Jack Mitchell, 88, passed away in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 9, 2024. He left behind family, friends and the many customers he met during his career at Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd.
Mitchell began working at the age of 10 and committed to a life of hard work in many industries. After working in the fishing industry for many years, Mitchell decided in 1978 to start his own family business, Bayside Supplies. Mitchell, along with his wife Sylvia and sons Johnnie and Mark, operated Bayside Supplies until 1993, when Mitchell was elected as a councilor for District 23, Prospect – St Margaret’s.
By 2000, Mitchell came back to the private sector when he joined his brother Cecil’s company, Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd. In his role at Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd., Mitchell’s knowledge and kind demeanor soon made him known as the business’s “Top Salesman.”
“Jack was known by all in the industry, and around Rainbow he was always our ‘number one salesperson.’ Although salesperson was his job, forte and talent, he treated everyone he met as his dearest and best friends,” said a statement from Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd.. “He had the utmost respect and kindness for all his customers and fellow coworkers.”
Mitchell’s knowledge of all things netting was self-taught, and he used this knowledge to serve fish harvesters, be it in the Maritime provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador, Québec or the east and west coasts of the United States. When harvesters needed to catch, trap or gill a species, Mitchell was there to share his expertise and recommendations with them. Known for his knowledge of Scottish and Danish seines, Mitchell travelled to many fishing ports in the 60s, 70s and 80s to teach classes on seining.
“He was one of the most knowledgeable people in the commercial fishing supply business in his era,” wrote Rainbow Net & Rigging Ltd. “Jack was an integral part of the development and evolution of the commercial fishing industry in Atlantic Canada. He was best known for the introduction of many fishing methods and means for fishermen to make a living. If it were nets, traps, ropes or certain methods of rigging them, Jack always found the way to improve things.”
Mitchell was also passionate for his community, having sat on a variety of committee boards in his lifetime. He was a member of Service Standards, his local fire department, the Shad Bay Harbour Authority, District 4 Recreation, Route 333 Senior Association, the Western Region Community Council, the Regional Development Agency, the Awareness Council for Teenagers, Citizens on Patrol, the Nova Scotia Police Commission, the Sports and Recreation Commission and served as the Chair of the Community Monitoring Committee for Otter Lake Landfill.
More than just a salesman, netting expert and active community member, Mitchell was described as a family man with a zest for life. As the father of four children and a husband of 55 years before the passing of his wife Sylvia, Mitchell was described by his family as a kind and caring father who was always able to make them laugh.
“He was patient, understanding, wise and always happy to give advice. Generous and always put others first. Dependable and always there for us,” wrote the family of Mitchell. “His sense of humour was beyond measure. He was filled with pride for his family, yet we could not be prouder of the man that he was. He filled our lives with wonderful memories and instilled ambition, honesty and integrity in all of us.”
Mitchell’s passions also included music, dance and big game hunting. He and his wife were always the first on the dance floor and the last ones off. Over the course of over 30 years, Mitchell garnered many friends during his yearly hunting trips to upstate New York. When he wasn’t south of the border, he took many trips to “the old farmhouse” in Glendale, Cape Breton, which he would use as a base for the hunt. In his later years, he spent quality time alongside his family and his dog Chase in a log cabin he built in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia.
To sum up the husband, father, brother, salesman, netting expert, dedicated community man, hunter and dancer that was Jack Mitchell, his family narrowed it down to one sentence — “Keep a smile on your face and laugh hardy everyday.”
