History of lobster industry subject of Thursday talk, as well as book

By Eric Bourque

FOR THE SOU'WESTER

NovaNewsNow.com

With another lobster season about to begin, the Argyle Municipality Genealogical and Historical Society’s next general meeting will a highlight a very timely subject.

Scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 13, in Wedgeport, Yarmouth County, N.S. the meeting will feature a presentation by Donnie Jacquard, who will talk about the history of southwestern Nova Scotia’s lobster fishery.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Wedgeport’s tuna museum.

Jacquard recalls “about 10, 15 years ago” looking for information on the lobster cannery era, part of some work he was doing on the history of Wedgeport.

Having found more material than expected, he broadened the scope of his research. “It became a huge project,” he said, referring to his decision to write a history of the lobster fishing industry. “There’s a lot to cover.”

He hopes to release a book on the subject by next summer or so.

As for this Thursday’s presentation, he says he likely will focus on turning points in the industry. “For example, when they installed motors in their boats,” he said. “It certainly changed the amount of lobsters that could be fished. It put a lot of stress on the stocks. It created problems that needed to be addressed.”

He cites as another example the decline and closure of the canneries that had once been numerous in southwestern Nova Scotia.

A retired educator, Jacquard has been involved in various historical and genealogical projects. Peter Crowell, the Argyle municipal historian and archivist, notes that Thursday’s meeting in Wedgeport is another example of how the Argyle Municipality Genealogical and Historical Society visits different parts of the municipality.

The society, meanwhile, is glad to see work being done on the history of the lobster fishing industry, given how long it has been around and how important it continues to be to southwestern Nova Scotia.