Category: Bill Hamilton’s Tantramar Flashback — Series 1

This is the time of the year when Atlantic Canada undergoes its annual hurricane watch. No words or pictures can truly convey the impact of these freaks of nature; they must be experienced to be understood. Of all the first hand accounts, the most frightening come from those who experienced the eye of the hurricane,… Continue reading…

One of the pleasures in writing the twice monthly Tantramar Flashback has been my contact with you, the readers of the Trib. From the beginning I’ve encouraged feedback and to date, have not been disappointed. My original comment that a region with over three centuries of recorded history would supply lots of subject matter has… Continue reading…

Approximately one year from now the New Brunswick/Nova Scotia border area will be playing host to people from all parts of North America and beyond. They will be attending a celebration marking the arrival, more than two centuries ago, of some seventy families from Yorkshire, England. The latter emigrated to the Isthmus of Chignecto during… Continue reading…

Looking back on the Yorkshire migration of the 1770s, two personal characteristics stand out: adaptability and resourcefulness. The new settlers recognized the economic potential of the fertile marshlands and immediately repaired damaged dykes and aboiteaux. Very quickly the marshes were restored to their former state of fertility. Not content with the status quo, they immediately… Continue reading…

In recent weeks people around the world have been gripped by the crash of Swissair Flight 111 into the Atlantic Ocean off Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. Sadly, in the late twentieth century tragedies involving aircraft have become all too common. Although the Tantramar region has never experienced such a massive catastrophe, it has had, on… Continue reading…

In recent weeks CFB Gagetown has become a temporary home for hundreds of Kosovars escaping from the war-torn Balkans. Over the years, Hungarians fleeing Communist oppression, displaced Vietnamese Boat People, and victims of religious and political conflict in Latin America have all found sanctuary in this province. But by far the largest number of displaced… Continue reading…

Each summer the Tantramar region welcomes tourists from far and near. They come for a variety of reasons and sometimes their visits are unscheduled. Numbered among the latter are tourists who become lost. Recently, while walking down York Street, I was startled by an oversized black sedan travelling at breakneck speed. Bearing New Jersey number… Continue reading…

Over the years, southeastern New Brunswick has witnessed a number of royal visits. In the spring of 1939 huge crowds gathered at the Sackville train station to greet the late King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as they neared the end of a memorable rail journey across Canada. The present Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, along… Continue reading…

On the surface very little remains of the Mi’kmaq presence on the Tantramar. This is unfortunate, because they recognized, as did all those who followed them, the strategic importance of what is today the Isthmus of Chignecto. For purposes of government, the Mi’kmaq divided the Maritime Provinces into seven districts, each with its own chief… Continue reading…

Countless types of bells may be found in all parts of the world. There are church and temple bells, doorbells, fire engine bells, clock bells, ships bells and carillon bells. History records that bells were among the first metallic items to be fashioned by our early ancestors. It is believed that bells have been used… Continue reading…