The Twine Loft – August 2020

Passed On: Isaac Kettle – St. Lawrence, N.L. fisherman

Kettle, 33, passed away suddenly at sea on May 26.

Passed On: William O’Brien – Bay Bulls, N.L. businessman

O’Brien, 79, passed away on June 25 at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital. Born on January 21, 1941, he owned and operated a number of fish businesses in a career spanning six decades. As a businessman, he was fortunate to visit many places throughout the world bringing with him a passion for Newfoundland and Labrador and its fishery.

Passed On: Gerald Melanson – Arcadia, N.S. fisherman

Melanson, 91, formerly of Eel Brook, passed away on June 27 at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Born on May 31, 1929 in Springhaven, he was a son of the late Fred and Hélène (Muise) Melanson. He worked as a scallop fisherman for Comeau’s Seafood for most of his adult life. However, in his younger years, and having an adventurous spirit, he travelled to Hamilton, ON and Montreal for work, as well as in Canada’s North, where he worked on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line.

Passed On: Henry O’Connell – Yarmouth, N.S. fisherman

O’Connell, 98, formerly of Little River Harbour, passed away on June 25 at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Born on May 20, 1922 on Stoney Island, he was a son of the late Henry Irvin and Gertrude Iona (Ross) O’Connell. He was a fisherman all of his working life and he still enjoyed knitting bait bags well into his 90s. He, along with three of his siblings, answered the call to serve their country during the Second World War. He served on the front lines with the Royal Canadian Dragoons and he was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 155 Wedgeport.

Passed On: Clyde Smith – Shelburne, N.S. fisherman

Smith, 92, formerly of Port La Tour, passed away on June 21 at the the Roseway Manor. Born in Baccaro on December 9, 1927, he was a son of the late William and Hilda (Trott) Smith. Fishing and lobstering were his life, but when the fishing industry closed down, he worked as a carpenter on Roseway Hospital and as a boat builder.

Passed On: Charles Wesley – Shelburne, N.S. shipwright

Wesley, 81, passed away on June 12. He spent all of his working life as a shipwright, building and working on wooden ships at MacKay’s Shipyard, Cox’s Shipyard and Shelburne Marine. He was very strong and hardworking and was sought after to build and repair wooden ships in the Annapolis Valley and New Brunswick.

Passed On: Roy Murphy – Amirault’s Hill, N.S. fisherman

Murphy, 74, passed away at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital on June 8. Born on July 1, 1945 in Yarmouth to the late Norma Murphy, he was raised by Peter and Seretha Moulaison. He was a well-respected fishing captain, having worked for a time in the lobster fishing industry and then went on to captain several scallop fishing vessels from the Sweeney Fisheries fleet based in Yarmouth, as well as the Digby scallop fleet later in his career.

Passed On: Frank Roy – Southwest Port Mouton, N.S. fisherman

Roy, 84, passed away on June 16 at the Queens Manor, Liverpool. Born in Southwest Port Mouton, Frank was a son of the late Weldon Lorimer and Lula (Fisher) Roy. He worked as a fisherman all his life, spending 35 years on the fishing vessel Roland and Sisters.

Passed On: Herbert Trask – Sandford, N.S. fisherman

Trask, 95, passed away on June 29 at the Meadows Home for Special Care, Yarmouth. He was born in Sandford, Yarmouth County, on Aug 13, 1924, to Herbert and Sadie (Thurston) Trask. He served in the Marine Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II in Montreal and Dartmouth. After the war, he returned to his life’s occupation as a fisherman.

Passed On: William Sutherland – Port Hood, N.S. fisherman

Sutherland, 76, passed away on June 16. Born in Pictou in 1943, he was the fifth oldest of 12 to the late Alexander (Alex) Robert Sutherland and the late Elizabeth (MacDonald) Sutherland. A consummate leader for over 50 years, nothing was a hobby as he worked as an ironworker and boilermaker (Local 73 – until his retirement in 2002) throughout eastern Canada before returning to Port Hood in 1969, where he created East Street Farms and purchased his first lobster boat.

Passed On: Dale Hicks – Grand Greve, N.S. marine engineer

Hicks, 56, passed away at home on June 8. Born in Wingham, ON, he was the son of Jack and Rena (Gunning) Hicks. He graduated from the Coast Guard College as a marine engineer in 1984. He then worked in the Laurentien area for nine years. He obtained his chief engineering ticket at 28 years of age, making him the youngest chief in Canada at the time. After moving back to his hometown of St. Peter’s, he was employed by several companies around the world. His most recent position was chief engineer with Horizon Maritime working alongside Captain Gill Poirier and his amazing engine room crew.

Re-appointed: Alastair O’Rielly, Chair of the College of the North Atlantic’s Board of Governors

Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, recently announced that Alastair O’Rielly has been reappointed as chair of College of the North Atlantic’s Board of Governors for a three-year term. The Board of Governors is the College’s corporate body responsible for overseeing, managing and directing the College, including its financial operations and academic programs. The Board guides the strategic direction of the College and its decisions impact students, employers, industry and the province. O’Rielly was first appointed in 2017 through the Independent Appointments Commission’s merit-based process.

O’Rielly was appointed as Deputy Minister of the former Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development on May 1, 2013 and retired from the public service on March 31, 2016. He served in other executive positions with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, including Deputy Minister (2006–2013) and Assistant Deputy Minister (1996) with the former Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Mr. O’Rielly held a number of senior positions within the private sector, including Argosy Seafoods Limited and Clearwater Fine Foods, Inc. He also worked as an independent fisheries development consultant prior to joining the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) as Managing Director; he currently serves as Chair of the Centre’s Board of Directors. He was President of the Fisheries Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (FANL) from 1997 to 2003. O’Rielly holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has served on a number of committees/boards including: MUN Faculty of Business Advisory Board, Marine Institute Industry Advisory Board, Genesis Board of Directors and the Harris Centre Board of Directors.