Berwick’s seaport correspondent

In the mid-1920s, Mr. E. Kappela, manager of the Sea Side Park Motel in Harbourville, began writing the village news for the Berwick Register. In his weekly column, “Harbourville by the sea,” Kappela sometimes included other communities, and often criticized officials of the town of Berwick.

If Kappela was impressed with something, however, he would be quick to praise the community where the event occurred. An example would be the 1926 elections, and the erection of the new town hall in Berwick the same year. Kapella said the building was a credit to the town, as well as to the architect and contractor who built it in such short time.

While all the town officials were very proud, it was reported the Chief of Police, Mort Thomas, was the proudest of the bunch, and intended getting a brand new uniform to match his “hoosegow.”

Remembering the writer was too old and feeble to get over to Berwick to see their new town hall, the mayor sent him, with his compliments, a snapshot of the building. Kappela noted, unlike some communities he could mention, the Berwick “hoosegow” was in the rear of the building so “Mort’s guests” would not have the pleasure of “rubbering” at the passersby. That was as it should be.

Kappela made the following comments on the the election: “The election passed pleasantly, without any disturbances of any kind and a trip around by the writer failed to discover the slightest trace of booze. It was said that later in the evening there were a few who looked a bit intoxicated, but they were perfectly harmless and disturbed no one.

“The ward was not as well represented at the polls as it should have been, considering the importance of the election, with very little more than 75 per cent of the vote being recorded.

“Now that the Liberal Party has been returned to power with a satisfactory working majority, we will all await with time and patience for the good things the party promised us while on the ‘stumps.’ We will also be anxiously watching to see what the dozen we elected in the Maritimes will do when it comes to supporting measures that will help down here in Nova Scotia; whether they will stand with their friends, or will they keep their frequent and hereto broken promises and vote for what will help Nova Scotia, regardless of politics.

“Also, now that he is through with his political efforts on behalf of his Ontario friends, perhaps our own premier will get busy and do something for us. There is the matter of Prohibition. We are the only province in the Dominion still staggering along under the heavy and unjust burden. Something should be immediately done when the Legislature sits again to put the act into the waste basket and give us a law that can be enforced.”