Earlier this year many parts of the world were struck by devastating tornadoes. Of all the accounts given by survivors the most frightening came from those who experienced the eye of the storm and lived to tell the tale. No words or pictures can truly convey the impact of these freaks of nature; they must… Continue reading…
Category: Bill Hamilton’s Tantramar Flashback — Series 1
Columns originally published in the The Sackville Tribune-Post
The Importance of “This Old House”
During the past few weeks I have forsaken my usual Tantramar beat for a visit to London, England. While there, the local press featured a story with an important historical twist. The giant department store chain, Marks and Spencer, was in the process of digging the foundation for a new building, when all work was… Continue reading…
“Volunteerism Is Contagious:” A Century of Service for Canada
When an individual or organization reaches their hundredth birthday there is cause for celebration. This holds true for the IODE founded a century ago on Feb. 13, 1900. A distinctly Canadian organization, the Order was the brainchild of Margaret Polson Murray (1844–1927) of Montreal. Early in January 1900, she sent a telegram to the mayors… Continue reading…
Are There Islands on the Marsh?
If asked to explain the word island, some readers might recall a definition from Nelson’s School Geography: a land mass entirely surrounded by water. A dictionary search will reveal that it can also mean an elevated piece of land surrounded by marsh. There are several examples on the Tantramar and nearby marshes: Spectacle, Dixon, Estabrooks… Continue reading…
The 1913 Rail Tragedy Revisited
On several occasions I’ve mentioned the importance of contact with readers of these twice monthly columns. Frequently, interesting suggestions for future Flashbacks are made; and often significant new information is provided. Last autumn, while researching and writing a column on the 1913 Aulac Rail Tragedy, I was hampered by an inability to locate someone who… Continue reading…
Of “Knighthoods” And Dorchester’s Two Knights
1919 was a turning point in twentieth century Canadian history. Overshadowed by 1918, and the end of the war to end all wars; some of it’s highlights deserve to be better known. The major event was the Paris Peace Conference — a meeting of the Allied powers to draft treaties following the war. Canada’s contribution… Continue reading…
Memories and More: An Interview with Helen Field Walton
Today we begin a special series of Tantramar Flashbacks. From time to time, I plan to feature the Memories And More of some of the interesting people I meet in writing this column. In this first profile, let me introduce Helen Field Walton. Before our interview Helen sent me an essay in which she explored… Continue reading…
The “Fore” Fathers
Anyone familiar with the town of Amherst will know of it’s association with four of Canada’s Fathers of Confederation. There is the annual Four Fathers Festival, the Four Fathers Memorial Library; not to mention the plaques on the old federal building noting that four of the Fathers were born within Cumberland County. To refresh memories,… Continue reading…
A Balladeer From Point de Bute
Sixty years ago in the spring of 1938, world attention was focused on Moose River, a small Nova Scotia community, tucked away in the interior of Halifax County. A sudden cave-in trapped three prospectors in an abandoned gold mine. Rescue teams were summoned and, after six days, it was discovered that miraculously the men were… Continue reading…
From Beacon Fires to Broadcasting: A Salute To CBA
newspaper published a photograph of something new on the Tantramar. It was described as an arresting sight of beauty in steel… you’ll see the towers immediately, their red lights giving the atmosphere of a carnival at night. Still today, the network of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation towers brighten the Tantramar skyline; a landmark for all who… Continue reading…
