Finn S.
My Herring Heritage
Finn S.
Anglophone South School District Regional Heritage Fair
St. Stephens, NB
Herring Fishing has been an important part of life on the Bay of Fundy, where I live, for generations. Beginning with the Passamaquoddy people who first caught herring in baskets along the Bay and Skutik River, known now as the St. Croix River. Both sides of my family supported their families with herring. In my project I share the stories of my great great grandfathers Percy Simpson, a weir fisherman and Roy Hurley a Captain for Conners Brothers, a New Brunswick Sardine Company.
Percy had a weir named the "Haircut" and I shared stories retold by my grandmother (my mom's mom) of his fishing days including the story of how he tragically lost his fingers in a boat fire because could not swim, I also have a clipping from a newspaper about the event. She also told me about a 24 ft basking shark found on the beach; I then found records in Atlantic Biological Station Reports.
My great grandfather Roy Hurley lived on Deer Island and took after his father Sam Hurley who captained sardine carriers. He worked for Connors Brothers out of Blacks Harbour sailing to local weirs and trawlers down the coast as far as Portland and off shore Nova Scotia, bringing the fish back to the plant. My grandfather (my dad's dad) shared stories and records of his logbooks, slips and navigation notes. I even have the ships wheel from his boat the Senator Neil. He told me how they navigated and kept the sardines fresh with salt, and later ice. My great grandmother Charlotte also worked as a fish packer, and I have her tax return from 1965. Fishing is still important here, but it was once a thriving way of life for many families and helped draw people to the region.
What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?
I talked with both my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather. They shared family pictures, books, maps and documents they had. I also found books and websites.
- https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/338385.pdf-HerringStudy
- https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/350953.pdf-Shark
- Ernest Wentworth and Richard Wilbur.1986. Silver Harvest. Fiddlehead Poetry Books and Goose Lane Editions Ltd. Fredericton, NB.
- Richard Wilbur and Janice Harvey. 1992. Voices of the Bay. Conservation Council of New Brunswick Inc. Fredericton, NB.
- Rick Doucet and Richard Wilbur. 2000. Herring Weirs: The Only Sustainable Fishery. Image Express. St. George, NB.
- John Gilman. 2001. Canned. John Gilman. Deer Island, NB.
- John Gilman. 1993. Masts and Masters. John Gillman. Deer Island, NB.
What is the historical significance of your topic?
Herring fishing has been a important industry in the Bay of Fundy and has been recorded from the beginning of time. Passamaquoddy elders from our community talk about lighting fires and catching fish out of baskets. It has affected life on the Bay and there have been many changes over time. From baskets to hand made weirs like my grandfathers and his simple boats to the bigger sardine carriers and now trawlers with huge seine nets the industry has changed. Even keeping fish in salt and tins and now we can keep fresh with ice and refrigeration. Sardine factories and the fishing industry was the foundation for many communities along the bay.
Why did you choose this topic?
This year my class got to spend time with Passamaquoddy elders, and they told the story of how the St. Croix River used to be called the Skutik, meaning river of fire, because at night they would light fires to catch fish, and it lit up the river. I told my family about the story and then I heard stories about fishing and my family and Percy and how he lost his fingers.
