Island living

Greg Brown and Anne Yarbrough knew that the challenges would be great when they first fell in love with their new home, but for both, the rewards have been just as great…creating a fine balance of living that many can only imagine.

The island sits just at the entrance to Shelburne Harbour and is 200 acres large holding Nova Scotia’s past in its mostly unchanged landscape for two centuries.

It boasts treasures that cost no admission to see; a stand of ancient birch trees gnarled and twisted, resembling old wise men rooted into the ground, four abandoned WWII guns tell a story of history standing still and the third oldest lighthouse in Canada still beacons its safe message to the fishermen passing through its nearby waters.

Despite the abundance of beauty and history, Brown and Yarbrough feel that sometimes it is a forgotten island, one easily overlooked.

Yarbrough, a writer,and historian notes its invisibility to the outside world. “You cannot spy it from Northwest Harbour or Gunning Cove or Fort Point on the western side. Coming out of Gunning Cove, until you make a certain large boulder poised on the Western shore, it may as well not be there at all. And on foggy days, the island simply disappears from all sight, as if by magic,” she wrote as part of her history of the island.

Even though the couple is the only year-round residents, they can easily see the life all around themselves every day.

“We see a wonderful view of life right here from our window,” said Yarbrough.

Each morning they can see the various lobstering boats and sometimes mossers working to take home their daily catch.

“It is an amazingly rich island,” said Brown, “there is so much to do here.”

So far, despite the lack of urban distractions, they have been extremely busy throughout the year.

They purchased the early 19th century home that was last resided in by Elizabeth Hyde.

When they first arrived, Brown said, it was like the previous family had just left despite the many years that had passed since being occupied. A bowl and box of cereal sat on the table with a cup nearby and most of the furniture still remained.

They got to work immediately, making the house safe but still trying to keep the house’s original integrity and history …all the while living in the middle of all the rubble.

Not far behind was the unavoidable question of obtaining what was glaringly missing from their new home; heat, electricity and water...all of the services most people take for granted.

“With winter approaching I was nervous with how we would do this and I was determined not to freeze to death,” said Brown.

A first for the area, the couple hired a team from second source power to install a 40 ft high wind turbine capable of withstanding 120km winds and a 12-paneled solar tracker that automatically rotates into the direction of the sun, both storing 48 volts of battery electricity. How the equipment got to the island is a story in itself.

Now the couple enjoys showers, does laundry and has full electricity on an otherwise unserviced island. Although how long and frequent their power usage is depends largely on just how sunny or windy the days are.

But, the couple takes the changes of everyday life in stride.

“We feel more confident because we got through the first winter,” said Yarbrough.

With most of the preliminary work done on the house, Brown is already tackling his next projects, which includes managing an orchard of early 19th century heirloom apples.

“We are working at becoming self-sufficient,” he said. “As the seasons progress our lives seem to be flowing along with the seasons.”

His new passion is evident as his front pantry is lined with his homemade heirloom apple butters and pear chutney’s, its jars packed with fruit collected from his yard.

Their main mode of transportation, a small lobster boat, and an ATV sit nearby.

The whole package is one that emits a tranquility and peacefulness even through all of the hardships associated with year-round island living. The couple is eager and excited to explore the life of the island around them as well as to continue to bring out the best of life within them.

“Living in this environment is bound to heighten your level of awareness of the things around you,” said Brown happily. “There is so much for us yet to do on this island.”