The Town of Souris

2009
Communities in Bloom

 

Community Profile Book

Town Information

Souris is a town in transition. In its history it has played numerous roles.  The first inhabitants were the Mi'kmaq who settled at the head of the Souris River. The first French settlers on Prince Edward Island landed in 1720 and Souris was an Acadian settlement until 1758 and the expulsion of the Acadians by the new British owners of this part of the world. This year, the Acadians remember the 250^th anniversary of that event. The town’s name was provided by these early settlers when a plague of mice invaded the area. Souris was comprised of what is now the Town of Souris (then Souris East) and Souris West.

In 1765, the British government divided Prince Edward Island into 67 lots. Souris was part of Lot 45. Initially this lot went to William Matthew Burt and John Callendar. Neither man paid much attention to their 20,000 acres and did not attempt to settle it which was part of the deal if they wanted to keep the land. When the land was surveyed for the division of the lots in 1764, this lot was described as containing burned woods (there had been a forest fire) and indifferent land. It remained unsettled at the time of the first census in 1798. When the government began land sales to deal with neglected and abandoned land. Also, many Acadians had returned and were living on the land now known as Souris. They claimed squatter’s rights and won their case.

The Souris River and the tall trees in the unburned areas were ideal for shipbuilding and as the 18^th century progressed, shipbuilding emerged as the leading industry and for most of that century, Souris West was considered to be the part of the area that was the most likely to be developed into a settlement of size.

In 1835, Souris East was comprised of 10 farms. John Knight settled in the area on what is now Knight’s Lane and operated a shipbuilding business.  See attached presentation by Alex Fitzpatrick, a Souris Consolidated School student.

Over the next few decades, commercial business began to develop in Souris East. Among one of the 19^th century enterprises was Matthew and McLean (sometimes spelled MacLean). The store is now a Heritage Building. (See the Natural and Cultural Heritage section for more on this building.)

Souris was incorporated as a town on November 14, 1910.

Souris has been a shipbuilding centre. It has been a mercantile haven. It has been a port town. It has been a fishing village. It retains much of this history in its current state of change. The town is embarking on a $9 million dollar, 3 year renovation of Main Street. (See attached article.)

The Council 2007-2009

The Staff

Shelley MacInnis, Chief Administrative Officer
Chrissy Conohan, Administration and Special Events Coordinator	Patty Rose, Administrative Assistant and Accounting Clerk

The Communities in Bloom Team

One of the remarkable aspects of Souris is the way people work together in an informal manner. Therefore the Communities in Bloom team has a very informal structure. Mayor Joanne Reid is the chair of the committee and volunteer JoAnne Dunphy is the master planner when it comes to selecting the flowers and contacting nurseries and neighbours who donated perennials for the town gardens. Examples of the population as participants in the team are:

·        Residents planted donated bulbs in their own gardens in the fall of 2007 and went to great lengths to showcase their own longtime gardens and create new gardens.

·        Business owner Seraphin DaSilva provided the west wall of his commercial building on Main Street and Church Avenue for the town mural, painted by local artist Lorraine Hennessey.

·        Residents and Consolidated School students descended on Souris Beach on June 25 to clean mounds of debris from the beach.

·        The Souris Co-op and the IGA store provided water for the participants, Bernard Clinton Construction provided a truck to haul the garbage away, and Island Waste Management Corporation permitted free disposal of the garbage.

·        Photographer Waldron Leard provided access to the thousands of photos that he has taken of community events over the past year.

·        Harbourview carpenters build benches for the town’s adopt-a-bench program. Residents have adopted benches which can be seen around town in parks and along Main Street.

·        Harbourview gardeners were on hand to edge, weed, mulch and otherwise attend to town flower beds.

To list the names of all that helped with the town’s efforts would call for a rendering of the town phone book.

Tidiness

During the summer, the town is kept clean by the efforts of Emily Martin and Karen Ford who patrol the streets five days a week picking up every stray trace of garbage.

In the spring, a government team sweeps down the Main Street to remove the remains of sand and winter garbage left behind after the snow melts.

Environmental Awareness

The town’s water comes from 4 wells in the Industrial Park and fed into the water tank. It is tested every two weeks and always passes with flying colours. The town’s sewer is carried by four lift stations to the treatment plant where it is treated for five full days before being returned to the environment.

The town’s garbage is handled, as is all of Prince Edward Island’s waste, by Island Waste Management Corporation, the provincial Crown Corporation that administers and provides solid waste management services throughout Prince Edward Island. Every Wednesday IWMC trucks collect the town’s waste, alternating between garbage and compost carts. The second Friday of the month, IWMC picks up recyclables.

IWMC’s mandate is to deliver a cost effective and environmentally responsible provincial waste management system to both the residential and commercial sectors of PEI.

IWMC operates and maintains the Waste Watch Program, a 3-stream source separation based waste management system that is Island-wide.

There are local businesses that also provide waste removal functions. The town of Souris has a contract with Dale Laybolt to remove the garbage in high use areas such as the Souris Beach and the Matthew and McLean Building.

As well, local residents are diligent about keeping the town clean. An example of this effort is the Souris Beach Clean Up. This is an event that affects the tidiness, environmental awareness, and community involvement.

Community Involvement

Residents at the annual Souris Beach Clean Up

MLA and Provincial Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Rural Development is also a member of the Souris Lions Club. At the Canada Day celebrations, the Lions provided the food. Here he takes a break from barbecuing to bring greeting along with Mayor Reid.

Melvin Ford, 2007 Volunteer of the Year, can be found singing at most public events. His is the president of the Eastern Kings Exhibition Association, secretary-treasurer of the Eastern Kings Sports Council, president of the Souris Consolidated Parents Association and a member of the Souris Legion.

As well as individual activity by citizens, the town of Souris also has the following community organizations:

·        Lions Club

·        Knights of Columbus

·        Silver Threads Seniors Club

·        Canadian Legion

·        Women’s Institute

·        Catholic Women’s League

This story from the Globe and Mail shows how the community pulls together.

Globe and Mail, July 9, 2007 Michael Smith: Grilled steak with shitake gravy MICHAEL SMITH Recipe for a village feast: 75 gallons of seafood chowder 1,000 hand-cut New York strip loin steaks 6 blistering hot charcoal grills 500 pounds local potatoes 30 local potato peelers 200 pounds rhubarb 250 quarts fresh local strawberries 100 pounds butter 100 litres cream 150 hay bales for crowd control 100 borrowed pots and pans 1,000 hungry guests 1 beautiful summer day 1 crazy chef Mix everything together, pretend it's all under control and hope for the best. Imagine trying to convince a gang of home cooks that they can prepare a steak dinner for 1,000 people. This past Saturday, my eastern Prince Edward Island community came together as we never had before. We pooled our resources, formed committees, schemed, begged and borrowed, and ran hard with a great idea. Then we watched as our first Village Feast exceeded everyone's wildest expectations. Chef Michael Smith barbeques a portion of the 1,000 New York strip loin steaks during the Village Feat charity event in souris, PEI. (Nina Linton for The Globe and Mail) Like many rural communities we have our share of challenges. But instead of letting them define us, we focused on the bounty of our local resources. The idea was simple. Sell 1,000 tickets, create a feast with local ingredients and raise enough money to help our local food bank and an outstanding locally based charity, Farmers Helping Farmers. With the money raised, we would build a cookhouse in a Kenyan village that would feed 400 kids a day and we would also put meals on the table for needy families in our own community. Great motivation to tackle an outlandish task. The menu was simple: A traditional seafood chowder packed with chunks of just about everything you can find in the waters around PEI. A thick steak grilled to order - which meant four grill stations, one each for rare, medium rare, medium and well done - and local (Alberta's not the only place in Canada that raises AAA beef). Potatoes mashed with browned butter. Gravy full of locally grown organic mushrooms. And to top it all off, strawberry rhubarb shortcake with real whipped cream and nutmeg biscuits. It was a feast indeed - and hopefully a spark for years of successful community events to come. Sometimes the only thing holding us back is gumption - a motivated community can achieve just about anything. And everyone loves a grilled steak. Grilled Steak with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy In a fancy restaurant this would be called a sauce, but in a sunny field full of farmers and fishermen we know better. You can use any mushroom you like, but shiitakes have a rich meaty flavour that goes perfectly with grilled steak. What you need 1 thinly sliced onion 4 cloves of garlic, minced 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup red wine 1 cup rich beef or chicken stock ½ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced Salt and pepper to taste What you do In a saucepot over medium heat gently brown the onions and garlic in the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it dissolves. Add the wine, beef stock and cream. Bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the fresh thyme. Taste. Season with salt and pepper.  Serves 4 to 6. Michael Smith is the award-winning host of the Food Network's Chef at Home, Chef at Large and The Inn Chef. He is based in Fortune, PEI.

Natural and Cultural Heritage

Local artist Lorraine Hennessey captured Souris just prior to its 1910 incorporation as a town. (See attached article.)

Bernard Clinton Construction repairs the Matthew and McLean building. See the attached article on the designation of this building as a heritage building.

Literacy is a large part of the town’s focus.

Souris celebrates book worms

April 21, 2007

BY NANCY WILLIS
The Guardian

SOURIS — Souris will be celebrating World Book Day Monday by giving books away
Officials have been busy rounding books for Monday's event at town hall.
Mayor Joanne Reid is promoting reading and literacy throughout Prince Edward Island by holding the giant book giveaway from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Town Hall at 75 Main Street.
The mayor says the event is perfectly timed for spring cleaning and she is encouraging everyone to round up all the used books they can find and drop them off to help support literacy. 
"Now's the time to clean out boxes, bookshelves and basements," she said.
For more information, call 687-2157.
April 23 was officially established by UNESCO as World Book Day back in 1995 and coincides with the anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare.

Tree/Urban Forest Management

While the town has a forested area at the eastern end, efforts continue to plant more trees in the inhabited parts of the town. On Canada Day, the town provides 400 small trees to residents to be planted in their own yards.

 

In 2007, trees provided by the PEI government were planted on Souris Beach’s dune area and on town property that is in the process of becoming a park.

From The Guardian, November 19, 2007

Souris mayor leads by example and shovel Editor: Souris Mayor Joanne Reid recently planted 10 red maple trees in an area to be designated MacKenzie Park in honour of long-time former mayor Keith MacKenzie. Eventually, over 500 trees and 45 shrubs will form the park and Mayor Reid is to be commended for not only improving her town but for reducing global warming for the rest of us because young growing trees use up lots of carbon dioxide. David Steeves, Charlottetown

Landscaped Areas

Souris is fortunate in having park land in all areas of the town. The largest park is the CN Park at Chapel and Pond. A corner of this park is a community garden maintained by the Lions Club where residents can plant their own vegetable gardens.

As part of the Main Street project, the entire Main Street will be landscaped. Being on Colville Bay, the town has a great deal of natural landscaping.

Lobster fishing boat on Colville Bay

Sandstone Rocks at the lower end of town.
Floral Displays

Because of the Main Street project that will begin in August, the town opted to place oak barrel pots of flowers along Main Street that can be moved as the construction progresses from Beach Avenue to Norris Creek.

The majority of residents plant their own gardens

Volunteers at the Fire Hall gardens.

Turf and Groundcovers

The main areas in Souris that involve turf and groundcovers are the CN Park and the sports fields near the Eastern Kings Sportsplex. Both are grassed areas and well maintained by the town’s maintenance crew and the grasscutting contractors.

The soccer field is being upgraded for participation in the 2009 Canada Games which is being held on Prince Edward Island.

Municipal Action Plan

General Information

Muncipality: Souris                            Population: 1250

Municipal Budget:     $966,000

Parks Budget as a percentage of municipal budget: 3%

Total area:  1.3 square miles

Parks and green space as a % of total area: 5%

Municipal Action Plan

The town committee was informal, chaired by the mayor, Joanne Reid, and volunteer, JoAnne Dunphy. Because the nature of Souris is that we are one for all and all for one, the list of volunteers could be the telephone book. We called on various residents for their assistance as needed. They donated perennials from their own gardens, planted bulbs and annuals.

The town council offered assistance and advice and each committee focused on their portfolio to best help the town.  For instance there was a huge move to deal with unsightly premises.

Photos by Waldron Leard, JoAnne Dunphy, Goldie MacDonald, and Joanne Reid

April 30, 2007

Infrastructure projects approved
MRIF investment will help two new projects; four more get additional money
EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian

Five communities across P.E.I. will begin infrastructure projects, thanks to the $4.45 million being invested in the province under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF).

Two new projects have been approved and four projects have been approved for additional funding.

The announcement was made Saturday and on hand for the announcement on behalf of the federal government was Gerry Ritz, Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism. P.E.I. Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen and mayors Clifford Lee of Charlottetown and Joanne Reid of Souris also attended.

Charlottetown will undertake a $2-million project to support storm piping and sidewalk construction in various locations throughout the city. A second new investment for Charlottetown, at a cost of $1.4 million, will allow the city to extend central water services to Stockman Drive and surrounding areas.

Several previously approved projects also received more money.

The Town of Souris will receive additional funding of more than $975,000 for a project on Main Street, which will include replacements to the sewer and water mains.

Reid, Souris’ new mayor, said she’s thrilled at the funding.

“You think Souris is beautiful now, wait until these guys are through with it,” she said, pointing to the dignitaries at the news conference.“You have no idea what this can do for Souris.”

In Alexandra, an additional $4,100 will be used for renovations to its community hall.

The Fort Augustus Recreation Centre will receive an additional $9,800 for improvements.

The Community of Crapaud will received another $60,000 to increase its community hall renovation project.

Lee said he is pleased with the level of support from the province and from the federal government for continued improvements to Charlottetown’s infrastructure system.

“The many ditches which will be filled in during this construction season and the much-needed improvements to the water system in the Stockman Drive subdivision are real improvements that will continue to add to the quality of life for the citizens throughout the city.”

The MRIF is administered by the P.E.I. Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and ACOA through the Canada-P.E.I. Infrastructure Secretariat.

Project costs are shared on a one-third basis by the federal, provincial and local governments.

Restored Souris building receives heritage designation NANCY WILLIS The Guardian The Matthew/McLean Building in Souris received official heritage status Monday. A designation plaque was presented by provincial Fisheries Minister Allan Campbell to Souris Mayor Joanne Reid and members of the restoration committee. Shown with Campbell and the mayor is former employee of the Matthew/McLean company Wendell Stevenson. Guardian photo SOURIS — The Matthew/McLean Building that was the hub of commercial activity in Souris for 100 years received official heritage designation Monday. Provincial Fisheries Minister Allan Campbell presented the heritage plaque to Souris Mayor Joanne Reid and members of the restoration committee who renovated and restored the building in 2001. The Matthew/McLean building was built by its original owners Senator John McLean and his partner Uriah Matthew in 1869. For the next 100 years, the two men and their families ran one of the most comprehensive and successful commercial operations on Prince Edward Island. The business comprised a department store complete with men’s and women’s wear, shoes, groceries, hardware and office supplies. The partners also ran a shipping operation, fish-processing operation and fisheries supplies store. They were the major employer of Souris and the surrounding area. Wendell Stevenson began working there as a young man in1964 and remained until the time of the store’s close in 1972. “They were absolutely terrific people to work with, and when the end came they did not shut the business down until every employee had found another job,” he said. Stevenson recalled Ella Matthews, who was still hard at work in the “cage” at the age of 80 when the store closed. The cage was the place the persons sat when receiving customers’ payments via a vacuum tube that sent the cash shooting up through the store, and returned a receipt in the same fashion. Now restored, the building is home to six tenants: the P.E.I. Visitors Information Centre for eastern Kings County, Reid Computer Repair, Seaside Chics gift shop, The Historium, Nova’s Sew Much More and Advantage Communications.

22/08/07

P.E.I.'s oldest agricultural exhibition given new life 167th Eastern Kings Exhibition officially opens Saturday, Sept. 15 NANCY WILLIS The Guardian SOURIS — The 167th Eastern Kings Exhibition coming up in mid-September is the oldest agricultural fair on Prince Edward Island and the second-oldest in Canada, and organizers here want to  make sure it continues far into the future. As farming practices change and small family farms disappear  across North America, these traditional fairs face ever-greater challenges. The exhibition association here recognizes that and has hired Melvin Ford as a co-ordinator to breathe new life into this grand old dame of country fairs. Ford said he is thrilled with the outpouring of community support from Little Pond to East Point. “It has been truly wonderful and I think people will be surprised with what they find this year both inside the arena of the Eastern Kings Sportsplex and on the show grounds outside,” he said. Inside, people will see the largest handmade quilt display in eastern Canada, and the trade show portion of the event will have more booths filled with local merchants and artisans than have ever been here before. The official opening will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept.  15. A seafood chowder talent contest sponsored by Ocean Choice and Paderno is planned. Ocean Choice will provide all the seafood for the contestants and Paderno will supply prizes. One hundred dollars in cash prizes will also be in the offing. The contest is limited to eight contestants. “This list is almost full, but we will be creating a reserve list so I am taking all names,” said Ford. A silent auction, with many merchants donating prizes, will run throughout the day, closing at 4 p.m. A live cake auction will take place immediately afterwards. All the usual crafts, hooked rugs, foods, vegetables, baked goods and other traditional competitions will be on display inside the arena, along with a Linking Land and Sea display offering free food samples all day long. A variety show will run all day, along with children’s activities provided by Rhonda Gallant’s Island Active Families program and local youth 4-H groups. On the outside, there will be light and heavy horse shows beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, with traditional horse pulls following at 3 p.m. A new twist to the fair will make sure transportation is provided between the arena and the outside fair grounds which are located up a hill behind it. This will take place throughout the day. “We wanted to do this because we have a large proportion of elderly people among our visitors,” said Ford. To accommodate them, golf carts will be provided by Rollo Bay Greens, with members of the Souris Lions Club driving them.     On Sunday, Sept 16, it is the ATVs’ turn at competition. Ford says this year the ATV pulls will focus on safety and they will have an hour-long demonstration on the safe use of these vehicles taking place before the actual pulls begin. All ATV owners taking part in the pulls must attend the safety course prior to the actual event. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. The safety course follows at 11, and actual ATV pulls will begin at noon. A ceilidh will also be held Sunday afternoon at 3 at the Sportsplex. “We are inviting all local and visiting musicians of every ilk to join us,” said Ford.  Anyone interested should contact Ford at the Eastern Kings Exhibition office at 687-2157, ext. #5. Domestic exhibitors should drop off their entries by 11 a.m. Friday for judging later that afternoon. The grounds open to public on Saturday.

28/08/07  

Souris volunteer firefighter earns medal for 40 years of service with department Sterling MacDonald receives honour from fire marshal at annual awards dinner NANCY WILLIS The Guardian Provincial Fire Marshal David Blacquiere, left, presents Souris firefighting veteran Sterling MacDonald with a service medal for 40 years of outstanding volunteer service with the Souris Fire Department, at the department’s annual awards dinner. Guardian photo SOURIS — Volunteer firefighters in rural areas like Souris are a rare breed of individuals who are willing to put their lives on the line without monetary reward for the people of their communities. Some of those outstanding men were honoured recently at the Souris Fire Department’s annual awards dinner, where the squad’s 30 members and their families, along with representatives from neighbouring departments, turned out to pay tribute. This year’s dinner saw veteran firefighter Sterling MacDonald receive his service medal from provincial Fire Marshal David Blacquiere for an outstanding 40 years with the department. Squad member Robin Croucher was awarded his Level I training certificate, while Fire Chief Colin Lavie and firefighter Donnie Aitken were voted Volunteers of the Year for always going the extra distance. Souris Mayor Joanne Reid congratulated the award winners and the department as a whole. “This past year I have realized just how important volunteers are to the community, and our volunteer firefighters are at a whole other level again,” she said. Lavie said 2007 was a busy year for his men, with numerous fires, training sessions, meetings and fundraising events. This year also marked the successful completion of a smoke house training facility for the department after three years of fundraising efforts. “We are encouraging neighbouring departments to use our smoke house to train their members,” said the chief. The fire department expanded its roster from 25 to 30 members this year, in order to always have a full complement of firefighters. “We so often have individuals on courses or other training situations, and felt it was necessary to expand our numbers,” Lavie said.  He is pleased with the resulting mix of young recruits and older men that make up the department. “I am very lucky to have each and every one as part of our team, and I thank them and their families as well for their commitment,” said Lavie.

30/11/07  

Souris Christmas parade organizers hire consultant The Guardian SOURIS — There are only seven weeks left until it’s Christmas parade time in Souris and organizers are working madly to put together one of the best events ever. To do so, they have hired consultant Melvin Ford to lend his organizational magic, which recently resulted in the revival of P.E.I.’s oldest agricultural fair, the Eastern Kings Exhibition. Saturday, Dec. 1, at 1:30 p.m., will see the 27th annual parade come rolling down Main Street, complete with floats, animals, clowns and marching bands. “We are the oldest and longest running Santa Claus parade on the Island, and the largest community parade in Atlantic Canada, and this year we want our event to be the focal point of the Island Christmas,” said Ford. The organizing committee is calling on people in the community and across the province to play a more active role than ever before with new ideas, sponsorship, dollar donations and floats. “This is a community event and it relies solely on the community to make it happen,” he said.  In particular, they are looking for more float entries. “We have 185 registered businesses in this area. If we had a float or clown or some other entry from each and every one, it would be phenomenal,” said Ford. For more information, call Chrissie Conohan at 687-2157 or Ford at 743-2277.

09/10/07 

Souris mayor makes heartfelt gesture to ferry official after sealers tragedy NANCY WILLIS The Guardian Souris Mayor Joanne Reid met CTMA Ferry Capt. Bernard Langford Tuesday with a bouquet of flowers that said both welcome back and expressed the town’s sorrow over the loss of four Iles-de-la-Madeleine sealers last weekend. Guardian photo by Nancy Willis SOURIS — The startup of the spring CTMA ferry season Tuesday brought both joy and sorrow to the people of Souris, who were pleased to have the ferry back in operation but shared in the loss of their fellow seamen from the Iles-de-la-Madeleine. Four sealers from the neighbouring islands died when their fishing boat capsized while under tow last weekend. The ferry from the Iles-de- la-Madeleine was on its first run of the 2008 season Tuesday but was late arriving after it ran into heavy ice about nine miles off East Point. Because it is a modified icebreaker it was able to slog its way slowly through the ice-packed, fog-shrouded April sea. Souris Mayor Joanne Reid was at the terminal in Souris when the ferry arrived, where she presented a bouquet of flowers to Captain Bernard Langford, along with a two-fold message from her council and the people of Souris. “These flowers are both a welcome back to the ferry, and a message from the town of Souris to the people of the Iles-de-la-Madeleine and the families of the crew of the L’Acadien II, that we are so very sorry for their loss,’’ said Reid. The mayor said Souris is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between the two islands. “The Iles-de-la-Madeleine are a huge benefit and bonus to Souris. We are close neighbours, but haven’t been in as close communication as we should be, and we want to change that and create a real union between the two,’’ she said. Reid will be travelling to the Islands in May, and Iles- de-la-Madeliene Mayor Joel Arseneau was supposed to come to Souris this week, but his visit was cancelled because of the tragedy. Councillor Christina Whyatt, chair of the town’s tourism committee, was also at the wharf to welcome  Langford. CTMA terminal manager Steven Comeau said the ferry begins its spring schedule with a crossing once a day, every day but Mondays until the first of July when it will again include Monday in its schedule.

02/04/08 

Mural depicting Souris harbour in 1908 will grace town's Main Street NANCY WILLIS The Guardian Artist Lorraine Hennessey is busy these days working on a large mural depicting Souris harbour in 1908. It will be on display later this year in the eastern P.E.I. port town. Guardian photo SOURIS — People heading along Main Street this summer will delight in the latest contribution to the revitalization of the downtown core when they see a brilliantly coloured mural depicting Souris harbour in 1908. The vibrant 12- by 32-foot scene of the graceful brigantines and sailing vessels that packed this harbour at the turn of the last century is being painted by local artist Lorraine Hennessey and will be displayed on the side of the old drug store. The painting is inspired by one of the historic photos from Leard’s Pictures of the Past collection. “I have always thought it would be wonderful to have an historic picture drawn on that empty wall space so I was very pleased when the town asked me to do it,” said Hennessey. She also had no problem figuring out what the picture would be when she got the contract. “For years, every time I passed by the old Leard’s Men’s Wear store window where the historic photo collection was exhibited, I would stop and take a look,” she said. Today, that wish is reality and the mural will be hung early this summer. The mural is nearing completion and the most tedious part is behind the artist. “There was a lot of prep work, and finishing all the boats involved so much detail, but that is done and it is clear sailing from here.” She is particularly pleased that the building’s new owner Seraphin DaSilva likes the idea of the mural. “He is just thrilled with it and has said he will install it.” Although the project went pretty much according to plan for the artist, putting in the boats was the most challenging part. “I want to thank Souris fisherman Jim Reggie MacDonald for bringing me a wonderful postcard he had from the 1908 era. I had several black and whites, but his card was so crisp and clear, that I was able to get a perfect image using a magnifying glass.” The sketch is painted on a series of 12 four-foot by eight-foot sheets of material called MDO Board that will not flake or peel, and if one happens to be damaged it can be easily removed for repair. The project will cost between $3,000 and $6,000.

07/05/08  

Shipbuilding in Souris

  by

Alex Fitzpatrick

Shipbuilding in Souris

In the days before iron ships, ships were built from wood. When England began to run short of woodlands to build ships, they turned to the colonies. Prince Edward Island was heavily wooded and had the kind of natural waterways that made it easy to set up shipyards. Souris River was ideal for shipbuilding because it was very deep and sheltered.

The Souris area had been settled by the French until the Expulsion of the French in 1758 when most of the French on Prince Edward Island were sent away. Some of the French who had been living here had gone to the Magdalene Islands and were not here when the English rounded up the French and removed them from the area.

One of these families was the D’Etcheverie family. They moved back to the Souris area after the Acadian Expulsion was over. The name got shortened and Anglicized to Cheverie and many descendants of this family still exist today.  I’m descended from this family.

In 1763, Prince Edward Island was an English possession. Samuel Holland surveyed the Island in 1765 and he described the land around Souris River (lot 44 and 45) as burned woods, indifferent land, that was not cleared and not very good for fishing or farming. 

England was trying to get people to come to the New World and settle it Lots 44 and 45 did not attract people. In a census taken in 1798, there were people who were listed in lot 43 and lot 46. Part of this reason was that the English proprietors who owned each lot were responsible for bringing out settlers to their land. Lot 44 had changed hands sixteen times between 1767 (when the lots were drawn in England and the owners given their section of land) and 1793.

Figure 1 - From Samuel Holland's Survey

In 1793, part of Lot 44 was given to Benjamin Evans and Peter MacGowan who held it in trust for John Cambridge. John Cambridge was one of the first shipbuilders on Prince Edward Island and between 1792 and 1825, his shipyards built 12 ships. His sons, Lemuel and Artemas, were also shipbuilders and between 1790 and 1830, their shipyards built 24 ships.

Cambridge’s first shipyard was in Murray Harbour in 1793 and he had a sawmill there too. These ships sailed to England with timber and brought back settlers as well as shipwrights, blacksmiths, blockmakers, woodcutters, and people to run sawmills. These men came from Bristol, England, and places in Scotland and Ireland where shipbuilding had been done for many years. Some of the early shipbuilders are names that are still recognized around the Souris area such as Mallard, Gregory, Rossiter. By the 1790s, there were shipyards all along the Souris River. John Cambridge kept buying up land and by 1818 he owned all of Lot 44. The map in Figure 1 shows that most of Souris River was in Lot 44.

One of the shipwrights was Thomas Perkins of Plymouth, England, who along with 30 other shipyard workers came to Prince Edward Island to work for Lemuel Cambridge.

Shipbuilding was the main occupation and reason for business in the Souris area from the first Cambridge Shipyards in the 1790s to the last of the Kickham Shipyards around the time of World War I. Shipbuilding on the Souris River was at its peak in the 1860s.  Sometimes there were up to 300 men working in the shipyards on Souris River.

The shipyards existed anywhere the water was deep enough and there was enough shelter. Some of the shipyards included one owned by J.B. Cox, north of Union Cemetery, and next to it was another shipyard owned by Richard Burk. This one was in the gulley north of Union Cemetery. On the other side of Souris River there was a shipyard at McInnis Creek and another one at the head of the River at Gowan Brae. The McGowans had been active in shipbuilding in what is now called Gowan Brae.  In Souris East – which is now the town of Souris – there were several small shipyards. There was one at Norris Pond, Chepstow, Little Harbour, and North Lake. The North Side was generally rocky and not suitable for building and launching ships.

John Knight had a huge shipyard near where the Platter House restaurant was for many years and T.J. Kickham had another shipyard across the River on the east side. Edward Kickham came from Tipperary in Ireland. T. J. was his son and after working in his father’s store and as a postmaster, T. J. got into shipbuilding. From 1891 until 1907 his shipyards built 12 ships, all of them with the word “Light” in the name. There was the Minot’s Light, the Arclight, the Searchlight, the Silverlight, the Delight, the Ariel Light, the Twilight, the Sunlight, the Souris Light, the Satellite, and the Limelight. There was a second ship called the Delight.

Figure 2 - The Delight built by T. K. Kickham.

 

Figure 3 - The Arclight built by T. K. Kickham.

Figure 4 - The Satellite built by T. J. Kickham

All of the Kickham ships were destroyed at sea because he skimped on the wire that held the wood together and when things got rough at sea, the ships fell apart.

Figure 7 - The author with Captain Lanigan's desk

In this picture above, the small wooden desk was used by the captain as a place to keep the money safe that he received when he delivered the ship or its cargo to the United Kingdom or other harbours.

Figure 8 - Fishing schooner

In the late 1870s the shipbuilding industry began to collapse. The construction of steamships meant that there was a decline in ships required by the United Kingdom. After the industry collapsed many shipwrights, blacksmiths, and carpenters had to go elsewhere to find work. The last ship built in Souris was the M.C.A. built for a Captain Arsenault. She sailed until 1952 when she was beached near the Magdalen Islands.

In later years, lobster boats were built in canneries after the lobster season was over. The Kickhams of Souris West had a cannery.

Bibliography

Townshend, Adele. Ten Farms Become a Town: A History of Souris 1700-1920.  Town of Souris, 1986.