Fishing heritage

Point Traverse families and supporters speak at council

Apart of the County’s fishing heritage is under threat of erasure as the last remaining leaseholders at Point Traverse were evicted from their cottages on the August 31 deadline imposed by Canadian Wildlife Service. The cottages have been boarded up and signs prohibiting entry to the property have been posted. The rationale given was that the structures were a health and safety hazard, and that the area would be returned to its natural state, as per the purpose of the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area.

Through a motion put forward at last Tuesday’s council meeting by Councillor David Harrison, Council is joining its community members in calling on the federal government to protect the historic commercial fishing village at Point Traverse.

The lease problem stems from an old practice where a landowner with a port or dock facilities would be paid a commission by commercial fishers who used them. This made it a valuable commodity for the landowner, and they offered leases to the fishers and space to build a small cottage. Part of the deal was that the landowner would provide a roll of tar paper each year to keep the cottage waterproof. Typically, the leases would be maintained if the land changed hands, and the stated intent of the Canadian government was that it would be the same after it assumed ownership. Now, however, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change is terminating the leases. The Ministry says it will maintain the dock and the harbour, but based on past experience both Linda McCormack and her grandson Jordan say that is highly unlikely. In recent years, all of the maintenance has been done by Tim McCormack, Linda’s son. Last October, a sandbar blocked the entrance to the harbour, rendering it unusable. Commercial fishers instead used Cressy, a twohour or more boat ride away. It wasn’t until Tim cleared the sandbar and dredged the harbour that it returned to service. It is not only commercial fishers that use the harbour—it is also well used by sport fishers.

Rosalind Adams spoke on behalf of the commercial fishing heritage at Point Traverse. “For most of my life, fish hasn’t just been something to eat. It’s about connection to people, community, stories, history and to the lake, not as a tourist attraction, but as something that feeds as and is a force to be reckoned with,” said Adams. “Protecting our commercial fisheries infrastructure and access to local waters is this council’s business because protecting our community’s food security, sustainability and future is this council’s responsibility,” she added.

Adams took issue with the fact that County’s commercial fisheries are not mentioned even once in the 233-page Official Plan.”The fishery has been sustainably producing large quantities of food in our community for over 200 years. They continue to do so today and according to you they don’t even rate a mention. At every point where the plan could mention our fisheries contribution and support it—the plan works to erase our commercial fishing from consciousness and from policy consideration.”

Jordan McCormack, whose family is one of the leaseholders at Point Traverse, told Council it has a responsibility to protect the commercial fishery. “I am asking the federal government to refrain from tearing down my grandmother’s and the remaining leaseholders’ cottages and net sheds at Point Traverse,” said McCormack. “The government has systematically tried to destroy history that dates back to 1784. My message to the government is: Commercial fishing and the safe haven harbour of the south shore must remain. Leave Point Traverse and the south shore alone.”

McCormack noted that he believes the South Shore Joint Initiative has in part led to the demise of commercial fishing at Point Traverse. “They don’t want their cherished beaches and favourite trails destroyed. They don’t want their favourite harbour destroyed and to become unavailable for local use.”

Amy Bodman spoke on behalf of the South Shore Joint Initiative, and shared several photos that Suzanne Pasternak had collected as part of a project to create an oral history book entitled A Lifetime Upon These Waters: An Illustrated Oral History of Prince Edward County’s Vital Fishery. “Though I do not agree with the allegations Jordan McCormack has made regarding SSJI, I am deeply impressed by the campaign he has launched to save the fishery of Point Traverse and to draw attention to PEC’s commercial fishery in general,” said Bodman.

Mayor Steve Ferguson said he has had numerous conversations with MP Ryan Williams and that an update is expected in the coming weeks. “We around the Horseshoe here are in support of the commercial fishery. The federal government has exercised its rights, and contrary to what you may believe, there has been considerable conversation with our MP Ryan Williams about how to proceed,” said Ferguson.

Councillor Harrison’s motion, to have the mayor on behalf of Council draft a letter to Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard regarding support for commercial fishing at Point Traverse, passed with unanimous support.