The Twine Loft – September 2022

Passed On: William “Bill” Williams – Allendale, N.S. fisherman

Williams, 78, formerly of Allendale, passed away on July 20 at the Surf Lodge Nursing Home in Lockeport. Born on August 29, 1943, he was the only child of the late William Albert Williams, Sr. and Ida Marian (Langille) Hupman. Growing up on Point Street in Lockeport’s North-End, he had a life-long attachment to the sea. With the exception of an early 1960s military stint that took him from Nova Scotia to Gagetown, Kingston and ultimately Calgary, he lived his entire life within spitting distance of the very waters where he’d begun pulling lobster traps alongside his father. Back on the East Coast, he went on to spend 46 years on the water — the last 22 years fishing lobster aboard the Christina & Sons II. Though he officially retired in 2011, as president of the Sou’West Nova Fixed Gear Association and a long-time member of the Eastern Fishermen’s Federation, he remained actively involved in the industry for 10 more years. In the fall of 2018, he received favourable reviews for Tragedies on the Unforgiving Seas, a self-published anthology of maritime-related mishaps that went on to sell more than 500 copies.

Passed On: Cameron McDonald – Little Judique, N.S. fisherman

MacDonald, 84, passed away on July 22 at the Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital. He was a proud member of the Port Hood and District Volunteer Fire Department for 61 years and as a founding member he was known for his dedication and commitment to the department. He became a permanent fixture of the Chestico Days Parade in Port Hood, at the wheel of the fire department’s historic 1934 fire truck. He started lobster fishing as a young boy with his father and retired at the age of 80. He also spent his years as a carpenter in the local area and was a long-standing member of the Carpenters Union, Local 1588.

Passed On: Rawleigh Atkinson – Lower Clark’s Harbour, N.S. fisherman

Atkinson, 75, passed away on July 17 at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Born on February 17, 1947, at Roseway Hospital in Shelburne, N.S., he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He started fishing at an early age of 16 with his own boat, The Beatles.

Passed On: Christopher Cameron – Lydgate, N.S. fish plant worker

Cameron, 59, passed away suddenly on July 16 at home. Born in Shelburne on November 8, 1962, he was the son of the late Richard “Rick” Williams and the late Linda (Cameron) Woodworth. In his younger years, he worked at Wolfe’s service station. Later, he worked for more than 30 years at Pierce Fisheries before his early retirement, due to his health.

Passed On: Ellie Smith – Argyle, N.S. fisherman

Smith, 74, passed away on July 9 at his home. Born on August 6, 1947, on Ellenwood Island, he was one of five children born to the late Donald and Betty (Cottreau) Smith. A man of great faith and a strong work-ethic, he was a life-long lobster fisherman, having fished up to and including this past season, even though he was battling cancer. When he wasn’t fishing, he enjoyed being on the water, traveling and talking politics and when he wasn’t busy doing any of that, he was working on his fishing gear. He was also a member of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and was quietly a charitable philanthropist.

Passed On: Felix Comeau – Meteghan, N.S. fisherman

Comeau, 85, passed away on July 14 at the Veterans Place in Yarmouth. Born on September 21, 1936, he was the son of the late James and Emilienne (Melanson) Comeau of Meteghan. He was a lobster and herring fisherman and participated in the Cape Saint Mary Tuna Tournament and loved to tell stories about his time on the ocean. After retirement, he spent his time on his tractor logging and would go to the wharf to talk to his friends about fishing.

Passed On: Edward Comeau – Meteghan River, N.S. boat builder

Comeau, 88, passed away on July 15 at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Born in Meteghan Station, he was a son of the late Rodolph and Françoise (Melanson) Comeau. He worked at A.F. Theriault & Sons Ltd. shipyard for over 40 years.

Passed On: Melvin John Enslow – West Green Harbour, N.S. fish plant worker

Enslow, 84, passed away on July 14 at the Queens General Hospital in Liverpool. Born in West Green Harbour on March 30, 1938, he was a son of the late Russell and Hester (Buchanan) Enslow. He worked from the early age of 13 at Swims and National Sea along with other odd jobs involving cutting and selling fish. He was also known to the locals for his good tasting smoked fish and kippers.

Passed On: Ernest Newell – Newellton, N.S. fisherman

Newell, 90, passed away on June 28 at the Roseway Hospital in Shelburne. Born in Newellton on March 8, 1932, he was a son of the late Melburne and Vivienne (O’Connell) Newell. He was a fisherman all his life before his retirement.

Passed On: Gilbert Deveau – Salmon River, N.S. boat builder

Deveau, 85, passed away on July 8 at home. Born in Salmon River on December 1, 1936, he was a son of the late Joe à Mandé and Léonie (Deveau) Deveau. He started a career as a boat builder at the young age of 15 when he started working with his father. He was a very hard worker all his life. He forever changed the way boats were built by designing the forward leaning glasshouse in the early 1970s which is now an industry standard. In his later years, he semi-retired and did boat repair work.

Passed On: Stanley Brothers – North Sydney, N.S. marine machinist

Brothers, 97, passed away on July 21 at the Northside General Hospital. Born in Sydney Mines on December 13, 1924, he was the son of the late Philip and Catherine (MacNeil) Brothers. He was a well-respected machinist in the marine industry in Cape Breton and retired from the Canadian Coast Guard College in Westmount as Superintendent of Marine Trades.

Appointed: Gideon Pringle – Mowi Canada Managing Director for Canada East Operations

On July 13, salmon farmer Mowi announced that it has hired Gideon Pringle as Managing Director for Mowi Canada East on July 10. Pringle brings with him 37 years of practical salmon aquaculture experience in a number of sectors including breeding, broodstock, freshwater and seawater development, and fish health. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen with a Degree in Marine and Fisheries and Biology and PhD in Atlantic salmon genetics.

Mowi also announced that Kris Laird will join its Canada team as Seawater Production Director. Laird was previously with Mowi’s operations in the Western Isles (Scotland) and moved to Canada in January. Laird will work closely with local area managers in New Brunswick and Newfoundland: Allene Barrett, Harvey Jensen and Murray Bungay.