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Connections
A series of special moments and lasting impressions shared by people who have experienced the island first-hand or have a distant, but enduring, relationship with the island. These perspectives represent some of the many connections between people and Sable Island, and also, connections among people through Sable Island.
Now, it is about so much more – Lauren Hughes, February 2023
As we walked the network of horse trails… I was captivated by beetles, spiders, and the tiny sweat bee – newly recognizing the critical role that all of these creatures play in the island’s ecosystem.
A Ghostly Introduction – David Griffiths, 2021
I first learned about Sable Island as a 10 year-old city boy from England… watching television alone on a sunny Saturday afternoon… a 1956 CBC documentary about Sable Island.
Sable: A Dream Realized 60 Years Later – Pamela Delaney, September 2020
I had not just left the mainland of Nova Scotia that day, I had left the planet, my earthly tether, my mortal coil. I had finally been to Sable Island, where souls fly free.
The Shifting Sands of Sable – Devon James Gillighan, February 2020
Since childhood I have been fascinated by islands. In summer 2018, I had the privilege and honour of visiting an island unlike any other. Sable Island is solitary, sensitive, and sublime in every sense.
Memoirs
Posts about various individuals who lived on Sable Island.
Dalhousie grad students on Sable in the early 1970s – Jean Boulva, 2024
Jean Boulva first accompanied Ian McLaren to Sable Island in May 1968. In 1970, under Ian’s guidance, Jean began Ph.D. research on the status of the Harbour Seal in Atlantic Canada. He established his quarters at East Light, and occasionally shared the old lightkeepers house with other researchers. They all contributed to Ian’s major research project on the Ipswich Sparrow led by his Ph.D. student Wayne Stobo.
Elsie’s Story, a Child’s Life on Sable Island in the Early 1900s
In 1916, Walter Blank, his wife Blanche, and their five children moved to Sable Island where Walter joined the staff of the Sable Island Humane Establishment. Elsie was then two years old. The family lived on the island for about 14 years, and Elsie’s memories of life on Sable.
Sid Forward and Family on Sable Island, 1961-1963
In the early 1960s my father, Sid Forward, was employed as an electrician on Sable Island. He was responsible for maintaining the lights and diesel power station. I celebrated my 4th birthday on the island. Sable was a wonderful adventure for a child. We lived in a huge sandbox with dunes to roll down and horses to ride. We were surrounded by amazing wildlife and even got to “check out” the occasional helicopter or airplane.
David Millar, 1967-1969
In May 1967, David Millar, fresh out of training in Toronto and Ottawa, arrived at his first posting, Sable Island. Outside of work at the weather station, David took an interest in the island’s environment and spent a lot of time walking and exploring, and developed two hobbies which he still enjoys – bird watching and photography. During his two summers, David occasionally assisted Dalhousie University’s Ian McLaren and his students in their studies of the Ipswich Sparrow.
Profiles
Joyce Barkhouse, Author
The book Pit Pony, written by Joyce Barkhouse, is about a young coal miner and his companion, a Sable Island horse. Joyce won many awards for her writing, and Pit Pony is the most beloved of all her works.
Photo Blog
Gina Little worked on Sable Island as a technologist with the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC). She joined MSC’s Sable team in February 2007, and during her 13 years with the service she spent six to seven months annually on the island. In her PhotoBlogs, Gina shares some of the many patterns, small details, and scenes that caught her eye as she explored Sable Island.
Gina’s Sable Island Photoblog, October 2016 – January 2017
Gina Little, who began working on Sable in 2007, had been taking photos of the island long before her first Sable Photoblog was posted on the Institute’s website. Here are some of those earlier images.
Gina’s Sable Island Photoblog, July 2019
Images of Sable Island’s landscape features, flora and fauna large and small, beachcast curiosities, and weather, collected as encountered and presented in chronological order, some with notes.
Gina’s Sable Island Photoblog, April – June 2019
Scenes and close-ups collected during three months on the island working with MSC—weather, landscape, and wildlife; snow, sunsets, and fog; beached bones and patterns in sand.
Gina’s Sable Island PhotoBlog, October 2018 – January 2019
During her autumn to mid-winter walks, Gina collected photos of weather, water and landforms, with a unique perspective that found interest and delight in what might be overlooked by a less observant eye.
Facebook Posts
Posted on Facebook, October – November 2021
Series No.4, Zoe’s daily Facebook posts from Sable Island.
Posted on Facebook, November 8 to December 12, 2020.
Series #3, Zoe’s daily posts from Sable Island to Facebook.
Posted on Facebook, October 9 to November 7, 2020
Series #2, Zoe’s daily posts from Sable Island to Facebook.
Posted on Facebook, Sable Island, June-July 2020
Series # 1, Zoe’s daily posts from Sable Island to Facebook.
