Passed on: John Pauls
Spaniards Bay, N.L. mariner
Pauls, 102, passed away on May 20. Born in Recontre East in 1924, John left his beloved hometown to join the merchant marines and served his country in WWII. He spent his life working on the water, including stints with oil tankers that took him around the world and finished his career as a marine engineer on the Great Lakes. In retirement, John enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and many other outdoor activities. John was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for over 75 years and was one of the founders of Branch 9 in Spaniards Bay.
Passed on: Sheldon Squibb
Harbour Grace, N.L. fisherman
Squibb, 50, passed away on May 3. He will be fondly missed by his loving family and friends, as well the staff and management of Harbour Grace Cold Storage and his brothers and sisters with FFAW/Unifor.
Passed on: Henry Rumbolt
Port Saunders, N.L. fisherman
Rumbolt, 81, passed away on May 25. He was born in Port Saunders to Leo and Eileen Rumbolt on November 8, 1944. He was born, grew up and spent his adult life in Port Saunders. He loved to keep busy and spent most of his days in his fishing shed puttering around, building wharves and cutting logs. He especially loved lobster fishing and cod jigging.
Passed on: Henry Wimbleton
Shoe Cove, N.L. fisherman
Wimbleton, 86, passed away on March 28. Henry was born in Shoe Cove Bight, N.L. on May 1, 1939 to George and Josephine Wimbleton. He started working as a fisherman at the age of 12 with his dad and he continued to fish until his retirement, but his life for the ocean always remained.
Passed on: Edgar Caines
Burnt Islands, N.L. fisherman
Caines, 76, passed away on May 12. Born in Burnt Islands, N.L., Edgar was the son of the late Edgar and Lily Caines (nee Keeping). He was a man who truly belonged to the outdoors. A fisherman at heart above all else, he spent much of his life on the water, doing what he loved most. Whether he was out hunting, tending to his garden, or simply enjoying the fresh air, Edgar found joy in the simple things nature had to offer.
Passed on: Harold Theriault
Digby, N.S. fisherman
Theriault, 73, passed away on May 7. He was the son of the late Harold Elwood Sr. and Christina (Stanton) Theriault. He was born in Digby on January 22, 1953, and spent the majority of his life in East Ferry and Waterford on Digby Neck. At the age of 12, he began to show an interest in fishing with only a few lobster traps that he patiently tended after school. It was at this time that his love for the water and the industry grew and later developed into what would become a lifelong career in the fishery. Lobstering, longlining, herring fishing, dragging, scalloping, he did it all and he did it well, later teaching and sharing his passion with his children. Being on the water made him the happiest. He would start each day looking out over the bay with a hot cup of coffee, recording in his daily journal, documenting the weather forecast, water temperature and the lobster or fish catch when in season. This longtime ritual of over 50 years continued until his last entry on April 15, 2026. Years later, although not fishing himself, his knowledge about the fishing industry kept him engaged and informed. A strong advocate for the community, especially fishers, led to him supporting the issues that he cared so deeply for. For 10 years this advocacy and love for his community gave him the opportunity to have a distinguished career as a dedicated and well-respected member of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly, representing the constituency of Digby/Annapolis.
Passed on: Leslie Stanwood
Saint John, N.B. fisherman
Stanwood, 68, passed away on May 22. Born in Sussex, N.B., on October 26, 1957, he was the son of the late Orland and Anna (Brown) Clark and adopted by the late Howard and Ruby Stanwood. He grew up in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, where life on the water started early for him. He began lobster fishing at just 12 years old and spent most of his working life doing what he knew and loved best. Along the way, he also worked with the Coast Guard in Yarmouth for a number of years, and later even ran his own computer business — proof that he could pretty much do anything he put his mind to.
Passed on: Vicki Nickerson
Upper Port La Tour, N.S. fish plant worker
Nickerson, 68, passed away on May 20. Born in Sandy Point, N.S., she was a daughter of the late Alvah and Carrie (Newell) Blades. She worked as a fish plant worker at Connor Brothers, Sable Fish Packers and Cape Breeze Seafoods. She made many lifelong friends during her working career.
Passed on: Floyd Bond
East Green Harbour, N.S. fisherman
Bond, 71, passed away on May 24. He was the son of the late Iona Agnes Hallett of West Green Harbour, N.S., and Lloyd Ernesto Bond of Canso, N.S. He was a fisherman all his life until his health kept him from those open waters.
Passed on: Noah Cottreau
East Green Harbour, N.S. fisherman
Cottreau, 82, passed away on May 10. Born in Wedgeport on April 10, 1944, he was a son of the late Cleopha and Minnie (Richard) Cottreau. Noah was a proud fisherman who loved the water.
Passed on: Ronald Brannen
Reynoldscroft, N.S. fisherman
Brannen, 80, passed away on May 9. Born on December 15, 1945, he was a son of the late Cecil Chetwynd and Mete Coldeway. Ronald was a fisherman, a role that suited his strong work ethic and connection to the ocean.
Passed on: Richard Stewart
Yarmouth, N.S. fisherman
Stewart, 92, passed away on April 27. Richard (Dick) was born on July 30, 1933, in Ottawa, ON. In 1940, his family moved to Nova Scotia, where he built a long and impactful life tied to the fishing industry and the community of Yarmouth. Dick was a highly respected and sought-after voice in the Atlantic fishing industry. Beginning in the 1960s as a captain and owner of a fishing vessel, he developed a deep, practical understanding of the industry from the ground up. In the 1970s, he was instrumental in forming the Atlantic Fishermen’s Association, serving as Executive Director, became General Manager of the Atlantic Herring Co-op and later, manager of the Full Bay Scallop Association, continuing in both roles until his retirement, spanning late in the 1970s to 2015, alongside his assistant and longtime friends, Joy Fry-Buchanan, Kevin Cann and Denise Muise. His expertise, credibility and unwavering commitment to ensuring fishermen had a voice earned him influence far beyond Yarmouth. Dick was called upon as an advisor at both national and international levels, contributing to the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, Law of the Sea discussions and the Georges Bank treaty negotiations with the United States. His perspective was respected, his voice listened to and his impact lasting. He was also a member of the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce, the Yarmouth Port Authority and the Yarmouth Waterfront Development Corporation, where he continued to shape the community he knew so well.
Passed on: Louis Devine
Woods Harbour, N.S. fisherman
Devine, 78, passed away on April 26. Born in Woods Harbour, he was the son of the late Jacob and Janie Devine (Sears). He was a hard worker and spent most of his early days out on the water, fishing, lobstering and later rock weeding. In his later years he was known as the bait bag man, knitting bait bags for all the local lobstermen.
Passed on: Carl Nickerson
Yarmouth, N.S. fisherman
Nickerson, 57, passed away on April 25. Born in Yarmouth and raised in South End, he was the son of the late Carl Sr. and Carol (Frost) Nickerson. A proud scalloper and occasional lobsterman, Carl loved to be out working on the water. Almost as much as he loved coming in and spending time with everyone he cared about. An explorer off the water too, he enjoyed traveling the province — from as close as Yarmouth Harbour to as far away as Cape Breton.
Passed on: Donald Nickerson
Barrington, N.S. fisherman
Nickerson, 62, passed away on April 23. He was born in Yarmouth on December 24, 1963, to the late Warren and Sylvia (Brannen) Nickerson. Donald spent his whole working career on the water. It wasn’t a job; it was what he loved. He was a fisherman through and through. Donald could fix anything and was a jack of all trades. When he wasn’t on the water, he was an avid deer hunter and spent a lot of time in the woods. He was an avid gardener and could grow anything. He took pride in his garden and lawn.
Passed on: George Corporon
Barrington, N.S. fisherman
Corporon, 80, passed away on May 23. He was born in Yarmouth, N.S., on March 25, 1946, to his father, Albany Corporon, and his mother, Francis (Robbins) Corporon. He worked as a fisherman and in fish plants most of his life, right up until December of last year.
