canadian Rugby
Championship and was awarded the prestigious McArthur Shield.

The Cape Breton Colliery Baseball League was a popular five
team league. It included the Glace Bay Miners. Del Bissonette, a
Miners player, went on to coach the Boston Braves.

A dentist from Glace Bay was the backup goalie for the 1917
Stanley Cup Winning Team, The Toronto St. Pats. When he came
back he was offered $1.00 a game to play with the Sydney Millionaires
but he refused this. He helped build the Glace Bay Miners Forum
where they sold programs for $0.25.
If you held on to your program you would be eligible for a $35.00
draw.
In this forum the Glace Bay Miners played teams such as  the
Russians, the Fins, the Ottawa Senators (old team that won seven
Stanley Cups) and the NY Rangers.
Louis Siderski was born in 1888 and died in 1981. Louis was
one of the earliest great Glace Bay Athletes. His early exploits as an
English Rugby player are recorded in the Dalhousie University
archives. Lou was also a great baseball player and was selected by the
Chicago Cubs. He was one of the first boys from eastern Canada to
try out for the Major Leagues.
He was also a track star in short sprints and long jumping. On of his
feats was to kick a football from the centre of the field over the
crossbar. No one has done this in 100 years. He is an original
inductee of the NS Hall of Fame.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 TABLE HEAD TOWERS

Gugliemo Marconi was born at Bologna, Italy on
April 25th, 1874.  He was the second son of Guisippe
Marconi, an Italian country gentleman, and Annie Jameson,
daughter of Andrew Jameson of Ireland.  He was educated
privately at Bologna, Florence and Leghorn University.
Glace Bay played a crucial role in the history of
communication as it served as one of the main hubs for the
first transatlantic radio communication.  This was truly the
start of the first wireless network that are taken for granted
today.  Marconi built two large radio stations in Glace Bay
and one in Louisbourg.  If one was viewing these structures
in the early 1900’s they would see an impressive tower over
two-hundred feet high along the banks of what is now
referred to as Table Head in Glace Bay. Two structures were
located in Glace Bay with a third being built in Louisbourg.
A museum dedicated to this technological advancement is
now located in the Table Head area of Glace Bay.

MARCONI

  (Special thanks to the Internet for much of the foregoing material)

 

 

31 Jul

GLACE BAY HIGH – 1966

Posted by CAPER in General Interest, History.

31 Jul

OBITS – JUL 31, 2010

Posted by CAPER in Obituaries.

Obituaries for July 31st, 2010

30 Jul

POINT ACONI – CAPE BRETON

Posted by CAPER in General Interest, Mining.

 

 

      Point Aconi Lighthouse

Point Aconi (2001 pop.: 176) is a rural community in Nova Scotia at the northeastern tip of Boularderie Island. It derives its name from the headland of the same name, Point Aconi. Many of its residents are fishermen, some work in the nearby towns and many others are retired.

Point Aconi is located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and fronts the Cabot Strait along the northeastern shore of Boularderie Island.

Coal mining

The region sits over the northern end of the Sydney Coal Field, a large coal field which extends at an angle under the Cabot Strait. Specifically, the Point Aconi area is home to the Hub coal seam of the Sydney Mines Formation (Upper Carboniferous).

Prince Mine

As such, the area around Point Aconi has been commercially mined since the early 19th century, first by the General Mining Association (GMA), then by the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company (SCOTIA) and later the British Empire Steel Corporation (BESCO) and its successors, the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation (DOSCO) and the federal Crown corporation Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO).

Point Aconi was home to the last underground coal mine in operation in Nova Scotia, the Prince Colliery, which was opened by DEVCO during the global energy crisis in the early 1970s. A limited access road, Highway 162, was constructed from the Trans-Canada Highway Highway 105 to the south in order to relieve local roads of traffic congestion during shift changes at the mine, as well as from dump trucks hauling the coal.

Point Aconi Power Plant

The then-provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power Corp. constructed the Point Aconi Generating Station adjacent to the mine in the early 1990s to take advantage of the readily available fuel source.

The Prince mine was closed in November 2001, ending underground mining in Nova Scotia. However, the Point Aconi GS continues to operate as it is the most modern thermal generating station in Nova Scotia and provides lower emissions than older plants of a similar size.

Several proposals have been made in recent years to strip mine remaining coal deposits near the surface in the Point Aconi area. However, this proposal has met with strong community opposition, citing fears of contamination and changes to groundwater supplies, as well as industrial nuisance through deteriorated air quality and noise which would lead to lower property values.

So far even though lacking government support for their endeavours strong opposition from local residents have kept the strip mining moguls at bay. God willing this stale mate will continue. All we have to look at is the mess strip miners made at nearby Alder Point and Little Pond.

Simon’s Old Wharf

Highway 162 is a two-lane controlled access highway on Boularderie Island in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Highway 162 was constructed in the late 1970s to link Highway 105 in Bras d’Or to the now-closed Prince Mine at Point Aconi.

In the early 1990s the highway was extended another 2 kilometres to terminate at the Point Aconi Generating Station.

The highway is 7 kilometres (4.5 miles) long. There are no interchanges along the highway.

Government Wharf

Point Aconi School – The first school house stood near the prince mine near Mill Pond. It unfortunately burned down in 1931. The community quickly reacted and a replacement was ready for occupancy in 1932. The new school was located near where the Mill Creek Hall is today. It had an attendance of more than 50 students and grades consisted of primary to nine. Students desiring additional education would have to go to North Sydney or Bras d’Or. A lack of water from any source other than the brook ½ mile away, and no outhouses created much inconvenience. According to Nat Beaton, the school’s janitor, by the name of Rita Walker, came to school each morning on horse back. Christmas concerts were arranged and charged parents 25 cents each to attend. Nat remembers some of the teachers as Katie Beaton, Gracie Curry, and Mary Ellen Saunders. Years later Marguerite Dugas (later O’Shea) and a Mrs. Spencer taught in a one room school built out at the intersection of Point Aconi Road and the ‘Out Back’ road. There were two students to a desk and work was done on a slate with a slate pencil. These items were supplied by the parents and passed on to other siblings. Students were not forced to memorize. The answers were in clear view of the children who had to find the answer by proving they had the ability to find it and show the steps involved in achieving it.

(Courtesy of “Along The Shores of Boularderie” by Laurie A. Ryan)

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