The Boats of Main-à-Dieu
To order the booklet version, call 733-2258 or email reception@coastaldiscoverycentre.ca.
“The Boats of Main-à-Dieu & Area” tells the story of a rural Cape Breton fishing village (and its closest neighbours), thus continuing a major initiative by the Main-à-Dieu & Area Community Development Association to “collect, preserve and share the stories of five Cape Breton communities (Main-à-Dieu, Bateston, Catalone, Little Lorraine and Baleine) through four centuries of momentous change, constant challenge, and enduring character.”
Gerald Gallant, wooden boat builder
The proud past, hopeful present and vision for the future are all brought to life through the imagery and stories collected here of a unique, yet distinctly Maritime, way of life: follow a boat from its building to its blessing; listen as generations of local residents share their memories of fishing and the sea; witness the area’s transformation in light of the era’s cultural, economic and technological developments; and join us as we look forward to the next stage of the initiative, the creation of a sustainable future – thus ensuring there will always be a place for the remembrance of things past.
Indeed, if the way ahead looks bright, we owe it to those who came before us – who got us to where we are – to shine a light on their achievements and struggles, their lives and their lessons. By honouring the past, by celebrating those elements of the communities’ shared experience – the land, where roots run deep; the sea, vast and powerful; and the people themselves, whose enduring character is shaped by both – we give new meaning to the present.
