Sable Island has been the focus of human interest and activities for over three centuries. Mapmakers, settlers, fishermen, mariners, shipwreck victims, lifesavers, naturalists and scientists, prospectors, educators, students, artists, journalists and visitors have explored, survived, studied, and otherwise experienced Sable Island—directly, with toes in the sand, or from a distance. For many, their fleeting or long-term encounter with the island was memorable—tragic, perplexing, inspirational, mildly interesting, inconvenient, educational, life-changing, joyous. And through these people and their work, adventures and misadventures, connections with the island extend beyond them and into the lives and communities of others who may not have touched or been touched by Sable Island.
In this series of “Connections”, special moments and lasting impressions are shared by people who have experienced Sable Island first-hand or have a distant, but enduring, relationship with the island.
Dream Came True – Jane Dunlop-Stevenson, 2012
My dream came true when I shared an incredible day on the island with my sister and five dear friends. Long after, the emotions of being so wonderfully overwhelmed by the experience still brings tears.
To Dream of Sable Island – Larry Meikle, 2012
Over 50 years ago, I was in Grade 7 or 8 when I found a story on Sable in a school textbook, an Ontario Primary School Reader. I could not have imagined the impact this short story would have on my life.
A Legacy – Cindy Clancey, 2009
My family’s connection to Sable Island began almost fifty years ago when we lived at the West Light while my father was employed there as an electrician. In 2008 I returned to the island for a brief visit.
Tousled Manes – Mary Filbee, 2009
As a child I was fascinated by my godmother’s painting of Sable Island and the story she told of the dunes and shipwrecks. A family friend, Barbara Christie, engaged me with stories of the island’s horses.
A Lasting Impression – Catherine Dale, 2009
From the awesome power of the late-night lightning, to the confused and lost Myrtle Warbler that hopped onto my boot while absorbed in his search for food, my memories of the island hold a hint of magic.
Boys and Seals – Andrew McLaren, 2009
I remember vividly how the seals would swim inside the crest of a breaking wave, moving silhouettes that seemed to roll as they swam, faster than human swimmers, in their bright tunnel of water.
The Sable Effect – Susan Tooke, 2009
Going back several years, Peter Carver, Red Deer Press, asked me to illustrate a story about saving the horses of Sable Island. This led me on the path to one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.
Fifty Years Ago – Janet Barkhouse, 2009
As a teenager, I entered a public speaking competition with a Sable Island story. One of the judges was the well known Canadian artist J. D. Lawley—he had sketched some Sable horses as I spoke.
Early Days – Ian McLaren, 2009
In 1967, I began research on the Ipswich Sparrow. The next summer, my wife Bernice assisted me, and with our three young children, we set up home in the unused radio operators’ house at the West Light.
Perseid Showers, Sable Island – Richard Rudnicki, 2009
The sun drops from sight; stars appear in the darkening sky. First a few, then dozens upon dozens and more and more until the entire universe is ablaze—the Milky Way sprawls, shooting stars streak past.
Plein Air Painting – Roger Savage, 2009
Flying in over the west spit, the grand expanse of south beach, and the tiny weather station compound, it feels like arriving at an outpost, even though mainland Nova Scotia is only 1:15 hours away.
Briefly Met – Don Pentz, 2009
Over the six days on Sable, I completed 20 watercolours. With each image I can recall the time and place—the wind, the smell, the lay of the land as I crested along the dune tops or circumvented the ponds.
