A Passion for The Tent Dwellers

“This book, The Tent Dwellers, is spoken of by some in the U.S.A. as being one of the classic fishing stories of all time,” declared Peter McInroy. “It takes place in the wilds of Nova Scotia and we should be very proud of that.”

The Senior’s Café will take place April 8 at 10 a.m. The Passion Series will take place April 29 at 7 p.m.

Now 63 years of age, McInroy of Musquodoboit Harbour loves canoeing and portaging.

He likes to stay inland, as “Mother Nature doesn’t get as fierce as she does on the ocean,” he said.

He has been a lawyer for the past 30 years.

McInroy first borrowed a copy of The Tent Dwellers from a friend eight years ago because it was out of print at the time.

“Loved the humour and the outdoors descriptions,” he mentioned.

He eventually searched the Internet eager to find out what the original 1908 book looked like.

“There are reflective passages that resonant even with the modern reader as they speak to the charm of getting away from it all so as to escape the noise and bustle of life in our cities,” he said.

In 2004 he started the ball rolling to promote this history in Nova Scotia.

The Region of Queens Municipality’s Economic Development and Tourism Department took over the project later on.

“It has grown by leaps and bounds and is very exciting,” added McInroy.

He plans to reveal the many different publications of the book at the Seniors’ Café and Passion Series.

He will have a poster to show the various formats, rather than bringing in the actual books, some of which are valuable.

He owns several different copies of publications of the book over the last 100 years and will note some interesting differences.

McInroy will “highlight passages that I find particularly descriptive of the Nova Scotia wilderness, or of the benefits of getting into the outdoors in general.”