LIVERPOOL - Within the pages of Remembering Queens County, Nova Scotia, readers will find stories about people, places and events all related to the area.
The official launch of the book is set to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 2 at Memories Café & Eatery in Liverpool. This is Tim McDonald’s fourth book, but it’s the first one of this style.
Some of the articles that appear are ones McDonald has written for the Queens County Advance over the last couple of years.
“Some have never been printed in the paper, and even some of the ones that were in The Advance have more photographs and more content,” explained McDonald.
One story McDonald wrote is about a rink that was located on Bristol Avenue from 1913 to 1915. After McDonald wrote that story, a woman contacted him with more information. She said her father and father’s brother lived across the river from the rink. They awoke one night to see the building on fire. McDonald has included her story in the book.
“It’s probably one of my favourite stories in the book because nobody’s every really written about it before,” he said.
McDonald has been able to piece together the rink’s history – from birth to demise.
Capturing history
McDonald has a longtime passion for history in the region. The 52-year-old started exploring the past in his teens.
“Well, it started a long time ago,” McDonald said. “My grandmother was the reason that I got so interested.”
His grandmother loved to talk about history, her family and her youth, and McDonald spent a lot of time with his grandmother.
“I started tracing my family when I was a teenager, and it just kind of went from there,” he said.
Other books
McDonald’s previous books are collections of his photographs and postcards.
“Every page in the book has two photographs – a past and a present.”
He said he chose about 200 photos and postcards and then went around taking photos to show what the same area looks like today. Between the photos was some history of what was there, when it left and what’s there today.
This time, McDonald thought he’d try something a little different.
McDonald has been working on his latest project for almost three years.
The places section of the book includes stories about when the roads in Queens County were paved, the hotel that was in Port Joli and the largest vessel built in Liverpool.
“I guess I’m just excited about it all because most of the stories have never been told before,” said McDonald.
Once the book has been launched, people will be able to find it at Snug Harbour Books at Lane’s Privateer Inn and the Ole Town Mercantile at the Queens County Museum.
Did you know?
If you can’t make it to Memories Café & Eatery Dec. 2, Tim McDonald is scheduled to appear at the Queens County Museum from 12-4 p.m. Dec. 9.
To see a Tim McDonald column, visit http://www.theadvance.ca/opinion/columnists/looking-back-with-tim-mcdonald-92002/.
