Bernardin Joseph Comeau
Processor | N.S.
Bernardin Joseph Comeau, known as Ben, was born on December 14, 1918, in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia.
From a young age, Bernardin was introduced to hard work. His family consisted of 10 children, and he would help his parents with the chores every day.
At the age of 16, Bernardin started fishing lobsters to help support his family.
Bernardin and his brother, Clarence, needed bait for their lobster fishing, so they fished herring. While lobster fishing was from the end of November to the end of May, the brothers decided to continue fishing herring during the summer months. They decided to start a smoked herring business. The smokehouses were located on government land near the wharf in Saulnierville. The brothers also produced dried fish for markets in Europe, the U.S. and the Caribbean.
During the Second World War, Bernardin joined the army but remained in Canada. From 1942–1945, he worked as a carpenter for the army.
Returning to Saulnierville, he bought land, and with his carpentry skills he built a house.
In 1946, Bernardin met a lovely young woman, Thérèse (Gaudet), and they married in 1947. They moved into the new house, and a year later they welcomed their son, Marcel. In the following years, three daughters were born: Yvette, Denise and Janice. Bernardin and Thérèse were very involved in community organizations and also helped many in need.
The lobster and herring businesses were successful, and the future looked encouraging, so in 1946 the two brothers founded Comeau’s Sea Foods Limited. Bernardin bought land at the Saulnierville Wharf and over the years he had more buildings built which were used for processing groundfish and scallops.
In 1955, Bernardin decided to venture into scallop fishing, and with a loan of $58k and a government subsidy, he started a deep-sea scallop fishery.
Scallop fishing proved to be lucrative and to safeguard the quality of the scallops, Bernardin had a cold storage and ice making plant built in Saulnierville.
To this day, scallop fishery has remained stable, allowing the company to expand. By 1995, there were 12 wooden vessels fishing scallops and four steel scallop boats. There were also three herring seiners.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced quotas in the 1970s to preserve the scallops and fish. During these years, there were three scallop boats catching the required quotas. Today there is one frozen-at-sea vessel fishing scallops for Comeau’s Sea Foods.
Bernardin did not want to waste products from different fish, so he had a fish meal plant built in 1960. During this time, Bernardin’s brother Clarence decided to invest his time in a retail store, known as Clarence’s Foodland in Saulnierville.
In 1973, Bernardin’s son, Marcel, started working alongside his father. Marcel later became president and CEO of the company, with Bernardin remaining chairman of the company.
Comeau’s Sea Foods continued to expand and modernize its plant’s offices. A few companies in Clare and Pubnico were acquired to process various fishes as well as smoked salmon, added value foods such as shrimp and lobster spreads, chowders and more.
The scallops and herring were exported to Europe, Asia, Africa, the U.S. and Canada.
The company acquired Comeau Marine Railway in Meteghan, N.S., where the vessels are repaired as well as other boats belonging to other fishermen.
Bernardin was a quiet, humble gentleman. He was courageous, intelligent and innovative. He was not afraid of hard work and persevered through many hard times, but never lost the will to continue. He was loyal and dedicated to his family, his community, his company and his workers.
In 1983, he received an honorary doctorate degree in economics from the Université Sainte Anne and in 1987 he was named to the Order of Canada.
Bernardin died on December 4, 2014, and even on his dying bed spoke of Comeau’s Sea Foods.
Philip Nickerson
Builder | N.S.
Philip Nickerson grew up surrounded by the ocean in East Pennant, Nova Scotia, as part of a family with generations of fishing heritage. His deep connection to the sea and passion for fishing led him to pursue a degree in Aquaculture Engineering at Dalhousie University.
After graduating, Philip began his career at a halibut farm in Woods Harbour on Nova Scotia’s south shore. Working with limited resources, he embraced both the engineering and hands-on maintenance aspects of the operation. This unconventional path provided him with extensive, practical experience in marine water treatment systems.
Philip’s expertise in refrigeration systems became his hallmark, earning him international recognition as a leader in chillers and heat pumps for aquaculture and seafood applications, including lobster, oysters and other marine species.
In 2012, he founded Aqua Production Systems, driven by a vision to revolutionize temperature control in aquaculture. Initially focusing on fish farms, Philip quickly gained traction in the lobster industry, where his innovations transformed live lobster storage and handling. Today, Aqua Production Systems is renowned worldwide for its pioneering advancements, including:
- Guaranteed results: The only company in the industry to offer zero-mortality claims and specific water quality guarantees.
- Mechanical ammonia treatment: Developed and implemented at a commercial scale.
- Anti-fouling measures: Designed solutions to prevent plate exchanger fouling.
- Sustainable refrigerants: First to use CO2 as a natural refrigerant for live lobster holding tanks.
- Innovative live lobster systems: Designed and sold 10,000-pound capacity tanks fully integrated into 40-foot containers.
The superior condition of lobster stored in Aqua Production Systems’ tanks commands higher market prices, making them a sought-after choice among buyers, setting new quality benchmarks across the seafood industry.
Philip Nickerson’s dedication to innovation and excellence continues to shape the future of aquaculture engineering, supporting the sustainability and profitability of the seafood sector worldwide.
Captain Andrew Titus
Mariner | N.S.
Captain Andrew Titus’s lifelong dedication to the sea and the fishing industry exemplifies the spirit of excellence that this Hall of Fame seeks to recognize.
Captain Titus’ fascination with the ocean and fishing industry began as a young boy, spending countless hours at the wharves of Liverpool, Nova Scotia. This passion led to a remarkable career at sea, starting as a teenager on a shrimp boat off the coast of Greenland.
His journey continued at Mersey Seafoods Limited, where his unwavering commitment to excellence, education and continuous learning propelled him through the ranks, including Captain of the Arctic Class factory freezer trawlers, Mersey Venture and later Mersey Phoenix, fishing cold-water shrimp in the North Atlantic.
As a Master Mariner and Class 1 Fishing Master, Captain Titus is highly respected for his leadership, fishing prowess and importantly his commitment to safety. His leadership style prioritizes the well-being and development of his crew members, earning him admiration from colleagues across the industry. Beyond commercial success, Captain Titus has been a leader in health and safety, and mental health initiatives. As Captain, he played an active leadership role in early-implementation of programs such as employee counselling and virtual medical care — initiatives that have now become standard practice within the offshore fishing industry.
Further, he is an active steward of our oceans, playing a key role in ghost gear collection and recycling initiatives.
After an illustrious 35 years at sea, Captain Titus transitioned to a shore-based role with Mersey Seafoods in 2020, where he oversees vessel operations and continues to mentor the next generation of maritime professionals. His recent appointment to the Board of Fish Safe Nova Scotia is a testament to his ongoing commitment to improving safety within the industry.
Captain Titus’ impact on the marine industries of Atlantic Canada is profound and lasting. His dedication to innovation and mentorship makes him a deserving candidate for recognition in the Atlantic Canada Marine Industries Hall of Fame.
