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Authority record
St. Clair, Jim
Person · 1930 - 2021

Dr. James Otis St. Clair was born on November 21, 1930 in Lynn, Massachusetts to Byron St. Clair and Louisa May Marsh. His maternal grandmother, Susan MacFarlane, was from Mull River, Cape Breton. [In the late 1960s], Dr. St. Clair moved to Cape Breton and settled on the MacFarlane Farm in Mull River, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

Dr. St. Clair was educated at Harvard as a teacher and historian, first teaching high school in New Canaan, Connecticut before moving to Mabou Consolidated School in Mabou, Cape Breton. He also worked as an assistant for A.W.R. MacKenzie at Colaisde na Gàidhlig/The Gaelic College and taught in the Community Studies and Museum Studies program at Cape Breton University (CBU, then the University College of Cape Breton (UCCB)).

Dr. St. Clair was an enthusiastic genealogist and a mountain of knowledge for people wishing to know more about their Cape Breton roots and family histories. He researched many of the early families who settled in Cape Breton and was published in books such as Mabou Pioneer II and Histories of 50 Families in the Mabou Area. Jim wrote the column “Ancestors Unlimited” and served as the genealogy editor of the Inverness County Participator, a cultural and heritage publication produced by the County of Inverness for county residents.

Jim served as a board member of the Highland Village in Iona, Nova Scotia for over twenty years, as a member of the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia Museum, and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Strait Area Regional Development Agency. He was a founding member of the Iona Connection in 1987 and the organization exists today as a heritage co-op with over 60 member institutions. He was also a highly involved and active member of the Inverness Guysborough Presbytery of the United Church of Canada.

On CBC Cape Breton Radio, Jim had a long-time history show called ‘Then and Now’ which ran during the Information Morning program. The Inverness Oran and Victoria Standard newspapers also ran his history column for over thirty years. On radio and in print, Jim brought Cape Breton history to the forefront, writing and speaking about early settlers, local characters, and important events. He often tied his stories to current affairs and holidays, adding extra depth to public understanding.

Jim St. Clair died on May 11, 2021 in Inverness County, Nova Scotia.

S.S. Marion

The steamship Marion provided service from Sydney to towns and villages throughout the Island as well as to some destinations on the mainland. It operated for 40 years before it was destroyed by fire in 1922.

Spekkens, Hubert
Person · 1940 - 2005

For over 35 years, Hubert was a Professor of English at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He was prominently involved in many volunteer activities in the community of Antigonish.

Smith, James Mariner
Person · 1859-1934

James Mariner Smith was born in 1859, the son of William and Susanne Smith. He married Isabel Jane Ross, the daughter of John M. and Armenia Ross, of North East Margaree. Smith founded a small business at Port Hood and later, presumably following his marriage, at North East Margaree, where he established a general store and perhaps a hotel, and acted as agent for the Glendyer Mills factory (est. 1848), which produced cloth. Smith and Isabel had seven children and he died in 1934.