Showing 1765 results

Authority record
Karrel, Sylvia
Person · 1921 - 2020

Sylvia Karrel (née Sylvia Glickman) was born on June 7, 1921 in Sydney, Nova Scotia to Israel Glickman and Lena Mirsky. During the Second World War she was in a relationship with Sgt. Curdis Karrel of the Royal Canadian Air Force, a childhood friend, and the two exchanged letters until his death in July 1944. In 1946, she married Sam Karrel (1919-1995) and together they had four children, Valerie Karrel, Jerry Karrel, Martin Karrel and Curdis Karrel. The couple settled in Sydney to raise their family. Sylvia died on March 25, 2020 and is buried in the Hebrew Cemetery in Sydney.

Karrel, Curdis
Person · 1921 - 1944

Curdis Karrel was born on May 20, 1921 (May 24, 1921) in New Waterford, Nova Scotia to Morris Karrel (d. 1941) and Sarah Alterman. He had three brothers, Benjamin Karrel, Israel Karrel, and Sam Karrel, as well as two sisters, Yuddis Lily Shimelman and Ada Ruth Karrel (d. 1931). The family was settled at 19 Whitney Avenue in Sydney, Nova Scotia by 1942 and were active members of the Jewish community in Whitney Pier. As a boy and young man Curdis attended Central School and Sydney Academy in Sydney and he went to Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick from 1939 to 1941. Between 1941 and 1942 he worked as a clerk for Canadian Car & Foundry in Amherst, Nova Scotia.

On August 10, 1942, Curdis enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Moncton, New Brunswick. He had previously tried to enlist, in April 1941, but a sickness in his family and the death of his father, kept him from the air force at that time. His service number was R174894 and he held the rank of Sergeant. He was trained as an air bomber with one teacher writing of him, “A splendid youngster who should be heard from. Keen, bright and intelligent. Enthusiastic about the service…cheerful at all times.”

At 10:15 pm on July 28, 1944, Curdis and members of his crew took off for an operation over Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft and its crew were never heard from again, with their date of death recorded as July 29, 1944. In November 1944, Sergeant Curdis Karrel was posthumously promoted to Pilot Officer (at which point his service number became J88620). In 1948, the crew was found buried in Hohenaspe, Germany when they were removed to Kiel British War Cemetery.

Ridgway, Frances (Dodd)
Person · 1884 - 1973

Frances Ridgway (née Frances Dodd) was born February 6, 1884 to Dr. Marcus Dodd and Sarah Rigby in Bridgeport, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She was baptized at St. Anne’s Church in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia on February 8, 1884. She had two older siblings, Harry Dodd and Catherine Dodd. During World War I she served as a nurse in Queen Alexandra’s Nursing Reserve in England. She married Allan Ridgway, a native of Manchester, England, and the two settled in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. She died at the age of 88 in 1973.

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.

Ridgway, Allan
Person

Allan Ridgway was born in Manchester, England, and moved to North Sydney, Cape Breton, in 1920. A veteran of World War 1, Ridgway married Frances Dodd of Bridgeport and worked as the Manager of the North Sydney Branch of Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. for more than 40 years.

MacPherson, Fr. Donald
Person · 1872 - 1959

Monsignor Donald MacPherson was born on October 3, 1872 in Glasgow, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to Donald MacPherson and Ann MacNeil. The family moved to Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia when MacPherson was a child, where he completed his junior education and eventually continued on to St. Francis Xavier University (St. FX) to study theology.

Msgr. MacPherson continued his theological studies at the Séminaire de Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec and was ordained in 1901 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. His first appointment was as pastor of Glendale, Cape Breton where he came into contact with the Mi’kmaq who lived and worshiped in that area. He studied Mi’kmaq history and culture and learned the language. He stayed for fourteen years, before leaving for Europe during World War I (WWI).

In 1915, MacPherson became the first Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Antigonish to sign up to serve in the Canadian Chaplain Service during the First World War. He held the rank of Major and sailed for England in May 1915 with the 25th Nova Scotia Infantry Battalion. He served as chaplain for the 2nd Canadian Division in East Sandling, England; the No. 1 Canadian Stationary Hospital on the Isle of Lemnos, Greece and Salonika, Greece; at training camps and the St. Francis Xavier Hospital unit in Bramshott, England; and to the 5th Canadian Divisional Artillery on the Western Front in France.

After returning home from the war, MacPherson became pastor of St. Peter’s Parish in Port Hood, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1919. He remained there until 1957 when he was sent to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia to serve as chaplain to the Brothers of Our Lady of Sorrow. During his career, he also worked with Sister Margaret Beaton to begin Cape Bretoniana (now the Beaton Institute).

Msgr. MacPherson died on August 1, 1959 in New Glasgow. He was buried in St. Peter’s Parish Cemetery in Port Hood.

Brown, Thomas James
Person · January 21, 1867 - May 8, 1926

Thomas James Brown was born on January 21, 1867 to James Brown, an engineer, and Margaret Brown (née Margaret Stevens) in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. He married Matilda Livingstone in Sydney Mines on November 23, 1893 and together the couple had ten children, nine of whom lived to adulthood.

Brown started his mining career in the colliery offices of the General Mining Association at the age of 12. He moved to the Low Point, Barrachois and Lingan Mining Company and worked as paymaster there until 1894 when he was given the manager position of that company. Soon afterward, the company was absorbed into the Dominion Coal Company and Brown remained with them as manager and later superintendent until 1901. At that time, he returned to the GMA in Sydney Mines before quickly transitioning to general manager of the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Within a year, by 1903, Brown was back in Sydney Mines as general manager of GMA, a position he kept until 1921.

In 1922, Brown was appointed Deputy Minister of Mines in Nova Scotia. He tried to retire in 1925, but was retained until a replacement could be found. It was a position he would keep until his death. In 1925 he acted as general secretary to the Board of the Royal Commission on Maritime Claims (aka the Duncan Commission), which was Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s response to the Maritime Rights Movement.

He died on May 8, 1926 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Town of Louisbourg
Corporate body · 1713 -

Louisbourg was first visited by Europeans in the 16th Century when it was known as English Harbour. The French founded a permanent settlement there 2 September 1713, and by 1745 the Fortress of Louisbourg was completed. In 1758, the Fortress fell to the English, but the area of West Louisbourg (the present Louisbourg) was settled by soldiers and fishermen shortly thereafter. Beginning in 1828, and until the 1830’s, Scottish settlers arrived and by 1879, Louisbourg achieved village status. It was incorporated as a town in 1901, and the rail link to Sydney was established using its ice-free port. Fishing and tourism have been the mainstay of the area’s economy since the mid-twentieth century. In 1997 Louisbourg became part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Person · 1921-2014

Mary Catherine was born an raised in a Gaelic-speaking home in Margaree. She was the daughter of Hugh MacFarlane and Mary Ellen (Molly) Moran. She moved to Boston as a teen, and later served as a WAAC in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, she married Albert Basler with whom she had 7 children; they grew up surrounded by Cape Breton music, with mom playing the piano and her brother, Alec D MacFarlane, playing the fiddle. In Boston, Kay was actively involved in the Gaelic Club, and performed Gaelic songs with them at folk music festivals in Newport, RI and Washington DC. After Albert’s death, she worked as a secretary at Blood Research Institute in Boston.
Kay later married Mick MacDonald of New Waterford, N.S., returning to Cape Breton. She worked at the Beaton Institute at Cape Breton University, recording native Gaelic speakers from Canada, the US and Scotland, and translating Gaelic publications. She hosted the CBC Cape Breton radio program “Island Echoes”, served as president of both the New Waterford Gaelic Society and the Gaelic Society of Cape Breton. She was a longtime member of the Cape Breton Gaelic Choir. After her retirement, Kay continued her involvement with Gaelic, teaching evening Gaelic classes for over 25 years and singing with and coaching the Gaelic choir. She served as a consultant on Gaelic to several Cape Breton musicians and frequently fielded calls from Canada and the US for help with a needed Gaelic phrase or translation. In 2009, Kay was awarded an honorary doctorate by Cape Breton University for her contributions to promoting, preserving and teaching the Gaelic language.
Kay was a long time member of St. Leonard Parish New Waterford. Her strong faith provided the bedrock upon which she lived her life. She was a dedicated member of the Mount Carmel Parish CWL, and also sang in the choir.
Obituary taken from INMEMORIAM.ca

MacKay, Ross
Person · 1957 - 2018

Albert Ross MacKay was born in Sydney, Cape Breton to George William MacKay and Frances Kemp MacKay (neé MacKay) in 1957. He was raised in Grand River, Nova Scotia and moved to Bedford, Nova Scotia in 1981. He married Jemma Arab in 1980 and in 1999 they welcomed a son, Kemp MacKay.

MacKay was an avid genealogist and began researching his family’s Scottish ancestry in 1976, focusing on Scottish immigrants in Grand River and the surrounding areas in Cape Breton. In 1983 he began researching the Arab family’s Lebanese history, as Jemma, his wife, was first generation Canadian. Nova Scotia’s oldest Lebanese communities originate from Hadet el Joubbeh, Lebanon and Diman, Lebanon and much of his research focused on these regions. Ross had many connections in Nova Scotia’s genealogical community and corresponded with people about their research, sharing information and resources. His work on the RCMP Graves Recovery Project earned him an honorary membership in recognition of his extensive research and technology assistance in locating obituaries of RCMP members.

Ross died on June 4, 2018.

Beaton, Sister Margaret
Person · October 7, 1893 - June 12, 1975

Sister Margaret Isabella Beaton (Sister St. Margaret of Scotland) was born on October 7, 1893 to Eoin Beaton and Annie MacDonald in Broad Cove, Inverness County, Cape Breton. She was baptized two days later, on October 9, at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in Broad Cove. She spent her early years at the local school before spending her teen years enrolled with the Sisters of the Congregation at the Inverness Convent and at the Mabou Convent boarding school. After finishing high school, she taught school in Inverness County for two years and spent a year in Sydney, Nova Scotia at the Holy Angels Convent, where she obtained her Grade B teaching license.

At this time, she decided to enter the Congrégation de Notre-Dame (C.N.D.) in Montreal, Quebec. Postulants were sent into communities to teach, and Sister was sent to the Diocese of Joliette and then to the École Jeanne-Le Ber in Quebec. She entered the profession on December 16, 1915 and her first assignment as a C.N.D. was as a teacher at the high school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Throughout her time teaching, she never stopped her own studies and she obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1935, her Master of Arts from the University of Montreal in 1937, her Master of Library Sciences from the Catholic University in 1949, and finally her doctorate in English from the University of Montreal in 1958. She also took courses in Archival studies in Ottawa and from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 1955, Sister returned to Cape Breton and the Holy Angels Convent. She joined the staff of Xavier Junior College in Sydney as a librarian. Through this role, she realized that many documents of historical and literary significance to Cape Breton Island were being lost due to neglect and the lack of an appropriate repository. In a pro-active response to this challenge Sr. Beaton began collecting Cape Breton related documents and artifacts with the objective of preserving materials of historic significance for future scholars.

In 1957 the first manuscript – The Minutes of the First Agricultural Meeting in Cape Breton – was aquired. Collecting, in the beginning, was sporadic and unplanned – more serendipitous in nature, but fruitful all the same. By 1966, Sister Margaret turned her attention to building Cape Bretoniana and the College of Cape Breton Archives on a full-time basis. Cape Bretoniana grew substantially during these years with several appeals to the local community for donations of archival material. As a result, there was the on-going need for additional space for the archives, first housed within the library then in the MacDonald Arts Building on George Street in Sydney, followed by a move to the MacLeod Building on Nepean Street in 1967 and then to the Logue Building at George and Pitt Streets in 1970.

In 1975, Cape Bretoniana was expanded to include two main divisions: the Archives and Institute Library, and the division of Ethnic Studies, Folklore and the Social and Cultural History of Cape Breton Island. In the same year the Archives was struck a blow with the sudden death of Sr. Margaret as a result of a car accident on June 12. After a funeral mass held at Sacred Heart Church in Sydney she was laid to rest on June 15, 1975.

Cape Bretoniana was renamed the Beaton Institute in honour of its foundress and as a pledge that the work of this outstanding woman would continue.

MacSween, Roderick Joseph
Person · 1917 - 2002

Roderick Joseph MacSween (1917 – 2002) was born in Ironville, Nova Scotia in 1917 to Stephen MacSween and Margaret MacNeil. After graduating from high school in Sydney, Nova Scotia, MacSween returned to the family dairy farm and in 1941 he became a milk driver with the Cape Breton Dairyman’s Co-op. After taking a dairy course at the Ontario Agricultural College and various courses through the St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) Extension Department, he was given the position of Dairy Department Manager with the Eastern Co-operative Services in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He spent the rest of his career organizing dairy farmers in Cape Breton, across mainland Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and spent time sharing his experiences with farmers in Central America, Europe, and India. He was inducted into the Atlantic Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1991 and was honored by many dairy and farming organizations, including the Dairy Bureau of Canada and the Federation of Agriculture. His nephew is Rankin MacSween, who served as president of New Dawn Enterprises and wrote The Search for a New Way. He died in Antigonish on February 1, 2002.

MacDonald, Bishop John R.
Person · 1891-1959

Bishop John R. MacDonald (1891-1959) was born in Port Hood, Nova Scotia in 1891. He attended high school in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, attended St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, Ontario, and was ordained in Antigonish in 1916. He was curate of St. Ninian’s Cathedral in Antigonish until 1922, where he worked with Father Jimmy Tompkins who inspired an interest in the cooperative movement. Between 1928 and 1932, he was appointed to St. Andrews Parish in Antigonish County and he worked with Rev. Dr. Moses Coady and Fr. Michael Gillis to establish the extension department at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX), a role which coincided with his time as the Secretary of the Scottish Catholic Society of Canada. During this time, he co-wrote the pamphlet “Forward Nova Scotia” on behalf of the Scottish Catholic Society. He served as Rector of St. Ninian’s from 1932 to 1942 and was Bishop of Antigonish from 1945 until his death in 1959.

MacSween, R.J.
Person

R.J. MacSween was from Beaver Cove, Nova Scotia. He was instrumental in establishing over 250 co-operatives in Nova Scotia throughout his career. In 1925 he was the Nova Scotia agricultural representative for Cape Breton County and in 1935 he became Canada’s first Inspector of Co-operatives. MacSween was involved in the development of the St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) Extension Department. In 1928 he was chosen to sit on a committee by the Scottish Catholic Society to meet with Bishop James Morrison regarding their plans to raise $100, 000 for an education fund and in 1929 he co-authored the pamphlet “Forward Nova Scotia” with Rev. John R. MacDonald. He retired in the late 1950s, around which time he wrote “A History of Nova Scotia Co-operatives.”

MacSween, Rev. R.J.
Person · 1915-1990

Father Roderick Joseph MacSween (1915-1990) was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1915. At the age of 26 he was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest and was sent to minister in Pomquet, Nova Scotia. He was known as somewhat of a radical, urging women in rural, 1940s Nova Scotia to use birth control and lamenting on the inflexibility of the Catholic Church on issues of social reform. In 1948 he joined the English Department at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) where he gained a reputation as being a humorous and compassionate, if somewhat intimidating, professor and colleague over a 35-year career. MacSween was a poet himself and a voracious reader, collecting over 20, 000 volumes before his retirement from StFX. He founded The Antigonish Review, a creative-writing journal, in 1970 and taught some of the region’s most well-known writers, such as Alistair MacLeod. He died in 1990.

Family · 1792 -

The first member of the Basker family immigrated to Boston, United States of America (USA) before the birth of Joseph Basker in 1792. Joseph Basker’s unnamed father was a solider with the 32nd Regiment and was stationed in Windsor, Nova Scotia, so the family settled there until the father’s death. Joseph Basker returned to the USA for a time before settling in the Gut of Canso, Nova Scotia with his mother. At the age of 22 he petitioned for a 200-acre lot along the south east branch of the Mabou River in Cape Breton and the family settled in what would become Mull River, Nova Scotia. The Baskers farmed in Mull River for over 150 years.

Corporate body · 1977 - 1984

Tarbot, Cape Breton’s Music Festival was founded by Steve Grose (Stephen Grose) and Jane Grose. The Groses had moved to Cape Breton from Toronto in 1975 and opened a craft shop along the Cabot Trail. Steve loved the music scene in Cape Breton and thought that an outdoor concert or festival would be an interesting way to highlight the best musicians on the island. He had no event planning experience, but did a little research and booked each act with a phone call. Everyone he called said yes, which lead to the first concert on August 28, 1977.

The site of the festival was the Dean Family farm in Tarbot, Nova Scotia, which was located about 3 miles (5 km) from the Groses. Malcolm Dean (1897-1988) had an amphitheater shaped hill on the property and thought a music festival was a great idea. Dean refused outright payment and instead collected and sold all the beer bottles left on the hill after the concert as his compensation.

The Tarbot Music Festival lasted three years before being shut down. Neighbours of the Dean property in Tarbot did not like the noise and felt their security was threatened with so many people coming to the area. A petition was circulated to stop the festival and was ultimately successful, with the last concert held in August 1979.

During its existence, many people enjoyed attending the festival to see popular Cape Breton acts, such as Sam Moon, Kenzie MacNeil, Ronnie MacEachern, Lori and Dennis Cox, Leon Dubinsky, Lee Cremo, and many others. A record, Tarbot Anthology: Live Recording of the Tarbot Music Festival, was released in 1978 featuring performances from the first festival in 1977 (See: R-58 in the Beaton Institute’s Sound and Moving Image Collection). The corporation “Tarbot, Cape Breton’s Music Festival” was dissolved in 1984.

Joe, Rita
Person · March 15, 1932 - March 20, 2007

Rita Joe, daughter of Joseph (Josie) and Annie (Googoo) Bernard, was born in We’koqma’q (Whycocomagh) First Nation, on March 15, 1932. At the age of 12, she went to the Shubenacadie Residential School until she was 16. During that time, she was forbidden to speak her language and endured mental and physical abuse. Later, she met and married Frank Joe in Boston and eventually moved to Eskasoni where they raised 8 children and 2 adopted boys. In the 1970’s she completed her high school diploma and took a course in business education. During 1978 to 1999, she published her creative works based upon her experiences as an Indigenous person in Canada: Poems of Rita Joe (1978); Song of Eskasoni (1988); Lnu and Indians We’re Called (1991); Kelusultiek: Original Women’s Voices of Atlantic Canada (1994); Song of Rita Joe: Autobiography of a Mi’kmaq Poet (1996); The Mi’kmaq Anthology (1997) (co-edited with Lesley Choyce); and We are the Dreamers (1999). She also received numerous honorary doctorates and awards including the Atlantic Writing Competition (1975), Member of the Order of Canada (1989), Member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada (1992), and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award (1997) which is now known as the Indspire Award. Rita Joe became known as the Poet Laureate Of The Mi’kmaq People. She passed away on March 20, 2007.

Calder, Dr. Alvinus
Person · 1892-1975

Dr. Alvinus Calder was born on the Island of Grenada in 1892. He opened his medical practice in Sydney in 1920 and in 1938 bought the property known as "Calderwood" on Kings Road. He died in Sydney in 1975.

MacKinnon, Hugh Allen
Person · TBD

Hugh Allan MacKinnon was a medic who was present at Dieppe, after the raid carried out on August 19th 1942. He was a resident of Sydney and lived on 25 Styles Lane.

Rutherford, Trevor
Person · February 25, 1988 - November 26, 2022

Trevor Rutherford was born on February 25, 1988 to Walter Rutherford and Cathy Rutherford. Trevor graduated from Cape Breton University with a Bachelor of Arts Community Studies (BACS) degree. Trevor was a huge sports fan and was known around Sydney, Nova Scotia and surrounding areas for his enthusiasm for hockey and was an original season ticket holder for the Cape Breton Eagles. Trevor also served as general manager for the Sydney Academy hockey team and in 2013 he was the honorary chair of the Blue and White Tournament. He died on November 26, 2022 in Sydney.

Douglas-Yakimchuk, Clotilda
Person · January 11, 1932 - April 15, 2021

Clotilda Douglas-Yakimchuk (née Clotilda Coward) was born on January 11, 1932 to Arthur Coward and Lillian Blackman in Whitney Pier, Nova Scotia. She had five children, Carl Douglas, Valerie Douglas, Kendrick Douglas, Sharon Douglas and Leslie Douglas, with her first husband, Benson T. Douglas. The couple separated by 1967 and she married Dan Yakimchuk and the couple were together until Dan’s death in 2011.

In 1954, Clotilda was the first Black graduate of the Nova Scotia Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, she was the Head Nurse of the Admission and Discharge Unit of the Nova Scotia Hospital. Clotilda also held a post graduate diploma in midwifery from the Colony Hospital in Grenada, West Indies, a post graduate psychiatric nursing certificate from the Nova Scotia Hospital, and a diploma in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier (StFX).

Clotilda was an activist within the community and was the first president of the Black Community Development Organization, which was founded to help establish affordable housing. She also formed many committees to help unhoused and senior members of her community and she joined the Sierra Club of Canada to help defeat environmental issues that plagued Black and low income areas due to pollution and the tar ponds.

She is a member of the Nova Scotia Black Hall of Fame, the Order of Nova Scotia, and the Order of Canada. She was also the recipient of the Registered Nurses Association of Nova Scotia Centennial Award of Distinction, an honourary degree from Cape Breton University, and the Harry Jerome Award.

Clotilda died on April 15, 2021 of Covid-19 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was 89 years old.

Poulette, Ma'git
Person · March 31, 1943 - September 10, 2022

Ma’git Poulette (Margaret Poulette) was born on March 31, 1943 to Nancy Denny and William B. Sylliboy. She was a residential school survivor who lost her language, Mi’kmaq, while at the Shubenacadie School from 1947 to 1951; however, she relearned her language and became known as a “language warrior”. She was also one of the first to speak out against residential schools and was an active member of the We’koqma’q Residential School Survivors group. In 2016 the film “Ma’kit’s Doll” was released, the product of Ma’git’s collaboration with filmmaker Ann Verrall, and the film is now shown in schools and students make dolls like the ones children at residential schools made when they were not allowed any other toys.

Ma’git was an active member of her community, founding the Mawitamk Society with her brother Ben Sylliboy and Tom Gunn; We’koqma’qewiskwa drum group for the women of We’koqma’q, and at the Friends of St. Anne. She worked for the We’koqma’q First Nation as a receptionist, membership clerk, and welfare clerk before going to university and graduating with her Bachelor of Social Work in 1989. She retired in 2003.

She died on September 10, 2022 at the age of 79.

Campbell, John Colin
Person · 1935 - 2022

John Colin Campbell was born on January 22, 1935 to Vincent Campbell and Viola MacNeil in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He married Dolores Campbell on December 26, 1963 and together they had four children, Mary Campbell, Susan Campbell, Archie Campbell, and Flora Campbell. As a young man he wrote an obituary for a local boxer and received a job offer from the Cape Breton Post and worked as a journalist until his retirement, including 13 years as editor of the Cape Breton Highlander. In 2000, he was nominated for and won the Atlantic Journalistic Achievement Award. He died on September 21, 2022.

McDonough, Alexa
Person · August 11, 1944 - January 15, 2022

Alexa McDonough was born Alexa Ann Shaw on August 11, 1944 in Ottawa, Ontario to Lloyd Shaw and Jean MacKinnon. She attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Ontario, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and psychology in 1965. After graduating she became a social worker and worked for Gerald Regan’s Liberal Party. In 1974, she joined the New Democratic Party (NDP) and on November 16, 1980, she became the leader of the Nova Scotia NDP party and the first woman to lead a major political party in Canada. In 1995, she was voted in as the new leader of the federal NDP party. She retired from politics in 2008.

Politte, Peter
Person · May 31, 1931 - February 25, 2023

Peter Politte was born on May 31, 1931 to Paul Politte and Minnie Politte in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Peter married June Babstock and had a daughter, Tara Politte. Peter spent his career at Markadonis Shoe Repair in Glace Bay and he also operated a shop in his backyard where he would fix harnesses and bridles, hockey equipment, and canvas tents. Peter was best known for his skate sharpening skills, with his reputation extending across the Maritimes. He died on February 25, 2023 at the age of 91.

Pastuck, Stephen
Person · 1953 - 2022

George Stephen Pastuck (Stephen Pastuck) was born on December 23, 1953 to George Pastuck and Mary MacDonald in New Waterford, Nova Scotia. Stephen married Brenda Durdle and had two children, Jeffery Pastuck and Ashley Pastuck (Ashley Gouthro). He spent his career at the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) in New Waterford and retired after 34 years with the company. Fixing cars and drag racing were his most important hobbies, both of which he shared with his son, Jeff, and he began racing his Plymouth Roadrunner in the 1990s. Stephen died on January 25, 2022 at home in New Waterford.

Paruch, Ray
Person · 1948 - 2020

Francis Raymond Paruch (Ray Paruch) was born on October 6, 1948 to Edward Paruch and Margaret Macdonald. He married Wanda Mackenzie and had two children, Nadine Paruch and Glenn Paruch. After the death of his wife, Wanda, he found a partner in Margie Bruno. In 1995, Ray was successful in becoming the District 6 councilor for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM), a position he was elected to 7 times in total, equaling 25 years of municipal service. He died on April 19, 2020 at the age of 71.

MacNeil, Michael
Person · 1959 - 2021

Michael MacNeil was born on July 13, 1959 to Michael B. McNeil and Rose Hawrylak in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Michael studied Upper Air Meteorology in Ottawa, Ontario at the Transport Canada training facility. His work took him to the far north and he was employed by the High Arctic Weather Stations in Mould Bay, Nunavut and Resolute, Nunavut, before working as a restaurant manager in Toronto, Ontario and at home in Cape Breton, where he operated a take-out canteen in Shenacadie, Nova Scotia. To end his career, he worked for Marine Atlantic, retiring in 2020. He died on February 15, 2021 at the Northside General Hospital in North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Dechman, Margaret
Person · 1957 - 2020

Dr. Margaret Dechman was born on January 21, 1957 in Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia to John Dechman and Jane MacLean. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia and her Master of Arts from Dalhousie University. For over 20 years, she worked in the academic and public sectors, before returning to Dalhousie University for her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). She graduated in 2008 and joined the Cape Breton University faculty as an associate professor of sociology in 2010. She was an active member in the community and on the board of the Ally Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She died on November 16, 2020 in Howie Centre, Nova Scotia.

Corporate body · 1871-

The Cape Breton Highlanders were officially formed on October 13, 1871 as the Victoria Provisional Battalion of Infantry under the command of Captain William Bingham. The unit consisted of four companies from Baddeck, Nova Scotia; Middle River, Nova Scotia; and, Grand Narrows, Nova Scotia. By the First World War, the unit had been re-designated a number of times and was known variously as the Victoria “Highland” Provisional Battalion of Infantry (December 2, 1879 – April 8, 1880), the Victoria Provisional Battalion of Infantry “Argyll Highlanders” (April 9, 1880 – June 11, 1885), and the 94th “Victoria” Battalion of Infantry, “Argyll Highlanders” (June 12, 1885 – May 7, 1900).

With the outbreak of World War I (WWI) in 1914, the 94th was placed on active service around Cape Breton for protection duties. On July 15, 1916 the 185th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders), CEF was authorized and it left for training in Great Britain on October 12, 1916. For the duration of the war, the 185th was part of the 5th Canadian Division and was used for reinforcements until February 1918.

On April 1, 1920, the unit, made up of the 94th, 85th and 185th battalions, was redesignated The Cape Breton Highlanders during a reorganization of the Militia. In 1932, unit headquarters moved from Baddeck to Sydney, Nova Scotia and in 1937 five new companies were established, including HQ Company (Sydney), A Company (Baddeck), B Company (Sydney), C Company (New Waterford), and D Company (Glace Bay).

Upon the outbreak of the Second World War (World War II, WWII), the Highlanders were placed on active service on September 1, 1939 for local protection duties. These duties ended on December 31, 1940 and the 1st Battalion, The Cape Breton Highlanders, CASF were mobilized on January 1, 1941. In November of that year, it was sent to Great Britain before joining the 11th Infantry Brigade, 5th Canadian Armoured Division in Italy in November 1943 and then moving to Holland in early 1945. The battalion was disbanded on February 15, 1946 and returned to militia status.

In 1954, with the Pictou Highlanders and the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, the Cape Breton Highlanders were amalgamated into the 2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders. In 2011, as it was serving in Afghanistan, the unit was again designated The Cape Breton Highlanders. In 2021, the Highlanders celebrated its 150th anniversary.