News

Henry Island Visit

The Chestico Historical Society spent a lovely afternoon on Henry Island on Sunday, August 30, 2015. We were invited to the Island by Jeannemarie & Bill Baker as a thank you for the Society’s support of the Henry Island Lighthouse during the This Lighthouse Matters campaign.

Twenty seven of us left Little Judique Harbour at 1 PM aboard Donald MacDonald’s boat. For many of us, it was our first trip to Henry Island and we could not wait to arrive!

Donald had set up a floating dock at the Island in the morning so once we reached the Island it was no problem to walk ashore. And Bill Baker was right there to welcome us and he led us up the path to the lighthouse. It is ¾ of a mile to the house but it is an easy walk and did not seem that far at all!

At the top of the hill we were greeted by Jeannemarie and the Bakers beautiful dog, Shawnee. Bill and Jeannemarie could not have been more welcoming and almost immediately we divided into groups to tour the house and lighthouse.

The lighthouse consists of four levels. There are lots of steps to climb but the view at the top is certainly worth the effort! The braver amongst us even stepped outside for an unobstructed view!

The house too has been beautifully restored. It is welcoming and cozy – an absolutely lovely place to visit!

After our tour, we hung the This Lighthouse Matters championship banner on the lighthouse. This is the banner that was presented to the Henry Island Lighthouse preservation Society at the Chestico Museum on July 18th. It was in recognition of Henry Island’s 2nd place finish in the Ebb Tide category of This Lighthouse Matters competition.

On Sunday, Bill Baker made a presentation of $1000 to Anne Beaton, President of the Chestico Museum & Historical Society. We very much appreciate this generous donation!

Also on Sunday we had a chance to explore the Island a bit and then we had a BBQ. Thank you to Monica Goodall for being our cook!

All too soon it was time to leave for home. Many thanks to Jeannemarie & Bill for a wonderful day!

You can view some photos of our adventures on the Chestico Museum’s Facebook page.

September 1, 2015, Author: Chestico Staff
No comments yet
Categories: Special Events Tags: Chestico Museum, Henry Island, Lighthouse, Port Hood, This Lighthouse Matters

September 2015 Slideshow Series

This September, the Chestico Museum will present a series of narrated slideshows on Thursday evenings beginning at 7 PM. These slideshows are encore presentations as we have had requests to repeat them.

Our schedule is as follows:
Thursday, September 3rd at 7 PM :
Father Donald MacPherson: The Man, The Soldier, The Priest

Thursday, September 10th at 7 PM:
Port Hood & the First World War

Thursday, September 18th at 7 PM:
Port Hood: A Look Back to the 1940s

Thursday, September 25th at 7 PM:
Port Hood Home Children AND Lofty MacMillan

The first presentation in our September Slideshow Series, Father Donald MacPherson: The Man, The Soldier, The Priest, is a look at the life and times of Father Donald MacPherson. The story begins with his birth in Boisdale parish, follows through his youth in Sydney Mines, his years at St. F.X. and the Grand Seminary in Quebec, his first pastorate in Glendale parish, his time as army chaplain during WWI and his many years as parish priest in Port Hood. Running time is 88 minutes.

The second presentation, Port Hood & the First World War, is a look at the 151 men and women from Port Hood who enlisted in World War I. We will highlight the contributions they made to the war effort. Running time is 78 minutes.

The third presentation, Port Hood: A Look Back to the 1940s, is an examination of life in Port Hood in the 1940s. A few of the topics covered are how WWII affected Port Hood, schools and businesses of the era, the Town Fire of 1942, the Upper South West Fire, the Little Judique train derailment, the wreck of the Sorel and the operation of Hardy’s mill in Dungarry. Running time is 77 minutes.

The fourth presentation is a double feature. Home children was a child migration scheme that saw approximately 100,000 British children came to Canada between 1869 and 1939. Port Hood Home Children looks at the 7 home children who came to Port Hood. Running time is 33 minutes.

Lofty MacMillan focuses on the involvement of Port Hood native John Francis “Lofty” MacMillan in the Canadian labour movement. Running time is 20 minutes.

Admission for the slideshows is $5 and refreshments will be served.

We hope to see you at the museum this September!